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The Scar Will Remain, But It Is Better For A Man To Lose Both Arms Than His Soul; And These Hard Years, Instead Of Being Lost, May Be Made The Most Precious Of Your Lives, If They Teach You To Rule Yourselves.

-Louisa May Alcott

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The Scar Will Remain,

Louisa May Alcott

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The Scar Will Remain, But It Is Better For A Man To Lose Both Arms Than His Soul; And These Hard Years, Instead Of Being Lost, May Be Made The Most Precious Of Your Lives, If They Teach You To Rule Yourselves.

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...freedom Being The Sauce Best Beloved By The Boyish Soul.

A Real Gentleman Is As Polite To A Little Girl As To A Woman.

Help One Another Is Part Of The Religion Of Our Sisterhood.

Dear Me! How Happy And Good We'd Be, If We Had No Worries!

I Want To Be Great, Or Nothing. I Won't Be A Commonplace Dauber, So I Don't Intend To Try Any More.

I Mean That It Is More Natural For Me To Be Wicked Than Virtuous, When I Do A Bad Act, And I've Done Many, I Never Feel Wither Shame, Remorse Or Fear, I Sometimes Wish It Was Not Necessary As I Don't Like The Trouble, But As For Any Moral Sense Of Principle, I Haven't A Particle. Many People Are Like Me As Actions Prove, But They Are Not So Frank In Owning It And Insist On Keeping Up The Humbug Of Virtue.

Better Lose Your Life Than Your Soul.

November Is The Most Disagreeable Month In The Whole Year," Said Margaret, Standing At The Window One Dull Afternoon, Looking Out At The Frostbitten Garden. "that's The Reason I Was Born In It," Observed Jo Pensively, Quite Unconscious Of The Blot On Her Nose.

Love Is Apt To Make Lunatics Of Even Men And Saints.

...and The Most Intense Desire Gave Force To Her Passionate Words As The Girl Glanced Despairingly About The Dreary Room Like A Caged Creature On The Point Of Breaking Loose.

. . . For When Women Are The Advisers, The Lords Of Creation Don't Take The Advice Till They Have Persuaded Themselves That It Is Just What They Intended To Do. Then They Act Upon It, And, If It Succeeds, They Give The Weaker Vessel Half The Credit Of It. If It Fails, They Generously Give Her The Whole.

Let Us Be Elegant Or Die! --amy

I Like Adventures, And I’m Going To Find Some.

Girls Are So Queer You Never Know What They Mean. They Say No When They Mean Yes, And Drive A Man Out Of His Wits For The Fun Of It.

Work Is And Always Has Been My Salvation And I Thank The Lord For It.

Back To Him She Would Never Go, But In Her Lonely Life Still Lived The Sweet Memory Of That Happy Time When She Believed In Him And He Was All In All To Her.

Books Are Always Good Company If You Have The Right Sort.

Love And Loyalty If Ever Men And Women Are Their Simplest, Sincerest Selves, It Is When Suffering Softens The One, And Sympathy Strengthens The Other.

Youth, Health And Freedom Were Meant To Be Enjoyed And I Want To Try Every Pleasure Before I Am Too Old To Enjoy Them.

Were Meant To Be

Laurie Felt Just Then That His Heart Was Entirely Broken And The World A Howling Wilderness.

Marmee: Oh, Jo. Jo, You Have So Many Extraordinary Gifts; How Can You Expect To Lead An Ordinary Life? You’re Ready To Go Out And – And Find A Good Use For Your Talent. Tho’ I Don’t Know What I Shall Do Without My Jo. Go, And Embrace Your Liberty. And See What Wonderful Things Come Of It.

I Will Make A Battering-ram Of My Head And Make My Way Through This Rough And Tumble World.

When I Had The Youth I Had No Money, Now I Have The Money I Have No Time, And When I Get The Time, If I Ever Do, I Shall Have No Health To Enjoy Life.

Beth Ceased To Fear Him From That Moment, And Sat There Talking To Him As Cozily As If She Had Known Him All Her Life, For Love Casts Out Fear, And Gratitude Can Conquer Pride.

