Hereisherletter——
\"`Dearestteacher,IthinkIwillwriteyoualettertotellyouhowmuchIloveyou。
Iloveyouwithmywholeheartandsoulandmind……withallthereisofmetolove……andIwanttoserveyouforever。
Itwouldbemyhighestprivilege。ThatiswhyItrysohardtobegoodinschoolandlearnmylessuns。
\"`Youaresobeautiful,myteacher。Yourvoiceislikemusicandyoureyesarelikepansieswhenthedewisonthem。Youarelikeatallstatelyqueen。Yourhairislikeripplinggold。AnthonyPyesaysitisred,butyouneedn’tpayanyattentiontoAnthony。
\"`IhaveonlyknownyouforafewmonthsbutIcannotrealizethattherewaseveratimewhenIdidnotknowyou……whenyouhadnotcomeintomylifetoblessandhallowit。Iwillalwayslookbacktothisyearasthemostwonderfulinmylifebecauseitbroughtyoutome。Besides,it’stheyearwemovedtoAvonleafromNewbridge。Myloveforyouhasmademylifeveryrichandithaskeptmefrommuchofharmandevil。Iowethisalltoyou,mysweetestteacher。
\"`IshallneverforgethowsweetyoulookedthelasttimeIsawyouinthatblackdresswithflowersinyourhair。Ishallseeyoulikethatforever,evenwhenwearebotholdandgray。Youwillalwaysbeyoungandfairtome,dearestteacher。Iamthinkingofyouallthetime……inthemorningandatthenoontideandatthetwilight。Iloveyouwhenyoulaughandwhenyousigh……evenwhenyoulookdisdainful。IneversawyoulookcrossthoughAnthonyPyesaysyoualwayslooksobutIdon’twonderyoulookcrossathimforhedeservesit。Iloveyouineverydress……youseemmoreadorableineachnewdressthanthelast。
\"`Dearestteacher,goodnight。Thesunhassetandthestarsareshining……starsthatareasbrightandbeautifulasyoureyes。
Ikissyourhandsandface,mysweet。MayGodwatchoveryouandprotectyoufromallharm。
YourafecksionatepupilAnnettaBell。’\"
\"Thisextraordinaryletterpuzzledmenotalittle。IknewAnnettacouldn’thavecomposeditanymorethanshecouldfly。WhenIwenttoschoolthenextdayItookherforawalkdowntothebrookatrecessandaskedhertotellmethetruthabouttheletter。
Annettacriedand’fessedupfreely。Shesaidshehadneverwrittenaletterandshedidn’tknowhowto,orwhattosay,buttherewasbundleoflovelettersinhermother’stopbureaudrawerwhichhadbeenwrittentoherbyanold`beau。’
\"`Itwasn’tfather,’sobbedAnnetta,`itwassomeonewhowasstudyingforaminister,andsohecouldwritelovelyletters,butmadidn’tmarryhimafterall。Shesaidshecouldn’tmakeoutwhathewasdrivingathalfthetime。ButIthoughtthelettersweresweetandthatI’djustcopythingsoutofthemhereandtheretowriteyou。Iput\"teacher\"whereheput\"lady\"andIputinsomethingofmyownwhenIcouldthinkofitandIchangedsomewords。
Iput\"dress\"inplaceof\"mood。\"Ididn’tknowjustwhata\"mood\"
wasbutIs’poseditwassomethingtowear。Ididn’ts’poseyou’dknowthedifference。Idon’tseehowyoufoundoutitwasn’tallmine。Youmustbeawfulclever,teacher。’
\"ItoldAnnettaitwasverywrongtocopyanotherperson’sletterandpassitoffasherown。ButI’mafraidthatallAnnettarepentedofwasbeingfoundout。
\"`AndIdoloveyou,teacher,’shesobbed。`Itwasalltrue,eveniftheministerwroteitfirst。Idoloveyouwithallmyheart。’
\"It’sverydifficulttoscoldanybodyproperlyundersuchcircumstances。
\"HereisBarbaraShaw’sletter。Ican’treproducetheblotsoftheoriginal。
\"`Dearteacher,Yousaidwemightwriteaboutavisit。Inevervisitedbutonce。
ItwasatmyAuntMary’slastwinter。MyAuntMaryisaveryparticularwomanandagreathousekeeper。ThefirstnightIwastherewewereattea。
Iknockedoverajugandbrokeit。AuntMarysaidshehadhadthatjugeversinceshewasmarriedandnobodyhadeverbrokenitbefore。
WhenwegotupIsteppedonherdressandallthegatherstoreoutoftheskirt。ThenextmorningwhenIgotupIhitthepitcheragainstthebasinandcrackedthembothandIupsetacupofteaonthetableclothatbreakfast。WhenIwashelpingAuntMarywiththedinnerdishesI
droppedachinaplateanditsmashed。ThateveningIfelldownstairsandsprainedmyankleandhadtostayinbedforaweek。IheardAuntMarytellUncleJosephitwasamercyorI’dhavebrokeneverythinginthehouse。
WhenIgotbetteritwastimetogohome。Idon’tlikevisitingverymuch。
Ilikegoingtoschoolbetter,especiallysinceIcametoAvonlea。
Yoursrespectfully,Barbara。Shaw。’\"
\"WillieWhite’sbegan,RespectedMiss,IwanttotellyouaboutmyVeryBraveAunt。ShelivesinOntarioandonedayshewentouttothebarnandsawadogintheyard。
Thedoghadnobusinesstheresoshegotastickandwhackedhimhardanddrovehimintothebarnandshuthimup。Prettysoonamancamelookingforaninaginarylion’Query;——DidWilliemeanamenagerielion?`thathadrunawayfromacircus。AnditturnedoutthatthedogwasalionandmyVeryBraveAunthaddruvhimintothebarnwithastick。Itwasawondershewasnotetupbutshewasverybrave。EmersonGillissaysifshethoughtitwasadogshewasn’tanybraverthanifitreallywasadog。ButEmersonisjealousbecausehehasn’tgotaBraveAunthimself,nothingbutuncles。’\"
\"Ihavekeptthebestforthelast。YoulaughatmebecauseI
thinkPaulisageniusbutIamsurehisletterwillconvinceyouthatheisaveryuncommonchild。Paullivesawaydownneartheshorewithhisgrandmotherandhehasnoplaymates……norealplaymates。YourememberourSchoolManagementprofessortoldusthatwemustnothave`favorites’amongourpupils,butIcan’thelplovingPaulIrvingthebestofallmine。Idon’tthinkitdoesanyharm,though,foreverybodylovesPaul,evenMrs。Lynde,whosaysshecouldneverhavebelievedshe’dgetsofondofaYankee。
