ingratefulremembranceofhersympathyandencouragementFlowersspringtoblossomwhereshewalksThecarefulwaysofduty,Ourhard,stifflinesoflifewithherAreflowingcurvesofbeauty。
AnIrateNeighborAtall,slimgirl,\"half-pastsixteen,\"withseriousgrayeyesandhairwhichherfriendscalledauburn,hadsatdownonthebroadredsandstonedoorstepofaPrinceEdwardIslandfarmhouseoneripeafternooninAugust,firmlyresolvedtoconstruesomanylinesofVirgil。
ButanAugustafternoon,withbluehazesscarfingtheharvestslopes,littlewindswhisperingelfishlyinthepoplars,andadancingslendorofredpoppiesoutflamingagainstthedarkcoppiceofyoungfirsinacornerofthecherryorchard,wasfitterfordreamsthandeadlanguages。
TheVirgilsoonslippedunheededtotheground,andAnne,herchinproppedonherclaspedhands,andhereyesonthesplendidmassoffluffycloudsthatwereheapingupjustoverMr。J。A。Harrison’shouselikeagreatwhitemountain,wasfarawayinadeliciousworldwhereacertainschoolteacherwasdoingawonderfulwork,shapingthedestiniesoffuturestatesmen,andinspiringyouthfulmindsandheartswithhighandloftyambitions。
Tobesure,ifyoucamedowntoharshfacts……which,itmustbeconfessed,Anneseldomdiduntilshehadto……itdidnotseemlikelythattherewasmuchpromisingmaterialforcelebritiesinAvonleaschool;butyoucouldnevertellwhatmighthappenifateacherusedherinfluenceforgood。
Annehadcertainrose-tintedidealsofwhatateachermightaccomplishifsheonlywenttherightwayaboutit;andshewasinthemidstofadelightfulscene,fortyyearshence,withafamouspersonage……justexactlywhathewastobefamousforwasleftinconvenienthaziness,butAnnethoughtitwouldberathernicetohavehimacollegepresidentoraCanadianpremier……bowinglowoverherwrinkledhandandassuringherthatitwasshewhohadfirstkindledhisambition,andthatallhissuccessinlifewasduetothelessonsshehadinstilledsolongagoinAvonleaschool。Thispleasantvisionwasshatteredbyamostunpleasantinterruption。
AdemurelittleJerseycowcamescuttlingdownthelaneandfivesecondslaterMr。Harrisonarrived……if\"arrived\"benottoomildatermtodescribethemannerofhisirruptionintotheyard。
Hebouncedoverthefencewithoutwaitingtoopenthegate,andangrilyconfrontedastonishedAnne,whohadrisentoherfeetandstoodlookingathiminsomebewilderment。Mr。Harrisonwastheirnewrighthandneighborandshehadnevermethimbefore,althoughshehadseenhimonceortwice。
InearlyApril,beforeAnnehadcomehomefromQueen’s,Mr。RobertBell,whosefarmadjoinedtheCuthbertplaceonthewest,hadsoldoutandmovedtoCharlottetown。HisfarmhadbeenboughtbyacertainMr。J。A。
Harrison,whosename,andthefactthathewasaNewBrunswickman,wereallthatwasknownabouthim。ButbeforehehadbeenamonthinAvonleahehadwonthereputationofbeinganoddperson……\"acrank,\"
Mrs。RachelLyndesaid。Mrs。Rachelwasanoutspokenlady,asthoseofyouwhomayhavealreadymadeheracquaintancewillremember。
Mr。Harrisonwascertainlydifferentfromotherpeople……andthatistheessentialcharacteristicofacrank,aseverybodyknows。
Inthefirstplacehekepthouseforhimselfandhadpubliclystatedthathewantednofoolsofwomenaroundhisdiggings。
FeminineAvonleatookitsrevengebythegruesometalesitrelatedabouthishouse-keepingandcooking。HehadhiredlittleJohnHenryCarterofWhiteSandsandJohnHenrystartedthestories。
Foronething,therewasneveranystatedtimeformealsintheHarrisonestablishment。Mr。Harrison\"gotabite\"whenhefelthungry,andifJohnHenrywerearoundatthetime,hecameinforashare,butifhewerenot,hehadtowaituntilMr。Harrison’snexthungryspell。JohnHenrymournfullyaverredthathewouldhavestarvedtodeathifitwasn’tthathegothomeonSundaysandgotagoodfillingup,andthathismotheralwaysgavehimabasketof\"grub\"totakebackwithhimonMondaymornings。
Asforwashingdishes,Mr。HarrisonnevermadeanypretenceofdoingitunlessarainySundaycame。Thenhewenttoworkandwashedthemallatonceintherainwaterhogshead,andleftthemtodraindry。
Again,Mr。Harrisonwas\"close。\"WhenhewasaskedtosubscribetotheRev。Mr。Allan’ssalaryhesaidhe’dwaitandseehowmanydollars’worthofgoodhegotoutofhispreachingfirst……hedidn’tbelieveinbuyingapiginapoke。AndwhenMrs。Lyndewenttoaskforacontributiontomissions……andincidentallytoseetheinsideofthehouse……hetoldherthereweremoreheathensamongtheoldwomangossipsinAvonleathananywhereelseheknewof,andhe’dcheerfullycontributetoamissionforChristianizingthemifshe’dundertakeit。Mrs。RachelgotherselfawayandsaiditwasamercypoorMrs。RobertBellwassafeinhergrave,foritwouldhavebrokenherhearttoseethestateofherhouseinwhichsheusedtotakesomuchpride。
\"Why,shescrubbedthekitchenflooreverysecondday,\"Mrs。LyndetoldMarillaCuthbertindignantly,\"andifyoucouldseeitnow!
IhadtoholdupmyskirtsasIwalkedacrossit。\"
Finally,Mr。HarrisonkeptaparrotcalledGinger。NobodyinAvonleahadeverkeptaparrotbefore;consequentlythatproceedingwasconsideredbarelyrespectable。Andsuchaparrot!
