Still,Idon’tseethatshecoulddoanythinglessthantakethem,underthecircumstances,andshe’llhaveAnnetohelpher。
Anne’stickledtodeathoverthewholebusiness,andshehasarealknackywaywithchildren,Imustsay。Dearme,itdoesn’tseemadaysincepoorMatthewbroughtAnneherselfhomeandeverybodylaughedattheideaofMarillabringingupachild。
Andnowshehasadoptedtwins。You’reneversafefrombeingsurprisedtillyou’redead。\"
ThefatponyjoggedoverthebridgeinLynde’sHollowandalongtheGreenGableslane。Marilla’sfacewasrathergrim。ItwastenmilesfromEastGraftonandDavyKeithseemedtobepossessedwithapassionforperpetualmotion。ItwasbeyondMarilla’spowertomakehimsitstillandshehadbeeninanagonythewholewaylesthefalloverthebackofthewagonandbreakhisneck,ortumbleoverthedashboardunderthepony’sheels。Indespairshefinallythreatenedtowhiphimsoundlywhenshegothimhome。WhereuponDavyclimbedintoherlap,regardlessofthereins,flunghischubbyarmsaboutherneckandgaveherabear-likehug。
\"Idon’tbelieveyoumeanit,\"hesaid,smackingherwrinkledcheekaffectionately。\"Youdon’tLOOKlikealadywho’dwhipalittleboyjust’causehecouldn’tkeepstill。Didn’tyoufinditawfulhardtokeepstillwhenyouwasonly’soldasme?\"
\"No,IalwayskeptstillwhenIwastold,\"saidMarilla,tryingtospeaksternly,albeitshefeltherheartwaxingsoftwithinherunderDavy’simpulsivecaresses。
\"Well,Is’posethatwas’causeyouwasagirl,\"saidDavy,squirmingbacktohisplaceafteranotherhug。\"YouWASagirlonce,Is’pose,thoughit’sawfulfunnytothinkofit。
Doracansitstill……butthereain’tmuchfuninit_I_don’tthink。
Seemstomeitmustbeslowtobeagirl。Here,Dora,letmelivenyouupabit。\"
Davy’smethodof\"liveningup\"wastograspDora’scurlsinhisfingersandgivethematug。Dorashriekedandthencried。
\"Howcanyoubesuchanaughtyboyandyourpoormotherjustlaidinhergravethisveryday?\"demandedMarilladespairingly。
\"Butshewasgladtodie,\"saidDavyconfidentially。\"Iknow,’causeshetoldmeso。Shewasawfultiredofbeingsick。
We’dalongtalkthenightbeforeshedied。ShetoldmeyouwasgoingtotakemeandDoraforthewinterandIwastobeagoodboy。
I’mgoingtobegood,butcan’tyoubegoodrunningroundjustaswellassittingstill?AndshesaidIwasalwaystobekindtoDoraandstandupforher,andI’mgoingto。\"
\"Doyoucallpullingherhairbeingkindtoher?\"
\"Well,Iain’tgoingtoletanybodyelsepullit,\"saidDavy,doublinguphisfistsandfrowning。\"They’djustbettertryit。
Ididn’thurthermuch……shejustcried’causeshe’sagirl。
I’mgladI’maboybutI’msorryI’matwin。WhenJimmySprott’ssisterconterdickshimhejustsays,`I’moldernyou,soofcourseIknowbetter,’andthatsettlesHER。ButIcan’ttellDorathat,andshejustgoesonthinkingdiffruntfromme。Youmightletmedrivethegee-geeforaspell,sinceI’maman。\"
Altogether,Marillawasathankfulwomanwhenshedroveintoherownyard,wherethewindoftheautumnnightwasdancingwiththebrownleaves。
Annewasatthegatetomeetthemandliftthetwinsout。Dorasubmittedcalmlytobekissed,butDavyrespondedtoAnne’swelcomewithoneofhisheartyhugsandthecheerfulannouncement,\"I’mMr。DavyKeith。\"
AtthesuppertableDorabehavedlikealittlelady,butDavy’smannersleftmuchtobedesired。
\"I’msohungryIain’tgottimetoeatp’litely,\"hesaidwhenMarillareprovedhim。\"Doraain’thalfashungryasIam。Lookatalltheex’ciseItookontheroadhere。Thatcake’sawfulniceandplummy。
Wehaven’thadanycakeathomeforever’neversolong,’causemotherwastoosicktomakeitandMrs。Sprottsaiditwasasmuchasshecoulddotobakeourbreadforus。AndMrs。WigginsneverputsanyplumsinHERcakes。Catchher!CanIhaveanotherpiece?\"
MarillawouldhaverefusedbutAnnecutageneroussecondslice。
However,sheremindedDavythatheoughttosay\"Thankyou\"forit。
Davymerelygrinnedatherandtookahugebite。Whenhehadfinishedtheslicehesaid,\"Ifyou’llgivemeANOTHERpieceI’llsaythankyouforIT。\"
\"No,youhavehadplentyofcake,\"saidMarillainatonewhichAnneknewandDavywastolearntobefinal。
DavywinkedatAnne,andthen,leaningoverthetable,snatchedDora’sfirstpieceofcake,fromwhichshehadjusttakenonedaintylittlebite,outofherveryfingersand,openinghismouthtothefullestextent,crammedthewholeslicein。Dora’sliptrembledandMarillawasspeechlesswithhorror。Annepromptlyexclaimed,withherbest\"schoolma’am\"air,\"Oh,Davy,gentlemendon’tdothingslikethat。\"
\"Iknowtheydon’t,\"saidDavy,assoonashecouldspeak,\"butIain’tagemplum。\"
\"Butdon’tyouwanttobe?\"saidshockedAnne。
\"CourseIdo。Butyoucan’tbeagemplumtillyougrowup。\"
\"Oh,indeedyoucan,\"Annehastenedtosay,thinkingshesawachancetosowgoodseedbetimes。\"Youcanbegintobeagentlemanwhenyouarealittleboy。AndgentlemenNEVERsnatchthingsfromladies……
orforgettosaythankyou……orpullanybody’shair。\"
\"Theydon’thavemuchfun,that’safact,\"saidDavyfrankly。
\"IguessI’llwaittillI’mgrownuptobeone。\"
Marilla,witharesignedair,hadcutanotherpieceofcakeforDora。
ShedidnotfeelabletocopewithDavyjustthen。Ithadbeenaharddayforher,whatwiththefuneralandthelongdrive。
AtthatmomentshelookedforwardtothefuturewithapessimismthatwouldhavedonecredittoElizaAndrewsherself。
Thetwinswerenotnoticeablyalike,althoughbothwerefair。
Dorahadlongsleekcurlsthatnevergotoutoforder。Davyhadacropoffuzzylittleyellowringletsalloverhisroundhead。