There Was A Good Deal Of Laughing And Kissing And Explaining, In The Simple, Loving Fashion Which Makes These Home-festivals So Pleasant At The Time, So Sweet To Remember Long Afterward, And Then All Fell To Work.

Men Are Often Bad, But Babies Never Are.

Rivalry Adds So Much To The Charms Of One's Conquests.

Fame Is A Pearl Many Dive For And Only A Few Bring Up. Even When They Do, It Is Not Perfect, And They Sigh For More, And Lose Better Things In Struggling For Them.

Don't Cry So Bitterly, But Remember This Day, And Resolve With All Your Soul That You Will Never Know Another Like It.

But Please Hug And Kiss Me, Everyone, And Don't Mind My Dress, I Want A Great Many Crumples Of This Sort Put Into It Today.

Meg's High-heeled Slippers Were Dreadfully Tight, And Hurt Her, Though She Would Not Own It; And Jo's Nineteen Hair-pins All Seemed Stuck Straight Into Her Head, Which Was Not Exactly Comfortable; But, Dear Me, Let Us Be Elegant Or Die.

Mothers Can Forgive Anything! Tell Me All, And Be Sure That I Will Never Let You Go, Though The Whole World Should Turn From You.

Watch And Pray, Dear, Never Get Tired Of Trying, And Never Think It Is Impossible To Conquer Your Fault.

I’m Not Like The Rest Of You; I Never Made Any Plans About What I’d Do When I Grew Up; I Never Thought Of Being Married, As You Did. I Couldn’t Seem To Imagine Myself Anything But Stupid Little Beth, Trotting About At Home, Of No Use Anywhere But There. I Never Wanted To Go Away, And The Hard Part Now Is Leaving You All. I’m Not Afraid, But It Seems As If I Should Be Homesick For You Even In Heaven.

I Am Lonely, Sometimes, But I Dare Say It's Good For Me.

She Is Too Fond Of Books, And It Has Turned Her Brain.

We'll All Grow Up Meg, No Pretending We Won't.

I May Be Strong-minded, But No One Can Say I'm Out Of My Sphere Now, For Woman's Special Mission Is Supposed To Be Drying Tears And Bearing Burdens

…on Some Occasions, Women, Like Dreams, Go By Contraries.

Jo Had Learned That Hearts, Like Flowers, Cannot Be Rudely Handled, But Must Open Naturally.

Jo's Breath Gave Out Here, And Wrapping Her Head In The Paper, She Bedewed Her Little Story With A Few Natural Tears, For To Be Independent And Earn The Praise Of Those She Loved Were The Dearest Wishes Of Her Heart, And This Seemed To Be The First Step Toward That Happy End.

The Mere Possession Of A Gun Is, In Itself, An Urge To Kill, Not Only By Design, But By Accident, By Madness, By Fright, By Bravado.

You May Try Your Experiment For A Week And See How You Like It. I Think By Saturday Night You Will Find That All Play And No Work Is As Bad As All Work And No Play

…jo Loved A Few Persons Very Dearly And Dreaded To Have Their Affection Lost Or Lessened In Any Way.

John Brooke Is Acting Dreadfully, And Meg Likes It!

Have Regular Hours For Work And Play; Make Each Day Both Useful And Pleasant, And Prove That You Understand The Worth Of Time By Employing It Well. Then Youth Will Be Delightful, Old Age Will Bring Few Regrets, And Life Will Become A Beautiful Success.

Dan Clung To Her In Speechless Gratitude, Feeling The Blessedness Of Mother Love, — That Divine Gift Which Comforts, Purifies, And Strengthens All Who Seek It.

"stay" Is A Charming Word In A Friend's Vocabulary.

Cute Best Friend

Love Is A Beautifier.

You Are The Gull, Jo, Strong And Wild, Fond Of The Storm And The Wind, Flying Far Out To Sea, And Happy All Alone.