Theotherboysinschoollikehimtoo。Thereisnothingweakorgirlishabouthiminspiteofhisdreamsandfancies。Heisverymanlyandcanholdhisowninallgames。HefoughtSt。ClairDonnellrecentlybecauseSt。ClairsaidtheUnionJackwasawayaheadoftheStarsandStripesasaflag。Theresultwasadrawnbattleandamutualagreementtorespecteachother’spatriotismhenceforth。St。ClairsayshecanhittheHARDESTbutPaulcanhittheOFTENEST。
\"Paul’sLetter。
Mydearteacher,Youtolduswemightwriteyouaboutsomeinterestingpeopleweknew。
IthinkthemostinterestingpeopleIknowaremyrockpeopleandI
meantotellyouaboutthem。IhavenevertoldanybodyaboutthemexceptgrandmaandfatherbutIwouldliketohaveyouknowaboutthembecauseyouunderstandthings。Thereareagreatmanypeoplewhodonotunderstandthingssothereisnouseintellingthem。
Myrockpeopleliveattheshore。Iusedtovisitthemalmosteveryeveningbeforethewintercame。NowIcan’tgotillspring,buttheywillbethere,forpeoplelikethatneverchange……thatisthesplendidthingaboutthem。NorawasthefirstoneofthemI
gotacquaintedwithandsoIthinkIloveherthebest。ShelivesinAndrews’Coveandshehasblackhairandblackeyes,andsheknowsallaboutthemermaidsandthewaterkelpies。Yououghttohearthestoriesshecantell。ThentherearetheTwinSailors。
Theydon’tliveanywhere,theysailallthetime,buttheyoftencomeashoretotalktome。Theyareapairofjollytarsandtheyhaveseeneverythingintheworld……andmorethanwhatisintheworld。DoyouknowwhathappenedtotheyoungestTwinSailoronce?Hewassailingandhesailedrightintoamoonglade。A
moongladeisthetrackthefullmoonmakesonthewaterwhenitisrisingfromthesea,youknow,teacher。Well,theyoungestTwinSailorsailedalongthemoongladetillhecamerightuptothemoon,andtherewasalittlegoldendoorinthemoonandheopeneditandsailedrightthrough。Hehadsomewonderfuladventuresinthemoonbutitwouldmakethislettertoolongtotellthem。
ThenthereistheGoldenLadyofthecave。OnedayIfoundabigcavedownontheshoreandIwentawayinandafterawhileIfoundtheGoldenLady。Shehasgoldenhairrightdowntoherfeetandherdressisallglitteringandglisteninglikegoldthatisalive。
Andshehasagoldenharpandplaysonitalldaylong……youcanhearthemusicanytimealongshoreifyoulistencarefullybutmostpeoplewouldthinkitwasonlythewindamongtherocks。
I’venevertoldNoraabouttheGoldenLady。Iwasafraiditmighthurtherfeelings。ItevenhurtherfeelingsifItalkedtoolongwiththeTwinSailors。
IalwaysmettheTwinSailorsattheStripedRocks。TheyoungestTwinSailorisverygood-temperedbuttheoldestTwinSailorcanlookdreadfullyfierceattimes。IhavemysuspicionsaboutthatoldestTwin。Ibelievehe’dbeapirateifhedared。There’sreallysomethingverymysteriousabouthim。HesworeonceandItoldhimifheeverdiditagainheneedn’tcomeashoretotalktomebecauseI’dpromisedgrandmotherI’dneverassociatewithanybodythatswore。
Hewasprettywellscared,Icantellyou,andhesaidifIwouldforgivehimhewouldtakemetothesunset。SothenexteveningwhenIwassittingontheStripedRockstheoldestTwincamesailingovertheseainanenchantedboatandIgotinher。Theboatwasallpearlyandrainbowy,liketheinsideofthemusselshells,andhersailwaslikemoonshine。Well,wesailedrightacrosstothesunset。Thinkofthat,teacher,I’vebeeninthesunset。Andwhatdoyousupposeitis?Thesunsetisalandallflowers。Wesailedintoagreatgarden,andthecloudsarebedsofflowers。Wesailedintoagreatharbor,allthecolorofgold,andIsteppedrightoutoftheboatonabigmeadowallcoveredwithbuttercupsasbigasroses。Istayedthereforeversolong。ItseemednearlyayearbuttheOldestTwinsaysitwasonlyafewminutes。Yousee,inthesunsetlandthetimeiseversomuchlongerthanitishere。
YourlovingpupilPaulIrving。
P。S。ofcourse,thisletterisn’treallytrue,teacher。
P。I。’\"
XII
AJonahDayItreallybeganthenightbeforewitharestless,wakefulvigilofgrumblingtoothache。WhenAnnearoseinthedull,bitterwintermorningshefeltthatlifewasflat,stale,andunprofitable。
Shewenttoschoolinnoangelicmood。Hercheekwasswollenandherfaceached。Theschoolroomwascoldandsmoky,forthefirerefusedtoburnandthechildrenwerehuddledaboutitinshiveringgroups。Annesentthemtotheirseatswithasharpertonethanshehadeverusedbefore。AnthonyPyestruttedtohiswithhisusualimpertinentswaggerandshesawhimwhispersomethingtohisseat-mateandthenglanceatherwithagrin。
Never,soitseemedtoAnne,hadtherebeensomanysqueakypencilsastherewerethatmorning;andwhenBarbaraShawcameuptothedeskwithasumshetrippedoverthecoalscuttlewithdisastrousresults。Thecoalrolledtoeverypartoftheroom,herslatewasbrokenintofragments,andwhenshepickedherselfup,herface,stainedwithcoaldust,senttheboysintoroarsoflaughter。
Anneturnedfromthesecondreaderclasswhichshewashearing。
\"Really,Barbara,\"shesaidicily,\"ifyoucannotmovewithoutfallingoversomethingyou’dbetterremaininyourseat。Itispositivelydisgracefulforagirlofyouragetobesoawkward。\"
PoorBarbarastumbledbacktoherdesk,hertearscombiningwiththecoaldusttoproduceaneffecttrulygrotesque。Neverbeforehadherbeloved,sympatheticteacherspokentoherinsuchatoneorfashion,andBarbarawasheartbroken。Anneherselffeltaprickofconsciencebutitonlyservedtoincreasehermentalirritation,andthesecondreaderclassrememberthatlessonyet,aswellastheunmercifulinflictionofarithmeticthatfollowed。JustasAnnewassnappingthesumsoutSt。ClairDonnellarrivedbreathlessly。
