Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents, said Jo crossly. It's so awful to be poor!' agreed Meg, looking at her old dress. 'It's not right for some girls to have pretty things, and others to have nothing at all," said little Amy. "We've got Father and Mother, and each other," said Beth gently. The four young faces round the fire cheered up as they thought of this, but then Jo said sadly, "We haven't got Father, and we won't have him for a long time.' She didn't say perhaps never, but each silently thought it, remembering that he was away at the war in the South.