We've Got Minds And Souls As Well As Hearts; Ambition And Talents As Well As Beauty And Accomplishments; And We Want To Live And Learn As Well As Love And Be Loved. I'm Sick Of Being Told That Is All A Woman Is Fit For! I Won't Have Anything To Do With Love Until I Prove That I Am Something Beside A Housekeeper And A Baby-tender!

Young Men Often Laugh At The Sensible Girls Whom They Secretly Respect, And Affect To Admire The Silly Ones Whom They Secretly Despise, Because Earnestness, Intelligence, And Womanly Dignity Are Not The Fashion.

A Faithful Friend Is A Strong Defense; And He That Hath Found Him Hath Found A Treasure.

If We Are All Alive Ten Years Hence, Let's Meet, And See How Many Of Us Have Got Our Wishes, Or How Much Nearer We Are Then Than Now.

Jo's Ambition Was To Do Something Very Splendid; What It Was She Had No Idea, As Yet, But Left It For Time To Tell Her.

Rome Took All The Vanity Out Of Me; For After Seeing The Wonders There, I Felt Too Insignificant To Live, And Gave Up All My Foolish Hopes In Despair.

Resolved To Take Fate By The Throat And Shake A Living Out Of Her.

Beth Could Not Reason Upon Or Explain The Faith That Gave Her Courage And Patience To Give Up Life, And Cheerfully Wait For Death. Like A Confiding Child, She Asked No Questions, But Left Everything To God And Nature, Father And Mother Of Us All, Feeling Sure That They, And They Only, Could Teach And Strengthen Heart And Spirit For This Life And The Life To Come.

Now And Then, In This Workaday World, Things Do Happen In The Delightful Storybook Fashion, And What A Comfort That Is.

Jo's Eyes Sparkled, For It's Always Pleasant To Be Believed In; And A Friend's Praise Is Always Sweeter Than A Dozen Newspaper Puffs.

...for A Girl With Eyes Like Hers Has A Will And Is Not Ruled By Anyone But A Lover.

You Don’t Need Scores Of Suitors. You Need Only One… If He’s The Right One.

Many Argue; Not Many Converse.

The Rooms Were Very Still While The Pages Were Softly Turned And The Winter Sunshine Crept In To Touch The Bright Heads And Serious Faces With A Christmas Greeting.

I Never Wanted To Go Away, And The Hard Part Now Is The Leaving You All. I'm Not Afraid, But It Seems As If I Should Be Homesick For You Even In Heaven.

It’s Amazing How Lovely Common Things Become, If One Only Knows How To Look At Them.

All Is Fish That Comes To The Literary Net. Goethe Puts His Joys And Sorrows Into Poems, I Turn My Adventures Into Bread And Butter.

People Want To Be Amused, Not Preached At, You Know. Morals Don't Sell Nowadays.

When Jo's Conservative Sister Meg Says She Must Turn Up Her Hair Now That She Is A "young Lady," Jo Shouts, "i'm Not! And If Turning Up My Hair Makes Me One, I'll Wear It In Two Tails Till I'm Twenty.... I Hate To Think I've Got To Grow Up, And Be Miss March, And Wear Long Gowns, And Look As Prim As A China Aster! It's Bad Enough To Be A Girl Anyway, When I Like Boys' Games And Work And Manners! I Can't Get Over My Disappointment In Not Being A Boy; And It's Worse Than Ever Now, For I'm Dying To Go And Fight With Papa, And I Can Only Stay At Home And Knit, Like A Poky Old Woman.

He Was The First, The Only Love Her Life, And In A Nature Like Hers Such Passions Take Deep Root And Die-hard.

Good, Old-fashioned Ways Keep Hearts Sweet, Heads Sane, Hands Busy.

They Were Enjoying The Happy Hour That Seldom Comes But Once In Any Life, The Magical Moment Which Bestows Youth On The Old, Beauty On The Plain, Wealth On The Poor, And Gives Human Hearts A Foretaste Of Heaven.