IfyoutookJohnHenryCarter’swordforit,neverwassuchanunholybird。Itsworeterribly。Mrs。CarterwouldhavetakenJohnHenryawayatonceifshehadbeensureshecouldgetanotherplaceforhim。Besides,GingerhadbittenapiecerightoutofthebackofJohnHenry’sneckonedaywhenhehadstoopeddowntoonearthecage。Mrs。CartershowedeverybodythemarkwhenthelucklessJohnHenrywenthomeonSundays。
AllthesethingsflashedthroughAnne’smindasMr。Harrisonstood,quitespeechlesswithwrathapparently,beforeher。InhismostamiablemoodMr。Harrisoncouldnothavebeenconsideredahandsomeman;hewasshortandfatandbald;andnow,withhisroundfacepurplewithrageandhisprominentblueeyesalmoststickingoutofhishead,Annethoughthewasreallytheugliestpersonshehadeverseen。
AllatonceMr。Harrisonfoundhisvoice。
\"I’mnotgoingtoputupwiththis,\"hespluttered,\"notadaylonger,doyouhear,miss。Blessmysoul,thisisthethirdtime,miss……
thethirdtime!Patiencehasceasedtobeavirtue,miss。
Iwarnedyourauntthelasttimenottoletitoccuragain……
andshe’sletit……she’sdoneit……whatdoesshemeanbyit,thatiswhatIwanttoknow。ThatiswhatI’mhereabout,miss。\"
\"Willyouexplainwhatthetroubleis?\"askedAnne,inhermostdignifiedmanner。Shehadbeenpracticingitconsiderablyoflatetohaveitingoodworkingorderwhenschoolbegan;butithadnoapparenteffectontheirateJ。A。Harrison。
\"Trouble,isit?Blessmysoul,troubleenough,Ishouldthink。
Thetroubleis,miss,thatIfoundthatJerseycowofyouraunt’sinmyoatsagain,nothalfanhourago。Thethirdtime,markyou。
IfoundherinlastTuesdayandIfoundherinyesterday。Icamehereandtoldyourauntnottoletitoccuragain。Shehasletitoccuragain。Where’syouraunt,miss?Ijustwanttoseeherforaminuteandgiveherapieceofmymind……apieceofJ。A。
Harrison’smind,miss。\"
\"IfyoumeanMissMarillaCuthbert,sheisnotmyaunt,andshehasgonedowntoEastGraftontoseeadistantrelativeofherswhoisveryill,\"saidAnne,withdueincreaseofdignityateveryword。
\"Iamverysorrythatmycowshouldhavebrokenintoyouroats……
sheismycowandnotMissCuthbert’s……MatthewgavehertomethreeyearsagowhenshewasalittlecalfandheboughtherfromMr。Bell。\"
\"Sorry,miss!Sorryisn’tgoingtohelpmattersany。You’dbettergoandlookatthehavocthatanimalhasmadeinmyoats……trampledthemfromcentertocircumference,miss。\"
\"Iamverysorry,\"repeatedAnnefirmly,\"butperhapsifyoukeptyourfencesinbetterrepairDollymightnothavebrokenin。ItisyourpartofthelinefencethatseparatesyouroatfieldfromourpastureandInoticedtheotherdaythatitwasnotinverygoodcondition。\"
\"Myfenceisallright,\"snappedMr。Harrison,angrierthaneveratthiscarryingofthewarintotheenemy’scountry。\"Thejailfencecouldn’tkeepademonofacowlikethatout。AndIcantellyou,youredheadedsnippet,thatifthecowisyours,asyousay,you’dbebetteremployedinwatchingheroutofotherpeople’sgrainthaninsittingroundreadingyellowcoverednovels,\"……withascathingglanceattheinnocenttan-coloredVirgilbyAnne’sfeet。
SomethingatthatmomentwasredbesidesAnne’shair……whichhadalwaysbeenatenderpointwithher。
\"I’dratherhaveredhairthannoneatall,exceptalittlefringeroundmyears,\"sheflashed。
Theshottold,forMr。Harrisonwasreallyverysensitiveabouthisbaldhead。HisangerchokedhimupagainandhecouldonlyglarespeechlesslyatAnne,whorecoveredhertemperandfollowedupheradvantage。
\"Icanmakeallowanceforyou,Mr。Harrison,becauseIhaveanimagination。IcaneasilyimaginehowverytryingitmustbetofindacowinyouroatsandIshallnotcherishanyhardfeelingsagainstyouforthethingsyou’vesaid。IpromiseyouthatDollyshallneverbreakintoyouroatsagain。IgiveyoumywordofhonoronTHATpoint。\"
\"Well,mindyoushedoesn’t,\"mutteredMr。Harrisoninasomewhatsubduedtone;buthestampedoffangrilyenoughandAnneheardhimgrowlingtohimselfuntilhewasoutofearshot。
Grievouslydisturbedinmind,AnnemarchedacrosstheyardandshutthenaughtyJerseyupinthemilkingpen。
\"Shecan’tpossiblygetoutofthatunlessshetearsthefencedown,\"
shereflected。\"Shelooksprettyquietnow。Idaresayshehassickenedherselfonthoseoats。IwishI’dsoldhertoMr。
Shearerwhenhewantedherlastweek,butIthoughtitwasjustaswelltowaituntilwehadtheauctionofthestockandletthemallgotogether。IbelieveitistrueaboutMr。Harrisonbeingacrank。
Certainlythere’snothingofthekindredspiritaboutHIM。\"
Annehadalwaysaweathereyeopenforkindredspirits。
MarillaCuthbertwasdrivingintotheyardasAnnereturnedfromthehouse,andthelatterflewtogetteaready。Theydiscussedthematterattheteatable。
\"I’llbegladwhentheauctionisover,\"saidMarilla。\"ItistoomuchresponsibilityhavingsomuchstockabouttheplaceandnobodybutthatunreliableMartintolookafterthem。HehasnevercomebackyetandhepromisedthathewouldcertainlybebacklastnightifI’dgivehimthedayofftogotohisaunt’sfuneral。I
don’tknowhowmanyauntshehasgot,Iamsure。That’sthefourththat’sdiedsincehehiredhereayearago。I’llbemorethanthankfulwhenthecropisinandMr。Barrytakesoverthefarm。
We’llhavetokeepDollyshutupinthepentillMartincomes,forshemustbeputinthebackpastureandthefencestherehavetobefixed。Ideclare,itisaworldoftrouble,asRachelsays。
Here’spoorMaryKeithdyingandwhatistobecomeofthosetwochildrenofhersismorethanIknow。ShehasabrotherinBritishColumbiaandshehaswrittentohimaboutthem,butshehasn’theardfromhimyet。\"