Dora’shazeleyesweregentleandmild;Davy’swereasroguishanddancingasanelf’s。Dora’snosewasstraight,Davy’sapositivesnub;Dorahada\"prunesandprisms\"mouth,Davy’swasallsmiles;andbesides,hehadadimpleinonecheekandnoneintheother,whichgavehimadear,comical,lopsidedlookwhenhelaughed。
Mirthandmischieflurkedineverycornerofhislittleface。
\"They’dbettergotobed,\"saidMarilla,whothoughtitwastheeasiestwaytodisposeofthem。\"DorawillsleepwithmeandyoucanputDavyinthewestgable。You’renotafraidtosleepalone,areyou,Davy?\"
\"No;butIain’tgoingtobedforeversolongyet,\"saidDavycomfortably。
\"Oh,yes,youare。\"ThatwasallthemuchtriedMarillasaid,butsomethinginhertonesquelchedevenDavy。HetrottedobedientlyupstairswithAnne。\"
WhenI’mgrownuptheveryfirstthingI’mgoingtodoisstayupALL
nightjusttoseewhatitwouldbelike,\"hetoldherconfidentially。
InafteryearsMarillaneverthoughtofthatfirstweekofthetwins’sojournatGreenGableswithoutashiver。Notthatitreallywassomuchworsethantheweeksthatfollowedit;butitseemedsobyreasonofitsnovelty。TherewasseldomawakingminuteofanydaywhenDavywasnotinmischiefordevisingit;
buthisfirstnotableexploitoccurredtwodaysafterhisarrival,onSundaymorning……afine,warmday,ashazyandmildasSeptember。
AnnedressedhimforchurchwhileMarillaattendedtoDora。
Davyatfirstobjectedstronglytohavinghisfacewashed。
\"Marillawashedityesterday……andMrs。Wigginsscouredmewithhardsoapthedayofthefuneral。That’senoughforoneweek。
Idon’tseethegoodofbeingsoawfulclean。It’slotsmorecomfablebeingdirty。\"
\"PaulIrvingwasheshisfaceeverydayofhisownaccord,\"saidAnneastutely。
DavyhadbeenaninmateofGreenGablesforlittleoverforty-eighthours;buthealreadyworshippedAnneandhatedPaulIrving,whomhehadheardAnnepraisingenthusiasticallythedayafterhisarrival。
IfPaulIrvingwashedhisfaceeveryday,thatsettledit。He,DavyKeith,woulddoittoo,ifitkilledhim。Thesameconsiderationinducedhimtosubmitmeeklytotheotherdetailsofhistoilet,andhewasreallyahandsomelittleladwhenallwasdone。
AnnefeltanalmostmaternalprideinhimassheledhimintotheoldCuthbertpew。
Davybehavedquitewellatfirst,beingoccupiedincastingcovertglancesatallthesmallboyswithinviewandwonderingwhichwasPaulIrving。ThefirsttwohymnsandtheScripturereadingpassedoffuneventfully。Mr。Allanwasprayingwhenthesensationcame。
LaurettaWhitewassittinginfrontofDavy,herheadslightlybentandherfairhairhangingintwolongbraids,betweenwhichatemptingexpanseofwhiteneckshowed,encasedinalooselacefrill。Laurettawasafat,placid-lookingchildofeight,whohadconductedherselfirreproachablyinchurchfromtheveryfirstdayhermothercarriedherthere,aninfantofsixmonths。
Davythrusthishandintohispocketandproduced……acaterpillar,afurry,squirmingcaterpillar。Marillasawandclutchedathimbutshewastoolate。DavydroppedthecaterpillardownLauretta’sneck。
RightintothemiddleofMr。Allan’sprayerburstaseriesofpiercingshrieks。Theministerstoppedappalledandopenedhiseyes。
Everyheadinthecongregationflewup。LaurettaWhitewasdancingupanddowninherpew,clutchingfranticallyatthebackofherdress。
\"Ow……mommer……mommer……ow……takeitoff……ow……getitout……ow……thatbadboyputitdownmyneck……ow……mommer……it’sgoingfurtherdown……ow……ow……ow……\"
Mrs。Whiteroseandwithasetfacecarriedthehysterical,writhingLaurettaoutofchurch。HershrieksdiedawayinthedistanceandMr。Allanproceededwiththeservice。Buteverybodyfeltthatitwasafailurethatday。ForthefirsttimeinherlifeMarillatooknonoticeofthetextandAnnesatwithscarletcheeksofmortification。
WhentheygothomeMarillaputDavytobedandmadehimstaytherefortherestoftheday。Shewouldnotgivehimanydinnerbutallowedhimaplainteaofbreadandmilk。Annecarriedittohimandsatsorrowfullybyhimwhileheateitwithanunrepentantrelish。
ButAnne’smournfuleyestroubledhim。
\"Is’pose,\"hesaidreflectively,\"thatPaulIrvingwouldn’thavedroppedacaterpillardownagirl’sneckinchurch,wouldhe?\"
\"Indeedhewouldn’t,\"saidAnnesadly。
\"Well,I’mkindofsorryIdidit,then,\"concededDavy。\"Butitwassuchajollybigcaterpillar……Ipickedhimuponthechurchstepsjustaswewentin。Itseemedapitytowastehim。Andsay,wasn’titfuntohearthatgirlyell?\"
TuesdayafternoontheAidSocietymetatGreenGables。Annehurriedhomefromschool,forsheknewthatMarillawouldneedalltheassistanceshecouldgive。Dora,neatandproper,inhernicelystarchedwhitedressandblacksash,wassittingwiththemembersoftheAidintheparlor,speakingdemurelywhenspokento,keepingsilencewhennot,andineverywaycomportingherselfasamodelchild。Davy,blissfullydirty,wasmakingmudpiesinthebarnyard。
\"Itoldhimhemight,\"saidMarillawearily。\"Ithoughtitwouldkeephimoutofworsemischief。Hecanonlygetdirtyatthat。
We’llhaveourteasoverbeforewecallhimtohis。Doracanhaveherswithus,butIwouldneverdaretoletDavysitdownatthetablewithalltheAidshere。\"
WhenAnnewenttocalltheAidstoteashefoundthatDorawasnotintheparlor。Mrs。JasperBellsaidDavyhadcometothefrontdoorandcalledherout。AhastyconsultationwithMarillainthepantryresultedinadecisiontoletbothchildrenhavetheirteastogetherlateron。
Teawashalfoverwhenthediningroomwasinvadedbyaforlornfigure。MarillaandAnnestaredindismay,theAidsinamazement。
CouldthatbeDora……thatsobbingnondescriptinadrenched,drippingdressandhairfromwhichthewaterwasstreamingonMarilla’snewcoin-spotrug?
