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

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

Understanding the Quote: "we don't choose our talents; but we needn't hide them in a..."

This quote by Louisa May Alcott reflects deeply on the theme of want. It connects to the universal human journey of purpose, motivation, and reflection. Often categorized under Want, Napkins, Talent, the quote offers insight, emotional clarity, and intellectual inspiration to readers worldwide.

Whether you’re a student exploring new ideas, a leader trying to motivate your team, or someone seeking direction in life — this quote provides value. It resonates because it’s more than words — it’s a bridge between experience and wisdom. It shows how Louisa May Alcott interprets life's core challenges and triumphs.

Lessons From the Quote

This quote teaches resilience and focus. It reminds readers that no matter where they stand in life, reflection and self-awareness lead to growth. Each word has meaning, and when studied, it becomes clear how impactful thoughtful language can be.

About Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott is celebrated for insightful thoughts on want and napkins. Their legacy lives on through writings that guide, comfort, and inspire. Discover more on their profile page.

Actionable Takeaways

  • Reflect on how this quote applies to your current life path.
  • Share the message with someone who needs inspiration.
  • Write your thoughts on this quote in a journal or blog post.
  • Use it as a daily affirmation or reminder.

Closing Thoughts

Quotes like this endure because they capture universal truths. They comfort us in solitude and empower us in groups. Carry this quote forward — live by its wisdom, share its message, and keep its essence alive.

