Shedidearnseveralthatyear，andbegantofeelherselfapowerinthehouse，forbythemagicofapen，her`rubbish’turnedintocomfortsforthemall。TheDuke’sDaughterpaidthebutcher’sbill，APhantomHandputdownanewcarpet，andtheCurseoftheCoventrysprovedtheblessingoftheMarchesinthewayofgroceriesandgowns。Wealthiscertainlyamostdesirablething，butpovertyhasitssunnyside，andoneofthesweetusesofadversityisthegenuinesatisfactionwhichcomesfromheartyworkofheadorhand，andtotheinspirationofnecessity，weowehalfthewise，beautiful，andusefulblessingsoftheworld。Joenjoyedatasteofthissatisfaction，andceasedtoenvyrichergirls，takinggreatcomfortintheknowledgethatshecouldsupplyherownwants，andneedasknooneforapenny。Littlenoticewastakenofherstories，buttheyfoundamarket，andencouragedbythisfact，sheresolvedtomakeaboldstrokeforfameandfortune。Havingcopiedhernovelforthefourthtime，readittoallherconfidentialfriends，andsubmitteditwithfearandtremblingtothreepublishers，sheatlastdisposedofit，onconditionthatshewouldcutitdownonethird，andomitallthepartswhichsheparticularlyadmired。\"NowImusteitherbundleitbackintomytinkitchentomold，payforprintingitmyself，orchopituptosuitpurchasersandgetwhatIcanforit。Fameisaverygoodthingtohaveinthehouse，butcashismoreconvenient，soIwishtotakethesenseofthemeetingonthisimportantsubject，\"saidJo，callingafamilycouncil。\"Don’tspoilyourbook，mygirl，forthereismoreinitthanyouknow，andtheideaiswellworkedout。Letitwaitandripen，\"washerfather’sadvice，andhepracticedwhathepreached，havingwaitedpatientlythirtyyearsforfruitofhisowntoripen，andbeinginnohastetogatheritevennowwhenitwassweetandmellow。\"ItseemstomethatJowillprofitmorebytakingthetrialthanbywaiting，\"saidMrs。March。\"Criticismisthebesttestofsuchwork，foritwillshowherbothunsuspectedmeritsandfaults，andhelphertodobetternexttime。Wearetoopartial，butthepraiseandblameofoutsiderswillproveuseful，evenifshegetsbutlittlemoney。\"\"Yes，\"saidJo，knittingherbrows，\"that’sjustit。I’vebeenfussingoverthethingsolong，Ireallydon’tknowwhetherit’sgood，bad，orindifferent。Itwillbeagreathelptohavecool，impartialpersonstakealookatit，andtellmewhattheythinkofit。\"\"Iwouldn’tleaveawordoutofit。You’llspoilitifyoudo，fortheinterestofthestoryismoreinthemindsthanintheactionsofthepeople，anditwillbeallamuddleifyoudon’texplainasyougoon，\"saidMeg，whofirmlybelievedthatthisbookwasthemostremarkablenoveleverwritten。\"ButMr。Allensays，`Leaveouttheexplanations，makeitbriefanddramatic，andletthecharacterstellthestory’，\"interruptedJo，turningtothepublisher’snote。\"Doashetellsyou。Heknowswhatwillsale，andwedon’t。Makeagood，popularbook，andgetasmuchmoneyasyoucan。By—and—by，whenyou’vegotaname，youcanaffordtodigress，andhavephilosophicalandmetaphysicalpeopleinyournovels，\"saidAmy，whotookastrictlypracticalviewofthesubject。\"Well，\"saidJo，laughing，\"ifmypeopleare`philosophicalandmetaphysical’，itisn’tmyfault，forIknownothingaboutsuchthings，exceptwhatIhearfathersay;，sometimes。IfI’vegotsomeofhiswiseideasjumbledupwithmyromance，somuchthebetterforme。Now，Beth，whatdoyousay？\"\"Ishouldsoliketoseeitprintedsoon，\"wasallBethsaid，andsmiledinsayingit。