I'll Try And Be What He Loves To Call Me, 'a Little Woman,' And Not Be Rough And Wild, But Do My Duty Here Instead Of Wanting To Be Somewhere Else.

...meg Learned To Love Her Husband Better For His Poverty, Because It Seem To Have Made A Man Of Him, Giving Him The Strength And Courage To Fight His Own Way, And Taught Him A Tender Patience With Which To Bear And Comfort The Natural Longings And Failures Of Those He Loved.

Politics Were As Bad As Mathematics, And That The Mission Of Politicians Seemed To Be Calling Each Other Names

Women Have Been Called Queens For A Long Time, But The Kingdom Given Them Isn't Worth Ruling.

...a Capital Patient, As She Never Died And Never Got Well.

We Can't Any Of Us Do All We Would Like, But We Can Do Our Best For Every Case That Comes To Us, And That Helps Amazingly.

It's A Great Comfort To Have An Artistic Sister.

Well, If I Can't Be Happy, I Can Be Useful, Perhaps.

I Don't Think It's Fair For Some Girls To Have Plenty Of Pretty Things, And Other Girls Nothing At All.

We All Have Our Own Life To Pursue, Our Own Kind Of Dream To Be Weaving, And We All Have The Power To Make Wishes Come True, As Long As We Keep Believing.

And The Good Fairy Said, I Won't Leave You Money Or Pretty Dresses But I Will Leave You The Spirit To Seek Your Fortune From Your Own Efforts.

I Like Good Strong Words That Mean Something.

We're Twins, And So We Love Each Other More Than Other People.

Love Each Other

Sympathy Is A Sweet Thing.

Our Actions Are In Our Own Hands, But The Consequences Of Them Are Not. Remember That, My Dear, And Think Twice Before You Do Anything.

I Was Thinking What A Curious Thing Love Is; Only A Sentiment, And Yet It Has Power To Make Fools Of Men And Slaves Of Women.

I Don't Pretend To Be Wise, But I Am Observing, And I See A Great Deal More Than You'd Imagine. I'm Interested In Other People's Experiences And Inconsistencies, And, Though I Can't Explain, I Remember And Use Them For My Own Benefit.

I'd Have A Stable Full Of Arabian Steeds, Rooms Piled With Books, And I'd Write Out Of A Magic Inkstand, So That My Works Should Be As Famous As Laurie's Music. I Want To Do Something Splendid Before I Go Into My Castle,-something Heroic, Or Wonderful,-that Won't Be Forgotten After I'm Dead. I Don't Know What, But I'm On The Watch For It, And Mean To Astonish You All, Some Day. I Think I Shall Write Books, And Get Rich And Famous; That Would Suit Me, So That Is My Favorite Dream.

At Twenty-five, Girls Begin To Talk About Being Old Maids, But Secretly Resolve That They Never Will. At Thirty, They Say Nothing About It, But Quietly Accept The Fact.

I Ask Not For Any Crown But That Which All May Win; Nor Try To Conquer Any World Except The One Within.

…tomorrow Was Her Birthday, And She Was Thinking How Fast The Years Went By, How Old She Was Getting, And How Little She Seemed To Have Accomplished. Almost Twenty-five And Nothing To Show For It.

Life Is Like College; May I Graduate And Earn Some Honors.

Mothers Can Forgive Anything!

Money Is A Needful And Precious Thing

Precious Things

The Fear Of Being An Old Maid Made Young Girls Rush Into Matrimony With A Recklessness That Astonishes.

Remember That Frost Comes Latest To Those That Bloom The Highest.

He Who Believes Is Strong; He Who Doubts Is Weak. Strong Convictions Precede Great Actions.

I Don't Think Secrets Agree With Me, I Feel Rumpled Up In Mind Since You Told Me That.

It Is My Opinion That This Day Will Never Come To An End," Said Prince, With A Yawn That Nearly Rent Him Assunder.

She Began To See That Character Is A Better Possession Than Money, Rank, Intellect, Or Beauty, And To Feel That If Greatness Is What A Wise Man Has Defined It To Be, 'truth, Reverence, And Good Will,' Then Her Friend Friedrich Bhaer Was Not Only Good, But Great.