\"Dora,whathashappenedtoyou?\"criedAnne,withaguiltyglanceatMrs。JasperBell,whosefamilywassaidtobetheonlyoneintheworldinwhichaccidentsneveroccurred。
\"Davymademewalkthepigpenfence,\"wailedDora。\"Ididn’twanttobuthecalledmeafraid-cat。AndIfelloffintothepigpenandmydressgotalldirtyandthepigrunnedrightoverme。MydresswasjustawfulbutDavysaidifI’dstandunderthepumphe’dwashitclean,andIdidandhepumpedwaterallovermebutmydressain’tabitcleanerandmyprettysashandshoesisallspoiled。\"
AnnedidthehonorsofthetablealonefortherestofthemealwhileMarillawentupstairsandredressedDorainheroldclothes。
Davywascaughtandsenttobedwithoutanysupper。Annewenttohisroomattwilightandtalkedtohimseriously……amethodinwhichshehadgreatfaith,notaltogetherunjustifiedbyresults。
Shetoldhimshefeltverybadlyoverhisconduct。
\"Ifeelsorrynowmyself,\"admittedDavy,\"butthetroubleisI
neverfeelsorryfordoingthingstillafterI’vedidthem。
Dorawouldn’thelpmemakepies,causeshewasafraidofmessingherclo’esandthatmademehoppingmad。Is’posePaulIrvingwouldn’thavemadeHISsisterwalkapigpenfenceifheknewshe’dfallin?\"
\"No,hewouldneverdreamofsuchathing。Paulisaperfectlittlegentleman。\"
Davyscrewedhiseyestightshutandseemedtomeditateonthisforatime。ThenhecrawledupandputhisarmsaboutAnne’sneck,snugglinghisflushedlittlefacedownonhershoulder。
\"Anne,don’tyoulikemealittlebit,evenifIain’tagoodboylikePaul?\"
\"IndeedIdo,\"saidAnnesincerely。Somehow,itwasimpossibletohelplikingDavy。\"ButI’dlikeyoubetterstillifyouweren’tsonaughty。\"
\"I……didsomethingelsetoday,\"wentonDavyinamuffledvoice。
\"I’msorrynowbutI’mawfulscaredtotellyou。Youwon’tbeverycross,willyou?Andyouwon’ttellMarilla,willyou?\"
\"Idon’tknow,Davy。PerhapsIoughttotellher。ButIthinkI
canpromiseyouIwon’tifyoupromisemethatyouwillneverdoitagain,whateveritis。\"
\"No,Ineverwill。Anyhow,it’snotlikelyI’dfindanymoreofthemthisyear。Ifoundthisoneonthecellarsteps。\"
\"Davy,whatisityou’vedone?\"
\"IputatoadinMarilla’sbed。Youcangoandtakeitoutifyoulike。
Butsay,Anne,wouldn’titbefuntoleaveitthere?\"
\"DavyKeith!\"AnnesprangfromDavy’sclingingarmsandflewacrossthehalltoMarilla’sroom。Thebedwasslightlyrumpled。Shethrewbacktheblanketsinnervoushasteandthereinverytruthwasthetoad,blinkingatherfromunderapillow。
\"HowcanIcarrythatawfulthingout?\"moanedAnnewithashudder。
ThefireshovelsuggesteditselftoherandshecreptdowntogetitwhileMarillawasbusyinthepantry。Annehadherowntroublescarryingthattoaddownstairs,forithoppedofftheshovelthreetimesandonceshethoughtshehadlostitinthehall。Whenshefinallydepositeditinthecherryorchardshedrewalongbreathofrelief。
\"IfMarillaknewshe’dneverfeelsafegettingintobedagaininherlife。I’msogladthatlittlesinnerrepentedintime。
There’sDianasignalingtomefromherwindow。I’mglad……I
reallyfeeltheneedofsomediversion,forwhatwithAnthonyPyeinschoolandDavyKeithathomemynerveshavehadaboutalltheycanendureforoneday。\"
IX
AQuestionofColor\"ThatoldnuisanceofaRachelLyndewashereagaintoday,pesteringmeforasubscriptiontowardsbuyingacarpetforthevestryroom,\"saidMr。Harrisonwrathfully。\"IdetestthatwomanmorethananybodyIknow。Shecanputawholesermon,text,comment,andapplication,intosixwords,andthrowitatyoulikeabrick。\"
Anne,whowasperchedontheedgeoftheveranda,enjoyingthecharmofamildwestwindblowingacrossanewlyploughedfieldonagrayNovembertwilightandpipingaquaintlittlemelodyamongthetwistedfirsbelowthegarden,turnedherdreamyfaceoverhershoulder。
\"Thetroubleis,youandMrs。Lyndedon’tunderstandoneanother,\"
sheexplained。\"Thatisalwayswhatiswrongwhenpeopledon’tlikeeachother。Ididn’tlikeMrs。Lyndeatfirsteither;butassoonasIcametounderstandherIlearnedto。\"
\"Mrs。Lyndemaybeanacquiredtastewithsomefolks;butIdidn’tkeeponeatingbananasbecauseIwastoldI’dlearntolikethemifIdid,\"growledMr。Harrison。\"Andasforunderstandingher,I
understandthatsheisaconfirmedbusybodyandItoldherso。\"
\"Oh,thatmusthavehurtherfeelingsverymuch,\"saidAnnereproachfully。\"Howcouldyousaysuchathing?IsaidsomedreadfulthingstoMrs。LyndelongagobutitwaswhenIhadlostmytemper。Icouldn’tsaythemDELIBERATELY。\"
\"ItwasthetruthandIbelieveintellingthetruthtoeverybody。\"
\"Butyoudon’ttellthewholetruth,\"objectedAnne。\"Youonlytellthedisagreeablepartofthetruth。Now,you’vetoldmeadozentimesthatmyhairwasred,butyou’veneveroncetoldmethatIhadanicenose。\"
\"Idaresayyouknowitwithoutanytelling,\"chuckledMr。Harrison。
\"IknowIhaveredhairtoo……althoughit’sMUCHdarkerthanitusedtobe……sothere’snoneedoftellingmethateither。\"
\"Well,well,I’lltryandnotmentionitagainsinceyou’resosensitive。Youmustexcuseme,Anne。I’vegotahabitofbeingoutspokenandfolksmustn’tmindit。\"
\"Buttheycan’thelpmindingit。AndIdon’tthinkit’sanyhelpthatit’syourhabit。Whatwouldyouthinkofapersonwhowentaboutstickingpinsandneedlesintopeopleandsaying,`Excuseme,youmustn’tmindit……it’sjustahabitI’vegot。’You’dthinkhewascrazy,wouldn’tyou?AndasforMrs。Lyndebeingabusybody,perhapssheis。Butdidyoutellhershehadaverykindheartandalwayshelpedthepoor,andneversaidawordwhenTimothyCottonstoleacrockofbutteroutofherdairyandtoldhiswifehe’dboughtitfromher?Mrs。CottoncastituptoherthenexttimetheymetthatittastedofturnipsandMrs。Lyndejustsaidshewassorryithadturnedoutsopoorly。\"
\"Isupposeshehassomegoodqualities,\"concededMr。Harrisongrudgingly。
\"Mostfolkshave。Ihavesomemyself,thoughyoumightneversuspectit。
ButanyhowIain’tgoingtogiveanythingtothatcarpet。Folksareeverlastingbeggingformoneyhere,itseemstome。How’syourprojectofpaintingthehallcomingon?\"
\"Splendidly。WehadameetingoftheA。V。I。S。lastFridaynightandfoundthatwehadplentyofmoneysubscribedtopainttheandshingletherooftoo。MOSTpeoplegaveveryliberally,Mr。Harrison。\"
Annewasasweet-souledlass,butshecouldinstillsomevenomintoinnocentitalicswhenoccasionrequired。
\"Whatcolorareyougoingtohaveit?\"