\"Youarehalfanhourlate,St。Clair,\"Anneremindedhimfrigidly。
\"Whyisthis?\"
\"Please,miss,Ihadtohelpmamakeapuddingfordinner’causewe’reexpectingcompanyandClariceAlmira’ssick,\"
wasSt。Clair’sanswer,giveninaperfectlyrespectfulvoicebutneverthelessprovocativeofgreatmirthamonghismates。
\"Takeyourseatandworkoutthesixproblemsonpageeighty-fourofyourarithmeticforpunishment,\"saidAnne。St。Clairlookedratheramazedathertonebuthewentmeeklytohisdeskandtookouthisslate。ThenhestealthilypassedasmallparceltoJoeSloaneacrosstheaisle。Annecaughthimintheactandjumpedtoafatalconclusionaboutthatparcel。
OldMrs。HiramSloanehadlatelytakentomakingandselling\"nutcakes\"bywayofaddingtoherscantyincome。ThecakeswerespeciallytemptingtosmallboysandforseveralweeksAnnehadhadnotalittletroubleinregardtothem。OntheirwaytoschooltheboyswouldinvesttheirsparecashatMrs。Hiram’s,bringthecakesalongwiththemtoschool,and,ifpossible,eatthemandtreattheirmatesduringschoolhours。Annehadwarnedthemthatiftheybroughtanymorecakestoschooltheywouldbeconfiscated;
andyetherewasSt。ClairDonnellcoollypassingaparcelofthem,wrappedupintheblueandwhitestripedpaperMrs。Hiramused,underherveryeyes。
\"Joseph,\"saidAnnequietly,\"bringthatparcelhere。\"
Joe,startledandabashed,obeyed。Hewasafaturchinwhoalwaysblushedandstutteredwhenhewasfrightened。NeverdidanybodylookmoreguiltythanpoorJoeatthatmoment。
\"Throwitintothefire,\"saidAnne。
Joelookedveryblank。
\"P……p……p……lease,m……m……miss,\"hebegan。
\"DoasItellyou,Joseph,withoutanywordsaboutit。\"
\"B……b……butm……m……miss……th……th……they’re……\"
gaspedJoeindesperation。
\"Joseph,areyougoingtoobeymeorareyouNOT?\"saidAnne。
Abolderandmoreself-possessedladthanJoeSloanewouldhavebeenoverawedbyhertoneandthedangerousflashofhereyes。
ThiswasanewAnnewhomnoneofherpupilshadeverseenbefore。
Joe,withanagonizedglanceatSt。Clair,wenttothestove,openedthebig,squarefrontdoor,andthrewtheblueandwhiteparcelin,beforeSt。Clair,whohadsprungtohisfeet,couldutteraword。Thenhedodgedbackjustintime。
ForafewmomentstheterrifiedoccupantsofAvonleaschooldidnotknowwhetheritwasanearthquakeoravolcanicexplosionthathadoccurred。TheinnocentlookingparcelwhichAnnehadrashlysupposedtocontainMrs。Hiram’snutcakesreallyheldanassortmentoffirecrackersandpinwheelsforwhichWarrenSloanehadsenttotownbySt。ClairDonnell’sfatherthedaybefore,intendingtohaveabirthdaycelebrationthatevening。Thecrackerswentoffinathunderclapofnoiseandthepinwheelsburstingoutofthedoorspunmadlyaroundtheroom,hissingandspluttering。Annedroppedintoherchairwhitewithdismayandallthegirlsclimbedshriekingupontheirdesks。JoeSloanestoodasonetransfixedinthemidstofthecommotionandSt。Clair,helplesswithlaughter,rockedtoandfrointheaisle。PrillieRogersonfaintedandAnnettaBellwentintohysterics。
Itseemedalongtime,althoughitwasreallyonlyafewminutes,beforethelastpinwheelsubsided。Anne,recoveringherself,sprangtoopendoorsandwindowsandletoutthegasandsmokewhichfilledtheroom。ThenshehelpedthegirlscarrytheunconsciousPrillieintotheporch,whereBarbaraShaw,inanagonyofdesiretobeuseful,pouredapailfulofhalffrozenwateroverPrillie’sfaceandshouldersbeforeanyonecouldstopher。
Itwasafullhourbeforequietwasrestored……butitwasaquietthatmightbefelt。Everybodyrealizedthateventheexplosionhadnotclearedtheteacher’smentalatmosphere。
Nobody,exceptAnthonyPye,daredwhisperaword。NedClayaccidentallysqueakedhispencilwhileworkingasum,caughtAnne’seyeandwishedthefloorwouldopenandswallowhimup。
Thegeographyclasswerewhiskedthroughacontinentwithaspeedthatmadethemdizzy。Thegrammarclasswereparsedandanalyzedwithinaninchoftheirlives。ChesterSloane,spelling\"odoriferous\"
withtwof’s,wasmadetofeelthathecouldneverlivedownthedisgraceofit,eitherinthisworldorthatwhichistocome。
Anneknewthatshehadmadeherselfridiculousandthattheincidentwouldbelaughedoverthatnightatascoreoftea-tables,buttheknowledgeonlyangeredherfurther。Inacalmermoodshecouldhavecarriedoffthesituationwithalaughbutnowthatwasimpossible;sosheignoreditinicydisdain。
WhenAnnereturnedtotheschoolafterdinnerallthechildrenwereasusualintheirseatsandeveryfacewasbentstudiouslyoveradeskexceptAnthonyPye’s。HepeeredacrosshisbookatAnne,hisblackeyessparklingwithcuriosityandmockery。Annetwitchedopenthedrawerofherdeskinsearchofchalkandunderherveryhandalivelymousesprangoutofthedrawer,scamperedoverthedesk,andleapedtothefloor。
Annescreamedandsprangback,asifithadbeenasnake,andAnthonyPyelaughedaloud。
Thenasilencefell……averycreepy,uncomfortablesilence。
AnnettaBellwasoftwomindswhethertogointohystericsagainornot,especiallyasshedidn’tknowjustwherethemousehadgone。
Butshedecidednotto。Whocouldtakeanycomfortoutofhystericswithateachersowhite-facedandsoblazing-eyedstandingbeforeone?
