《小妇人》第18期_第4章 隔壁的房子(2)

　　Beth was much too shy to go to school with other children，so she studied at home with her father． When he went away，and her mother was busy with war work， Beth continued to study by herself and helped Hannah keep the home tidy for the others． She also spent long，quiet hours alone，talking to her dolls or playing the old piano．Beth loved music and，although the family could not afford music lessons or a good piano for her， she tried hard to make herself a better musician．
　　Amy drew the most beautiful pictures and wanted to be a famous painter one day．She was a favoturite with everyone， except when she complained about having to wear her cousin's old clothes because her mother could not afford to buy new ones for her．
　　One afternoon a week or two later， Jo went outside to clear the snow away from some of the garden so that Beth could walk there when the sun came out．She looked across to the house next door-a big stone house with lovely things inside that Jo occasionally saw through the open curtains at the windows．But it seemed a lonely， lifeless kind of house， as no children played outside， no motherly face smiled at the windows， and not many people went in and out， except the old gentleman and his grandson．

白丝太害羞，不愿跟其他孩子一起上学，于是她呆在家里跟父亲学习。父亲走了之后，母亲忙于战争方面的工作，白丝就继续自学，同时帮助海娜为其他人整理房间。她也常常花很长时间安静地独处，和她的玩具娃娃说话，或者弹那架旧钢琴。白丝热爱音乐，虽然家里不能供她上音乐课或买架好钢琴给她，她还是努力使自己成为一名更好的音乐家。
　　艾米会画最漂亮的画，她希望有一天能成为名画家。她很讨大家的喜欢，不过当母亲由于买不起新衣服而让她穿上表姐的旧衣服、她发牢骚的时候，情形就不同了。
　　一两个星期以后的一个下午，琼到外面去，想把花园里的部分雪清扫掉，这样白丝就可以在太阳出来时到那儿去散步了。她朝隔壁的房子看过去——那是座大砖房，里面有很多漂亮的东西，琼有时会从那些打开窗帘的窗户看到里面。可它看上去像是一座孤独的毫无生气的房子，没有孩子在外面玩，没有窗边慈母的笑脸，也没有许多进进出出的人，只有那个老先生和他的孙子。