\"Wehavedecidedonaveryprettygreen。Theroofwillbedarkred,ofcourse。Mr。RogerPyeisgoingtogetthepaintintowntoday。\"
\"Who’sgotthejob?\"
\"Mr。JoshuaPyeofCarmody。Hehasnearlyfinishedtheshingling。
Wehadtogivehimthecontract,foreveryoneofthePyes……
andtherearefourfamilies,youknow……saidtheywouldn’tgiveacentunlessJoshuagotit。Theyhadsubscribedtwelvedollarsbetweenthemandwethoughtthatwastoomuchtolose,althoughsomepeoplethinkweshouldn’thavegivenintothePyes。
Mrs。Lyndesaystheytrytoruneverything。\"
\"ThemainquestioniswillthisJoshuadohisworkwell。IfhedoesIdon’tseethatitmatterswhetherhisnameisPyeorPudding。\"
\"Hehasthereputationofbeingagoodworkman,thoughtheysayhe’saverypeculiarman。Hehardlyevertalks。\"
\"He’speculiarenoughallrightthen,\"saidMr。Harrisondrily。
\"Oratleast,folksherewillcallhimso。IneverwasmuchofatalkertillIcametoAvonleaandthenIhadtobegininself-defenseorMrs。LyndewouldhavesaidIwasdumbandstartedasubscriptiontohavemetaughtsignlanguage。You’renotgoingyet,Anne?\"
\"Imust。IhavesomesewingtodoforDorathisevening。Besides,DavyisprobablybreakingMarilla’sheartwithsomenewmischiefbythistime。Thismorningthefirstthinghesaidwas,`Wheredoesthedarkgo,Anne?Iwanttoknow。’Itoldhimitwentaroundtotheothersideoftheworldbutafterbreakfasthedeclareditdidn’t……thatitwentdownthewell。Marillasaysshecaughthimhangingoverthewell-boxfourtimestoday,tryingtoreachdowntothedark。\"
\"He’salimb,\"declaredMr。Harrison。\"HecameoverhereyesterdayandpulledsixfeathersoutofGinger’stailbeforeI
couldgetinfromthebarn。Thepoorbirdhasbeenmopingeversince。Thosechildrenmustbeasightoftroubletoyoufolks。\"
\"Everythingthat’sworthhavingissometrouble,\"saidAnne,secretlyresolvingtoforgiveDavy’snextoffence,whateveritmightbe,sincehehadavengedheronGinger。
Mr。RogerPyebroughtthehallpainthomethatnightandMr。JoshuaPye,asurly,taciturnman,beganpaintingthenextday。Hewasnotdisturbedinhistask。Thehallwassituatedonwhatwascalled\"thelowerroad。\"Inlateautumnthisroadwasalwaysmuddyandwet,andpeoplegoingtoCarmodytraveledbythelonger\"upper\"road。
Thehallwassocloselysurroundedbyfirwoodsthatitwasinvisibleunlessyouwerenearit。Mr。JoshuaPyepaintedawayinthesolitudeandindependencethatweresodeartohisunsociableheart。
FridayafternoonhefinishedhisjobandwenthometoCarmody。
SoonafterhisdepartureMrs。RachelLyndedroveby,havingbravedthemudofthelowerroadoutofcuriositytoseewhatthehalllookedlikeinitsnewcoatofpaint。Whensheroundedthesprucecurveshesaw。
ThesightaffectedMrs。Lyndeoddly。Shedroppedthereins,heldupherhands,andsaid\"GraciousProvidence!\"Shestaredasifshecouldnotbelievehereyes。Thenshelaughedalmosthysterically。
\"Theremustbesomemistake……theremust。IknewthosePyeswouldmakeamessofthings。\"
Mrs。Lyndedrovehome,meetingseveralpeopleontheroadandstoppingtotellthemaboutthehall。Thenewsflewlikewildfire。
GilbertBlythe,poringoveratextbookathome,hearditfromhisfather’shiredboyatsunset,andrushedbreathlesslytoGreenGables,joinedonthewaybyFredWright。TheyfoundDianaBarry,JaneAndrews,andAnneShirley,despairpersonified,attheyardgateofGreenGables,underthebigleaflesswillows。
\"Itisn’ttruesurely,Anne?\"exclaimedGilbert。
\"Itistrue,\"answeredAnne,lookinglikethemuseoftragedy。
\"Mrs。LyndecalledonherwayfromCarmodytotellme。Oh,itissimplydreadful!Whatistheuseoftryingtoimproveanything?\"
\"Whatisdreadful?\"askedOliverSloane,arrivingatthismomentwithabandboxhehadbroughtfromtownforMarilla。
\"Haven’tyouheard?\"saidJanewrathfully。\"Well,itssimplythis……JoshuaPyehasgoneandpaintedthehallblueinsteadofgreen……adeep,brilliantblue,theshadetheyuseforpaintingcartsandwheelbarrows。AndMrs。Lyndesaysitisthemosthideouscolorforabuilding,especiallywhencombinedwitharedroof,thatsheeversaworimagined。YoucouldsimplyhaveknockedmedownwithafeatherwhenIheardit。It’sheartbreaking,afterallthetroublewe’vehad。\"
\"Howonearthcouldsuchamistakehavehappened?\"wailedDiana。
TheblameofthisunmercifuldisasterwaseventuallynarroweddowntothePyes。TheImprovershaddecidedtouseMorton-HarrispaintsandtheMorton-Harrispaintcanswerenumberedaccordingtoacolorcard。Apurchaserchosehisshadeonthecardandorderedbytheaccompanyingnumber。Number147wastheshadeofgreendesiredandwhenMr。RogerPyesentwordtotheImproversbyhisson,JohnAndrew,thathewasgoingtotownandwouldgettheirpaintforthem,theImproverstoldJohnAndrewtotellhisfathertoget147。
JohnAndrewalwaysaverredthathedidso,butMr。RogerPyeasstanchlydeclaredthatJohnAndrewtoldhim157;andtherethematterstandstothisday。
ThatnighttherewasblankdismayineveryAvonleahousewhereanImproverlived。ThegloomatGreenGableswassointensethatitquenchedevenDavy。Anneweptandwouldnotbecomforted。
\"Imustcry,evenifIamalmostseventeen,Marilla,\"shesobbed。
\"Itissomortifying。Anditsoundsthedeathknellofoursociety。
We’llsimplybelaughedoutofexistence。\"
Inlife,asindreams,however,thingsoftengobycontraries。TheAvonleapeopledidnotlaugh;theyweretooangry。Theirmoneyhadgonetopaintthehallandconsequentlytheyfeltthemselvesbitterlyaggrievedbythemistake。PublicindignationcenteredonthePyes。
RogerPyeandJohnAndrewhadbungledthematterbetweenthem;
andasforJoshuaPye,hemustbeabornfoolnottosuspecttherewassomethingwrongwhenheopenedthecansandsawthecolorofthepaint。JoshuaPye,whenthusanimadvertedupon,retortedthattheAvonleatasteincolorswasnobusinessofhis,whateverhisprivateopinionmightbe;hehadbeenhiredtopaintthehall,nottotalkaboutit;andhemeanttohavehismoneyforit。
TheImproverspaidhimhismoneyinbitternessofspirit,afterconsultingMr。PeterSloane,whowasamagistrate。
\"You’llhavetopayit,\"Petertoldhim。\"Youcan’tholdhimresponsibleforthemistake,sinceheclaimshewasnevertoldwhatthecolorwassupposedtobebutjustgiventhecansandtoldtogoahead。Butit’saburningshameandthathallcertainlydoeslookawful。\"