\"Whoputthatmouseinmydesk?\"saidAnne。HervoicewasquitelowbutitmadeashivergoupanddownPaulIrving’sspine。JoeSloanecaughthereye,feltresponsiblefromthecrownofhisheadtothesoleofhisfeet,butstutteredoutwildly,\"N……n……notm……m……met……t……teacher,n……n……notm……m……me。\"
AnnepaidnoattentiontothewretchedJoseph。ShelookedatAnthonyPye,andAnthonyPyelookedbackunabashedandunashamed。
\"Anthony,wasityou?\"
\"Yes,itwas,\"saidAnthonyinsolently。
Annetookherpointerfromherdesk。Itwasalong,heavyhardwoodpointer。
\"Comehere,Anthony。\"
ItwasfarfrombeingthemostseverepunishmentAnthonyPyehadeverundergone。Anne,eventhestormy-souledAnneshewasatthatmoment,couldnothavepunishedanychildcruelly。ButthepointernippedkeenlyandfinallyAnthony’sbravadofailedhim;hewincedandthetearscametohiseyes。
Anne,conscience-stricken,droppedthepointerandtoldAnthonytogotohisseat。Shesatdownatherdeskfeelingashamed,repentant,andbitterlymortified。Herquickangerwasgoneandshewouldhavegivenmuchtohavebeenabletoseekreliefintears。Soallherboastshadcometothis……shehadactuallywhippedoneofherpupils。HowJanewouldtriumph!AndhowMr。Harrisonwouldchuckle!Butworsethanthis,bitterestthoughtofall,shehadlostherlastchanceofwinningAnthonyPye。
Neverwouldhelikehernow。
Anne,bywhatsomebodyhascalled\"aHerculaneumeffort,\"keptbackhertearsuntilshegothomethatnight。Thensheshutherselfintheeastgableroomandweptallhershameandremorseanddisappointmentintoherpillows……weptsolongthatMarillagrewalarmed,invadedtheroom,andinsistedonknowingwhatthetroublewas。
\"Thetroubleis,I’vegotthingsthematterwithmyconscience,\"
sobbedAnne。\"Oh,thishasbeensuchaJonahday,Marilla。I’msoashamedofmyself。IlostmytemperandwhippedAnthonyPye。\"
\"I’mgladtohearit,\"saidMarillawithdecision。\"It’swhatyoushouldhavedonelongago。\"
\"Oh,no,no,Marilla。AndIdon’tseehowIcaneverlookthosechildreninthefaceagain。IfeelthatIhavehumiliatedmyselftotheverydust。Youdon’tknowhowcrossandhatefulandhorridIwas。Ican’tforgettheexpressioninPaulIrving’seyes……helookedsosurprisedanddisappointed。Oh,Marilla,IHAVEtriedsohardtobepatientandtowinAnthony’sliking……andnowithasallgonefornothing。\"
Marillapassedherhardwork-wornhandoverthegirl’sglossy,tumbledhairwithawonderfultenderness。WhenAnne’ssobsgrewquietershesaid,verygentlyforher,\"Youtakethingstoomuchtoheart,Anne。Weallmakemistakes……butpeopleforgetthem。AndJonahdayscometoeverybody。AsforAnthonyPye,whyneedyoucareifhedoesdislikeyou?Heistheonlyone。\"
\"Ican’thelpit。Iwanteverybodytolovemeandithurtsmesowhenanybodydoesn’t。AndAnthonyneverwillnow。Oh,Ijustmadeanidiotofmyselftoday,Marilla。I’lltellyouthewholestory。\"
Marillalistenedtothewholestory,andifshesmiledatcertainpartsofitAnneneverknew。Whenthetalewasendedshesaidbriskly,\"Well,nevermind。Thisday’sdoneandthere’sanewonecomingtomorrow,withnomistakesinityet,asyouusedtosayyourself。
Justcomedownstairsandhaveyoursupper。You’llseeifagoodcupofteaandthoseplumpuffsImadetodaywon’theartenyouup。\"
\"Plumpuffswon’tministertoaminddiseased,\"saidAnnedisconsolately;
butMarillathoughtitagoodsignthatshehadrecoveredsufficientlytoadaptaquotation。
Thecheerfulsuppertable,withthetwins’brightfaces,andMarilla’smatchlessplumpuffs……ofwhichDavyatefour……
did\"heartenherup\"considerablyafterall。Shehadagoodsleepthatnightandandawakenedinthemorningtofindherselfandtheworldtransformed。Ithadsnowedsoftlyandthicklyallthroughthehoursofdarknessandthebeautifulwhiteness,glitteringinthefrostysunshine,lookedlikeamantleofcharitycastoverallthemistakesandhumiliationsofthepast。
\"Everymornisafreshbeginning,Everymornistheworldmadenew,\"
sangAnne,asshedressed。
OwingtothesnowshehadtogoaroundbytheroadtoschoolandshethoughtitwascertainlyanimpishcoincidencethatAnthonyPyeshouldcomeploughingalongjustasshelefttheGreenGableslane。
Shefeltasguiltyasiftheirpositionswerereversed;buttoherunspeakableastonishmentAnthonynotonlyliftedhiscap……whichhehadneverdonebefore……butsaideasily,\"Kindofbadwalking,ain’tit?CanItakethosebooksforyou,teacher?\"
Annesurrenderedherbooksandwonderedifshecouldpossiblybeawake。
Anthonywalkedoninsilencetotheschool,butwhenAnnetookherbooksshesmileddownathim……notthestereotyped\"kind\"smileshehadsopersistentlyassumedforhisbenefitbutasuddenoutflashingofgoodcomradeship。Anthonysmiled……no,ifthetruthmustbetold,AnthonyGRINNEDback。Agrinisnotgenerallysupposedtobearespectfulthing;yetAnnesuddenlyfeltthatifshehadnotyetwonAnthony’slikingshehad,somehoworother,wonhisrespect。
Mrs。RachelLyndecameupthenextSaturdayandconfirmedthis。
\"Well,Anne,Iguessyou’vewonoverAnthonyPye,that’swhat。
Hesayshebelievesyouaresomegoodafterall,evenifyouareagirl。Saysthatwhippingyougavehimwas`justasgoodasaman’s。’\"
\"Ineverexpectedtowinhimbywhippinghim,though,\"saidAnne,alittlemournfully,feelingthatheridealshadplayedherfalsesomewhere。
\"Itdoesn’tseemright。I’msuremytheoryofkindnesscan’tbewrong。\"
\"No,butthePyesareanexceptiontoeveryknownrule,that’swhat,\"
declaredMrs。Rachelwithconviction。
Mr。Harrisonsaid,\"Thoughtyou’dcometoit,\"whenheheardit,andJanerubbeditinratherunmercifully。
XIII
