Louisa M. Alcott's Creed

In a nuinber of letters written at long and Short intervals from 1872 to 1886, by ïxmisa M. Alcott, to live j llttle girls in Allegheny county, PennyTvania, the author of "Llttle Women," most charmingly and frankly dlscloses her extraordinary nature, and the missives, edited by Edward W. Bok, are elven to the public in the Ladies' Home Journal. In one of the tenderest of these letters, invoked by, the Bad Information of the death oí ome of the sisters, Miss Alcott wrote her bot rowing correspondent : " I wiU teil you my j ence, and as ït has stood the', test oí j youth and age, health and sickness, j joy and sorrow, poverty and wealth, I f eel that i.t is igenuine, and seeni to , get more liht, warmth and help ae I g-o on learning more of l't year by year. My parents never bomnd us j to any church, but taught us' that , love of goo&ness was the love of God, the cbeerful doing of duty made liie happy, and that the love of one's neighbor in its widest sense was the best help for one's self. Theix Uves showed us how lovely this simple faith -was, how much honor, gratitnde and affection it brouffht them, and what a sweet memory they leït behind, lor, thoiigh íather still Uves, his Uïe is over, as f ar as thought and lïseiulaess are poesible. Theodore Parker and Kalph Waldo Emerson did mï-ch to help me eee that one can shape Ufe best by trying build up a strong and noble charcter, through good books, wise people's society, uju Interest in aU reforms that help the world, and a cheeríul acceptance ol whatever is inevitable ; seelng a beautiful compemsation in what oiten seems a great sacrifice, sorrow or loss, and believing always that a wise, lovimg and just Fatiher cares for us. sees our weakness and, is near to help if we cali. Have you read Emerson? He is called a Pantheist or believer in Nature instead oí god. He was truly Cliristian, and saw God in Nature, finding strength and comforfc in the same sweet inïluences of the great Mother as' well as the 1-ather of all. I too believe this, and whea tired, ead or tempted, ilud my best connort in tlie woods, the sky, the heaUng solitude that Iets mj; poor, weary soul find the rest, the fresh hope or the patience which crnly. God can give us. People used U teil me that when sorrov carne I ehoíild find my faith faulty because it ixad no name, but they weie wroni? ior when the heavy loss of tay dear, gifted sister íound me too íeeble to do anythmg but suïfer passively, I Btill had the sustaining sense oï a love taat never failed, evea wnen x ccxuld not ssee why tlüs lovely liie shcmld end wfcen it was happiest. As a poor, proud, struggllng girl I lield to tlie belief that if I deserved success, it would surely come, bo long as my ambitloa was nob ior selfish ends but ior my dear famlly, and it dld come, far more luVly that I ever hoped or dreamed, though youth, liealth and many hopes went to earn it. Noiw, wlien I mlght enjoy rest, plefisure and travel, I am etill tieö by new duties to my taby, and give up my dreams, sure tdiat something better -will be given me in time. Freedom waa always my langing, buit I have mever had It, so" I am etill trying to feel rat this is the discipline I taeed, and whfin I am ready the libt'orty will come."