\"Whatarethechildrenlike?Howoldarethey?\"
\"Sixpast……they’retwins。\"
\"Oh,I’vealwaysbeenespeciallyinterestedintwinseversinceMrs。Hammondhadsomany,\"saidAnneeagerly。\"Aretheypretty?\"
\"Goodness,youcouldn’ttell……theyweretoodirty。DavyhadbeenoutmakingmudpiesandDorawentouttocallhimin。Davypushedherheadfirstintothebiggestpieandthen,becauseshecried,hegotintoithimselfandwallowedinittoshowheritwasnothingtocryabout。MarysaidDorawasreallyaverygoodchildbutthatDavywasfullofmischief。Hehasneverhadanybringingupyoumightsay。HisfatherdiedwhenhewasababyandMaryhasbeensickalmosteversince。\"
\"I’malwayssorryforchildrenthathavenobringingup,\"saidAnnesoberly。\"Youknow_I_hadn’tanytillyoutookmeinhand。
Ihopetheirunclewilllookafterthem。JustwhatrelationisMrs。Keithtoyou?\"
\"Mary?Noneintheworld。Itwasherhusband……hewasourthirdcousin。There’sMrs。Lyndecomingthroughtheyard。
Ithoughtshe’dbeuptohearaboutMary\"
\"Don’ttellheraboutMr。Harrisonandthecow,\"imploredAnne。
Marillapromised;butthepromisewasquiteunnecessary,forMrs。Lyndewasnosoonerfairlyseatedthanshesaid,\"IsawMr。HarrisonchasingyourJerseyoutofhisoatstodaywhenIwascominghomefromCarmody。Ithoughthelookedprettymad。
Didhemakemuchofarumpus?\"
AnneandMarillafurtivelyexchangedamusedsmiles。FewthingsinAvonleaeverescapedMrs。Lynde。ItwasonlythatmorningAnnehadsaid,\"Ifyouwenttoyourownroomatmidnight,lockedthedoor,pulleddowntheblind,andSNEEZED,Mrs。Lyndewouldaskyouthenextdayhowyourcoldwas!\"
\"Ibelievehedid,\"admittedMarilla。\"Iwasaway。HegaveAnneapieceofhismind。\"
\"Ithinkheisaverydisagreeableman,\"saidAnne,witharesentfultossofherruddyhead。
\"Youneversaidatruerword,\"saidMrs。Rachelsolemnly。\"Iknewthere’dbetroublewhenRobertBellsoldhisplacetoaNewBrunswickman,that’swhat。Idon’tknowwhatAvonleaiscomingto,withsomanystrangepeoplerushingintoit。It’llsoonnotbesafetogotosleepinourbeds。\"
\"Why,whatotherstrangersarecomingin?\"askedMarilla。
\"Haven’tyouheard?Well,there’safamilyofDonnells,foronething。They’verentedPeterSloane’soldhouse。Peterhashiredthemantorunhismill。Theybelongdowneastandnobodyknowsanythingaboutthem。ThenthatshiftlessTimothyCottonfamilyaregoingtomoveupfromWhiteSandsandthey’llsimplybeaburdenonthepublic。Heisinconsumption……whenheisn’tstealing……
andhiswifeisaslack-twistedcreaturethatcan’tturnherhandtoathing。ShewashesherdishesSITTINGDOWN。Mrs。GeorgePyehastakenherhusband’sorphannephew,AnthonyPye。He’llbegoingtoschooltoyou,Anne,soyoumanyexpecttrouble,that’swhat。
Andyou’llhaveanotherstrangepupil,too。PaulIrvingiscomingfromtheStatestolivewithhisgrandmother。Yourememberhisfather,Marilla……StephenIrving,himthatjiltedLavendarLewisoveratGrafton?\"
\"Idon’tthinkhejiltedher。Therewasaquarrel……Isupposetherewasblameonbothsides。\"
\"Well,anyway,hedidn’tmarryher,andshe’sbeenasqueeraspossibleeversince,theysay……livingallbyherselfinthatlittlestonehouseshecallsEchoLodge。StephenwentofftotheStatesandwentintobusinesswithhisuncleandmarriedaYankee。
He’sneverbeenhomesince,thoughhismotherhasbeenuptoseehimonceortwice。Hiswifediedtwoyearsagoandhe’ssendingtheboyhometohismotherforaspell。He’stenyearsoldandI
don’tknowifhe’llbeaverydesirablepupil。YoucannevertellaboutthoseYankees。\"
MrsLyndelookeduponallpeoplewhohadthemisfortunetobebornorbroughtupelsewherethaninPrinceEdwardIslandwithadecidedcan-any-good-thing-come-out-of-Nazarethair。TheyMIGHTbegoodpeople,ofcourse;butyouwereonthesafesideindoubtingit。
Shehadaspecialprejudiceagainst\"Yankees。\"HerhusbandhadbeencheatedoutoftendollarsbyanemployerforwhomhehadonceworkedinBostonandneitherangelsnorprincipalitiesnorpowerscouldhaveconvincedMrs。RachelthatthewholeUnitedStateswasnotresponsibleforit。
\"Avonleaschoolwon’tbetheworseforalittlenewblood,\"saidMarilladrily,\"andifthisboyisanythinglikehisfatherhe’llbeallright。SteveIrvingwasthenicestboythatwaseverraisedintheseparts,thoughsomepeopledidcallhimproud。IshouldthinkMrs。Irvingwouldbeverygladtohavethechild。Shehasbeenverylonesomesinceherhusbanddied。\"
\"Oh,theboymaybewellenough,buthe’llbedifferentfromAvonleachildren,\"saidMrs。Rachel,asifthatclinchedthematter。
Mrs。Rachel’sopinionsconcerninganyperson,place,orthing,werealwayswarrantedtowear。\"What’sthisIhearaboutyourgoingtostartupaVillageImprovementSociety,Anne?\"
\"IwasjusttalkingitoverwithsomeofthegirlsandboysatthelastDebatingClub,\"saidAnne,flushing。\"Theythoughtitwouldberathernice……andsodoMr。andMrs。Allan。Lotsofvillageshavethemnow。\"
\"Well,you’llgetintonoendofhotwaterifyoudo。Betterleaveitalone,Anne,that’swhat。Peopledon’tlikebeingimproved。\"
\"Oh,wearenotgoingtotrytoimprovethePEOPLE。ItisAvonleaitself。Therearelotsofthingswhichmightbedonetomakeitprettier。Forinstance,ifwecouldcoaxMr。LeviBoultertopulldownthatdreadfuloldhouseonhisupperfarmwouldn’tthatbeanimprovement?\"