Buttherewasanunconsciousemphasisonthelastword，andawistfullookintheeyesthatneverlosttheirchildlikecandor，whichchilledJo’sheartforaminutewithaforbodingfear，anddecidedhertomakeherlittleventure`soon’。So，withSpartanfirmness，theyoungauthoresslaidherfirst—bornonhertable，andchoppeditupasruthlesslyasanyogre。Inthehopeofpleasingeveryone，shetookeveryone’sadvice，andliketheoldmanandhisdonkeyinthefablesuitednobody。Herfatherlikedthemetaphysicalstreakwhichhadunconsciouslygotintoit，sothatwasallowedtoremainthoughshehadherdoubtsaboutit。Hermotherthoughtthattherewasatrifletoomuchdescription。Out，thereforeitcame，andwithitmanynecessarylinksinthestory。Megadmiredthetragedy，soJopileduptheagonytosuither，whileAmyobjectedtothefun，and，withthebestintentionsinlife，Joquenchedthesprightlysceneswhichrelievedthesombercharacterofthestory。Then，tocomplicatetheruin，shecutitdownonethird，andconfidinglysentthepoorlittleromance，likeapickedrobin，outintothebig，busyworldtotryitsfate。Well，itwasprinted，andshegotthreehundreddollarsforit，likewiseplentyofpraiseandblame，bothsomuchgreaterthansheexpectedthatshewasthrownintoastateofbewildermentfromwhichittookhersometimetorecover。\"Yousaid，Mother，thatcriticismwouldhelpme。Buthowcanit，whenit’ssocontradictorythatIdon’tknowwhetherI’vewrittenapromisingbookorbrokenallthetencommandments？\"criedpoorJo，turningoveraheapofnotices，theperusalofwhichfilledherwithprideandjoyoneminute，wrathanddismaythenext。\"Thismansays，`Anexquisitebook，fulloftruth，beauty，andearnestness。Allissweet，pure，andhealthy。’\"continuedtheperplexedauthoress。\"Thenext，`Thetheoryofthebookisbad，fullofmorbidfancies，spiritualisticideas，andunnaturalcharacters。’Now，asIhadnotheoryofanykind，don’tbelieveinSpiritualism，andcopiedmycharactersfromlife，Idon’tseehowthiscriticcanberight。Anothersays，`It’soneofthebestAmericannovelswhichhasappearedforyears。’（Iknowbetterthanthat），andthenextassertsthat`Thoughitisoriginal，andwrittenwithgreatforceandfeeling，itisadangerousbook。’’Tisn’t！Somemakefunofit，someoverpraise，andnearlyallinsistthatIhadadeeptheorytoexpound，whenIonlywroteitforthepleasureandthemoney。IwishI’dprintedthewholeornotatall，forIdohatetobesomisjudged。\"Herfamilyandfriendsadministeredcomfortandcommendationliberally。Yetitwasahardtimeforsensitive，high—spiritedJo，whomeantsowellandhadapparentlydonesoill。Butitdidhergood，forthosewhoseopinionhadrealvaluegaveherthecriticismwhichisanauthor’sbesteducation，andwhenthefirstsorenesswasover，shecouldlaughatherpoorlittlebook，yetbelieveinitstill，andfeelherselfthewiserandstrongerforthebuffetingshehadreceived。\"Notbeingagenius，likeKeats，itwon’tkillme，\"shesaidstoutly，\"andI’vegotthejokeonmyside，afterall，forthepartsthatweretakenstraightoutofreallifearedenouncedasimpossibleandabsurd，andthescenesthatImadeupoutofmyownsillyheadarepronounced`charminglynatural，tender，andtrue’。SoI’llcomfortmyselfwiththat，andwhenI’mready，I’llupagainandtakeanother。\"
