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"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.
The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but darkened again as Jo said sadly: "We haven't got father, and shall not have him for a long time." She didn't say "perhaps
never", but each silently added it, thinking of father far away, where the fighting was.
Nobody spoke for a minute; then Meg said in an altered tone: "You know the reason mother
proposed not having any presents this Christmas was because it is going to be a hard winter for everyone; and she thinks we ought not to spend money for pleasure when our men are suffering so in the army. We
can't do much, but we can make our little sacrifices, and ought to do it gladly. But I am afraid I don't";
and Meg shook her head, and she thought regretfully of all the pretty things she wanted.
"But I don't think the little we should spend would do any good. We've each got a dollar, and the
army wouldn't be much helped by our giving that. I agree not to expect anything from mother or you, but
I do want to buy UNDINE AND SINTRAM for myself; I've wanted it so long," said Jo, who was a
bookworm.
"I planned to spend mine on new music," said Beth, with a little sigh.
"I shall get a nice box of Faber's drawing pencils; I really need them," said Amy, decidedly.
"Mother didn't say anything about our money, and she won't wish us to give up everything. Let's each
buy what we want, and have a little fun; I'm sure we work hard enough to earn it," cried Jo, examining
the heels of her shoes in a gentlemanly manner.
"I know I do-teaching those tiresome children nearly all day when I am longing to enjoy myself at
home," began Meg, in the complaining tone again.
"You don't have half such a hard time as I do," said Jo. "How would you like to be shut up for hours
with a nervous, fussy old lady, who is never satisfied, and worries you till you're ready to fly out of the
window or cry?"
"It's naughty to fret; but I do think washing dishes and keeping things tidy is the worst work in the
world.It makes me cross;and my hands get so stiff, I can't practice well at all"; and Beth looked at her
rough hands with a sigh that anyone could hear.
"I don't believe any of you suffer as I do." cried Amy, "for you don't have to go to school with
impertinent girls, who plague you if you don't know your lessons, and laugh at your dresses, and label
your father if he isn't rich."
"If you mean libel, I'd say so, and not talk about labels, as if papa was a pickle-bottle," advised Jo,
laughing.
"I know what I mean, and you needn't be satirical about it. It's proper to use good words, and
improve your vocabulary," returned Amy, with dignity.
"Don't peck at one another, children. Don't you wish we had the money papa lost when we were
little, Jo? Dear me! How happy and good we'd be, if we had no worries!" said Meg, who could
remember better times.
"You once said you thought we were a deal happier thanthe King children, for they were fighting
and fretting all the time, in spite of their money."
"So I did. I think we are; for, though we do have to work, we make fun for ourselves, and are a pretty
jolly set, as Jo would say." Jo immediately sat up, put her hands in her pockets, and began to whistle.
"Don't, Jo; it's so boyish!"
"That's why I do it."
"I detest rude, unladylike girls!"
"I hate affected, niminy-piminy chits!"
"Birds in their little nests agree" sang Beth, the peacemaker, with such a funny face that both sharp
voices softened to a laugh, and the `pecking' ended for that time.
1. According to the passage, who is the most pessimistic and who the most optimistic?
A. Jo; Amy
B. Meg; Beth
C. Meg; Amy
D. Amy; Beth
2. According to the passage, which of the following is true?
A. Their father died when he was fighting with others.
B. Their father is away at the war, leaving them at home with their mother.
C. The passage is a story about three girls and a boy in a family.
D. The four children in the passage all work and earn their own money.
3. What do they think of their mother's proposal of not having any Christmas gifts?
A. They all agreed to the proposal of not having any Christmas gifts.
B. They all agreed that giving the money to the army was of little help.
C. They all agreed that giving the money to the army was of much help.
D. They all agreed to save the mo

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