Young People Think They Never Can Change, But They Do In The Most Wonderful Manner, And Very Few Die Of Broken Hearts.

…that's What Old People Are Here For, — Else Their Experience Is Of Little Use.

Mine First --mine Last-- Mine Even In The Grave!

You Have A Good Many Little Gifts And Virtues, But There Is No Need Of Parading Them, For Conceit Spoils The Finest Genius. There Is Not Much Danger That Real Talent Or Goodness Will Be Overlooked Long, And The Great Charm Of All Power Is Modesty.

I Think Immortality Is The Passing Of A Soul Through Many Lives Or Experiences, And Such As Are Truly Lived, Used And Learned, Help On To The Next, Each Growing Richer, Happier And Higher, Carrying With It Only The Real Memories Of What Has Gone Before.

…she'll Go And Fall In Love, And There's An End Of Peace And Fun, And Cozy Times Together.

Falling In Love

Painful As It May Be, A Significant Emotional Event Can Be The Catalyst For Choosing A Direction That Serves Us - And Those Around Us - More Effectively. Look For The Learning.

Let My Name Stand Among Those Who Are Willing To Bear Ridicule And Reproach For The Truth's Sake, And So Earn Some Right To Rejoice When The Victory Is Won.

Jo Began To Dance A Jig,...amy Nearly Fell Out Of The Window In Her Surprise, And Meg Exclaimed, With Uplifted Hands, 'well I Do Believe The World Is Coming To An End!

A Kiss For A Blow Is Always Best, Though It's Not Very Easy To Give It Sometimes.

In The Books I Read The Sinners Are Always More Interesting Than The Saints, And In Real Life Good People Are Dismally Dull. I've No Desire To Be Wicked, But I Do Want To Be Happy. A Short Life And A Gay One For Me And I'm Willing To Pay For My Pleasure If It Is Necessary.

Your Father, Jo. He Never Loses Patience, Never Doubts Or Complains, But Always Hopes, And Works And Waits So Cheerfully That One Is Ashamed To Do Otherwise Before Him.

If I Didn't Care About Doing Right And Didn't Feel Uncomfortable Doing Wrong, I Should Get On Capitally.

…books Are Always Good Company If You Have The Right Sort. Let Me Pick Out Some For You.' And Mrs. Jo Made A Bee-line To The Well-laden Shelves, Which Were The Joy Of Her Heart And The Comfort Of Her Life.

We Don't Choose Our Talents; But We Needn't Hide Them In A Napkin Because They Are Not Just What We Want.

My Definition (of A Philosopher) Is Of A Man Up In A Balloon, With His Family And Friends Holding The Ropes Which Confine Him To Earth And Trying To Haul Him Down.

Family And Friends

I Am Not Afraid Of Storms For I Am Learning How To Sail My Ship.

…she Rejoiced As Only Mothers Can In The Good Fortunes Of Their Children.

Christmas Won't Be Christmas Without Any Presents," Grumbled Jo, Lying On The Rug. "it's So Dreadful To Be Poor!" Sighed Meg, Looking Down At Her Old Dress. "i Don't Think It's Fair For Some Girls To Have Plenty Of Pretty Things, And Other Girls Nothing At All," Added Little Amy, With An Injured Sniff. "we've Got Father And Mother, And Each Other," Said Beth Contentedly From Her Corner.

Christmas Won't Be Christmas Without Any Presents.

Simple, Sincere People Seldom Speak Much Of Their Piety; It Shows Itself In Acts Rather Than Words, And Has More Influence Than Homilies Or Protestations.

…misfortune Was Much More Interesting To Her Than Good Luck.

I Hate Ordinary People!

The Dirt Is Picturesque, So I Don't Mind.

Good Books, Like Good Friends, Are Few And Chosen; The More Select, The More Enjoyable.

