Produced by Rory OConor, Suzanne Shell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) [Illustration: "Her eyes brightened as they fell upon a glass of rosy laurel and delicate maidenhair fern."--FRONTISPIECE.] MOUNTAIN-LAUREL AND MAIDENHAIR BY LOUISA M. ALCOTT AUTHOR OF "LITTLE MEN," "LITTLE WOMEN," "MAY FLOWERS," "POPPIES AND WHEAT," ETC. Illustrated BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY _Copyright_, 1887, BY LOUISA M. ALCOTT. _Copyright_, 1903, BY JOHN S. P. ALCOTT. University Press JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A. MOUNTAIN-LAUREL AND MAIDENHAIR "Here's your breakfast, miss. I hope it's right. Your mother showed me how to fix it, and said I'd find a cup up here." "Take that blue one. I have not much appetite, and can't eat if things are not nice and pretty. I like the flowers. I've been longing for some ever since I saw them last night." The first speaker was a red-haired, freckled-faced girl, in a brown calico dress and white apron, with a tray in her hands and an air of timid hospitality in her manner; the second a pale, pretty creature, in a white wrapper and blue net, sitting in a large chair, looking about her with the languid interest of an invalid in a new place. Her eyes brightened as they fell upon a glass of rosy laurel and delicate maidenhair fern that stood among the toast and eggs, strawberries and cream, on the tray. "Our laurel is jest in blow, and I'm real glad you come in time to see it. I'll bring you a lot, as soon's ever I get time to go for it." As she spoke, the plain girl replaced the ugly crockery cup and saucer with the pretty china ones pointed out to her, arranged the dishes, and waited to see if anything else was needed. "What is your name, please?" asked the pretty girl, refreshing herself with a draught of new milk. "Rebecca. Mother thought I'd better wait on you; the little girls are so noisy and apt to forget. Wouldn't you like a piller to your back? you look so kind of feeble seems as if you wanted to be propped up a mite." There was so much compassion and good-will in the face and voice, that Emily accepted the offer, and let Rebecca arrange a cushion behind her; then, while the one ate daintily, and the other stirred about an inner room, the talk went on,--for two girls are seldom long silent when together. "I think the air is going to suit me, for I slept all night and never woke till Mamma had been up ever so long and got things all nicely settled," said Emily, graciously, when the fresh strawberries had been enjoyed, and the bread and butter began to vanish.