\"Itcertainlywould,\"admittedMrs。Rachel。\"Thatoldruinhasbeenaneyesoretothesettlementforyears。ButifyouImproverscancoaxLeviBoultertodoanythingforthepublicthatheisn’ttobepaidfordoing,mayIbetheretoseeandheartheprocess,that’swhat。Idon’twanttodiscourageyou,Anne,fortheremaybesomethinginyouridea,thoughIsupposeyoudidgetitoutofsomerubbishyYankeemagazine;butyou’llhaveyourhandsfullwithyourschoolandIadviseyouasafriendnottobotherwithyourimprovements,that’swhat。Butthere,Iknowyou’llgoaheadwithitifyou’vesetyourmindonit。Youwerealwaysonetocarryathingthroughsomehow。\"
SomethingaboutthefirmoutlinesofAnne’slipstoldthatMrs。
Rachelwasnotfarastrayinthisestimate。Anne’sheartwasbentonformingtheImprovementSociety。GilbertBlythe,whowastoteachinWhiteSandsbutwouldalwaysbehomefromFridaynighttoMondaymorning,wasenthusiasticaboutit;
andmostoftheotherfolkswerewillingtogoinforanythingthatmeantoccasionalmeetingsandconsequentlysome\"fun。\"
Asforwhatthe\"improvements\"weretobe,nobodyhadanyveryclearideaexceptAnneandGilbert。TheyhadtalkedthemoverandplannedthemoutuntilanidealAvonleaexistedintheirminds,ifnowhereelse。
Mrs。Rachelhadstillanotheritemofnews。
\"They’vegiventheCarmodyschooltoaPriscillaGrant。Didn’tyougotoQueen’swithagirlofthatname,Anne?\"
\"Yes,indeed。PriscillatoteachatCarmody!Howperfectlylovely!\"exclaimedAnne,hergrayeyeslightingupuntiltheylookedlikeeveningstars,causingMrs。LyndetowonderanewifshewouldevergetitsettledtohersatisfactionwhetherAnneShirleywerereallyaprettygirlornot。
II
SellinginHasteandRepentingatLeisureAnnedroveovertoCarmodyonashoppingexpeditionthenextafternoonandtookDianaBarrywithher。Dianawas,ofcourse,apledgedmemberoftheImprovementSociety,andthetwogirlstalkedaboutlittleelseallthewaytoCarmodyandback。
\"Theveryfirstthingweoughttodowhenwegetstartedistohavethathallpainted,\"saidDiana,astheydrovepasttheAvonleahall,arathershabbybuildingsetdowninawoodedhollow,withsprucetreeshoodingitaboutonallsides。\"It’sadisgracefullookingplaceandwemustattendtoitevenbeforewetrytogetMr。LeviBouldertopullhishousedown。Fathersayswe’llneversucceedinDOINGthat。LeviBoulteristoomeantospendthetimeitwouldtake。\"
\"Perhapshe’lllettheboystakeitdowniftheypromisetohaultheboardsandsplitthemupforhimforkindlingwood,\"saidAnnehopefully。
\"Wemustdoourbestandbecontenttogoslowlyatfirst。Wecan’texpecttoimproveeverythingallatonce。We’llhavetoeducatepublicsentimentfirst,ofcourse。\"
Dianawasn’texactlysurewhateducatingpublicsentimentmeant;
butitsoundedfineandshefeltratherproudthatshewasgoingtobelongtoasocietywithsuchanaiminview。
\"Ithoughtofsomethinglastnightthatwecoulddo,Anne。
Youknowthatthree-corneredpieceofgroundwheretheroadsfromCarmodyandNewbridgeandWhiteSandsmeet?It’sallgrownoverwithyoungspruce;butwouldn’titbenicetohavethemallclearedout,andjustleavethetwoorthreebirchtreesthatareonit?\"
\"Splendid,\"agreedAnnegaily。\"Andhavearusticseatputunderthebirches。Andwhenspringcomeswe’llhaveaflower-bedmadeinthemiddleofitandplantgeraniums。\"
\"Yes;onlywe’llhavetodevisesomewayofgettingoldMrs。HiramSloanetokeephercowofftheroad,orshe’lleatourgeraniumsup,\"laughedDiana。\"Ibegintoseewhatyoumeanbyeducatingpublicsentiment,Anne。There’stheoldBoulterhousenow。Didyoueverseesucharookery?Andperchedrightclosetotheroadtoo。Anoldhousewithitswindowsgonealwaysmakesmethinkofsomethingdeadwithitseyespickedout。\"
\"Ithinkanold,desertedhouseissuchasadsight,\"saidAnnedreamily。\"Italwaysseemstometobethinkingaboutitspastandmourningforitsold-timejoys。Marillasaysthatalargefamilywasraisedinthatoldhouselongago,andthatitwasarealprettyplace,withalovelygardenandrosesclimbingalloverit。
Itwasfulloflittlechildrenandlaughterandsongs;andnowitisempty,andnothingeverwandersthroughitbutthewind。Howlonelyandsorrowfulitmustfeel!Perhapstheyallcomebackonmoonlitnights……theghostsofthelittlechildrenoflongagoandtherosesandthesongs……andforalittlewhiletheoldhousecandreamitisyoungandjoyousagain。\"
Dianashookherhead。
\"Ineverimaginethingslikethataboutplacesnow,Anne。Don’tyourememberhowcrossmotherandMarillawerewhenweimaginedghostsintotheHauntedWood?TothisdayIcan’tgothroughthatbushcomfortablyafterdark;andifIbeganimaginingsuchthingsabouttheoldBoulterhouseI’dbefrightenedtopassittoo。
Besides,thosechildrenaren’tdead。They’reallgrownupanddoingwell……andoneofthemisabutcher。Andflowersandsongscouldn’thaveghostsanyhow。\"
Annesmotheredalittlesigh。ShelovedDianadearlyandtheyhadalwaysbeengoodcomrades。Butshehadlongagolearnedthatwhenshewanderedintotherealmoffancyshemustgoalone。Thewaytoitwasbyanenchantedpathwherenotevenherdearestmightfollowher。
Athunder-showercameupwhilethegirlswereatCarmody;itdidnotlastlong,however,andthedrivehome,throughlaneswheretheraindropssparkledontheboughsandlittleleafyvalleyswherethedrenchedfernsgaveoutspicyodors,wasdelightful。ButjustastheyturnedintotheCuthbertlaneAnnesawsomethingthatspoiledthebeautyofthelandscapeforher。
BeforethemontherightextendedMr。Harrison’sbroad,gray-greenfieldoflateoats,wetandluxuriant;andthere,standingsquarelyinthemiddleofit,uptohersleeksidesinthelushgrowth,andblinkingatthemcalmlyovertheinterveningtassels,wasaJerseycow!
