Louisa May Alcott A Child's Biography.下

Youwon't be surprised to know that the next day after this last affair Louisa'sparents made sure that she did not leave the house. Indeed, to be entirelycertain of her where-abouts, they tied her to the leg of a big sofa for a wholeday!

Exceptfor this one fault, Louisa was a good child, so she felt much ashamed that shehad caused her mother, whom she loved dearly, so much worry. As she sat there,tied to the sofa, she made up her mind that she would never frighten her soagain. No—she would cure herself of the running-away habit!

Afterthat day, whenever she felt the least desire to slip out of the house withoutasking permission, she would hurry to her own little room and shut the doortight. To keep her mind from bad plans she would shut her eyes and make upstories—think them all out, herself, you know. Then, when some of them seemedpretty good, she would write them down so that she would not forget them. Byand by she found she liked making stories better than anything she had everdone in her life.

Hermother sometimes wondered why Louisa grew so fond of staying in her littlechamber at the head of the stairs, all of a sudden, but was pleased that therunaway child had changed into such a quiet, like-to-stay-at-home girl.

It was along time before Louisa dared to mention the stories and rhymes she had hiddenin her desk but finally she told her mother about them, and when Mrs. Alcotthad read them, she advised her to keep on writing. Louisa did so and became oneof the best American story-tellers. She wrote a number of books, and if youbegin with Lulu's Library, you will want to read Little Men and Little Womenand all the books that dear Louisa Alcott ever wrote.

At firstLouisa was paid but small sums for her writings, and as the Alcott family werepoor, she taught school, did sewing, took care of children, or worked atanything, always with a merry smile, so long as it provided comforts for thoseshe loved.

When theCivil War broke out, she was anxious to do something to help, so she went intoone of the Union hospitals as a nurse. She worked so hard that she grew veryill, and her father had to go after her and bring her home. One of her bookstells about her life in the hospital.

It wassoon after her return home that her books began to sell so well that she foundherself, for the first time in her life, with a great deal of money. There wasenough to buy luxuries for the Alcott family—there was enough for her totravel. No doubt she got more happiness in traveling than some people, for shefound boys and girls in England, France, and Germany reading the very books sheherself, Louisa May Alcott, had written. Then, too, at the age of fifty, sheenjoyed venturing into new places just as well as she did the morning shesallied forth to Boston Common in her new green shoes!