30 Little Women Read By Stephanie Poppins

Following the female stoic theme, this novel focuses on love, family, morality, and personal growth.
Meg, the eldest, is drawn to marriage and domestic life.
Jo, the headstrong and tomboyish one, pursues her passion for writing.
Beth, the quiet and gentle one, finds solace in music and is tragically affected by illness.
Amy, the youngest and most artistic, navigates her path, ultimately finding success in the art world.

In this episode, Beth gets sick.

Transcript

Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph,

Your go-to podcast that offers you a calm and relaxing transition into a great night's sleep.

It is time to relax and fully let go.

There is nothing you need to be doing now,

And nowhere you need to go.

Close your eyes and feel yourself sink into the support beneath you and let all the worries of the day drift away.

This is your time and your space.

Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out with a long sigh.

There is nothing you need to be doing now,

And nowhere you need to go.

Happy listening.

Chapter 17 Little Faithful For a week,

The amount of virtue in the old house would have supplied the neighbourhood.

It was really amazing,

For everyone seemed in a heavenly frame of mind,

And self-denial was all the fashion.

Relieved of their first anxiety about their father,

The girls insensibly relaxed their praiseworthy efforts a little and began to fall back into the old ways.

They did not forget their motto,

But hoping and keeping busy seemed to grow easier,

And after such tremendous exertions they felt that endeavour deserved a holiday,

And gave it a good many.

Jo caught a bad cold through neglect to cover the shorn head enough.

She was ordered to stay at home until she was better,

But Aunt March didn't like to hear people read with colds in their heads.

Jo liked this,

And after an energetic rummage from garret to cellar,

Subsided on the sofa to nurse her cold with books.

Amy found housework and art did not go well together,

And returned to her mud pies.

Meg went daily to her pupils and sewed,

Or thought she did at home,

But much time was spent in writing long letters to her mother,

Or reading the Washington Dispatches over and over.

Beth kept on with only slight relapses into idleness or grieving.

All the little duties were faithfully done each day,

And many of her sisters also,

For they were forgetful,

And the house seemed like a clock whose pendulum was gone a-visiting.

When her heart got heavy with longings for mother,

Or fears for father,

She went away into a certain closet,

Hid her face in the folds of a certain dear old gown,

And made her little moan and prayed her little prayer quietly by herself.

Nobody knew what cheered her up after a sober fit,

But everyone felt how sweet and helpful Beth was,

And fell into a way of going to her for comfort or advice in their small affairs.

All were unconscious that this experience was a test of character,

And when the first excitement was over,

They felt they'd done well and deserved praise,

And so they did,

But their mistake was in ceasing to do well,

And they learned this lesson through much anxiety and regret.

"'Meg,

I wish you'd go and see the Hummels.

You know mother told us not to forget them,

' said Beth ten days after Mrs.

March's departure.

"'I'm too tired to go this afternoon,

' replied Meg,

Rocking comfortably as she sewed.

"'Can't you go,

Jo?

' asked Beth.

"'Too stormy with me in my cold.

' "'I thought it was almost well.

' "'It's well enough for me to go out with Laurie,

But not well enough to go to the Hummels,

' said Jo,

Laughing.

"'Why don't you go by yourself?

' asked Meg.

"'I have been every day,

But the baby's sick.

I don't know what to do for it.

Mrs.

Hummel goes away to work and Notchun takes care of it,

But it gets sicker and sicker.

I think you or Hannah ought to go.

' Beth spoke earnestly and Meg promised she would go tomorrow.

"'Ask Hannah for some nice little mess and take it round,

Beth.

The air will do you good,

' said Jo,

Adding apologetically.

"'I'd go,

But I want to finish my writing.

' "'My head aches and I'm tired.

I thought maybe one of you would go,

' said Beth.

"'Amy will be in presently.

She'll run down for us,

' suggested Meg.

"'Well,

I'll rest a little then and wait for her.

' Beth lay down on the sofa and the others returned to their work.

The Hummels were forgotten.