Annedroppedthereinsandstoodupwithatighteningofthelipsthatbodednogoodtothepredatoryquadruped。Notawordsaidshe,butsheclimbednimblydownoverthewheels,andwhiskedacrossthefencebeforeDianaunderstoodwhathadhappened。
\"Anne,comeback,\"shriekedthelatter,assoonasshefoundhervoice。\"You’llruinyourdressinthatwetgrain……ruinit。
Shedoesn’thearme!Well,she’llnevergetthatcowoutbyherself。
Imustgoandhelpher,ofcourse。\"
Annewaschargingthroughthegrainlikeamadthing。Dianahoppedbrisklydown,tiedthehorsesecurelytoapost,turnedtheskirtofherprettyginghamdressoverhershoulders,mountedthefence,andstartedinpursuitofherfranticfriend。ShecouldrunfasterthanAnne,whowashamperedbyherclinginganddrenchedskirt,andsoonovertookher。BehindthemtheyleftatrailthatwouldbreakMr。Harrison’sheartwhenheshouldseeit。
\"Anne,formercy’ssake,stop,\"pantedpoorDiana。\"I’mrightoutofbreathandyouarewettotheskin。\"
\"Imust……get……thatcow……out……before……Mr。Harrison……seesher,\"gaspedAnne。\"Idon’t……care……ifI’m……drowned……ifwe……can……only……dothat。\"
ButtheJerseycowappearedtoseenogoodreasonforbeinghustledoutofherlusciousbrowsingground。Nosoonerhadthetwobreathlessgirlsgotnearherthansheturnedandboltedsquarelyfortheoppositecornerofthefield。
\"Headheroff,\"screamedAnne。\"Run,Diana,run。\"
Dianadidrun。Annetriedto,andthewickedJerseywentaroundthefieldasifshewerepossessed。Privately,Dianathoughtshewas。
ItwasfullytenminutesbeforetheyheadedheroffanddroveherthroughthecornergapintotheCuthbertlane。
ThereisnodenyingthatAnnewasinanythingbutanangelictemperatthatprecisemoment。Nordiditsootheherintheleasttobeholdabuggyhaltedjustoutsidethelane,whereinsatMr。
ShearerofCarmodyandhisson,bothofwhomworeabroadsmile。
\"Iguessyou’dbetterhavesoldmethatcowwhenIwantedtobuyherlastweek,Anne,\"chuckledMr。Shearer。
\"I’llsellhertoyounow,ifyouwanther,\"saidherflushedanddisheveledowner。\"Youmayhaveherthisveryminute。\"
\"Done。I’llgiveyoutwentyforherasIofferedbefore,andJimherecandriveherrightovertoCarmody。She’llgototownwiththerestoftheshipmentthisevening。Mr。ReedofBrightonwantsaJerseycow。\"
FiveminuteslaterJimShearerandtheJerseycowweremarchinguptheroad,andimpulsiveAnnewasdrivingalongtheGreenGableslanewithhertwentydollars。
\"WhatwillMarillasay?\"askedDiana。
\"Oh,shewon’tcare。Dollywasmyowncowanditisn’tlikelyshe’dbringmorethantwentydollarsattheauction。Butohdear,ifMr。Harrisonseesthatgrainhewillknowshehasbeeninagain,andaftermygivinghimmywordofhonorthatI’dneverletithappen!Well,ithastaughtmealessonnottogivemywordofhonoraboutcows。Acowthatcouldjumpoverorbreakthroughourmilk-penfencecouldn’tbetrustedanywhere。\"
MarillahadgonedowntoMrs。Lynde’s,andwhenshereturnedknewallaboutDolly’ssaleandtransfer,forMrs。Lyndehadseenmostofthetransactionfromherwindowandguessedtherest。
\"Isupposeit’sjustaswellshe’sgone,thoughyouDOdothingsinadreadfulheadlongfashion,Anne。Idon’tseehowshegotoutofthepen,though。Shemusthavebrokensomeoftheboardsoff。\"
\"Ididn’tthinkoflooking,\"saidAnne,\"butI’llgoandseenow。
Martinhasnevercomebackyet。Perhapssomemoreofhisauntshavedied。Ithinkit’ssomethinglikeMr。PeterSloaneandtheoctogenarians。TheothereveningMrs。SloanewasreadinganewspaperandshesaidtoMr。Sloane,`Iseeherethatanotheroctogenarianhasjustdied。Whatisanoctogenarian,Peter?’AndMr。Sloanesaidhedidn’tknow,buttheymustbeverysicklycreatures,foryouneverheardtellofthembuttheyweredying。
That’sthewaywithMartin’saunts。\"
\"Martin’sjustlikealltherestofthoseFrench,\"saidMarillaindisgust。
\"Youcan’tdependonthemforaday。\"MarillawaslookingoverAnne’sCarmodypurchaseswhensheheardashrillshriekinthebarnyard。
AminutelaterAnnedashedintothekitchen,wringingherhands。
\"AnneShirley,what’sthematternow?\"
\"Oh,Marilla,whatevershallIdo?Thisisterrible。Andit’sallmyfault。Oh,willIEVERlearntostopandreflectalittlebeforedoingrecklessthings?Mrs。LyndealwaystoldmeIwoulddosomethingdreadfulsomeday,andnowI’vedoneit!\"
\"Anne,youarethemostexasperatinggirl!WHATisityou’vedone?\"
\"SoldMr。Harrison’sJerseycow……theoneheboughtfromMr。Bell……toMr。Shearer!Dollyisoutinthemilkingpenthisveryminute。\"
\"AnneShirley,areyoudreaming?\"
\"IonlywishIwere。There’snodreamaboutit,thoughit’sverylikeanightmare。AndMr。Harrison’scowisinCharlottetownbythistime。Oh,Marilla,IthoughtI’dfinishedgettingintoscrapes,andhereIamintheveryworstoneIeverwasininmylife。
WhatcanIdo?\"
\"Do?There’snothingtodo,child,exceptgoandseeMr。Harrisonaboutit。WecanofferhimourJerseyinexchangeifhedoesn’twanttotakethemoney。Sheisjustasgoodashis。\"
\"I’msurehe’llbeawfullycrossanddisagreeableaboutit,though,\"
moanedAnne。
\"Idaresayhewill。Heseemstobeanirritablesortofaman。
I’llgoandexplaintohimifyoulike。\"
\"No,indeed,I’mnotasmeanasthat,\"exclaimedAnne。\"ThisisallmyfaultandI’mcertainlynotgoingtoletyoutakemypunishment。