AGoldenPicnicAnne,onherwaytoOrchardSlope,metDiana,boundforGreenGables,justwherethemossyoldlogbridgespannedthebrookbelowtheHauntedWood,andtheysatdownbythemarginoftheDryad’sBubble,wheretinyfernswereunrollinglikecurly-headedgreenpixyfolkwakeningupfromanap。
\"IwasjustonmywayovertoinviteyoutohelpmecelebratemybirthdayonSaturday,\"saidAnne。
\"Yourbirthday?ButyourbirthdaywasinMarch!\"
\"Thatwasn’tmyfault,\"laughedAnne。\"Ifmyparentshadconsultedmeitwouldneverhavehappenedthen。Ishouldhavechosentobeborninspring,ofcourse。Itmustbedelightfultocomeintotheworldwiththemayflowersandviolets。Youwouldalwaysfeelthatyouweretheirfostersister。ButsinceIdidn’t,thenextbestthingistocelebratemybirthdayinthespring。PriscillaiscomingoverSaturdayandJanewillbehome。We’llallfourstartofftothewoodsandspendagoldendaymakingtheacquaintanceofthespring。Wenoneofusreallyknowheryet,butwe’llmeetherbackthereaswenevercananywhereelse。Iwanttoexploreallthosefieldsandlonelyplacesanyhow。IhaveaconvictionthattherearescoresofbeautifulnookstherethathaveneverreallybeenSEENalthoughtheymayhavebeenLOOKEDat。We’llmakefriendswithwindandskyandsun,andbringhomethespringinourhearts。\"
\"ItSOUNDSawfullynice,\"saidDiana,withsomeinwarddistrustofAnne’smagicofwords。\"Butwon’titbeverydampinsomeplacesyet?\"
\"Oh,we’llwearrubbers,\"wasAnne’sconcessiontopracticalities。
\"AndIwantyoutocomeoverearlySaturdaymorningandhelpmepreparelunch。I’mgoingtohavethedaintiestthingspossible……
thingsthatwillmatchthespring,youunderstand……littlejellytartsandladyfingers,anddropcookiesfrostedwithpinkandyellowicing,andbuttercupcake。Andwemusthavesandwichestoo,thoughthey’reNOTverypoetical。\"
Saturdayprovedanidealdayforapicnic……adayofbreezeandblue,warm,sunny,withalittlerollickingwindblowingacrossmeadowandorchard。Overeverysunlituplandandfieldwasadelicate,flower-starredgreen。
Mr。Harrison,harrowingatthebackofhisfarmandfeelingsomeofthespringwitch-workeveninhissober,middle-agedblood,sawfourgirls,basketladen,trippingacrosstheendofhisfieldwhereitjoinedafringingwoodlandofbirchandfir。Theirblithevoicesandlaughterechoeddowntohim。
\"It’ssoeasytobehappyonadaylikethis,isn’tit?\"Annewassaying,withtrueAnneishphilosophy。\"Let’strytomakethisareallygoldenday,girls,adaytowhichwecanalwayslookbackwithdelight。We’retoseekforbeautyandrefusetoseeanythingelse。
`Begone,dullcare!’Jane,youarethinkingofsomethingthatwentwronginschoolyesterday。\"
\"Howdoyouknow?\"gaspedJane,amazed。
\"Oh,Iknowtheexpression……I’vefeltitoftenenoughonmyownface。Butputitoutofyourmind,there’sadear。ItwillkeeptillMonday……orifitdoesn’tsomuchthebetter。Oh,girls,girls,seethatpatchofviolets!There’ssomethingformemory’spicturegallery。WhenI’meightyyearsold……ifIeveram……
IshallshutmyeyesandseethosevioletsjustasIseethemnow。
That’sthefirstgoodgiftourdayhasgivenus。\"
\"IfakisscouldbeseenIthinkitwouldlooklikeaviolet,\"
saidPriscilla。
Anneglowed。
\"I’msogladyouSPOKEthatthought,Priscilla,insteadofjustthinkingitandkeepingittoyourself。Thisworldwouldbeamuchmoreinterestingplace……althoughitISveryinterestinganyhow……
ifpeoplespokeouttheirrealthoughts。\"
\"Itwouldbetoohottoholdsomefolks,\"quotedJanesagely。
\"Isupposeitmightbe,butthatwouldbetheirownfaultsforthinkingnastythings。Anyhow,wecantellallourthoughtstodaybecausewearegoingtohavenothingbutbeautifulthoughts。
Everybodycansayjustwhatcomesintoherhead。THATisconversation。
Here’salittlepathIneversawbefore。Let’sexploreit。\"
Thepathwasawindingone,sonarrowthatthegirlswalkedinsinglefileandeventhenthefirboughsbrushedtheirfaces。
Underthefirswerevelvetycushionsofmoss,andfurtheron,wherethetreesweresmallerandfewer,thegroundwasrichinavarietyofgreengrowingthings。
\"Whatalotofelephant’sears,\"exclaimedDiana。\"I’mgoingtopickabigbunch,they’resopretty。\"
\"Howdidsuchgracefulfeatherythingsevercometohavesuchadreadfulname?\"askedPriscilla。
\"Becausethepersonwhofirstnamedthemeitherhadnoimaginationatallorelsefartoomuch,\"saidAnne,\"Oh,girls,lookatthat!\"
\"That\"wasashallowwoodlandpoolinthecenterofalittleopengladewherethepathended。Lateronintheseasonitwouldbedriedupanditsplacefilledwitharankgrowthofferns;butnowitwasaglimmeringplacidsheet,roundasasaucerandclearascrystal。
Aringofslenderyoungbirchesencircleditandlittlefernsfringeditsmargin。
\"HOWsweet!\"saidJane。
\"Letusdancearounditlikewood-nymphs,\"criedAnne,droppingherbasketandextendingherhands。
ButthedancewasnotasuccessforthegroundwasboggyandJane’srubberscameoff。
\"Youcan’tbeawood-nymphifyouhavetowearrubbers,\"
washerdecision。
\"Well,wemustnamethisplacebeforeweleaveit,\"
saidAnne,yieldingtotheindisputablelogicoffacts。
\"Everybodysuggestanameandwe’lldrawlots。Diana?\"
\"BirchPool,\"suggestedDianapromptly。
\"CrystalLake,\"saidJane。
Anne,standingbehindthem,imploredPriscillawithhereyesnottoperpetrateanothersuchnameandPriscillarosetotheoccasionwith\"Glimmer-glass。\"Anne’sselectionwas\"TheFairies’Mirror。\"
ThenameswerewrittenonstripsofbirchbarkwithapencilSchoolma’amJaneproducedfromherpocket,andplacedinAnne’shat。ThenPriscillashuthereyesanddrewone。\"CrystalLake,\"