An hour passed and Amy did not come.

Meg went to her room to try on a new dress.

Jo was absorbed in her story and Hannah was sound asleep before the kitchen fire,

When Beth quietly put on her hood,

Filled her basket with odds and ends for the poor children,

And went out into the chilly air.

It was late when she came back and no one saw her creep upstairs and shut herself into her mother's room.

Half an hour after,

Jo went to mother's closet for something and she found Beth sitting on the medicine chest,

Looking very grave,

With red eyes and a camphor bottle in her hand.

"'Christopher Columbus,

What's the matter?

' cried Jo,

As Beth put out her hand as if to warn her off.

"'You've had the scarlet fever,

Haven't you?

Years ago when Meg did.

Why?

Then I'll tell you.

The baby's dead.

' "'What baby?

' "'Mrs Hummels.

It died in my lap before she got home.

' Beth broke down in tears.

"'My poor dear,

How dreadful for you.

I ought to have gone,

' said Jo,

Taking her sister in her arms as she sat down in her mother's big chair with a very remorseful face.

"'It wasn't dreadful,

Jo.

Just sad.

I saw in a minute it was sicker,

But Lotchin said her mother's gone for a doctor,

So I took baby and let Lottie rest.

It seemed asleep,

But all of a sudden it gave a little cry and trembled,

And then it lay very still.

I tried to warm its feet and Lottie gave it some milk,

But it didn't stir.

Then I knew it was dead.

"'Oh,

Don't cry,

Dear,

' said Jo.

"'What did you do then?

' I just sat and held it softly till Mrs Hummel came with a doctor.

He said it was dead and looked at Henry Camino,

Who'd got sore throats,

And said,

"'Scarlet fever,

Mum.

Ought to have called me before.

' Mrs Hummel told him she was poor and had tried to cure the baby herself,

But now it was too late.

She could only ask him to help the others and to trust a charity for his pay.

He smiled then and was kinder,

But it was very sad.

I cried with him till he turned round,

All of a sudden told me to go home and take belladonna right away or I'd have the fever too.

"'No,

You won't,

' cried Jo,

Hugging her close.

"'If you should ever be sick,

I'll never forgive myself.

What shall we do?

' "'Don't be frightened,

' said Beth.

"'I guess I shan't have it badly.

I looked in mother's book and saw it begins with headache,

Sore throat and queer feelings,

So I took some belladonna and I feel better.

' Beth laid her cold hands on her hot forehead and tried to look well.

"'If only mother were home!

' exclaimed Jo,

Seizing the book.

She read a page,

Then looked at Beth,

Felt her head peeped into her throat and said gravely,

"'You've been over that baby for more than a week and among the others,

You're going to have it too.

' "'I'm afraid you are going to have it,

Beth.

I'll call Hannah.

She knows all about sickness.

' "'Don't let Amy come.

She's never had it,

' cried Beth.

"'I should hate to give it to her.

Can't you and Meg have it over again?

' "'I guess not.

Don't care if I do.

It served me right,

Selfish pig,

To let you go and stay writing rubbish myself,

' muttered Jo as she went to consult Hannah.

The good sore was awake in a minute and took the lead at once,

Assuring Jo there was no need to worry.

Everyone had scarlet fever and if rightly treated,

Nobody died.

All of which Jo believed and felt much relieved as they went to call Meg.

"'Now I'll tell you what we'll do,

' said Hannah when she examined and questioned Beth.

"'We'll have Dr Bangs just to take a look at you,

Dear and see if we start right.

Then we'll send Amy off to Aunt Margie's for a spell to keep her out of harm's way.

And one or two of you girls can stay at home and amuse Beth for a day or two.

' "'I shall stay,

Of course.

I'm oldest,

' began Meg,

Looking anxious and self-reproachful.

"'I shall because it's my fault she's sick.

I told mother I'd do the errands and I haven't,

' said Jo decidedly.

"'Which will you have,

Beth?

There ain't no need of but one,

' said Hannah.

