Chapter 25
'Well, my dear, that is the old-fashioned belief, and it will take
some time to change it. But I think the woman's hour has struck; and
it looks to me as if the boys must do their best, for the girls are
abreast now, and may reach the goal first,' answered Mr March,
surveying with paternal satisfaction the bright faces of the young
women, who were among the best students in the college.
'The poor little Atalantas are sadly distracted and delayed by the
obstacles thrown in their way--not golden apples, by any means -- but
I think they will stand a fair chance when they have learned to run
better,' laughed Uncle Laurie, stroking Josie's breezy hair, which
stood up like the fur of an angry kitten.
'Whole barrels of apples won't stop me when I start, and a dozen Teds
won't trip me up, though they may try. I'll show him that a woman can
act as well, if not better, than a man. It has been done, and will be
again; and I'll never own that my brain isn't as good as his, though
it may be smaller,' cried the excited young person.
'If you shake your head in that violent way you'll addle what brains
you have got; and I'd take care of 'em, if I were you,' began teasing
Ted.
'What started this civil war?' asked Grandpapa, with a gentle
emphasis on the adjective, which caused the combatants to calm their
ardour a little.
'Why, we were pegging away at the Iliad and came to where Zeus tells
Juno not to inquire into his plans or he'll whip her, and Jo was
disgusted because Juno meekly hushed up. I said it was all right, and
agreed with the old fellow that women didn't know much and ought to
obey men,' explained Ted, to the great amusement of his hearers.
'Goddesses may do as they like, but those Greek and Trojan women were
poor-spirited things if they minded men who couldn't fight their own
battles and had to be hustled off by Pallas, and Venus, and Juno,
when they were going to get beaten. The idea of two armies stopping
and sitting down while a pair of heroes flung stones at one another!