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Topic
Want
Napkins
Talent
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The Fear Of Being An Old Maid Made Young Girls Rush Into Matrimony With A Recklessness That Astonishes.
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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.
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Right Jo Better Be Happy Old Maids Than Unhappy Wives Or Unmaidenly Girls Running About To Find Husbands.
Girl
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I Ask Not For Any Crown But That Which All May Win; Nor Try To Conquer Any World Except The One Within.
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The Power Of Finding Beauty In The Humblest Things Makes Home Happy And Life Lovely.
Happiness
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Honesty Is The Best Policy, In Love As In Law.
Honesty
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I Don't Worry About The Storms, I Am Learning To Sail My Own Ship.
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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.
Character
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Simple, Genuine Goodness Is The Best Capital To Found The Business Of This Life Upon. It Lasts When Fame And Money Fail, And Is The Only Riches We Can Take Out Of This World With Us.
Inspirational
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I'm Afraid I Couldn't Like Him Without A Spice Of Human Naughtiness.
Spices
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Do The Things You Know, And You Shall Learn The Truth You Need To Know.
Needs
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The Emerging Woman ... Will Be Strong-minded, Strong-hearted, Strong-souled, And Strong-bodied...strength And Beauty Must Go Together.
Strong
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Woman Work A Great Many Miracles.
Miracle
I Don't Like Favors; They Oppress And Make Me Fell Like A Slave. I'd Rather Do Everything For Myself, And Be Perfectly Independent.
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Is It Not Meningitis?
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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.
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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.
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If You Dear Little Girls Would Only Learn What Real Beauty Is, And Not Pinch And Starve And Bleach Yourselves Out So, You'd Save An Immense Deal Of Time And Money And Pain. A Happy Soul In A Healthy Body Makes The Best Sort Of Beauty For Man Or Woman.
Girl
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Real
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.
Beautiful
Song
Sweet
Rule Yourself. Love Your Neighbor. Do The Duty That Lies Nearest You.
Lying
Love You
Self Love
Poor Dull Concord. Nothing Colorful Has Come Through Here Since The Redcoats.
Dull
Poor
Colorful
Housekeeping Ain't No Joke.
Work
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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.
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Clothes
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...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.
Girl
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Passionate
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.
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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.
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Men Are Often Bad, But Babies Never Are.
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Have Your Fun, My Dear; But If You Must Earn Your Bread, Try To Make It Sweet With Cheerfulness, Not Bitter With The Daily Regret That It Isn't Cake.
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…often Between Ourselves And Those Nearest And Dearest To Us There Exists A Reserve Which It Is Very Hard To Overcome.
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Where I Wholly Love I Wholly Trust.
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Love Is Apt To Make Lunatics Of Even Men And Saints.
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Where The Heart Is The Mind Works Best.
Heart
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Girls Could Do Most Things As Well As Boys, And Some Things Better.
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Youth, Health And Freedom Were Meant To Be Enjoyed And I Want To Try Every Pleasure Before I Am Too Old To Enjoy Them.
Trying
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Keep Good Company, Read Good Books, Love Good Things And Cultivate Soul And Body As Faithfully As You Can
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She Fell Into The Moody, Miserable State Of Mind Which Often Comes When Strong Wills Have To Yield To The Inevitable.
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No Love Or Pity, Pardon Or Excuse Should Soften The Sharp Pang Of Reparation For The Guilty Man.
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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.
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The Humblest Tasks Get Beautified If Loving Hands Do Them.
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Liberty Must Not Be Abused.
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Ridicule Is Often Harder To Bear Than Self-denial.
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Liberty Is A Better Husband Than Love To Many Of Us.
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Self-pity In Its Early Stages Is As Snug As A Feather Mattress. Only When It Hardens Does It Become Uncomfortable.
Strong
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Now I'm Beginning To Live A Little And Feel Less Like A Sick Oyster At Low Tide.
Oysters
Sick
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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)
Fresh Start