readJanetriumphantly。CrystalLakeitwas,andifAnnethoughtthatchancehadplayedthepoolashabbytrickshedidnotsayso。
Pushingthroughtheundergrowthbeyond,thegirlscameouttotheyounggreenseclusionofMr。SilasSloane’sbackpasture。Acrossittheyfoundtheentrancetoalanestrikingupthroughthewoodsandvotedtoexploreitalso。Itrewardedtheirquestwithasuccessionofprettysurprises。First,skirtingMr。Sloane’spasture,cameanarchwayofwildcherrytreesallinbloom。Thegirlsswungtheirhatsontheirarmsandwreathedtheirhairwiththecreamy,fluffyblossoms。
Thenthelaneturnedatrightanglesandplungedintoasprucewoodsothickanddarkthattheywalkedinagloomasoftwilight,withnotaglimpseofskyorsunlighttobeseen。
\"Thisiswherethebadwoodelvesdwell,\"whisperedAnne。\"Theyareimpishandmaliciousbuttheycan’tharmus,becausetheyarenotallowedtodoevilinthespring。Therewasonepeepingatusaroundthatoldtwistedfir;anddidn’tyouseeagroupofthemonthatbigfrecklytoadstoolwejustpassed?Thegoodfairiesalwaysdwellinthesunshinyplaces。\"
\"Iwishtherereallywerefairies,\"saidJane。\"Wouldn’titbenicetohavethreewishesgrantedyou……orevenonlyone?
Whatwouldyouwishfor,girls,ifyoucouldhaveawishgranted?
I’dwishtoberichandbeautifulandclever。\"
\"I’dwishtobetallandslender,\"saidDiana。
\"Iwouldwishtobefamous,\"saidPriscilla。Annethoughtofherhairandthendismissedthethoughtasunworthy。
\"I’dwishitmightbespringallthetimeandineverybody’sheartandallourlives,\"shesaid。
\"Butthat,\"saidPriscilla,\"wouldbejustwishingthisworldwerelikeheaven。\"
\"Onlylikeapartofheaven。Intheotherpartstherewouldbesummerandautumn……yes,andabitofwinter,too。IthinkI
wantglitteringsnowyfieldsandwhitefrostsinheavensometimes。
Don’tyou,Jane?\"
\"I……Idon’tknow,\"saidJaneuncomfortably。Janewasagoodgirl,amemberofthechurch,whotriedconscientiouslytoliveuptoherprofessionandbelievedeverythingshehadbeentaught。Butsheneverthoughtaboutheavenanymorethanshecouldhelp,forallthat。
\"MinnieMayaskedmetheotherdayifwewouldwearourbestdresseseverydayinheaven,\"laughedDiana。
\"Anddidn’tyoutellherwewould?\"askedAnne。
\"Mercy,no!Itoldherwewouldn’tbethinkingofdressesatallthere。\"
\"Oh,Ithinkwewill……aLITTLE,\"saidAnneearnestly。
\"There’llbeplentyoftimeinalleternityforitwithoutneglectingmoreimportantthings。Ibelievewe’llallwearbeautifuldresses……orIsupposeRAIMENTwouldbeamoresuitablewayofspeaking。IshallwanttowearpinkforafewcenturiesatfirSt……itwouldtakemethatlongtogettiredofit,Ifeelsure。IdolovepinksoandIcanneverwearitinTHISworld。\"
Pastthesprucesthelanedippeddownintoasunnylittleopenwherealogbridgespannedabrook;andthencamethegloryofasunlitbeechwoodwheretheairwasliketransparentgoldenwine,andtheleavesfreshandgreen,andthewoodflooramosaicoftremuloussunshine。Thenmorewildcherries,andalittlevalleyoflissomefirs,andthenahillsosteepthatthegirlslosttheirbreathclimbingit;butwhentheyreachedthetopandcameoutintotheopentheprettiestsurpriseofallawaitedthem。
Beyondwerethe\"backfields\"ofthefarmsthatranouttotheupperCarmodyroad。Justbeforethem,hemmedinbybeechesandfirsbutopentothesouth,wasalittlecornerandinitagarden……orwhathadoncebeenagarden。Atumbledownstonedyke,overgrownwithmossesandgrass,surroundedit。Alongtheeasternsideranarowofgardencherrytrees,whiteasasnowdrift。
Thereweretracesofoldpathsstillandadoublelineofrosebushesthroughthemiddle;butalltherestofthespacewasasheetofyellowandwhitenarcissi,intheirairiest,mostlavish,wind-swayedbloomabovethelushgreengrasses。
\"Oh,howperfectlylovely!\"threeofthegirlscried。Anneonlygazedineloquentsilence。
\"Howintheworlddoesithappenthatthereeverwasagardenbackhere?\"
saidPriscillainamazement。
\"ItmustbeHesterGray’sgarden,\"saidDiana。\"I’veheardmotherspeakofitbutIneversawitbefore,andIwouldn’thavesupposedthatitcouldbeinexistencestill。You’veheardthestory,Anne?\"
\"No,butthenameseemsfamiliartome。\"
\"Oh,you’veseenitinthegraveyard。Sheisburieddownthereinthepoplarcorner。Youknowthelittlebrownstonewiththeopeninggatescarvedonitand`SacredtothememoryofHesterGray,agedtwenty-two。’JordanGrayisburiedrightbesideherbutthere’snostonetohim。It’sawonderMarillanevertoldyouaboutit,Anne。Tobesure,ithappenedthirtyyearsagoandeverybodyhasforgotten。\"
\"Well,ifthere’sastorywemusthaveit,\"saidAnne。\"Let’ssitrightdownhereamongthenarcissiandDianawilltellit。Why,girls,therearehundredsofthem……they’vespreadovereverything。
Itlooksasifthegardenwerecarpetedwithmoonshineandsunshinecombined。Thisisadiscoveryworthmaking。
TothinkthatI’velivedwithinamileofthisplaceforsixyearsandhaveneverseenitbefore!Now,Diana。\"
\"Longago,\"beganDiana,\"thisfarmbelongedtooldMr。DavidGray。
Hedidn’tliveonit……helivedwhereSilasSloanelivesnow。
Hehadoneson,Jordan,andhewentuptoBostononewintertoworkandwhilehewastherehefellinlovewithagirlnamedHesterMurray。
