Sleep Story: Little Women Ch 6

Enjoy this sleep story to help you drift off into a peaceful slumber. Tonight we read Chapter 6 of the timeless classic, Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. This chapter describes when Beth receives kindness and a wonderful gift from Mr. Laurence. This audio is perfect for children or adults who want to relax, discover magic or find adventure before a great night's sleep. This beautiful photo was captured in Colorado by Oliver Pierce.

Transcript

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Chapter 6 Beth Finds the Palace Beautiful The big house did prove a palace beautiful,

Though it took some time for all to get in,

And Beth found it very hard to pass the lions.

Old Mr.

Lawrence was the biggest one,

But after he had called,

Said something funny or kind to each one of the girls,

And talked over old times with their mother,

Nobody felt much afraid of him except him and Beth.

The other lion was the fact that they were poor and lorry rich,

For this made them shy of accepting favors which they could not return.

But after a while they found that he considered them the benefactors,

And could not do enough to show how grateful he was for Mrs.

March's motherly welcome,

Their cheerful society,

And the comfort he took in that humble home of theirs.

So they soon forgot their pride and interchanged kindnesses without stopping to think which was the greater.

Several sorts of pleasant things happened about that time,

For the new friendship flourished like grass in spring.

Everyone liked lorry,

And he privately informed his tutor that the Marches were regularly splendid girls.

With the delightful enthusiasm of youth,

They took the solitary boy into their midst and made much of him,

And he found something very charming in the innocent companionship of these simple-hearted girls.

Never having known mothers or sisters,

He was quick to feel the influences they brought about him,

And their busy,

Lively ways made him ashamed of the indolent life he led.

He was tired of books,

And found people so interesting now that Mr.

Brooke was obliged to make very unsatisfactory reports,

For lorry was always playing truant and running over to the Marches.

Never mind.

Let him take a holiday,

And make it up afterward,

Said the old gentleman.

The good lady next door says he is studying too hard,

And needs young society,

Amusement,

And exercise.

I suspect she is right,

And that I've been coddling the fellow as if I'd been his grandmother.

Let him do what he likes,

As long as he's happy.

He can't get into mischief in that little nunnery over there,

And Miss March is doing more for him than we can.

What good times they had to be sure.

Such plays,

Such sleigh rides and skating frolics,

Such splendid,

Pleasant evenings in the old parlor,

And now and then such gay little parties at the great house.

Meg could walk in the conservatory whenever she liked,

And revel in bouquets.

Joe browsed over the new library voraciously,

And convulsed the old gentleman with her criticisms.

Amy copied pictures and enjoyed beauty to her heart's content,

And lorry played Lord of the Manor in the most delightful style.

But Beth,

Though yearning for the grand piano,

Could not pluck up the courage to go to the Mansion of Bliss,

As Meg called it.

She went once with Joe,

But the old gentleman,

Not being aware of her infirmity,

Stared at her so hard from under his heavy eyebrows,

And said,

Hey,

So loud,

That he frightened her so much her feet chattered on the floor.

She never told her mother,

And she ran away,

Declaring she would never go there anymore,

Not even for the dear piano.

No persuasions or enticements could overcome her fear,

Till the fact coming to Mr.

Lawrence's ear in some mysterious way,

He set about mending matters.

During one of the brief calls he made,

He artfully led the conversation to music,

And talked away about great singers whom he had seen,

Fine organs he had heard,

And told such charming antidotes that Beth found it impossible to stay in her distant corner,

But crept nearer and nearer as if fascinated.

At the back of his chair she stopped and stood listening,

With her great eyes wide open and her cheeks red with excitement of this unusual performance.

Taking no more notice of her than if she was a fly,

Mr.

Lawrence talked on about Laurie's lessons and teachers.

And presently,

As if the idea had just occurred to him,

He said to Miss March,

The boy neglects his music now,

And I'm glad of it,

For he was getting too fond of it.

But the piano suffers for want of use.

Wouldn't some of your girls like to run over and practice on it now and then,

Just to keep it in tune,

You know?

Beth took a step forward and pressed her hands tightly together to keep from clapping them,

For this was an irresistible temptation,

And the thought of practicing on that splendid instrument quite took her breath away.

Before Miss March could reply,

Mr.

Lawrence went on with a little odd nod and smiled.

They needn't see or speak to anyone,

But run in at any time,

For I'm shut up in my study at the other end of the house.

Laurie is out a great deal,

And the servants are never near the drawing room after nine o'clock.

Here he rose,

As if going,

And Beth made up her mind to speak,

For the last arrangement left nothing to be desired.

Please tell the young ladies that I say,

And if they don't care to come,

Why never mind?

Here a little hand slipped into his,

And Beth looked up at him with the face full of gratitude,

As she said in her earnest yet timid way.

