[Illustration: “Rosamond sat looking about the room.”--_Frontispiece._] LITTLE BUTTON ROSE BY LOUISA M. ALCOTT AUTHOR OF “LITTLE WOMEN,” “LITTLE MEN,” “JO’S BOYS,” ETC. Illustrated BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY _Copyright, 1887_, BY LOUISA M. ALCOTT. _Copyright, 1901_, BY JOHN S. P. ALCOTT. University Press JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A. LITTLE BUTTON-ROSE “If you please, I’ve come,” said a small girl, as she walked into a large room where three ladies sat at work. One of the ladies was very thin, one very stout, and the youngest very pretty. The eldest put on her glasses, the stout one dropped her sewing, and the pretty one exclaimed,-- “Why, it must be little Rosamond!” “Yes, I’ve come; the man is taking my trunk upstairs, and I’ve got a letter for Cousin Penelope,” said the child, with the sweet composure of one always sure of a welcome. The stout lady held out her hand for the letter; but the little girl, after a keen look at the three faces, went to the old lady, who received her with a kiss, saying,-- “That’s right; but how did you know, dear?” “Oh, Papa said Cousin Penny is old, Cousin Henny fat, and Cousin Cicely rather pretty; so I knew in one minute,” replied Rosamond, in a tone of innocent satisfaction at her own cleverness, and quite unconscious of the effect of her speech. Miss Penelope hastily retired behind the letter, Miss Henrietta frowned so heavily that the gold-rimmed eye-glasses flew off her nose with a clash, and Cicely laughed outright, as she exclaimed,-- “I’m afraid we have got an _enfant terrible_ among us, though I can’t complain of my share of the compliments.” “I never expected to find Clara’s child well mannered, and I see I was quite right. Take your hat off, Rosamond, and sit down. It tires Sister to lean on her in that way,” said Miss Henny in a severe tone, with no offer of any warmer welcome. Seeing that something was amiss, the child quietly obeyed, and perching herself in an ancient arm-chair crossed her short legs, folded her plump hands over the diminutive travelling-bag she carried, and sat looking about the room with a pair of very large blue eyes, quite unabashed, though rather pensive, as if the memory of some tender parting were still fresh in her little heart.