CHAPTER ELEVEN

Castles in the Air

One late afternoon, Laurie was walking around wondering what his neighbors were doing, but too lazy to go and find out. He had spent the day avoiding his studies, quite upsetting Mr Brooke and displeasing his grandfather. Soon, he heard voices and looked up to see the four March sisters leave their house.

"What in the world are those girls doing now?" thought Laurie. All walked quietly through the garden and out of the little gate, beginning to climb the hill between the house and the river.

"Well, that's not too nice," said Laurie to himself, "to have a picnic and never ask me! Perhaps they forgot to ask me. I'll go see."

As he walked to find them after a few minutes, he thought it was rather a pretty little picture, as the sisters sat together under a tree. Meg sat sewing gently with her white hands, and looking fresh and sweet. Beth was sorting leaves that lay nearby, for she made pretty things of them. Amy was drawing, and Jo was knitting as she read aloud. A shadow passed over the boy's face as he watched them, feeling that he should go away because uninvited, yet waiting because home seemed very lonely and this quiet party in the woods attracted him. Soon enough, Beth looked up, giving him a friendly smile.

"May I come in, please? Or shall I be a bother?" he asked, walking forward slowly.

Meg looked at Jo anxiously, but Jo said at once, "Of course you may. We should have asked you before, but we thought you wouldn't care for such a girl's game as this."

"I always like your games, but if Meg doesn't want me, I'll go away."

"You can stay if you do something. It's against the rules not to do anything," replied Meg.

"Thank you. I'll do anything you ask. Shall I sew, read, arrange leaves, draw, or do all at once?" And Laurie sat down, delighted to join the party.

"Finish this story while I knit," said Jo, handing him the book.

"Yes, ma'am," he answered quietly as he began.

The story was not a long one, and when it was finished, he decided to ask a few questions.

"Please, ma'am, could you tell me if this charming club is a new one?"

"Would you tell him?" asked Meg of her sisters.

"He'll laugh," said Amy anxiously.

"Who cares?" said Jo.

"I guess he'll like it," added Beth.

"Of course I will! I promise I won't laugh. Tell me, Jo!

"Well, we have a new plan in which we have tried not to waste our holiday, but each has had a task and worked at it. The vacation is nearly over, and we want to make sure that we do not waste the rest of it, but do useful things," she explained.

"Mother likes us to be outside as much as possible, so we bring our work here and have nice times. For the fun of it we bring our things in these bags," Meg continued. "We come to this hill to look far away to see the country where we hope to live some time."

Jo pointed, and Laurie sat up to examine, across the woods, the blue river and the countryside to where the green hills met the blue sky, spotted with clouds, looking much like some Heavenly City.

"How beautiful that is!" said Laurie softly, for he was quick to see and feel beauty of any kind.

"It's often so, and we like to watch it, for it is never the same, but always splendid," replied Amy, wishing she could paint it.

"There is a place more beautiful even than that, where we shall go if we are good enough after we die," answered Meg with her sweet voice.

"It seems so long to wait, so hard to do. I want to fly away and go to that splendid place," said Beth with a smile.

"You'll get there, Beth, sooner or later, no fear of that," said Jo. "I'm the one that will have to work and wait to get to Heaven, and maybe never get there after all."

"You'll have me for company, if that's any comfort. If I arrive late, you'll say a good word for me, won't you, Beth?" asked Laurie, with a troubled look.

"If people really want to go, and really try all their lives, I think they will get there."

"Wouldn't it be fun if all the castles in the air which we make could come true, and we could live in them?" said Jo, after a little pause.

"Well, I'll tell you mine first," replied Laurie eagerly. "After I've seen as much of the world as I want to, I'd like to settle in Germany and have just as much music as I choose. I would be a famous musician myself, and everyone would rush to hear me, and I would never be worried about money or business, but just enjoy myself and live for what I like. What's yours, Meg?"

"Well, I should like a lovely house, full of grand things—nice food, pretty clothes, handsome furniture, pleasant people, and a great deal of money. I would have many servants, so I won't have to work a bit. How I would enjoy it! I wouldn't be lazy, though, as I would do good, and make everyone love me dearly."

"Wouldn't you have a husband for your castle in the air?" asked Laurie curiously.

"I said 'pleasant people', you know."

"Why don't you say you'd have a splendid, wise, good husband, and some wonderful little children? You know your castle wouldn't be perfect without," said Jo with a laugh.

"You'd have nothing but horses and books in yours," answered Meg.

"Yes, I'd have many horses, and rooms filled with books, and I'd write, as well. My works would be as famous as Laurie's music. I want to do something splendid before I go into my castle—something wonderful that won't be forgotten after I'm dead. I don't know what, but I'm looking for it, and will 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."

"Mine is to stay at home safe with Father and Mother, and help take care of the family," said Beth contentedly.

"Don't you wish for anything else?" asked Laurie.

"Since I have my little piano, I am perfectly satisfied. I only wish we may all stay well and be together, nothing else."

"I have so many wishes, but my favorite one is to be an artist and go to Rome, and make fine pictures, and be the best artist in the whole world" was Amy's modest desire.

"Well, every one of us, but Beth, wants to be rich and famous. I do wonder if any of us will ever get our wishes," said Laurie.

"If we are all alive ten years from now, let's meet, and see how many of us have got our wishes, or how much closer we are to them then than now," said Jo, always ready with a plan.

"Well, I shall be twenty-seven!" exclaimed Meg, who felt grown up already, having just reached seventeen.

"You and I will be twenty-six, Laurie, Beth twenty-four, and Amy twenty-two!" said Jo.

That night, when Beth played to Mr Laurence, Laurie listened to the music, which always quieted his spirit, and watched the old man, who sat with his gray head on his hand, thinking tender thoughts of the dead child he had loved so much. Remembering the conversation of the afternoon, the boy said to himself cheerfully, "I'll let my castle go, and stay here with the dear old gentleman while he needs me, for I am all he has."

(end of section)