ThelucklessImproversexpectedthatAvonleawouldbemoreprejudicedthaneveragainstthem;butinstead,publicsympathyveeredaroundintheirfavor。Peoplethoughttheeager,enthusiasticlittlebandwhohadworkedsohardfortheirobjecthadbeenbadlyused。Mrs。LyndetoldthemtokeeponandshowthePyesthattherereallywerepeopleintheworldwhocoulddothingswithoutmakingamuddleofthem。Mr。MajorSpencersentthemwordthathewouldcleanoutallthestumpsalongtheroadfrontofhisfarmandseeditdownwithgrassathisownexpense;
andMrs。HiramSloanecalledattheschoolonedayandbeckonedAnnemysteriouslyoutintotheporchtotellherthatifthe\"Sassiety\"
wantedtomakeageraniumbedatthecrossroadsinthespringtheyneedn’tbeafraidofhercow,forshewouldseethatthemaraudinganimalwaskeptwithinsafebounds。EvenMr。Harrisonchuckled,ifhechuckledatall,inprivate,andwasallsympathyoutwardly。
\"Nevermind,Anne。Mostpaintsfadeugliereveryyearbutthatblueisasuglyasitcanbetobeginwith,soit’sboundtofadeprettier。Andtheroofisshingledandpaintedallright。Folkswillbeabletositinthehallafterthiswithoutbeingleakedon。
You’veaccomplishedsomuchanyhow。\"
\"ButAvonlea’sbluehallwillbeabywordinalltheneighboringsettlementsfromthistimeout,\"saidAnnebitterly。
Anditmustbeconfessedthatitwas。
X
DavyinSearchofaSensationAnne,walkinghomefromschoolthroughtheBirchPathoneNovemberafternoon,feltconvincedafreshthatlifewasaverywonderfulthing。
Thedayhadbeenagoodday;allhadgonewellinherlittlekingdom。
St。ClairDonnellhadnotfoughtanyoftheotherboysoverthequestionofhisname;PrillieRogerson’sfacehadbeensopuffedupfromtheeffectsoftoothachethatshedidnotoncetrytocoquettewiththeboysinhervicinity。BarbaraShawhadmetwithonlyONEaccident……spillingadipperofwateroverthefloor……andAnthonyPyehadnotbeeninschoolatall。
\"WhatanicemonththisNovemberhasbeen!\"saidAnne,whohadneverquitegotoverherchildishhabitoftalkingtoherself。
\"Novemberisusuallysuchadisagreeablemonth……asiftheyearhadsuddenlyfoundoutthatshewasgrowingoldandcoulddonothingbutweepandfretoverit。Thisyearisgrowingoldgracefully……justlikeastatelyoldladywhoknowsshecanbecharmingevenwithgrayhairandwrinkles。We’vehadlovelydaysanddelicioustwilights。Thislastfortnighthasbeensopeaceful,andevenDavyhasbeenalmostwell-behaved。Ireallythinkheisimprovingagreatdeal。Howquietthewoodsaretoday……
notamurmurexceptthatsoftwindpurringinthetreetops!
Itsoundslikesurfonafarawayshore。Howdearthewoodsare!
Youbeautifultrees!Iloveeveryoneofyouasafriend。\"
Annepausedtothrowherarmaboutaslimyoungbirchandkissitscream-whitetrunk。Diana,roundingacurveinthepath,sawherandlaughed。
\"AnneShirley,you’reonlypretendingtobegrownup。Ibelievewhenyou’realoneyou’reasmuchalittlegirlasyoueverwere。\"
\"Well,onecan’tgetoverthehabitofbeingalittlegirlallatonce,\"saidAnnegaily。\"Yousee,IwaslittleforfourteenyearsandI’veonlybeengrown-uppishforscarcelythree。I’msureI
shallalwaysfeellikeachildinthewoods。ThesewalkshomefromschoolarealmosttheonlytimeIhavefordreaming……
exceptthehalf-hourorsobeforeIgotosleep。I’msobusywithteachingandstudyingandhelpingMarillawiththetwinsthatIhaven’tanothermomentforimaginingthings。
Youdon’tknowwhatsplendidadventuresIhaveforalittlewhileafterIgotobedintheeastgableeverynight。IalwaysimagineI’msomethingverybrilliantandtriumphantandsplendid……
agreatprimadonnaoraRedCrossnurseoraqueen。LastnightIwasaqueen。It’sreallysplendidtoimagineyouareaqueen。
Youhaveallthefunofitwithoutanyoftheinconveniencesandyoucanstopbeingaqueenwheneveryouwantto,whichyoucouldn’tinreallife。ButhereinthewoodsIlikebesttoimaginequitedifferentthings……I’madryadlivinginanoldpine,oralittlebrownwood-elfhidingunderacrinkledleaf。Thatwhitebirchyoucaughtmekissingisasisterofmine。Theonlydifferenceis,she’satreeandI’magirl,butthat’snorealdifference。
Whereareyougoing,Diana?\"
\"DowntotheDicksons。IpromisedtohelpAlbertacutouthernewdress。
Can’tyouwalkdownintheevening,Anne,andcomehomewithme?\"
\"Imight……sinceFredWrightisawayintown,\"saidAnnewitharathertooinnocentface。
Dianablushed,tossedherhead,andwalkedon。Shedidnotlookoffended,however。
AnnefullyintendedtogodowntotheDicksons’thatevening,butshedidnot。WhenshearrivedatGreenGablesshefoundastateofaffairswhichbanishedeveryotherthoughtfromhermind。Marillametherintheyard……awild-eyedMarilla。
\"Anne,Doraislost!\"
\"Dora!Lost!\"AnnelookedatDavy,whowasswingingontheyardgate,anddetectedmerrimentinhiseyes。\"Davy,doyouknowwheresheis?\"
\"No,Idon’t,\"saidDavystoutly。\"Ihaven’tseenhersincedinnertime,crossmyheart。\"
\"I’vebeenawayeversinceoneo’clock,\"saidMarilla。\"ThomasLyndetooksickallofasuddenandRachelsentupformetogoatonce。
WhenIlefthereDorawasplayingwithherdollinthekitchenandDavywasmakingmudpiesbehindthebarn。Ionlygothomehalfanhourago……andnoDoratobeseen。DavydeclaresheneversawhersinceIleft。\"
\"NeitherIdid,\"avowedDavysolemnly。
\"Shemustbesomewherearound,\"saidAnne。\"Shewouldneverwanderfarawayalone……youknowhowtimidsheis。Perhapsshehasfallenasleepinoneoftherooms。\"
Marillashookherhead。
\"I’vehuntedthewholehousethrough。Butshemaybeinsomeofthebuildings。\"
Athoroughsearchfollowed。Everycornerofhouse,yard,andoutbuildingswasransackedbythosetwodistractedpeople。AnnerovedtheorchardsandtheHauntedWood,callingDora’sname。
Marillatookacandleandexploredthecellar。Davyaccompaniedeachoftheminturn,andwasfertileinthinkingofplaceswhereDoracouldpossiblybe。Finallytheymetagainintheyard。
\"It’samostmysteriousthing,\"groanedMarilla。
\"Wherecanshebe?\"saidAnnemiserably\"Maybeshe’stumbledintothewell,\"suggestedDavycheerfully。
AnneandMarillalookedfearfullyintoeachother’seyes。
Thethoughthadbeenwiththemboththroughtheirentiresearchbutneitherhaddaredtoputitintowords。
\"She……shemighthave,\"whisperedMarilla。
Anne,feelingfaintandsick,wenttothewellboxandpeeredover。
Thebucketsatontheshelfinside。Fardownbelowwasatinyglimmerofstillwater。TheCuthbertwellwasthedeepestinAvonlea。IfDora……butAnnecouldnotfacetheidea。
Sheshudderedandturnedaway。
\"RunacrossforMr。Harrison,\"saidMarilla,wringingherhands。