Shewasworkinginastoreandshehatedit。She’dbeenbroughtupinthecountryandshealwayswantedtogetback。WhenJordanaskedhertomarryhimshesaidshewouldifhe’dtakeherawaytosomequietspotwhereshe’dseenothingbutfieldsandtrees。SohebroughthertoAvonlea。Mrs。LyndesaidhewastakingafearfulriskinmarryingaYankee,andit’scertainthatHesterwasverydelicateandaverypoorhousekeeper;butmothersaysshewasveryprettyandsweetandJordanjustworshippedthegroundshewalkedon。Well,Mr。GraygaveJordanthisfarmandhebuiltalittlehousebackhereandJordanandHesterlivedinitforfouryears。SheneverwentoutmuchandhardlyanybodywenttoseeherexceptmotherandMrs。Lynde。Jordanmadeherthisgardenandshewascrazyaboutitandspentmostofhertimeinit。
Shewasn’tmuchofahousekeeperbutshehadaknackwithflowers。
Andthenshegotsick。Mothersaysshethinksshewasinconsumptionbeforesheevercamehere。Sheneverreallylaidupbutjustgrewweakerandweakerallthetime。Jordanwouldn’thaveanybodytowaitonher。Hediditallhimselfandmothersayshewasastenderandgentleasawoman。Everydayhe’dwrapherinashawlandcarryherouttothegardenandshe’dliethereonabenchquitehappy。TheysaysheusedtomakeJordankneeldownbyhereverynightandmorningandpraywithherthatshemightdieoutinthegardenwhenthetimecame。Andherprayerwasanswered。OnedayJordancarriedherouttothebenchandthenhepickedalltherosesthatwereoutandheapedthemoverher;andshejustsmiledupathim……andclosedhereyes……andthat,\"concludedDianasoftly,\"wastheend。\"
\"Oh,whatadearstory,\"sighedAnne,wipingawayhertears。
\"WhatbecameofJordan?\"askedPriscilla。
\"HesoldthefarmafterHesterdiedandwentbacktoBoston。
Mr。JabezSloaneboughtthefarmandhauledthelittlehouseouttotheroad。JordandiedabouttenyearsafterandhewasbroughthomeandburiedbesideHester。\"
\"Ican’tunderstandhowshecouldhavewantedtolivebackhere,awayfromeverything,\"saidJane。
\"Oh,IcaneasilyunderstandTHAT,\"saidAnnethoughtfully。\"I
wouldn’twantitmyselfforasteadything,because,althoughI
lovethefieldsandwoods,Ilovepeopletoo。ButIcanunderstanditinHester。Shewastiredtodeathofthenoiseofthebigcityandthecrowdsofpeoplealwayscomingandgoingandcaringnothingforher。Shejustwantedtoescapefromitalltosomestill,green,friendlyplacewhereshecouldreSt。Andshegotjustwhatshewanted,whichissomethingveryfewpeopledo,Ibelieve。Shehadfourbeautifulyearsbeforeshedied……fouryearsofperfecthappiness,soIthinkshewastobeenviedmorethanpitied。Andthentoshutyoureyesandfallasleepamongroses,withtheoneyoulovedbestonearthsmilingdownatyou……oh,Ithinkitwasbeautiful!\"
\"Shesetoutthosecherrytreesoverthere,\"saidDiana。\"Shetoldmothershe’dneverlivetoeattheirfruit,butshewantedtothinkthatsomethingshehadplantedwouldgoonlivingandhelpingtomaketheworldbeautifulaftershewasdead。\"
\"I’msogladwecamethisway,\"saidAnne,theshining-eyed。
\"Thisismyadoptedbirthday,youknow,andthisgardenanditsstoryisthebirthdaygiftithasgivenme。DidyourmotherevertellyouwhatHesterGraylookedlike,Diana?\"
\"No……onlyjustthatshewaspretty。\"
\"I’mrathergladofthat,becauseIcanimaginewhatshelookedlike,withoutbeinghamperedbyfacts。Ithinkshewasveryslightandsmall,withsoftlycurlingdarkhairandbig,sweet,timidbrowneyes,andalittlewistful,paleface。\"
ThegirlslefttheirbasketsinHester’sgardenandspenttherestoftheafternoonramblinginthewoodsandfieldssurroundingit,discoveringmanyprettynooksandlanes。Whentheygothungrytheyhadlunchintheprettiestspotofall……onthesteepbankofagurglingbrookwherewhitebirchesshotupoutoflongfeatherygrasses。ThegirlssatdownbytherootsanddidfulljusticetoAnne’sdainties,eventheunpoeticalsandwichesbeinggreatlyappreciatedbyhearty,unspoiledappetitessharpenedbyallthefreshairandexercisetheyhadenjoyed。Annehadbroughtglassesandlemonadeforherguests,butforherownpartdrankcoldbrookwaterfromacupfashionedoutofbirchbark。Thecupleaked,andthewatertastedofearth,asbrookwaterisapttodoinspring;
butAnnethoughtitmoreappropriatetotheoccasionthanlemonade。
\"Lookdoyouseethatpoem?\"shesaidsuddenly,pointing。
\"Where?\"JaneandDianastared,asifexpectingtoseeRunicrhymesonthebirchtrees。
\"There……downinthebrook……thatoldgreen,mossylogwiththewaterflowingoveritinthosesmoothripplesthatlookasifthey’dbeencombed,andthatsingleshaftofsunshinefallingrightathwartit,fardownintothepool。Oh,it’sthemostbeautifulpoemIeversaw。\"
\"Ishouldrathercallitapicture,\"saidJane。\"Apoemislinesandverses。\"
\"Ohdearme,no。\"Anneshookherheadwithitsfluffywildcherrycoronalpositively。\"ThelinesandversesareonlytheoutwardgarmentsofthepoemandarenomorereallyitthanyourrufflesandflouncesareYOU,Jane。Therealpoemisthesoulwithinthem……andthatbeautifulbitisthesoulofanunwrittenpoem。
Itisnoteverydayoneseesasoul……evenofapoem。\"
\"Iwonderwhatasoul……aperson’ssoul……wouldlooklike,\"
saidPriscilladreamily。
\"Likethat,Ishouldthink,\"answeredAnne,pointingtoaradianceofsiftedsunlightstreamingthroughabirchtree。\"Onlywithshapeandfeaturesofcourse。Iliketofancysoulsasbeingmadeoflight。
Andsomeareallshotthroughwithrosystainsandquivers……andsomehaveasoftglitterlikemoonlightonthesea……andsomearepaleandtransparentlikemistatdawn。\"
\"Ireadsomewhereoncethatsoulswerelikeflowers,\"saidPriscilla。
\"Thenyoursoulisagoldennarcissus,\"saidAnne,\"andDiana’sislikeared,redrose。Jane’sisanappleblossom,pinkandwholesomeandsweet。\"
\"Andyourownisawhiteviolet,withpurplestreaksinitsheart,\"
finishedPriscilla。
JanewhisperedtoDianathatshereallycouldnotunderstandwhattheyweretalkingabout。Couldshe?
