The Water lily Pond

The Water lily Pond
Venus and Cupid
Vermeer girl with the pearl earring
virgin of the rocks
¡¡¡¡Who laboured with great industry ¡¡¡¡To make it fair and true. ¡¡¡¡Accept a ribbon red, I beg, ¡¡¡¡For Madam Purrer's tail; ¡¡¡¡And ice-cream made by lovely Peg - ¡¡¡¡A Mont Blanc in a pail. ¡¡¡¡Their dearest love, my makers laid ¡¡¡¡Within my breast of snow: ¡¡¡¡Accept it, and the Alpine maid, ¡¡¡¡From Laurie and from Jo. ¡¡¡¡How Beth laughed when she saw it, how Laurie ran up and down to bring in the gifts, and what ridiculous speeches Jo made as she presented them! ¡¡¡¡"I'm so full of happiness, that, if Father was only here, I couldn't hold one drop more," said Beth, quite sighing with contentment, as Jo carried her off to the study to rest after the excitement and to refresh herself with some of the delicious grapes the "Jungfrau" had sent her. ¡¡¡¡"So am I," added Jo, slapping the pocket wherein reposed the long-desired Undine and Sintram. ¡¡¡¡"I'm sure I am," echoed Amy, poring over the engraved copy of the Madonna and Child, which her mother had given her, in a pretty frame. ¡¡¡¡"Of course I am!" cried Meg, smoothing the silvery folds of her first silk dress; for Mr. Laurence had insisted on giving it. ¡¡¡¡"How can I be otherwise?" said Mrs. March, gratefully, as her eyes went from her husband's letter to Beth's smiling face, and her hand caressed the broach made of grey and golden, chestnut and dark brown hair, which the girls had just fastened on her breast. Now and then, in this workaday world, things do happen in the delightful story-book fashion, and what a comfort that is. Half an hour after everyone had said they were so happy they could only hold one drop more, the drop came. Laurie opened the parlour door, and popped his head in very quietly. He might just as well have turned a somersault and uttered an Indian war-whoop; for his face was so full of suppressed excitement and his voice so treacherously joyful, that everyone jumped up, though he only said, in a queer breathless voice, "Here's another Christmas present for the March family."