\"Mr。HarrisonandJohnHenryarebothaway……theywenttotowntoday。
I’llgoforMr。Barry。\"
Mr。BarrycamebackwithAnne,carryingacoilofropetowhichwasattachedaclaw-likeinstrumentthathadbeenthebusinessendofagrubbingfork。MarillaandAnnestoodby,coldandshakenwithhorroranddread,whileMr。Barrydraggedthewell,andDavy,astridethegate,watchedthegroupwithafaceindicativeofhugeenjoyment。
FinallyMr。Barryshookhishead,witharelievedair。
\"Shecan’tbedownthere。It’samightycuriousthingwhereshecouldhavegotto,though。Lookhere,youngman,areyousureyou’venoideawhereyoursisteris?\"
\"I’vetoldyouadozentimesthatIhaven’t,\"saidDavy,withaninjuredair。\"Maybeatrampcomeandstoleher。\"
\"Nonsense,\"saidMarillasharply,relievedfromherhorriblefearofthewell。\"Anne,doyousupposeshecouldhavestrayedovertoMr。Harrison’s?Shehasalwaysbeentalkingabouthisparroteversincethattimeyoutookherover\"
\"Ican’tbelieveDorawouldventuresofaralonebutI’llgooverandsee,\"saidAnne。
NobodywaslookingatDavyjustthenoritwouldhavebeenseenthataverydecidedchangecameoverhisface。Hequietlyslippedoffthegateandran,asfastashisfatlegscouldcarryhim,tothebarn。
AnnehastenedacrossthefieldstotheHarrisonestablishmentinnoveryhopefulframeofmind。Thehousewaslocked,thewindowshadesweredown,andtherewasnosignofanythinglivingabouttheplace。ShestoodontheverandaandcalledDoraloudly。
Ginger,inthekitchenbehindher,shriekedandsworewithsuddenfierceness;butbetweenhisoutburstsAnneheardaplaintivecryfromthelittlebuildingintheyardwhichservedMr。Harrisonasatoolhouse。Anneflewtothedoor,unhaspedit,andcaughtupasmallmortalwithatearstainedfacewhowassittingforlornlyonanupturnednailkeg。
\"Oh,Dora,Dora,whatafrightyouhavegivenus!Howcameyoutobehere?\"
\"DavyandIcameovertoseeGinger,\"sobbedDora,\"butwecouldn’tseehimafterall,onlyDavymadehimswearbykickingthedoor。
AndthenDavybroughtmehereandrunoutandshutthedoor;andI
couldn’tgetout。Icriedandcried,Iwasfrightened,andoh,I’msohungryandcold;andIthoughtyou’dnevercome,Anne。\"
\"Davy?\"ButAnnecouldsaynomore。ShecarriedDorahomewithaheavyheart。HerjoyatfindingthechildsafeandsoundwasdrownedoutinthepaincausedbyDavy’sbehavior。ThefreakofshuttingDoraupmighteasilyhavebeenpardoned。ButDavyhadtoldfalsehoods……downrightcoldbloodedfalsehoodsaboutit。
ThatwastheuglyfactandAnnecouldnotshuthereyestoit。
Shecouldhavesatdownandcriedwithsheerdisappointment。
ShehadgrowntoloveDavydearly……howdearlyshehadnotknownuntilthisminute……andithurtherunbearablytodiscoverthathewasguiltyofdeliberatefalsehood。
MarillalistenedtoAnne’staleinasilencethatbodednogoodDavy-ward;Mr。BarrylaughedandadvisedthatDavybesummarilydealtwith。WhenhehadgonehomeAnnesoothedandwarmedthesobbing,shiveringDora,gotherhersupperandputhertobed。
Thenshereturnedtothekitchen,justasMarillacamegrimlyin,leading,orratherpulling,thereluctant,cobwebbyDavy,whomshehadjustfoundhiddenawayinthedarkestcornerofthestable。
Shejerkedhimtothematonthemiddleofthefloorandthenwentandsatdownbytheeastwindow。Annewassittinglimplybythewestwindow。Betweenthemstoodtheculprit。HisbackwastowardMarillaanditwasameek,subdued,frightenedback;buthisfacewastowardAnneandalthoughitwasalittleshamefacedtherewasagleamofcomradeshipinDavy’seyes,asifheknewhehaddonewrongandwasgoingtobepunishedforit,butcouldcountonalaughoveritallwithAnnelateron。
ButnohalfhiddensmileansweredhiminAnne’sgrayeyes,astheremighthavedonehaditbeenonlyaquestionofmischief。
Therewassomethingelse……somethinguglyandrepulsive。
\"Howcouldyoubehaveso,Davy?\"sheaskedsorrowfully。
Davysquirmeduncomfortably。
\"Ijustdiditforfun。ThingshavebeensoawfulquiethereforsolongthatIthoughtitwouldbefuntogiveyoufolksabigscare。
Itwas,too。\"
InspiteoffearandalittleremorseDavygrinnedovertherecollection。
\"Butyoutoldafalsehoodaboutit,Davy,\"saidAnne,moresorrowfullythanever。
Davylookedpuzzled。
\"What’safalsehood?Doyoumeanawhopper?\"
\"Imeanastorythatwasnottrue。\"
\"CourseIdid,\"saidDavyfrankly。\"IfIhadn’tyouwouldn’thavebeenscared。IHADtotellit。\"
Annewasfeelingthereactionfromherfrightandexertions。
Davy’simpenitentattitudegavethefinishingtouch。
Twobigtearsbrimmedupinhereyes。
\"Oh,Davy,howcouldyou?\"shesaid,withaquiverinhervoice。
\"Don’tyouknowhowwrongitwas?\"
Davywasaghast。Annecrying……hehadmadeAnnecry!Afloodofrealremorserolledlikeawaveoverhiswarmlittleheartandengulfedit。
HerushedtoAnne,hurledhimselfintoherlap,flunghisarmsaroundherneck,andburstintotears。
\"Ididn’tknowitwaswrongtotellwhoppers,\"hesobbed。
\"Howdidyouexpectmetoknowitwaswrong?AllMr。Sprott’schildrentoldthemREGULAReveryday,andcrosstheirheartstoo。
Is’posePaulIrvingnevertellswhoppersandhereI’vebeentryingawfulhardtobeasgoodashim,butnowIs’poseyou’llneverlovemeagain。ButIthinkyoumighthavetoldmeitwaswrong。
I’mawfulsorryI’vemadeyoucry,Anne,andI’llnevertellawhopperagain。\"
DavyburiedhisfaceinAnne’sshoulderandcriedstormily。
Anne,inasuddengladflashofunderstanding,heldhimtightandlookedoverhiscurlythatchatMarilla。
\"Hedidn’tknowitwaswrongtotellfalsehoods,Marilla。
Ithinkwemustforgivehimforthatpartofitthistimeifhewillpromisenevertosaywhatisn’ttrueagain。\"
\"Ineverwill,nowthatIknowit’sbad,\"asseveratedDavybetweensobs。
\"Ifyouevercatchmetellingawhopperagainyoucan……\"Davygropedmentallyforasuitablepenance……\"youcanskinmealive,Anne。\"
\"Don’tsay`whopper,’Davy……say`falsehood,’\"saidtheschoolma’am。
\"Why?\"queriedDavy,settlingcomfortablydownandlookingupwithatearstained,investigatingface。\"Whyain’twhopperasgoodasfalsehood?Iwanttoknow。It’sjustasbigaword。\"
\"It’sslang;andit’swrongforlittleboystouseslang。\"
\"There’sanawfullotofthingsit’swrongtodo,\"saidDavywithasigh。
\"Inevers’posedtherewassomany。I’msorryit’swrongtotellwhop……
falsehoods,’causeit’sawfulhandy,butsinceitisI’mnevergoingtotellanymore。Whatareyougoingtodotomefortellingthemthistime?