I’llgomyselfandI’llgoatonce。Thesoonerit’soverthebetter,foritwillbeterriblyhumiliating。\"
PoorAnnegotherhatandhertwentydollarsandwaspassingoutwhenshehappenedtoglancethroughtheopenpantrydoor。Onthetablereposedanutcakewhichshehadbakedthatmorning……aparticularlytoothsomeconcoctionicedwithpinkicingandadornedwithwalnuts。AnnehadintendeditforFridayevening,whentheyouthofAvonleaweretomeetatGreenGablestoorganizetheImprovementSociety。ButwhatweretheycomparedtothejustlyoffendedMr。Harrison?Annethoughtthatcakeoughttosoftentheheartofanyman,especiallyonewhohadtodohisowncooking,andshepromptlypoppeditintoabox。ShewouldtakeittoMr。Harrisonasapeaceoffering。
\"Thatis,ifhegivesmeachancetosayanythingatall,\"shethoughtruefully,assheclimbedthelanefenceandstartedonashortcutacrossthefields,goldeninthelightofthedreamyAugustevening。\"Iknownowjusthowpeoplefeelwhoarebeingledtoexecution。\"
III
Mr。HarrisonatHomeMr。Harrison’shousewasanold-fashioned,low-eaved,whitewashedstructure,setagainstathicksprucegrove。
Mr。Harrisonhimselfwassittingonhisvineshadedveranda,inhisshirtsleeves,enjoyinghiseveningpipe。Whenherealizedwhowascomingupthepathhesprangsuddenlytohisfeet,boltedintothehouse,andshutthedoor。Thiswasmerelytheuncomfortableresultofhissurprise,mingledwithagooddealofshameoverhisoutburstoftemperthedaybefore。ButitnearlyswepttheremnantofhercouragefromAnne’sheart。
\"Ifhe’ssocrossnowwhatwillhebewhenhehearswhatI’vedone,\"shereflectedmiserably,assherappedatthedoor。
ButMr。Harrisonopenedit,smilingsheepishly,andinvitedhertoenterinatonequitemildandfriendly,ifsomewhatnervous。
Hehadlaidasidehispipeanddonnedhiscoat;heofferedAnneaverydustychairverypolitely,andherreceptionwouldhavepassedoffpleasantlyenoughifithadnotbeenforthetelltaleofaparrotwhowaspeeringthroughthebarsofhiscagewithwickedgoldeneyes。
NosoonerhadAnneseatedherselfthanGingerexclaimed,\"Blessmysoul,what’sthatredheadedsnippetcomingherefor?\"
Itwouldbehardtosaywhosefacewastheredder,Mr。Harrison’sorAnne’s。
\"Don’tyoumindthatparrot,\"saidMr。Harrison,castingafuriousglanceatGinger。\"He’s……he’salwaystalkingnonsense。Igothimfrommybrotherwhowasasailor。Sailorsdon’talwaysusethechoicestlanguage,andparrotsareveryimitativebirds。\"
\"SoIshouldthink,\"saidpoorAnne,theremembranceofhererrandquellingherresentment。Shecouldn’taffordtosnubMr。Harrisonunderthecircumstances,thatwascertain。Whenyouhadjustsoldaman’sJerseycowoffhand,withouthisknowledgeorconsentyoumustnotmindifhisparrotrepeateduncomplimentarythings。
Nevertheless,the\"redheadedsnippet\"wasnotquitesomeekasshemightotherwisehavebeen。
\"I’vecometoconfesssomethingtoyou,Mr。Harrison,\"shesaidresolutely。\"It’s……it’sabout……thatJerseycow\"
\"Blessmysoul,\"exclaimedMr。Harrisonnervously,\"hasshegoneandbrokenintomyoatsagain?Well,nevermind……nevermindifshehas。It’snodifference……noneatall。I……Iwastoohastyyesterday,that’safact。Nevermindifshehas。\"
\"Oh,ifitwereonlythat,\"sighedAnne。\"Butit’stentimesworse。Idon’t……\"
\"Blessmysoul,doyoumeantosayshe’sgotintomywheat?\"
\"No……no……notthewheat。But……\"
\"Thenit’sthecabbages!She’sbrokenintomycabbagesthatIwasraisingforExhibition,hey?\"
\"It’sNOTthecabbages,Mr。Harrison。I’lltellyoueverything……
thatiswhatIcamefor——butpleasedon’tinterruptme。Itmakesmesonervous。Justletmetellmystoryanddon’tsayanythingtillIgetthrough——andthennodoubtyou’llsayplenty,\"
Anneconcluded,butinthoughtonly。
\"Iwon’tsayanotherword,\"saidMr。Harrison,andhedidn’t。ButGingerwasnotboundbyanycontractofsilenceandkeptejaculating,\"Redheadedsnippet\"atintervalsuntilAnnefeltquitewild。
\"IshutmyJerseycowupinourpenyesterday。ThismorningIwenttoCarmodyandwhenIcamebackIsawaJerseycowinyouroats。
DianaandIchasedheroutandyoucan’timaginewhatahardtimewehad。Iwassodreadfullywetandtiredandvexed——andMr。
Shearercamebythatveryminuteandofferedtobuythecow。I
soldhertohimonthespotfortwentydollars。Itwaswrongofme。
IshouldhavewaitedandconsultedMarilla,ofcourse。ButI’mdreadfullygiventodoingthingswithoutthinking——everybodywhoknowsmewilltellyouthat。Mr。Shearertookthecowrightawaytoshipherontheafternoontrain。\"
\"Redheadedsnippet,\"quotedGingerinatoneofprofoundcontempt。
AtthispointMr。Harrisonaroseand,withanexpressionthatwouldhavestruckterrorintoanybirdbutaparrot,carriedGinger’scageintoanadjoiningroomandshutthedoor。Gingershrieked,swore,andotherwiseconductedhimselfinkeepingwithhisreputation,butfindinghimselfleftalone,relapsedintosulkysilence。
\"Excusemeandgoon,\"saidMr。Harrison,sittingdownagain。
\"Mybrotherthesailornevertaughtthatbirdanymanners。\"
\"IwenthomeandafterteaIwentouttothemilkingpen。Mr。
Harrison,\"……Anneleanedforward,claspingherhandswithheroldchildishgesture,whileherbiggrayeyesgazedimploringlyintoMr。Harrison’sembarrassedface……\"Ifoundmycowstillshutupinthepen。ItwasYOURcowIhadsoldtoMr。Shearer。\"
