…… “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents”, said Jo crossly. “It’s so awful to be poor!” agreed Meg, looking at her old dress. “It’s not right for some girls to have pretty things, and others to have nothing at all,” said little Amy. “We’ve got Father and Mother, and each other,” said Beth gently. The four young faces round the fire cheered up as they thought of this, but then Jo said sadly, “We haven’t got Father, and we won’t have him for a long time.” She didn’t say “perhaps never”, but each silently thought it, remembering that he was away at the war in the South. …… …… 在克兰福德住上一个月,不可能不知道每个人的日常习惯。所以,早在我的访问结束之前,我对布朗一家就有了很多了解。他们确实不富裕,上尉又是个特别好的人。一个星期日的早晨,做过礼拜之后,他碰到一个可怜的老太太在镇里的面包房取午饭。街道上湿漉漉的,她两腿都在打颤,所以上尉帮她把烤肉和土豆秀回了家!克兰福德人不会做这种事,但上尉却一点儿也没感到有什么不妥。 詹金斯小姐不肯原谅布朗上尉对约翰逊博士口出不逊,所以我在搬到波尔小姐那里住之前,很少见到这家人。后来我听说布朗小姐病得很重。当我看到她痛苦的样子,看到她父亲和妹妹尽心尽力地照料她时,我对他们的了解更多了些,也不再介意杰西小姐穿衣服孩子气了。 上尉努力想和詹金斯小姐讲和,但詹金斯小姐却不加理睬。当然了,没有哪位绅士会喜欢狄更斯先生,而不是约翰逊博士! ……