I Often Think Flowers Are The Angels' Alphabet Whereby They Write On Hills And Fields Mysterious And Beautiful Lessons For Us To Feel And Learn.

A Quick Temper, Sharp Tongue, And Restless Spirit Were Always Getting Her Into Scrapes, And Her Life Was A Series Of Ups And Downs, Which Were Both Comic And Pathetic.

Well, I Am Happy, And I Won't Fret, But It Does Seem As If The More One Gets The More One Wants.

Prove That You Understand The Worth Of Time By Employing It Well.

Woman Work A Great Many Miracles.

The Humblest Tasks Get Beautified If Loving Hands Do Them.

Go Out More, Keep Cheerful As Well As Busy, For You Are The Sunshine-maker Of The Family, And If You Get Dismal There Is No Fair Weather.

There Is Very Little Real Liberty In The World; Even Those Who Seem Freest Are Often The Most Tightly Bound. Law, Custom, Public Opinion, Fear Or Shame Make Slaves Of Us All, As You Will Find When You Try Your Experiment.

... Because I Have Fallen In Love With So Many Pretty Girls And Never Once The Least Bit With Any Man.

Honesty Is The Best Policy, In Love As In Law.

Don't Laugh At The Spinsters, Dear Girls, For Often Very Tender, Tragic Romances Are Hidden Away In The Hearts That Beat So Quietly Under The Sober Gowns, And Many Silent Sacrifices Of Youth, Health, Ambition, Love Itself, Make The Faded Faces Beautiful In God's Sight. Even The Sad, Sour Sisters Should Be Kindly Dealt With, Because They Have Missed The Sweetest Part Of Life, If For No Other Reason.

I Put In My List All The Busy, Useful Independent Spinsters I Know, For Liberty Is A Better Husband Than Love To Many Of Us.

Where's The Use Of Looking Nice, When No One Sees Me But Those Cross Midgets, And No One Cares Whether I'm Pretty Or Not?

Gentlemen, Be Courteous To The Old Maids, No Matter How Poor And Plain And Prim, For The Only Chivalry Worth Having Is That Which Is The Readiest To To Pay Deference To The Old, Protect The Feeble, And Serve Womankind, Regardless Of Rank, Age, Or Color.

Mrs. Jo Did Not Mean The Measles, But That More Serious Malady Called Love, Which Is Apt To Ravage Communities, Spring And Autumn, When Winter Gayety And Summer Idleness Produce Whole Bouquets Of Engagements, And Set Young People To Pairing Off Like The Birds.

I'm Tired Of Praise; And Love Is Very Sweet, When It Is Simple And Sincere Like This.

Wild Roses Are Fairest, And Nature A Better Gardener Than Art.

The Young People Were Playing That Still More Absorbing Game In Which Hearts Are Always Trumps.

Her Beauty Satisfied [his] Artistic Eye, Her Peculiarities Piqued His Curiosity, Her Vivacity Lightened His Ennui, And Her Character Interested Him By The Unconscious Hints It Gave Of Power, Pride And Passion. So Entirely Natural And Unconventional Was She That He Soon Found Himself On A Familiar Footing, Asking All Manner Of Unusual Questions, And Receiving Rather Piquant Replies.

It Takes Three Or Four Women To Get Each Man Into, Through, And Out Of The World.

The Clocks Were Striking Midnight And The Rooms Were Very Still As A Figure Glided Quietly From Bed To Bed, Smoothing A Coverlid Here, Settling A Pillow There, And Pausing To Look Long And Tenderly At Each Unconscious Face, To Kiss Each With Lips That Mutely Blessed, And To Pray The Fervent Prayers Which Only Mothers Utter.

Mac Looked Up With The Oddest Of All His Odd Expressions

... For It Is The Small Temptations Which Undermine Integrity Unless We Watch And Pray And Never Think Them Too Trivial To Be Resisted.

Love Is A Great Beautifier.

But, Like All Happiness, It Did Not Last Long.

I'd Rather Take Coffee Than Compliments Just Now.

I Had A Pleasant Time With My Mind, For It Was Happy.

