Louisa May Alcott

Under the Lilacs Louisa May Alcott

The elm-tree avenue was all overgrown, the great gate was never unlocked, and the oldhouse had been shut up for several years. Yet voices were heard about the place, the lilacs nodded over the high wall as if they said,"We could tell fine secrets if we chose," and the mullein outside the gate made haste to reach thekeyhole, that it might peep in and see what was going on. If it had suddenly grown up like amagic bean-stalk, and looked in on a certain June day, it would have seen a droll but pleasantsight, for somebody evidently was going to have a party. From the gate to the porch went a wide walk, paved with smooth slabs of dark stone, andbordered with the tall bushes which met overhead, making a green roof. All sorts of neglectedflowers and wild weeds grew between their stems, covering the walls of this summer parlor withthe prettiest tapestry. A board, propped on two blocks of wood, stood in the middle of the walk, covered with a little plaid shawl much the worse for wear, and on it a miniature tea-service wasset forth with great elegance. To be sure, the tea-pot had lost its spout, the cream-jug its handle, the sugar-bowl its cover, and the cups and plates were all more or less cracked or nicked; butpolite persons would not take notice of these trifling deficiencies, and none but polite personswere invited to this part