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So She Doesn't Call Desertion, Poverty, And Hard Work Troubles? She's A Brave Little Girl, And I Shall Be Proud To Know Her.
Girl
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Brave
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.
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Well, If I Can't Be Happy, I Can Be Useful, Perhaps.
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Persuasive Influences Are Better Than Any Amount Of Moralizing.
Influence
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Women Have Been Called Queens For A Long Time, But The Kingdom Given Them Isn't Worth Ruling.
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Oh, Jo, How Could You? Your One Beauty.
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...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.
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It Takes Three Or Four Women To Get Each Man Into, Through, And Out Of The World.
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I Have Nothing To Give But My Heart So Full And These Empty Hands." "they're Not Empty Now.
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I Will Make A Battering-ram Of My Head And Make My Way Through This Rough And Tumble World.
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[she Was] Kept There In The Sort Of Embrace A Man Gives To The Dearest Creature The World Holds For Him.
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He Looked At Her An Instant, For The Effect Of The Graceful Girlish Figure With Pale, Passionate Face And Dark Eyes Full Of Sorrow, Pride And Resolution Was Wonderfully Enhanced By The Gloom Of The Great Room, And Glimpses Of A Gathering Storm In The Red Autumn Sky.
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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.
Enjoy Life
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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
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Special
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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.
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Strength And Beauty Must Go Hand In Hand
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Hand In Hand
I'm Tired Of Praise; And Love Is Very Sweet, When It Is Simple And Sincere Like This.
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When I Had 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. I Suppose It's The Discipline I Need; But It's Rather Hard To Love The Things I Do, And See Them Go By Because Duty Chains Me To My Galley. If I Ever Come Into Port With All Sails Set, That Will Be My Reward Perhaps.
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Don't Try To Make Me Grow Up Before My Time.
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Watch And Pray, Dear, Never Get Tired Of Trying, And Never Think It Is Impossible To Conquer Your Fault.
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A Real Gentleman Is As Polite To A Little Girl As To A Woman.
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Salt Is Like Good-humor, And Nearly Every Thing Is Better For A Pinch Of It.
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…men Never Forgive Like Women.
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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.
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It Is Never Too Early To Try And Plant [good Principles] In A Child, And Never Too Late To Cultivate Them In The Most Neglected Person.
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...the Love, Respect, And Confidence Of My Children Was The Sweetest Reward I Could Receive For My Efforts To Be The Woman I Would Have Them Copy.
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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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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.
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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.
Queens
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I Believe That It Is As Much A Right And Duty For Women To Do Something With Their Lives As For Men And We Are Not Going To Be Satisfied With Such Frivolous Parts As You Give Us.
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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.
Life
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Dream
I Hate Ordinary People!
Hate
People
Ordinary
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.
Fashion
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Laurie, You're An Angel! How Shall I Ever Thank You?" "fly At Me Again. I Rather Liked It," Said Laurie, Looking Mischievous, A Thing He Had Not Done For A Fortnight.
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Done
Said
Wealth Is Certainly A Most Desirable Thing, But Poverty Has Its Sunny Side, And One Of The Sweet Uses Of Adversity Is The Genuine Satisfaction Which Comes From Hearty Work Of Head Or Hand, And To The Inspiration Of Necessity, We Owe Half The Wise, Beautiful, And Useful Blessings Of The World.
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Wild Roses Are Fairest, And Nature A Better Gardener Than Art.
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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.
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{mrs. March To Jo} You Are Too Much Alike And Too Fond Of Freedom, Not To Mention Hot Tempers And Strong Wills, To Get On Happily Together, In A Relation Which Needs Infinite Patience And Forbearance, As Well As Love.
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Hot
I Like Adventures, And I’m Going To Find Some.
Adventure
I've Learned To Check The Hasty Words That Rise To My Lips, And When I Feel That They Mean To Break Out Against My Will, I Just Go Away For A Minute, And Give Myself A Little Shake For Being So Weak And Wicked.
Mean
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Going Away
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.