Every Few Weeks She Would Shut Herself Up In Her Room, Put On Her Scribbling Suit, And Fall Into A Vortex, As She Expressed It, Writing Away At Her Novel With All Her Heart And Soul, For Till That Was Finished She Could Find No Peace.

…proved That Woman Isn't A Half But A Whole Human Being, And Can Stand Alone.

I Am Angry Nearly Every Day Of My Life, But I Have Learned Not To Show It; And I Still Try To Hope Not To Feel It, Though It May Take Me Another Forty Years To Do It.

I Have Nothing To Give But My Heart So Full And These Empty Hands." "they're Not Empty Now.

He Was Poor, Yet Always Appeared To Be Giving Something Away; A Stranger, Yet Everyone Was His Friend; No Longer Young, But As Happy-hearted As A Boy; Plain And Peculiar, Yet His Face Looked Beautiful To Many.

Money Is The Root Of All Evil, And Yet It Is Such A Useful Root That We Cannot Get On Without It Any More Than We Can Without Potatoes.

People Don't Have Fortunes Left Them In That Style Nowadays; Men Have To Work And Women To Marry For Money. It's A Dreadfully Unjust World.

Nothing Seemed Impossible In The Beginning.

...and Best Of All, The Wilderness Of Books, In Which She Could Wander, Where She Liked, Made The Library A Region Of Bliss To Her.

It Was Easier To Do A Friendly Thing Than It Was To Stay And Be Thanked For It.

O Vanity, Mislead No More!

Is It Not Meningitis?

Love Scenes, If Genuine, Are Indescribable; For To Those Who Have Enacted Them The Most Elaborate Description Seems Tame, And To Those Who Have Not, The Simplest Picture Seems Overdone.

Education Is Not Confined To Books, And The Finest Characters Often Graduate From No College, But Make Experience Their Master, And Life Their Book. [some Care] Only For The Mental Culture, And [are] In Danger Of Over-studying, Under The Delusion . . . That Learning Must Be Had At All Costs, Forgetting That Health And Real Wisdom Are Better.

I Think She Is Growing Up, And So Begins To Dream Dreams, And Have Hopes And Fears And Fidgets, Without Knowing Why Or Being Able To Explain Them.

The Emerging Woman ... Will Be Strong-minded, Strong-hearted, Strong-souled, And Strong-bodied...strength And Beauty Must Go Together.

The Thought That, Insignificant As She Was, She Yet Might Do Some Good, Made Her Very Careful Of Her Acts And Words, And So Anxious To Keep Head Contented And Face Happy, That She Forgot Her Clothes, And Made Others Do The Same. She Did Not Know It, But That Good Old Fashion Of Simplicity Made The Plain Gowns Pretty, And The Grace Of Unconsciousness Beautified Their Little Wearer With The Charm That Makes Girlhood Sweetest To Those Who Truly Love And Reverence It.

When Emerson's Library Was Burning At Concord, I Went To Him As He Stood With The Firelight On His Strong, Sweet Face, And Endeavored To Express My Sympathy For The Loss Of His Most Valued Possessions, But He Answered Cheerily, 'never Mind, Louisa, See What A Beautiful Blaze They Make! We Will Enjoy That Now.' The Lesson Was One Never Forgotten And In The Varied Lessons That Have Come To Me I Have Learned To Look For Something Beautiful And Bright.

Where The Heart Is The Mind Works Best.

Conceit Spoils The Finest Genius?and The Great Charm Of All Power Is Modesty.

[she Was] Kept There In The Sort Of Embrace A Man Gives To The Dearest Creature The World Holds For Him.

Don't Shut Yourself Up In A Band Box Because You Are A Woman, But Understand What Is Going On, And Educate Yourself To Take Part In The World's Work, For It All Affects You And Yours.

The Power Of Finding Beauty In The Humblest Things Makes Home Happy And Life Lovely.

Love Is A Flower That Grows In Any Soil, Works Its Sweet Miracles Undaunted By Autumn Frost Or Winter Snow, Blooming Fair And Fragrant All The Year, And Blessing Those Who Give And Those Who Receive.