Iwanttoknow。\"AnnelookedbeseechinglyatMarilla。
\"Idon’twanttobetoohardonthechild,\"saidMarilla。\"I
daresaynobodyeverdidtellhimitwaswrongtotelllies,andthoseSprottchildrenwerenofitcompanionsforhim。PoorMarywastoosicktotrainhimproperlyandIpresumeyoucouldn’texpectasix-year-oldchildtoknowthingslikethatbyinstinct。
Isupposewe’lljusthavetoassumehedoesn’tknowANYTHINGrightandbeginatthebeginning。Buthe’llhavetobepunishedforshuttingDoraup,andIcan’tthinkofanywayexcepttosendhimtobedwithouthissupperandwe’vedonethatsooften。Can’tyousuggestsomethingelse,Anne?Ishouldthinkyououghttobeableto,withthatimaginationyou’realwaystalkingof。\"
\"ButpunishmentsaresohorridandIliketoimagineonlypleasantthings,\"
saidAnne,cuddlingDavy。\"Therearesomanyunpleasantthingsintheworldalreadythatthereisnouseinimagininganymore。\"
IntheendDavywassenttobed,asusual,theretoremainuntilnoonnextday。Heevidentlydidsomethinking,forwhenAnnewentuptoherroomalittlelatersheheardhimcallinghernamesoftly。
Goingin,shefoundhimsittingupinbed,withhiselbowsonhiskneesandhischinproppedonhishands。
\"Anne,\"hesaidsolemnly,\"isitwrongforeverybodytotellwhop……
falsehoods?Iwanttoknow\"
\"Yes,indeed。\"
\"Isitwrongforagrown-upperson?\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Then,\"saidDavydecidedly,\"Marillaisbad,forSHEtellsthem。
Andshe’sworse’nme,forIdidn’tknowitwaswrongbutshedoes。\"
\"DavyKeith,Marillanevertoldastoryinherlife,\"saidAnneindignantly。
\"Shedidso。ShetoldmelastTuesdaythatsomethingdreadfulWOULDhappentomeifIdidn’tsaymyprayerseverynight。AndI
haven’tsaidthemforoveraweek,justtoseewhatwouldhappen……
andnothinghas,\"concludedDavyinanaggrievedtone。
Annechokedbackamaddesiretolaughwiththeconvictionthatitwouldbefatal,andthenearnestlysetaboutsavingMarilla’sreputation。
\"Why,DavyKeith,\"shesaidsolemnly,\"somethingdreadfulHAShappenedtoyouthisveryday\"
Davylookedsceptical。
\"Is’poseyoumeanbeingsenttobedwithoutanysupper,\"hesaidscornfully,\"butTHATisn’tdreadful。Course,Idon’tlikeit,butI’vebeensenttobedsomuchsinceIcomeherethatI’mgettingusedtoit。Andyoudon’tsaveanythingbymakingmegowithoutsuppereither,forIalwayseattwiceasmuchforbreakfast。\"
\"Idon’tmeanyourbeingsenttobed。Imeanthefactthatyoutoldafalsehoodtoday。And,Davy,\"……Anneleanedoverthefootboardofthebedandshookherfingerimpressivelyattheculprit……\"foraboytotellwhatisn’ttrueisalmosttheworstthingthatcouldHAPPENtohim……almosttheveryworst。
SoyouseeMarillatoldyouthetruth。\"
\"ButIthoughtthesomethingbadwouldbeexciting,\"protestedDavyinaninjuredtone。
\"Marillaisn’ttoblameforwhatyouthought。Badthingsaren’talwaysexciting。They’reveryoftenjustnastyandstupid。\"
\"ItwasawfulfunnytoseeMarillaandyoulookingdownthewell,though,\"
saidDavy,hugginghisknees。
Annekeptasoberfaceuntilshegotdownstairsandthenshecollapsedonthesittingroomloungeandlaugheduntilhersidesached。
\"Iwishyou’dtellmethejoke,\"saidMarilla,alittlegrimly。
\"Ihaven’tseenmuchtolaughattoday。\"
\"You’lllaughwhenyouhearthis,\"assuredAnne。AndMarilladidlaugh,whichshowedhowmuchhereducationhadadvancedsincetheadoptionofAnne。Butshesighedimmediatelyafterwards。
\"IsupposeIshouldn’thavetoldhimthat,althoughIheardaministersayittoachildonce。Buthedidaggravatemeso。ItwasthatnightyouwereattheCarmodyconcertandIwasputtinghimtobed。Hesaidhedidn’tseethegoodofprayinguntilhegotbigenoughtobeofsomeimportancetoGod。Anne,Idonotknowwhatwearegoingtodowiththatchild。Ineversawhisbeat。
I’mfeelingcleandiscouraged。\"
\"Oh,don’tsaythat,Marilla。RememberhowbadIwaswhenIcamehere。\"
\"Anne,youneverwerebad……NEVER。Iseethatnow,whenI’velearnedwhatrealbadnessis。Youwerealwaysgettingintoterriblescrapes,I’lladmit,butyourmotivewasalwaysgood。
Davyisjustbadfromsheerloveofit。\"
\"Oh,no,Idon’tthinkitisrealbadnesswithhimeither,\"pleadedAnne。
\"It’sjustmischief。Anditisratherquietforhimhere,youknow。
Hehasnootherboystoplaywithandhismindhastohavesomethingtooccupyit。Doraissoprimandpropersheisnogoodforaboy’splaymate。Ireallythinkitwouldbebettertoletthemgotoschool,Marilla。\"
\"No,\"saidMarillaresolutely,\"myfatheralwayssaidthatnochildshouldbecoopedupinthefourwallsofaschooluntilitwassevenyearsold,andMr。Allansaysthesamething。
Thetwinscanhaveafewlessonsathomebutgotoschooltheyshan’ttillthey’reseven。\"
\"Well,wemusttrytoreformDavyathomethen,\"saidAnnecheerfully。\"Withallhisfaultshe’sreallyadearlittlechap。
Ican’thelplovinghim。Marilla,itmaybeadreadfulthingtosay,buthonestly,IlikeDavybetterthanDora,forallshe’ssogood。\"
\"Idon’tknowbutthatIdo,myself,\"confessedMarilla,\"anditisn’tfair,forDoraisn’tabitoftrouble。Therecouldn’tbeabetterchildandyou’dhardlyknowshewasinthehouse。\"
\"Doraistoogood,\"saidAnne。\"She’dbehavejustaswelliftherewasn’tasoultotellherwhattodo。Shewasbornalreadybroughtup,soshedoesn’tneedus;andIthink,\"concludedAnne,hittingonaveryvitaltruth,\"thatwealwayslovebestthepeoplewhoneedus。Davyneedsusbadly。\"
\"Hecertainlyneedssomething,\"agreedMarilla。\"RachelLyndewouldsayitwasagoodspanking。\"
XI