"'Jo,

Please.

' Beth leaned her head against her sister with a contented look,

Which effectually settled that point.

"'I'll go and tell Amy,

' said Meg,

Feeling a little hurt,

Yet rather relieved on the whole,

For she did not like nursing.

Amy rebelled outright and passionately declared she'd rather have the fever than go to Aunt Marge.

Meg reasoned,

Pleaded and commanded,

All in vain.

Amy protested she would not go and Meg left her in despair to ask Hannah what should be done.

Before she came back,

Laurie walked into the parlour to find Amy sobbing with her head in the sofa cushions.

She told her story,

Expecting to be consoled,

But Laurie only put his hands in his pockets and walked about the room,

Whistling softly as he nicked his brows in deep thought.

Presently he sat down beside her and said,

In his most wheedlesome tone,

"'Now,

Be a sensible little woman and do as they say.

Don't cry,

But hear what a jolly plan I've got.

You go to Aunt Marge's and I'll come and take you out every day driving or walking.

We'll have capital times.

Won't that be better than moping here?

' "'I don't wish to be sent off as if I was in the way,

' began Amy in an injured voice.

"'Bless your heart,

Child,

It's to keep you well.

You don't want to be sick,

Do you?

' "'Oh,

I'm sure I don't,

But I dare say I shall be,

For I've been with Beth all the time.

' "'That's the very reason you ought to go away at once,

So you may escape it.

Change of air and care will keep you well,

I dare say.

Or if it does not,

You'll have the fever more likely.

I advise you to be off as soon as you can.

Scarlet fever's no joke,

Miss.

' "'Well,

I guess I will,

' said Amy slowly.

"'Good girl.

Now call Meg and tell her you'll give in.

' Meg and Jo came running down to behold the miracle which had been wrought,

And Amy,

Feeling very precious and self-sacrificing,

Promised to go if the doctor said Beth was going to be ill.

"'How is the little dear?

' asked Laurie,

For Beth was his special pet and he felt more anxious about her than he liked to show.

"'She's lying down on Mother's bed.

She feels better.

The baby's death troubled her,

But I dare say she's only got a cold.

Hannah thinks she has,

But she looks worried and that makes me fidgety.

"'What a trying world it is,

' said Jo,

Rumbling up her hair in a fretful sort of way.

"'No sooner do we get out of one trouble than down comes another.

There doesn't seem to be anything to hold on to where Mother's gone.

' "'Well,

Don't make a porcupine of yourself.

It isn't becoming,

' said Laurie.

"'Settle your wheat,

Jo,

And tell me if I shall telegraph to your mother or do anything.

' "'I think we ought to tell her Beth's really ill,

' said Meg.

"'But Hannah says we mustn't.

Her mother can't leave father and it'll only make them anxious.

"'Beth won't be sick long.

Hannah knows what to do and Mother said we were to mind her,

So I suppose we mustn't.

But it doesn't seem quite right to me.

'" Laurie called for Dr Bangs and Dr Bangs came.

He said Beth had symptoms of the fever but thought she would have it lightly,

Though he looked sober over the hummled story.

Amy was then ordered off at once and provided with something to ward off danger.

Aunt March received them with her usual hospitality.

"'What do you want now?

' she asked as Jo and Laurie accompanied Beth in.

"'Go away.

No boys allowed here.

' Laurie retired to the window and Jo told her story.

"'No more than expected if you're allowed to go poking among poor folks,

' said Aunt March.

"'Now don't cry,

Child.

It worries me to hear people sniff.

' "'What do you hear from your mother?

' she asked roughly.

"'Father's much better,

' replied Jo,

Trying to keep sober.

"'Hmm.

Well,

That won't last long,

I fancy.

March never had any stamina.

'" "'I don't think I can bear this,

But I'll try,

' thought Amy when she was left alone with Aunt March.

"'Get along,

Youth,

Right?

' screamed Polly the parrot.

And at that rude speech,

Amy could not restrain a sniff.