NovelGuide: Little Women: Novel Summary: Chapter 19- Chapter 25

Chapter 19- Chapter 25

Chapter 19: While all this was going on, Amy's stay at Aunt March's was a trial for her. The old woman did not know how to handle children and Amy was miserable. After a time she became friends with the French maid, Ester, formerly Estelle, and Ester let her play with all of Aunt March's old clothes and some jewelry. Amy was fascinated by the jewelry and Ester confided in her that she and her sisters would be given the possessions when her aunt died. Amy decided she would be very good for Aunt March so she could earn some of the nicest jewels. Amy was overjoyed but still very sad about Beth. Since Ester was Catholic and extremely pious, she told Amy that she found solace in her prayers. At Amy's request, she built a small prayer room for Amy in a closet next to her room in which she could pray for her sister. She also decided that she would make a will of her own, and had Ester and Laurie, when he came to visit her, be a witness to it. Laurie told her sad news about Beth but informed her everything would be all right.

Chapter 20: Laurie gave the news of Beth and their Mother coming to Amy who was overjoyed for the state of her sister and her mother's arrival. Amy was in the process of writing her mother a note, when Marmee showed up at Aunt March's. Amy showed her mother her praying closet and Marmee wholeheartedly approved. While there, her mother also noticed the turquoise ring on her daughter's finger. Aunt March had decided that Amy had come along so nicely in her manners and behavior, that she gave the child the ring. Marmee did not really approve of one so young owning it, but Amy told her she wanted to wear it as a reminder to be as good and unselfish as little Beth had always been. Marmee agreed, and left Amy promising to come back to get her as soon as Beth was better. When she was nursing Beth that night, Jo came into see her with a confession. She told her about the Mr. Brooke having Meg's missing glove and that she was afraid that he would marry Meg and take her away. While in Washington D.C., John (the Mr. and Mrs. March began calling Mr. Brooke by his first name) had professed his love for their eldest daughter, and asked their permission to love her. He meant to earn a good sum of money so he could ask her to marry him. The March's consented to this, though they agreed that their daughter was too young to be married or promised at least until she was twenty. Mrs. March wanted to figure out how Meg felt about John so she began being more alert. Meg walked in during their conversation but they ended it and did not tell her the nature of it. Jo was still disappointed because she did not want any of her sisters to get married and leave her yet. She also professed to Marmee that she had thought Meg could marry Laurie because he was rich and generous and would take care of her well. Marmee told her that things would work out, and not to try to match up her friends.

Chapter 25: Meg and John Brooke have their wedding day, and it is a highly unfashionable wedding but no one cares. Everyone has grown up. Meg is beautiful, Jo holds her tongue, Beth is fragile, and Amy is the epitome of grace. Mr. March performs the wedding service, and Meg sewed her own dress. After the wedding, Laurie goes up to Meg wondering where the bottles of wine were that he saw earlier, and Meg tells him that they do not drink wine, and she begs him not to as well. Laurie concedes to never drink again, and everyone dances to celebrate the new couple. As the Laurences are driving home, Mr. Laurence tells Laurie that she should marry one of the March girls. Laurie agrees with him and touches the flower that Jo gave him. Everyone watched as Meg and John walked to their little house, again giving them their love.