I Keep Turning Over New Leaves, And Spoiling Them, As I Used To Spoil My Copybooks; And I Make So Many Beginnings There Never Will Be An End. (jo March)

…marriage, They Say, Halves One's Rights And Doubles One's Duties.

...and Jo Laid The Rustling Sheets Together With A Careful Hand, As One Might Shut The Covers Of A Lovely Romance, Which Holds The Reader Fast Till The End Comes, And He Finds Himself Alone In The Work-a-day World Again.

Rule Yourself. Love Your Neighbor. Do The Duty That Lies Nearest You.

You Are Like A Chestnut Burr, Prickly Outside, But Silky-soft Within, And A Sweet Kernel, If One Can Only Get At It. Love Will Make You Show Your Heart Some Day, And Then The Rough Burr Will Fall Off.

I Can't Get Over My Disappointment In Not Being A Boy.

Liberty Is A Better Husband Than Love To Many Of Us.

I For One Don't Want To Be Ranked Among Idiots, Felons, And Minors Any Longer, For I Am None Of Them.

Some Stories Are So Familiar Its Like Going Home.

Men Are Always Ready To Die For Us, But Not To Make Our Lives Worth Having. Cheap Sentiment And Bad Logic.

If You Feel Your Value Lies In Being Merely Decorative, I Fear That Someday You Might Find Yourself Believing That’s All That You Really Are. Time Erodes All Such Beauty, But What It Cannot Diminish Is The Wonderful Workings Of Your Mind: Your Humor, Your Kindness, And Your Moral Courage. These Are The Things I Cherish So In You. I So Wish I Could Give My Girls A More Just World. But I Know You’ll Make It A Better Place." -- Marmee, Little Women

It Takes People A Long Time To Learn The Difference Between Talent And Genius, Especially Ambitious Young Men And Women.

Hither,hither, From Thy Home,airy Sprite, I Bid Thee Come! Born Of Roses, Fed On Dew, Charms And Potions Canst Thow Brew? Bring Me Here, With Elfin Speed,the Fragment Philter Witch I Need; Make It Sweet And Swift And Stong, Spirite Amserw Now My Song Hither I Come, From My Airy Home, Afar Silver Moon. Take Magic Spell, And Use It Well. Or Its Powers Will Vanish Soon!

To Be Strong, And Beautiful, And Go Round Making Music All The Time. Yes, She Could Do That, And With A Very Earnest Prayer Polly Asked For The Strength Of An Upright Soul, The Beauty Of A Tender Heart, The Power To Make Her Life A Sweet And Stirring Song, Helpful While It Lasted, Remembered When It Died.

…for No Matter How Lost And Soiled And Worn-out Wandering Sons May Be, Mothers Can Forgive And Forget Every Thing As They Fold Them Into Their Fostering Arms. Happy The Son Whose Faith In His Mother Remains Unchanged, And Who, Through All His Wanderings, Has Kept Some Filial Token To Repay Her Brave And Tender Love.

Forgive And Forget

Energy Is More Attractive Than Beauty In A Man.

I'd Rather See You Poor Men's Wives, If You Were Happy, Beloved, Contented, Than Queen's On Thrones, Without Self-respect And Peace.

My Book Came Out; And People Began To Think That Topsy-turvy Louisa Would Amount To Something After All.

Everybody Has Their Days Of Misfortune.

Many Wise And True Sermons Are Preached Us Everyday By Unconscious Ministers In Street, School, Office, Or Home; Even A Fair Table May Become A Pulpit, If It Can Offer The Good And Helpful Words Which Are Never Out Of Season.

Where I Wholly Love I Wholly Trust.

You Say Often You Wish A Library; Here I Gif You One; For Between These Two Lids (he Meant Covers) Is Many Books In One. Read Him Well, And He Will Help You Much; For The Study Of Character In This Book Will Help You To Read It In The World, And Paint It With Your Pen.

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