\"Blessmysoul,\"exclaimedMr。Harrison,inblankamazementatthisunlooked-forconclusion。\"WhataVERYextraordinarything!\"
\"Oh,itisn’tintheleastextraordinarythatIshouldbegettingmyselfandotherpeopleintoscrapes,\"saidAnnemournfully。
\"I’mnotedforthat。YoumightsupposeI’dhavegrownoutofitbythistime……I’llbeseventeennextMarch……butitseemsthatIhaven’t。Mr。Harrison,isittoomuchtohopethatyou’llforgiveme?I’mafraidit’stoolatetogetyourcowback,buthereisthemoneyforher……oryoucanhavemineinexchangeifyou’drather。She’saverygoodcow。AndIcan’texpresshowsorryIamforitall。\"
\"Tut,tut,\"saidMr。Harrisonbriskly,\"don’tsayanotherwordaboutit,miss。It’sofnoconsequence……noconsequencewhatever。
Accidentswillhappen。I’mtoohastymyselfsometimes,miss……
fartoohasty。ButIcan’thelpspeakingoutjustwhatIthinkandfolksmusttakemeastheyfindme。Ifthatcowhadbeeninmycabbagesnow……butnevermind,shewasn’t,soit’sallright。IthinkI’dratherhaveyourcowinexchange,sinceyouwanttoberidofher。\"
\"Oh,thankyou,Mr。Harrison。I’msogladyouarenotvexed。
Iwasafraidyouwouldbe。\"
\"AndIsupposeyouwerescaredtodeathtocomehereandtellme,afterthefussImadeyesterday,hey?Butyoumustn’tmindme,I’materribleoutspokenoldfellow,that’sall……awfulapttotellthetruth,nomatterifitisabitplain。\"
\"SoisMrs。Lynde,\"saidAnne,beforeshecouldpreventherself。
\"Who?Mrs。Lynde?Don’tyoutellmeI’mlikethatoldgossip,\"
saidMr。Harrisonirritably。\"I’mnot……notabit。Whathaveyougotinthatbox?\"
\"Acake,\"saidAnnearchly。InherreliefatMr。Harrison’sunexpectedamiabilityherspiritssoaredupwardfeather-light。
\"Ibroughtitoverforyou……Ithoughtperhapsyoudidn’thavecakeveryoften。\"
\"Idon’t,that’safact,andI’mmightyfondofit,too。I’mmuchobligedtoyou。Itlooksgoodontop。Ihopeit’sgoodallthewaythrough。\"
\"Itis,\"saidAnne,gailyconfident。\"IhavemadecakesinmytimethatwereNOT,asMrs。Allancouldtellyou,butthisoneisallright。
ImadeitfortheImprovementSociety,butIcanmakeanotherforthem。\"
\"Well,I’lltellyouwhat,miss,youmusthelpmeeatit。I’llputthekettleonandwe’llhaveacupoftea。Howwillthatdo?\"
\"Willyouletmemakethetea?\"saidAnnedubiously。
Mr。Harrisonchuckled。
\"Iseeyouhaven’tmuchconfidenceinmyabilitytomaketea。
You’rewrong……Icanbrewupasgoodajorumofteaasyoueverdrank。Butgoaheadyourself。FortunatelyitrainedlastSunday,sothere’splentyofcleandishes。\"
Annehoppedbrisklyupandwenttowork。Shewashedtheteapotinseveralwatersbeforesheputtheteatosteep。Thenshesweptthestoveandsetthetable,bringingthedishesoutofthepantry。
ThestateofthatpantryhorrifiedAnne,butshewiselysaidnothing。Mr。Harrisontoldherwheretofindthebreadandbutterandacanofpeaches。Anneadornedthetablewithabouquetfromthegardenandshuthereyestothestainsonthetablecloth。SoontheteawasreadyandAnnefoundherselfsittingoppositeMr。
Harrisonathisowntable,pouringhisteaforhim,andchattingfreelytohimaboutherschoolandfriendsandplans。Shecouldhardlybelievetheevidenceofhersenses。
Mr。HarrisonhadbroughtGingerback,averringthatthepoorbirdwouldbelonesome;andAnne,feelingthatshecouldforgiveeverybodyandeverything,offeredhimawalnut。ButGinger’sfeelingshadbeengrievouslyhurtandherejectedalloverturesoffriendship。Hesatmoodilyonhisperchandruffledhisfeathersupuntilhelookedlikeamereballofgreenandgold。
\"WhydoyoucallhimGinger?\"askedAnne,wholikedappropriatenamesandthoughtGingeraccordednotatallwithsuchgorgeousplumage。
\"Mybrotherthesailornamedhim。Maybeithadsomereferencetohistemper。Ithinkalotofthatbirdthough……you’dbesurprisedifyouknewhowmuch。Hehashisfaultsofcourse。
Thatbirdhascostmeagooddealonewayandanother。Somepeopleobjecttohisswearinghabitsbuthecan’tbebrokenofthem。
I’vetried……otherpeoplehavetried。Somefolkshaveprejudicesagainstparrots。Silly,ain’tit?Ilikethemmyself。Ginger’salotofcompanytome。Nothingwouldinducemetogivethatbirdup……nothingintheworld,miss。\"
Mr。HarrisonflungthelastsentenceatAnneasexplosivelyasifhesuspectedherofsomelatentdesignofpersuadinghimtogiveGingerup。Anne,however,wasbeginningtolikethequeer,fussy,fidgetylittleman,andbeforethemealwasovertheywerequitegoodfriends。Mr。HarrisonfoundoutabouttheImprovementSocietyandwasdisposedtoapproveofit。
\"That’sright。Goahead。There’slotsofroomforimprovementinthissettlement……andinthepeopletoo。\"
\"Oh,Idon’tknow,\"flashedAnne。Toherself,ortoherparticularcronies,shemightadmitthatthereweresomesmallimperfections,easilyremovable,inAvonleaanditsinhabitants。ButtohearapracticaloutsiderlikeMr。Harrisonsayingitwasanentirelydifferentthing。\"IthinkAvonleaisalovelyplace;andthepeopleinitareverynice,too。\"
\"Iguessyou’vegotaspiceoftemper,\"commentedMr。Harrison,surveyingtheflushedcheeksandindignanteyesoppositehim。
\"Itgoeswithhairlikeyours,Ireckon。AvonleaisaprettydecentplaceorIwouldn’thavelocatedhere;butIsupposeevenyouwilladmitthatithasSOMEfaults?\"
