"Then I'll stay still. I don't care much for company dancing.
It's no fun to go sailing round. I like to fly about and cut capers."
"You can't ask Mother for new ones, they are so expensive, and
you are so careless. She said when you spoiled the others that she
shouldn't get you any more this winter. Can't you make them do?"
"I can hold them crumpled up in my hand, so no one will know
how stained they are. That's all I can do. No! I'll tell you how
we can manage, each wear one good one and carry a bad one. Don't
you see?"
"Your hands are bigger than mine, and you will stretch my glove
dreadfully," began Meg, whose gloves were a tender point with her.
"Then I'll go without. I don't care what people say!" cried Jo,
taking up her book.
"You may have it, you may! Only don't stain it, and do behave
nicely. Don't put your hands behind you, or stare, or say
'Christopher Columbus!' will you?"
"Don't worry about me. I'll be as prim as I can and not get
into any scrapes, if I can help it. Now go and answer your note,
and let me finish this splendid story."
Book 53 2 Thessalonians
001:001 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of the Thessalonians
in God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ:
001:002 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
001:003 We are bound to always give thanks to God for you,
brothers,{The word for "brothers" here and where context
allows may also be correctly translated "brothers and sisters"
or "siblings."} even as it is appropriate, because your faith
grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you
towards one another abounds;
001:004 so that we ourselves boast about you in the assemblies of God
for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in
the afflictions which you endure.
001:005 This is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of God,
to the end that you may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God,
for which you also suffer.
001:006 Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay affliction
to those who afflict you,
001:007 and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us,
when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty
angels in flaming fire,
So Meg went away to 'accept with thanks', look over her dress,
and sing blithely as she did up her one real lace frill, while Jo
finished her story, her four apples, and had a game of romps with
Scrabble.
On New Year's Eve the parlor was deserted, for the two younger
girls played dressing maids and the two elder were absorbed in the
all-important business of 'getting ready for the party'. Simple
as the toilets were, there was a great deal of running up and down,
laughing and talking, and at one time a strong smell of burned hair
pervaded the house. Meg wanted a few curls about her face, and Jo
undertook to pinch the papered locks with a pair of hot tongs.
"Ought they to smoke like that?" asked Beth from her perch
on the bed.
"It's the dampness drying," replied Jo.
"What a queer smell! It's like burned feathers," observed Amy,
smoothing her own pretty curls with a superior air.
"There, now I'll take off the papers and you'll see a cloud
of little ringlets," said Jo, putting down the tongs.
She did take off the papers, but no cloud of ringlets appeared,