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"I want my daughters to be beautiful, accomplished, & good; to be admired, loved, & respected; to have a happy youth, to be well & wisely married, & to lead useful, pleasant lives, w/as little care & sorrow to try them as God sees fit to send. To be loved & chosen by a good man is the best & sweetest thing which can happen to a woman; & I sincerely hope my girls may know this beautiful experience. It is natural to think of it, Meg; right to hope & wait for it, & wise to prepare for it; so that, when the happy time comes, you may feel ready for the duties & worthy of the joy. My dear girls, I am ambitious for you, but not to have you make a dash in the world, -- marry rich men merely because they are rich, or have splendid houses, which are not homes because love is wanting. Money is a needful & precious thing, -- &, when well used, a noble thing, -- but I never want you to think it is the 1st or only prize to strive for. I'd rather see you poor men's wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, then queens on thrones, w/o self-respect & peace... "...better be happy old maids than unhappy wives, or unmaidenly girls, running about to find husbands," said Mrs. March decidedly. "Don't be troubled, Meg; poverty seldom daunts a sincere lover. Some of the best & most honored women I know were poor girls, but so love-worthy that they were not allowed to be old maids. Leave these things to time; make this home happy, so that you may be fit for homes of your own, if they are offered you, & contented here if they are not. One thing remember, my girls: mother is always ready to be your confidant, father to be your friend; & both of us trust & hope that our daughters, whether married or single, will be the pride & comfort of our lives." ~~Marmee -- from "Little Women" ch. 9.
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