n away from it. But
my children get on; so I travel up every day and do my best. I get
very little time to write or think, for my working days have begun."
Later, she seems to have seen the value of this experience. "At
sixteen," she writes, "I began to teach twenty pupils and, for ten
years, I learned to know and love children."

Amateur theatricals were still the recreation of the Alcott girls, as
they had been almost from infancy, and the stage presented a
fascinating alternative to the school-room. "Anna wants to be an
actress and so do I," writes Louisa at seventeen. "We could make
plenty of money perhaps, and it is a very gay life. Mother says we are
too young and must wait. Anna acts splendidly. I like tragic plays and
shall be a Siddons if I can. We get up harps, dresses, water-falls,
and thunder, and have great fun." Both of the sisters wrote many
exciting dramas at this period, and one of Louisa's, "The Rival Prima
Donnas," was accepted by the manager of the Boston Theatre, who
"thought it would have a fine run" and sent the author a free pass to
the theatre, which partly compensated for the non-appearance of the
play. Some years later, a farce written by Louisa, "Nat Bachelor's
Pleasure Trip, or the Trials of a Good-Natured Man," was produced at
the Howard Athenaeum, and was favorably received. Christie's experience
as an actress, in Miss Alcott's novel entitled, "Work," is imaginary
in its incidents, but autobiographical in its spirit.

All these experiments in dramatic literature, from Jack the
Giant-Killer on, were training the future story-teller. Miss Alcott's
first story to see the light was printed in a newspaper at the age of
twenty, in 1852, though it had been written at sixteen. She received
$5.00 for it, and the event is interesting as the beginning of her
fortune. This little encouragement came at a period of considerable
trial for the family. The following is from her journal of 1853: "In
January, I started a little school of about a dozen in our parlor. In
May, my school closed and I went to L. as second girl. I needed the
change, could do the wash, and was glad to earn my $2.00 a week."
Notice that this is her summer vacation. "Home in October with $34.00
for my wages. After two days' rest, began school again with ten
children." The family distributed themselves as follows: "Anna went to
Syracuse to teach; father to the west to try his luck,--so poor, so
hopeful, so serene. God be with him. M