Girl
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Mean
A Faithful Friend Is A Strong Defense; And He That Hath Found Him Hath Found A Treasure.
Friendship
Being Strong
Faithful
Better Lose Your Life Than Your Soul.
Soul
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Loses
...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.
Book
Library
Wilderness
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.
Death
Memories
Real
. . . 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.
Giving
Advice
Credit
One Of The Sweet Things About Pain And Sorrow Is That They Show Us How Well We Are Loved, How Much Kindness There Is In The World, And How Easily We Can Make Others Happy In The Same Way When They Need Help And Sympathy.
Sweet
Pain
Kindness
…to The Inspiration Of Necessity, We Owe Half The Wise, Beautiful, And Useful Blessings Of The World.
Beautiful
Wise
Inspiration
A Kiss For A Blow Is Always Best, Though It's Not Very Easy To Give It Sometimes.
Kissing
Blow
Giving
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.
Helping
Cases
Can Do
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.
Thinking
Hands
Our Actions
...for A Girl With Eyes Like Hers Has A Will And Is Not Ruled By Anyone But A Lover.
Girl
Eye
Lovers
When We Make Little Sacrifices We Like To Have Them Appreciated, At Least.
Sacrifice
Littles
Appreciated
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.
Beautiful
Girl
Women
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.
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Gratitude
Feelings
Dear Me, If Men And Women Would Only Trust, Understand, And Help One Another As My Children Do, What A Capital Place The World Would Be!
Children
Men
Would Be
No Woman Should Give Her Happiness Into The Keeping Of A Man Without Fixed Principles.
Men
Giving
Principles
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.
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Ideas
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We're Twins, And So We Love Each Other More Than Other People.
People
Twins
Love Each Other
To Marry Without Love Betrays As Surely As To Love Without Marriage.
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Betray
Without Love
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.
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Spirit
Comic
I Don't Think Secrets Agree With Me, I Feel Rumpled Up In Mind Since You Told Me That.
Thinking
Secret
Mind
…jo Loved A Few Persons Very Dearly And Dreaded To Have Their Affection Lost Or Lessened In Any Way.
Way
Affection
Lost
I Love My Liberty Too Well To Be In A Hurry To Give It Up For Any Mortal Man.
Men
Giving
Liberty
I Am Lonely, Sometimes, But I Dare Say It's Good For Me.
Lonely
Sometimes
Dare
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.
Liberty
Ordinary
Use
Nothing Provokes Speculation More Than The Sight Of A Woman Enjoying Herself." -
Sight
Enjoy
Speculation
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.
Grieving
Heaven
Leaving
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.
Book
Character
Two
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.
Christmas
Sunshine
Winter
…in Silence Learned The Sweet Solace Which Affection Administers To Sorrow.
Sweet
Silence
Sorrow
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.
Wise
Character
Greatness
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
Night
Thinking
Play
It Takes People A Long Time To Learn The Difference Between Talent And Genius, Especially Ambitious Young Men And Women.
Time
Learning
Men
Love Jo All Your Days, If You Choose, But Don't Let It Spoil You, For It's Wicked To Throw Away So Many Good Gifts Because You Can't Have The One You Want.
Unrequited Love
Wicked
Want
Don't Cry So Bitterly, But Remember This Day, And Resolve With All Your Soul That You Will Never Know Another Like It.
Soul
Remember
Cry
I'm Perfectly Miserable; But If You Consider Me Presentable, I Die Happy.
Miserable
Dies
Ifs
…she Rejoiced As Only Mothers Can In The Good Fortunes Of Their Children.
Mother
Children
Fortune
A Child Her Wayward Pencil Drew On Margins Of Her Book; Garlands Of Flower, Dancing Elves, Bud, Butterfly, And Brook, Lessons Undone, And Plum Forgot, Seeking With Hand And Heart The Teacher Whom She Learned To Love Before She Knew T'was Art.
Teacher
Art
Children
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.
Education
Art
Work
Madam De Stael Pronounced Architecture To Be Frozen Music; So Is Statuary Crystalized Spirituality.
Sculpture
Frozen
Spirituality
Good, Old-fashioned Ways Keep Hearts Sweet, Heads Sane, Hands Busy.
Sweet
Heart
Hands
I Never Knew How Much Like Heaven This World Could Be, When Two People Love And Live For One Another!
Two
People
Heaven
We'll All Grow Up Meg, No Pretending We Won't.
Growing Up
Meg
Pretending
But The Spirit Of Eve Is Strong In All Her Daughters.
Daughter
Strong
Spirit
Men Are Always Ready To Die For Us, But Not To Make Our Lives Worth Having. Cheap Sentiment And Bad Logic.
Men
Logic
Ready
Love Is A Beautifier.
Love Is
Conceit Spoils The Finest Genius.
Life
Conceited
Genius
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.
Husband
Independent
Liberty
My Book Came Out; And People Began To Think That Topsy-turvy Louisa Would Amount To Something After All.
Book
Thinking
People
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.
Fall
Writing
Heart
Life Is My University, And I Hope To Graduate From It With Some Distinction.
Graduates
Life Is
Distinction
I Like Good Strong Words That Mean Something.
Strong
Mean
Little Women
Prosperity Suits Some People, And They Blossom Best In A Glow Of Sunshine; Others Need The Shade, And Are The Sweeter For A Touch Of Frost.
Sunshine
People
Frost
…what Splendid Dreams Young People Build Upon A Word, And How Bitter Is The Pain When The Bright Bubbles Burst.
Dream
Pain
People
I'd Rather Take Coffee Than Compliments Just Now.
Coffee
Little Women
Compliment
My Father Taught In The Wise Way Which Unfolds What Lies In The Child
Wise
Children
Father