\"Ilikeitallthebetterforthem,\"saidloyalAnne。\"Idon’tlikeplacesorpeopleeitherthathaven’tanyfaults。Ithinkatrulyperfectpersonwouldbeveryuninteresting。Mrs。MiltonWhitesaysshenevermetaperfectperson,butshe’sheardenoughaboutone……herhusband’sfirstwife。Don’tyouthinkitmustbeveryuncomfortabletobemarriedtoamanwhosefirstwifewasperfect?\"
\"Itwouldbemoreuncomfortabletobemarriedtotheperfectwife,\"
declaredMr。Harrison,withasuddenandinexplicablewarmth。
WhenteawasoverAnneinsistedonwashingthedishes,althoughMr。
Harrisonassuredherthattherewereenoughinthehousetodoforweeksyet。Shewoulddearlyhavelovedtosweeptheflooralso,butnobroomwasvisibleandshedidnotliketoaskwhereitwasforfeartherewasn’toneatall。
\"Youmightrunacrossandtalktomeonceinawhile,\"suggestedMr。Harrisonwhenshewasleaving。\"’Tisn’tfarandfolksoughttobeneighborly。I’mkindofinterestedinthatsocietyofyours。
Seemstomethere’llbesomefuninit。Whoareyougoingtotacklefirst?\"
\"WearenotgoingtomeddlewithPEOPLE……itisonlyPLACESwemeantoimprove,\"saidAnne,inadignifiedtone。SherathersuspectedthatMr。Harrisonwasmakingfunoftheproject。
WhenshehadgoneMr。Harrisonwatchedherfromthewindow……alithe,girlishshape,trippinglightheartedlyacrossthefieldsinthesunsetafterglow。
\"I’macrusty,lonesome,crabbedoldchap,\"hesaidaloud,\"butthere’ssomethingaboutthatlittlegirlmakesmefeelyoungagain……andit’ssuchapleasantsensationI’dliketohaveitrepeatedonceinawhile。\"
\"Redheadedsnippet,\"croakedGingermockingly。
Mr。Harrisonshookhisfistattheparrot。
\"Youornerybird,\"hemuttered,\"IalmostwishI’dwrungyourneckwhenmybrotherthesailorbroughtyouhome。Willyouneverbedonegettingmeintotrouble?\"
AnneranhomeblithelyandrecountedheradventurestoMarilla,whohadbeennotalittlealarmedbyherlongabsenceandwasonthepointofstartingouttolookforher。
\"It’saprettygoodworld,afterall,isn’tit,Marilla?\"concludedAnnehappily。\"Mrs。Lyndewascomplainingtheotherdaythatitwasn’tmuchofaworld。Shesaidwheneveryoulookedforwardtoanythingpleasantyouweresuretobemoreorlessdisappointed……perhapsthatistrue。Butthereisagoodsidetoittoo。
Thebadthingsdon’talwayscomeuptoyourexpectationseither……theynearlyalwaysturnouteversomuchbetterthanyouthink。
IlookedforwardtoadreadfullyunpleasantexperiencewhenIwentovertoMr。Harrison’stonight;andinsteadhewasquitekindandIhadalmostanicetime。Ithinkwe’regoingtoberealgoodfriendsifwemakeplentyofallowancesforeachother,andeverythinghasturnedoutforthebest。Butallthesame,Marilla,Ishallcertainlyneveragainsellacowbeforemakingsuretowhomshebelongs。AndIdoNOTlikeparrots!\"
IV
DifferentOpinionsOneeveningatsunset,JaneAndrews,GilbertBlythe,andAnneShirleywerelingeringbyafenceintheshadowofgentlyswayingspruceboughs,whereawoodcutknownastheBirchPathjoinedthemainroad。JanehadbeenuptospendtheafternoonwithAnne,whowalkedpartofthewayhomewithher;atthefencetheymetGilbert,andallthreewerenowtalkingaboutthefatefulmorrow;forthatmorrowwasthefirstofSeptemberandtheschoolswouldopen。JanewouldgotoNewbridgeandGilberttoWhiteSands。
\"Youbothhavetheadvantageofme,\"sighedAnne。\"You’regoingtoteachchildrenwhodon’tknowyou,butIhavetoteachmyownoldschoolmates,andMrs。Lyndesaysshe’safraidtheywon’trespectmeastheywouldastrangerunlessI’mverycrossfromthefirst。
ButIdon’tbelieveateachershouldbecross。Oh,itseemstomesucharesponsibility!\"
\"Iguesswe’llgetonallright,\"saidJanecomfortably。Janewasnottroubledbyanyaspirationstobeaninfluenceforgood。
Shemeanttoearnhersalaryfairly,pleasethetrustees,andgethernameontheSchoolInspector’srollofhonor。FurtherambitionsJanehadnone。\"Themainthingwillbetokeeporderandateacherhastobealittlecrosstodothat。Ifmypupilswon’tdoasItellthemIshallpunishthem。\"
\"How?\"
\"Givethemagoodwhipping,ofcourse。\"
\"Oh,Jane,youwouldn’t,\"criedAnne,shocked。\"Jane,youCOULDN’T!\"
\"Indeed,Icouldandwould,iftheydeservedit,\"saidJanedecidedly。
\"IcouldNEVERwhipachild,\"saidAnnewithequaldecision。
\"Idon’tbelieveinitATALL。MissStacyneverwhippedanyofusandshehadperfectorder;andMr。Phillipswasalwayswhippingandhehadnoorderatall。No,ifIcan’tgetalongwithoutwhippingIshallnottrytoteachschool。Therearebetterwaysofmanaging。
Ishalltrytowinmypupils’affectionsandthentheywillWANTtodowhatItellthem。\"
\"Butsupposetheydon’t?\"saidpracticalJane。
\"Iwouldn’twhipthemanyhow。I’msureitwouldn’tdoanygood。
Oh,don’twhipyourpupils,Janedear,nomatterwhattheydo。\"
\"Whatdoyouthinkaboutit,Gilbert?\"demandedJane。\"Don’tyouthinktherearesomechildrenwhoreallyneedawhippingnowandthen?\"
\"Don’tyouthinkit’sacruel,barbarousthingtowhipachild……
ANYchild?\"exclaimedAnne,herfaceflushingwithearnestness。
\"Well,\"saidGilbertslowly,tornbetweenhisrealconvictionsandhiswishtomeasureuptoAnne’sideal,\"there’ssomethingtobesaidonbothsides。Idon’tbelieveinwhippingchildrenMUCH。