Oh,

Sir,

They do care very,

Very much.

Are you the musical girl?

He asked,

Without any startling haze,

As he looked down at her very kindly.

I'm Beth.

I love it dearly,

And I'll come,

If you are quite sure nobody will hear me and be disturbed.

She added,

Fearing to be rude and trembling at her own boldness as she spoke.

Not a soul,

My dear.

The house is empty half the day,

So come and drum away as much as you like,

And I shall be obliged to you.

How kind you are,

Sir.

Beth blushed like a rose under the friendly look he wore,

But she was not frightened now,

And gave the hand a grateful squeeze,

Because she had no words to thank him for the precious gift he had given her.

The old gentleman softly stroked the hair off of her forehead,

And stooping down,

He kissed her,

Saying in a tone few people ever heard.

I had a little girl once,

With eyes like these.

God bless you,

My dear.

Good day,

Madam.

And away he went,

In a great hurry.

Beth had a rapture with her mother,

And then rushed up to impart the glorious news to her family of invalids,

As the girls were not home.

How blithely she sang that evening,

And how they all laughed at her because she woke Amy the night by playing the piano on her face in her sleep.

Next day,

Having seen both the old and young gentleman out of the house,

Beth,

After two or three retreats,

Fairly got in at the side door,

And made her way as noiselessly as any mouse to the drawing-room where her idol stood.

Night by accident,

Of course,

Some pretty easy music lay on the piano,

And with trembling fingers and frequent stops to listen and look about,

Beth at last touched the great instrument,

And straight away forgot her fear,

Herself,

And everything else but the unspeakable delight which the music gave her.

For it was like the voice of a beloved friend.

She stayed till Hannah came to take her home to dinner,

But she had no appetite,

And could only sit and smile upon everyone in a general state of beatitude.

After that,

The little brown hood slipped through the hedge nearly every day,

And the great drawing-room was haunted by a tuneful spirit that came and went unseen.

She never knew that Mr.

Lawrence opened his study door to hear the old-fashioned airs he liked.

She never saw Laurie mount guard in the hall to warn the servants away.

She never suspected that the exercise books and new songs which she found in the rack were put there for her a special benefit.

And when he talked to her about music at home,

She only thought how kind he was to tell her things that helped her so much.

So she enjoyed herself heartily,

And found,

What isn't always the case,

That her granted wish was all she had hoped.

Perhaps it was because she was so grateful for this blessing that a greater was given her.

At any rate,

She deserved both.

Mother,

I'm going to work Mr.

Lawrence a pair of slippers.

He is so kind to me,

I must thank him,

And I don't know any other way.

Can I do it?

Asked Beth,

A few weeks after that eventful call of his.

Yes,

Dear,

It will please him very much,

And be a nice way of thanking him.

The girls will help you about them,

And I will pay for the making up,

Replied Miss March,

Who took peculiar pleasure in granting Beth's request,

Because she so seldom asked anything for herself.

After many serious discussions with Meg and Joe,

The pattern was chosen,

The materials bought,

And the slippers begun.

A cluster of grave yet cheerful pansies on the deeper purple ground was pronounced very appropriate and pretty,

And Beth worked very early and late,

With occasional lifts over hard parts.

She was a nimble little needle woman,

And they were finished before anyone got tired of them.

Then she wrote a short,

Simple note,

And with Lori's help,

Got them smuggled onto the study table one morning,

Before the old gentleman was up.

When this excitement was over,

Beth waited to see what would happen.

All day passed,

And a part of the next before any acknowledgement arrived,

And she was beginning to fear she had offended her crotchety friend.

On the afternoon of the second day,

She went out to do an errand,

And give poor Joanna,

The invalid doll,

Her daily exercise.

As she came up the street,

On her return,

She saw three,

Yes,

Four heads popping in and out of the parlor windows,

And the moment they saw her,

Several hands were waved,

And several joyful voices screamed,

"'Here's a letter from the old gentleman.

Come quick and read it.

' "'Oh,

Beth,

He sent you,

' began Amy.

She gesticulated with unseemingly energy,

And she got no further,

For Joe quenched her by slamming down the window.

Beth hurried on in a flutter of suspense.

At the door,

Her sister seized and bore her to the parlor in a triumphal procession,

All pointing and all saying at once,

"'Look there,

Look there.

' Beth did look,

And turned pale with delight and surprise,

For there stood a little cabinet piano with the letter lying on the glossy lid,

Directed like a signboard to Miss Elizabeth March.

"'For me?

' gasped Beth,

Holding on to Joe and feeling if she could tumble down.

It was such an overwhelming thing altogether.

"'Yes,

All for you,

My precious.

Isn't it splendid of him?

Don't you think he's the dearest man in the world?

' "'Here's the key to the letter.