GoodWives:Chapter5CHAPTER5DomesticExperiencesLikemostotheryoungmatrons，Megbeganhermarriedlifewiththedeterminationtobeamodelhousekeeper。Johnshouldfindhomeaparadise，heshouldalwaysseeasmilingface，shouldfaresumptuouslyeveryday，andneverknowthelossofabutton。Shebroughtsomuchlove，energy，andcheerfulnesstotheworkthatshecouldnotbutsucceed，inspiteofsomeobstacles。Herparadisewasnotatranquilone，forthelittlewomanfussed，wasover—anxioustoplease，andbustledaboutlikeatrueMartha，cumberedwithmanycares。Shewastootired，sometimes，eventosmile，Johngrewdyspepticafteracourseofdaintydishesandungratefullydemandedplainfare。Asforbuttons，shesoonlearnedtowonderwheretheywent，toshakeherheadoverthecarelessnessofmen，andtothreatentomakehimsewthemonhimself，andseeifhisworkwouldstandimpatientandclumsyfingersanybetterthanhers。
Theywereveryhappy，evenaftertheydiscoveredthattheycouldn’tliveonlovealone。JohndidnotfindMeg’sbeautydiminished，thoughshebeamedathimfrombehindthefamiliarcoffeepot。NordidMegmissanyoftheromancefromthedailyparting，whenherhusbandfolloweduphiskisswiththetenderinquiry，\"ShallIsendsomevealormuttonfordinner，darling？\"Thelittlehouseceasedtobeaglorifiedbower，butitbecameahome，andtheyoungcouplesoonfeltthatitwasachangeforthebetter。Atfirsttheyplayedkeep—house，andfrolickedoveritlikechildren。ThenJohntooksteadilytobusiness，feelingthecaresoftheheadofafamilyuponhisshoulders，andMeglaidbyhercambricwrappers，putonabigapron，andfelltowork，asbeforesaid，withmoreenergythandiscretion。
WhilethecookingmanialastedshewentthroughMrs。Cornelius’sReceiptBookasifitwereamathematicalexercise，workingouttheproblemswithpatienceandcare。Sometimesherfamilywereinvitedintohelpeatupatoobounteousfeastofsuccesses，orLottywouldbeprivatelydispatchedwithabatchoffailures，whichweretobeconcealedfromalleyesintheconvenientstomachsofthelittleHummels。AneveningwithJohnovertheaccountbooksusuallyproducedatemporarylullintheculinaryenthusiasm，andafrugalfitwouldensue，duringwhichthepoormanwasputthroughacourseofbreadpudding，hash，andwarmed—overcoffee，whichtriedhissoul，althoughheboreitwithpraiseworthyfortitude。Beforethegoldenmeanwasfound，however，Megaddedtoherdomesticpossessionswhatyoungcouplesseldomgetonlongwithout，afamilyjar。
Firedawithhousewifelywishtoseeherstoreroomstockedwithhome—madepreserves，sheundertooktoputupherowncurrantjelly。Johnwasrequestedtoorderhomeadozenorsooflittlepotsandanextraquantityofsugar，fortheirowncurrantswereripeandweretobeattendedtoatonce。AsJohnfirmlybelievedthat`mywife’wasequaltoanything，andtookanaturalprideinherskill，heresolvedthatsheshouldbegratified，andtheironlycropoffruitlaidbyinamostpleasingformforwinteruse。Homecamefourdozendelightfullittlepots，halfabarrelofsugar，andasmallboytopickthecurrantsforher。Withherprettyhairtuckedintoalittlecap，armsbaredtotheelbow，andacheckedapronwhichhadacoquettishlookinspiteofthebib，theyounghousewifefelltowork，feelingnodoubtsabouthersuccess，forhadn’tsheseenHannahdoithundredsoftimes？Thearrayofpotsratheramazedheratfirst，butJohnwassofondofjelly，andthenicelittlejarswouldlooksowellonthetopshelf，thatMegresolvedtofillthemall，andspendalongdaypicking，boiling，straining，andfussingoverherjelly。Shedidherbest，sheaskedadviceofMrs。Cornelius，sherackedherbraintorememberwhatHannahdidthatsheleftundone，shereboiled，resugared，andrestrained，butthatdreadfulstuffwouldn’t`jell’。