FactsandFancies\"Teachingisreallyveryinterestingwork,\"wroteAnnetoaQueen’sAcademychum。\"JanesaysshethinksitismonotonousbutIdon’tfinditso。Somethingfunnyisalmostsuretohappeneveryday,andthechildrensaysuchamusingthings。Janesaysshepunishesherpupilswhentheymakefunnyspeeches,whichisprobablywhyshefindsteachingmonotonous。ThisafternoonlittleJimmyAndrewswastryingtospell`speckled’andcouldn’tmanageit。`Well,’hesaidfinally,`Ican’tspellitbutIknowwhatitmeans。’
\"`What?’Iasked。
\"`St。ClairDonnell’sface,miss。’
\"St。Clairiscertainlyverymuchfreckled,althoughItrytopreventtheothersfromcommentingonit……forIwasfreckledonceandwelldoIrememberit。ButIdon’tthinkSt。Clairminds。
ItwasbecauseJimmycalledhim`St。Clair’thatSt。Clairpoundedhimonthewayhomefromschool。Iheardofthepounding,butnotofficially,soIdon’tthinkI’lltakeanynoticeofit。
\"YesterdayIwastryingtoteachLottieWrighttodoaddition。
Isaid,`Ifyouhadthreecandiesinonehandandtwointheother,howmanywouldyouhavealtogether?’`Amouthful,’saidLottie。
Andinthenaturestudyclass,whenIaskedthemtogivemeagoodreasonwhytoadsshouldn’tbekilled,BenjieSloanegravelyanswered,`Becauseitwouldrainthenextday。’
\"It’ssohardnottolaugh,Stella。IhavetosaveupallmyamusementuntilIgethome,andMarillasaysitmakeshernervoustohearwildshrieksofmirthproceedingfromtheeastgablewithoutanyapparentcause。
ShesaysamaninGraftonwentinsaneonceandthatwashowitbegan。
\"DidyouknowthatThomasaBecketwascanonizedasaSNAKE?
RoseBellsayshewas……alsothatWilliamTyndaleWROTEtheNewTestament。ClaudeWhitesaysa`glacier’isamanwhoputsinwindowframes!
\"Ithinkthemostdifficultthinginteaching,aswellasthemostinteresting,istogetthechildrentotellyoutheirrealthoughtsaboutthings。OnestormydaylastweekIgatheredthemaroundmeatdinnerhourandtriedtogetthemtotalktomejustasifI
wereoneofthemselves。Iaskedthemtotellmethethingstheymostwanted。Someoftheanswerswerecommonplaceenough……dolls,ponies,andskates。Othersweredecidedlyoriginal。
HesterBoulterwanted`towearherSundaydresseverydayandeatinthesittingroom。’HannahBellwanted`tobegoodwithouthavingtotakeanytroubleaboutit。’MarjoryWhite,agedten,wantedtobeaWIDOW。Questionedwhy,shegravelysaidthatifyouweren’tmarriedpeoplecalledyouanoldmaid,andifyouwereyourhusbandbossedyou;butifyouwereawidowthere’dbenodangerofeither。
ThemostremarkablewishwasSallyBell’s。Shewanteda’honeymoon。’
IaskedherifsheknewwhatitwasandshesaidshethoughtitwasanextranicekindofbicyclebecausehercousininMontrealwentonahoneymoonwhenhewasmarriedandhehadalwayshadtheverylatestinbicycles!
\"AnotherdayIaskedthemalltotellmethenaughtiestthingtheyhadeverdone。Icouldn’tgettheolderonestodoso,butthethirdclassansweredquitefreely。ElizaBellhad`setfiretoheraunt’scardedrolls。’Askedifshemeanttodoitshesaid,`notaltogether。’Shejusttriedalittleendtoseehowitwouldburnandthewholebundleblazedupinajiffy。EmersonGillishadspenttencentsforcandywhenheshouldhaveputitinhismissionarybox。AnnettaBell’sworstcrimewas`eatingsomeblueberriesthatgrewinthegraveyard。’WillieWhitehad`sliddownthesheephouseroofalotoftimeswithhisSundaytrouserson。’
`ButIwaspunishedforit’causeIhadtowearpatchedpantstoSundaySchoolallsummer,andwhenyou’repunishedforathingyoudon’thavetorepentofit,’declaredWillie。
\"Iwishyoucouldseesomeoftheircompositions……somuchdoIwishitthatI’llsendyoucopiesofsomewrittenrecently。
LastweekItoldthefourthclassIwantedthemtowritemelettersaboutanythingtheypleased,addingbywayofsuggestionthattheymighttellmeofsomeplacetheyhadvisitedorsomeinterestingthingorpersontheyhadseen。Theyweretowritethelettersonrealnotepaper,sealtheminanenvelope,andaddressthemtome,allwithoutanyassistancefromotherpeople。LastFridaymorningIfoundapileoflettersonmydeskandthateveningIrealizedafreshthatteachinghasitspleasuresaswellasitspains。Thosecompositionswouldatoneformuch。HereisNedClay’s,address,spelling,andgrammarasoriginallypenned。
\"`MissteacherShiRleyGreengabels。
p。e。Islandcanbirds\"`DearteacherIthinkIwillwriteyouacompositionaboutbirds。
birdsisveryusefulanimals。mycatcatchesbirds。HisnameisWilliambutpacallshimtom。heisollstripedandhegotoneofhisearsfrozoflastwinter。onlyforthathewouldbeagood-lookingcat。Myunklehasadoptedacat。itcometohishouseonedayandwoudentgoawayandunklesaysithasforgotmorethanmostpeopleeverknowed。heletsitsleeponhisrockingchareandmyauntsayshethinksmoreofitthanhedoesofhischildren。thatisnotright。weoughttobekindtocatsandgivethemnewmilkbutweoughtnotbebettertothemthantoourchildren。thisisollIcanthinkofsonomoreatpresentfromedwardblakeClaY。’\"
\"St。ClairDonnell’sis,asusual,shortandtothepoint。St。
Clairneverwasteswords。Idonotthinkhechosehissubjectoraddedthepostscriptoutofmaliceaforethought。Itisjustthathehasnotagreatdealoftactorimagination。
\"`DearMissShirleyYoutoldustodescribesomethingstrangewehaveseen。IwilldescribetheAvonleaHall。Ithastwodoors,aninsideoneandanoutsideone。Ithassixwindowsandachimney。Ithastwoendsandtwosides。Itispaintedblue。Thatiswhatmakesitstrange。
ItisbuiltonthelowerCarmodyroad。ItisthethirdmostimportantbuildinginAvonlea。Theothersarethechurchandtheblacksmithshop。Theyholddebatingclubsandlecturesinitandconcerts。
Yourstruly,JacobDonnell。
P。S。Thehallisaverybrightblue。’\"
\"AnnettaBell’sletterwasquitelong,whichsurprisedme,forwritingessaysisnotAnnetta’sforte,andhersaregenerallyasbriefasst。Clair’s。Annettaisaquietlittlepussandamodelofgoodbehavior,butthereisn’tashadowoforginalityinher。