We didn't open it,

But we are dying to know what it says,

' cried Joe,

Hugging her sister and offering the note.

"'Oh,

You read it.

I can't.

I feel so queer.

Oh,

It is too lovely,

' said Beth,

Who hid her face in Joe's apron,

Quite upset by her present.

Joe opened the paper and began to laugh.

For the words she saw were,

"'Miss March,

Dear madam,

How nice it sounds.

I wish someone would write to me so,

' said Amy,

Who thought the old-fashioned address very elegant.

"'I have had many pairs of slippers in my life,

But I never had any that suited me so well as yours,

' continued Joe.

"'Heart's ease is my favorite flower,

And these will always remind me of the gentle little giver.

I like to pay my debts,

So I know you allow the old gentleman to send you something which once belonged to the little great-granddaughter he lost.

With hearty thanks and best wishes,

I remain your grateful friend and humble servant,

James Lawrence.

' "'There,

Beth,

That's an honor to be proud of,

I'm sure.

Laurie told me how fond Mr.

Lawrence used to be of the child who died and how he kept all her little things carefully.

Just think,

He's given you her piano.

' "'That comes of having big blue eyes and lovely music,

' said Joe,

Trying to soothe Beth,

Who trembled and looked more excited than she ever had been before.

See the cunning brackets to hold candles and the nice green silk puckered up,

With the gold rose in the middle,

And the pretty rack and stool all complete,

' added Meg,

Opening the instrument and displaying its beauties.

"'Your humble servant,

James Lawrence,

Only think of his writing that to you.

' "'I'll tell the girls.

They'll think it's splendid,

' said Amy,

Much impressed by the note.

"'Try it,

Honey,

Let's hear the sound of the baby piano,

' said Hannah,

Who always took a share in the family joys and sorrows.

So Beth tried it,

And everyone pronounced it the most remarkable piano ever heard.

It had evidently been newly tuned and put in apple pie order.

But perfect as it was,

I think the real charm lay in the happiest of all happy faces which leaned over it,

As Beth lovingly touched the beautiful black and white keys and pressed the bright petals.

"'You'll have to go and thank him,

' said Joe,

By way of a joke,

For the idea of the child really going never entered her head.

"'Yes,

I mean to.

I guess I'll go now before I get frightened thinking about it.

' Into the utter amazement of the assembled family,

Beth walked deliberately down the garden,

Through the hedge,

And in at the Lawrence's door.

"'Well,

I wish I may die if it ain't the queerest thing I ever see.

The piano has turned her head.

She's never had gone in her right mind,

' cried Hannah,

Staring after her,

While the girls were rendered quite speechless by the miracle.

They would have been still more amazed if they had seen what Beth did afterward.

If you will believe me,

She went and knocked at the study door before she gave herself time to think,

And then a gruff voice called out,

Come in.

She did go in right up to Mr.

Lawrence,

Who looked quite taken aback,

And held out her hand,

Saying,

With only a small quaver in her voice,

I came to thank you,

Sir,

For—' But she didn't finish,

For he looked so friendly that she forgot her speech,

And only remembering that he had lost the little girl that he loved,

She put both arms around his neck and kissed him.

If the roof of the house had suddenly flown off,

The old gentleman wouldn't have been more astonished.

But he liked it.

Oh dear,

Yes,

He liked it amazingly,

And was so touched and pleased by that confiding little kiss that all his crustiness vanished.

And he just set her on his knee and laid his wrinkled cheek against her rosy one,

Feeling as if he had got his own little granddaughter back again.

Beth ceased to fear him from that moment,

And sat there talking to him as cozily as if she'd known him all her life,

For love casts out fear,

And gratitude can conquer pride.

When she went home,

He walked with her to her own gate,

Shook hands cordially,

And touched his hat as he marched back again,

Looking very stately and erect,

Like a handsome soldierly old gentleman,

As he was.

When the girls saw the performance,

Joe began to dance a jig by way of expressing her satisfaction.

Amy nearly fell out of the window in her surprise,

And Meg exclaimed with uplifted hands,

Well,

I do believe the world is coming to an end.

And that is the end of our story this evening.

Until next time.

Sweet dreams.

Reviews

Heart warming, I was smiling from ear to ear!🥰😉😊

It was great put me to sleep right away! Thanks! You have such a nice voice.😁😎😴🥱🥳

Finally made it to Chapter 6… that’s taken months as I won’t move on till hello Hilary, I’ve heard absolutely every word. Last chapter took at least 3 weeks of nightly playing. Perfect 😍 and thank you. Much love 🙏🏼❤️

Love your sweet, gentle voice! Thank you.

Oh Beth…
Lovely rendition 💕

Loved it!

I’m in Oslo, visiting my sister, using your storytelling to n