“Vacation, finally!” exclaimed Meg, coming home to find Jo already lying on the sofa.
“What will you do on your vacation?” asked Amy.
“Stay in bed late, and do nothing,” replied Meg.
“Sit in the old apple tree and read!” said Jo.
“Beth, let’s not do any lessons for a while, but play all the time and rest, like Meg and Jo,” begged Amy.
“I will, if Mother doesn’t mind. I want to learn some new songs,” replied Beth.
“May we all try what we want to do, Mother?” asked Meg.
“You may try your experiment for a week and see how you like it,” Mrs March said with a smile.
“It will be wonderful, I’m sure,” said Meg.
“Fun forever, and no work!” exclaimed Jo.
The next morning, Meg got up at ten o’clock and had breakfast alone. Jo spent the morning with a friend and the afternoon reading in the apple tree. Beth pulled all her toys out of her closet but then left them to play some music. Amy put on her best dress and went outside to draw, hoping someone would notice the beautiful young artist. No one appeared, so she went for a walk, got caught in the rain, and came home dripping.
In the evening, they all assured their mother the experiment was going well. She smiled, said nothing, and did her work, keeping their home pleasant and running smoothly.
The days became longer and longer, and it affected all four girls. Meg found time hanging heavily and started cutting and spoiling her clothes, trying to make them more fashionable. Jo read till her eyes hurt and she was sick of books. Beth sometimes suddenly shook her doll and shouted at it. Amy was quite bored, for she didn’t like dolls or reading, and she couldn’t draw all the time. But no one would admit that they were tired of the experiment.
On Saturday morning, the girls got up to find no breakfast in the dining room and no mother to be seen.
Meg ran upstairs and soon came back, looking relieved but a little ashamed.
“Mother isn’t sick, only very tired. She says she is going to rest today and let us do the best we can. She says it has been a hard week for her, so we must take care of ourselves.”
The girls put together a breakfast tray for their mother and Jo brought it up to her. The tea was very bitter, the eggs were burnt, and the biscuits tasted odd, but she thanked them for their kindness.
“They will have a hard time, I’m afraid, but they won’t suffer, and it will do them good,” she said to herself after Jo left, taking out the breakfast which she had prepared for herself earlier.
Meg went to tidy the living room, hiding the litter under the sofa and shutting the curtains to save her the trouble of dusting.
Jo went to ask their mother about lunch. “Eat whatever you like,” said Mrs March. “I’m going out to lunch. I’m taking a vacation today.”
And so Jo discovered that something more than energy and effort is necessary to make a cook. She boiled the vegetables for an hour, burnt the bread, found only a small bit of meat in the lobster, and then declared lunch ready before the potatoes were quite done. The girls and their two guests sat down to lunch.
The one strong point was the strawberries, for Jo had covered them in sugar and had a jug of cream to go with them. Amy took a big spoonful and choked.
“What’s wrong?” exclaimed Jo.
“Salt, not sugar, and the cream is sour,” replied Meg.
Jo was about to cry, when suddenly she realized how funny it all was. She laughed till the tears ran down her cheeks. So did everyone else, and the lunch ended with bread and butter and fun. They were then busy for the whole afternoon, tidying and cleaning, as well as receiving guests and running errands.
In the evening, the girls gathered on the porch. Each girl groaned or sighed as she sat down.
“What a dreadful day this has been!” began Jo.
“It has seemed shorter than usual, but so uncomfortable,” said Meg.
“Not a bit like home,” added Amy.
“Not without Mother,” sighed Beth.
“Here I am, dear. Are you satisfied with your experiment, girls, or do you want another week of it?” she asked.
“I don’t!” cried Jo.
“Nor I,” echoed the others.
“Mother, did you go away just to see how we’d get on?” said Meg.
“Yes, I thought you should see what happens when everyone thinks only of herself. Isn’t it pleasanter to have daily duties and then relax? To help each other out, so home is comfortable for us all?”
“Oh yes, Mother!” exclaimed the girls.
“Our little burdens seem heavy but will grow lighter as we learn to carry them. Work keeps us from boredom and mischief, is good for health and spirits, and gives us a sense of power and independence better than money or fashion. But remember, don’t go to the other extreme and work like slaves! Have regular hours for work and play and make each day both useful and pleasant. Then youth will be delightful, old age will bring few regrets, and life will become a success, whether you’re rich or poor.”