Far Away There In The Sunshine Are My Highest Aspirations. I May Not Reach Them, But I Can Look Up And See Their Beauty, Believe In Them, And Try To Follow Where They Lead.
Love
Inspirational
Motivational
…misfortune Was Much More Interesting To Her Than Good Luck.
Good Luck
Interesting
Luck
Sympathy Is A Sweet Thing.
Sympathy
Sweet
Sweet Things
Preserve Your Memories, Keep Them Well, What You Forget You Can Never Retell.
Memories
Forget You
Wells
Well, I Am Happy, And I Won't Fret, But It Does Seem As If The More One Gets The More One Wants.
Doe
Want
Little Women
If People Really Want To Go, And Really Try All Their Lives, I Think They Will Get In; For I Don't Believe There Are Any Locks On That Door, Or Any Guards At The Gate. I Always Imagine It Is As It Is In The Picture, Where The Shining Ones Stretch Out Their Hands To Welcome Poor Christian As He Comes Up From The River.
Christian
Believe
Thinking
People Cannot Be Molded Like Clay.
People
Clay
Everybody Has Their Days Of Misfortune.
Misfortunes
Prove That You Understand The Worth Of Time By Employing It Well.
Play Time
Little Women
Work And Play
Work Is And Always Has Been My Salvation And I Thank The Lord For It.
Literature
Lord
Salvation
…i Can't Help Seeing That You Are Very Lonely, And Sometimes There Is A Hungry Look In Your Eyes That Goes To My Heart.
Lonely
Heart
Eye
But Many Of The Bravest Never Are Known, And Get No Praise. That Does Not Lessen Their Beauty.
Doe
Praise
Known
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.
Good Life
Short Life
Real
It's A Great Comfort To Have An Artistic Sister.
Comfort
Artistic
Now And Then, In This Workaday World, Things Do Happen In The Delightful Storybook Fashion, And What A Comfort That Is.
Fashion
Comfort
World
Mothers Can Forgive Anything!
Mother
Forgiving
Help One Another Is Part Of The Religion Of Our Sisterhood.
Sister
Sibling
Sorority
Happy Is The Son Whose Faith In His Mother Remains Unchallenged.
Happiness
Mother
Son
Fame Is A Very Good Thing To Have In The House, But Cash Is More Convenient.
Money
House
Cash
Be Worthy Love, And Love Will Come.
Patience
And Love
Worthy
[jo To Her Mother] I Knew There Was Mischief Brewing. I Felt It And Now It's Worse Than I Imagined. I Just Wish I Could Marry Meg Myself, And Keep Her Safe In The Family.
Mother
Wish
Meg
Wouldn't It Be Fun If All The Castles In The Air Which We Make Could Come True And We Could Live In Them?
Fun
Air
Castles
She Had A Womanly Instinct That Clothes Possess An Influence More Powerful Over Many Than The Worth Of Character Or The Magic Of Manners.
Powerful
Character
Clothes
I've Got The Key To My Castle In The Air, But Whether I Can Unlock The Door Remains To Be Seen.
Keys
Air
Doors
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.
Heart
Giving
Heaven
Some Stories Are So Familiar Its Like Going Home.
Home
Stories
Going Home
She Preferred Imaginary Heroes To Real Ones, Because When Tired Of Them, The Former Could Be Shut Up In The Tin Kitchen Till Called For, And The Latter Were Less Manageable.
Real
Hero
Tired
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.
Heart
Independent
Wish
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.
Adventure
Joy
Sorrow
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.
Mom
Mother
Forgiving
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.
Gratitude
Grateful
Pride
I Went [to War] Because I Couldn't Help It. I Didn't Want The Glory Or The Pay; I Wanted The Right Thing Done.
War
Done
Want
I Am Not Afraid Of Storms For I Am Learning How To Sail My Ship.
Inspirational
Confidence
Wisdom
It Is My Opinion That This Day Will Never Come To An End," Said Prince, With A Yawn That Nearly Rent Him Assunder.
Opinion
Ends
Said
Mine First --mine Last-- Mine Even In The Grave!
Lasts
Firsts
Graves
Fathers And Mothers Are Too Absorbed In Business And Housekeeping To Study Their Children, And Cherish That Sweet And Natural Confidence Which Is A Child's Surest Safeguard, And A Parent's Subtlest Power.
Mother
Sweet
Children
We'll All Grow Up Someday, Meg, We Might As Well Know What We Want. ~amy March~
Growing Up
Meg
Want
I Want To Do Something Splendid… Something Heroic Or Wonderful That Won’t Be Forgotten After I’m Dead… I Think I Shall Write Books.
Book
Writing
Thinking
I Asked For Bread, And I Got A Stone In The Shape Of A Pedestal.
Women
Pedestal
Shapes
Energy Is More Attractive Than Beauty In A Man.
Men
Energy
Attractive
...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.
Hands
Romance
Lovely
Cheerfulness Can Change Misfortune Into Love And Friends.
Cheerfulness
Misfortunes
November Is The Most Disagreeable Month In The Whole Year.
Years
Months
November
Laurie Felt Just Then That His Heart Was Entirely Broken And The World A Howling Wilderness.
Heart
Broken
World
But Buds Will Be Roses, And Kittens, Cats - More's The Pity.
Cat
Rose
Bud
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.
Summer
Spring
Mean
…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.
Book
Heart
Joy
You Don’t Need Scores Of Suitors. You Need Only One… If He’s The Right One.
Needs
Suitors
Little Women
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.
Inspirational
Life
Birthday
Money Is A Needful And Precious Thing
Money
Little Women
Precious Things
Jo's Face Was A Study Next Day, For The Secret Rather Weighed Upon Her, And She Found It Hard Not To Look Mysterious And Important. Meg Observed It, But Did Not Troubled Herself To Make Inquiries, For She Had Learned That The Best Way To Manage Jo Was By The Law Of Contraries, So She Felt Sure Of Being Told Everything If She Did Not Ask.
Law
Next Day
Secret
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.
Beauty
Beautiful
Sweet
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.
Dream
Book
Mean
But, Polly, A Principle That Can't Bear Being Laughed At, Frowned On, And Cold-shouldered, Isn't Worthy Of The Name.
Names
Principles
Bears
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.
Wise
People
Use
Oh Dear, Life Is Pretty Tough Sometimes, Isn't It?
Tough
Sometimes
Life Is
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.
Beautiful
Boys
Giving
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