Thegirlswenthomebythelightofacalmgoldensunset,theirbasketsfilledwithnarcissusblossomsfromHester’sgarden,someofwhichAnnecarriedtothecemeterynextdayandlaiduponHester’sgrave。Minstrelrobinswerewhistlinginthefirsandthefrogsweresinginginthemarshes。Allthebasinsamongthehillswerebrimmedwithtopazandemeraldlight。
\"Well,wehavehadalovelytimeafterall,\"saidDiana,asifshehadhardlyexpectedtohaveitwhenshesetout。
\"Ithasbeenatrulygoldenday,\"saidPriscilla。
\"I’mreallyawfullyfondofthewoodsmyself,\"saidJane。
Annesaidnothing。ShewaslookingafarintothewesternskyandthinkingoflittleHesterGray。
XIV
ADangerAvertedAnne,walkinghomefromthepostofficeoneFridayevening,wasjoinedbyMrs。Lynde,whowasasusualcumberedwithallthecaresofchurchandstate。
\"I’vejustbeendowntoTimothyCotton’stoseeifIcouldgetAliceLouisetohelpmeforafewdays,\"shesaid。\"Ihadherlastweek,for,thoughshe’stooslowtostopquick,she’sbetterthannobody。Butshe’ssickandcan’tcome。Timothy’ssittingthere,too,coughingandcomplaining。He’sbeendyingfortenyearsandhe’llgoondyingfortenyearsmore。Thatkindcan’tevendieandhavedonewithit……theycan’tsticktoanything,eventobeingsick,longenoughtofinishit。They’reaterribleshiftlessfamilyandwhatistobecomeofthemIdon’tknow,butperhapsProvidencedoes。\"
Mrs。LyndesighedasifsheratherdoubtedtheextentofProvidentialknowledgeonthesubject。
\"MarillawasinabouthereyesagainTuesday,wasn’tshe?
Whatdidthespecialistthinkofthem?\"shecontinued。
\"Hewasmuchpleased,\"saidAnnebrightly。\"Hesaysthereisagreatimprovementinthemandhethinksthedangerofherlosinghersightcompletelyispast。Buthesaysshe’llneverbeabletoreadmuchordoanyfinehand-workagain。Howareyourpreparationsforyourbazaarcomingon?\"
TheLadies’AidSocietywaspreparingforafairandsupper,andMrs。Lyndewastheheadandfrontoftheenterprise。
\"Prettywell……andthatremindsme。Mrs。Allanthinksitwouldbenicetofixupaboothlikeanold-timekitchenandserveasupperofbakedbeans,doughnuts,pie,andsoon。
We’recollectingold-fashionedfixingseverywhere。Mrs。
SimonFletcherisgoingtolendushermother’sbraidedrugsandMrs。LeviBoultersomeoldchairsandAuntMaryShawwilllendushercupboardwiththeglassdoors。IsupposeMarillawillletushaveherbrasscandlesticks?Andwewantalltheolddisheswecanget。Mrs。Allanisspeciallysetonhavingarealbluewillowwareplatterifwecanfindone。Butnobodyseemstohaveone。Doyouknowwherewecouldgetone?\"
\"MissJosephineBarryhasone。I’llwriteandaskherifshe’lllenditfortheoccasion,\"saidAnne。
\"Well,Iwishyouwould。Iguesswe’llhavethesupperinaboutafortnight’stime。UncleAbeAndrewsisprophesyingrainandstormsforaboutthattime;andthat’saprettysuresignwe’llhavefineweather。\"
Thesaid\"UncleAbe,\"itmaybementioned,wasatleastlikeotherprophetsinthathehadsmallhonorinhisowncountry。
Hewas,infact,consideredinthelightofastandingjoke,forfewofhisweatherpredictionswereeverfulfilled。
Mr。ElishaWright,wholaboredundertheimpressionthathewasalocalwit,usedtosaythatnobodyinAvonleaeverthoughtoflookingintheCharlottetowndailiesforweatherprobabilities。No;theyjustaskedUncleAbewhatitwasgoingtobetomorrowandexpectedtheopposite。
Nothingdaunted,UncleAbekeptonprophesying。
\"Wewanttohavethefairoverbeforetheelectioncomesoff,\"
continuedMrs。Lynde,\"forthecandidateswillbesuretocomeandspendlotsofmoney。TheToriesarebribingrightandleft,sotheymightaswellbegivenachancetospendtheirmoneyhonestlyforonce。\"
Annewasared-hotConservative,outofloyaltytoMatthew’smemory,butshesaidnothing。SheknewbetterthantogetMrs。Lyndestartedonpolitics。ShehadaletterforMarilla,postmarkedfromatowninBritishColumbia。
\"It’sprobablyfromthechildren’suncle,\"shesaidexcitedly,whenshegothome。\"Oh,Marilla,Iwonderwhathesaysaboutthem。\"
\"Thebestplanmightbetoopenitandsee,\"saidMarillacurtly。
Acloseobservermighthavethoughtthatshewasexcitedalso,butshewouldratherhavediedthanshowit。
Annetoreopentheletterandglancedoverthesomewhatuntidyandpoorlywrittencontents。
\"Hesayshecan’ttakethechildrenthisspring……he’sbeensickmostofthewinterandhisweddingisputoff。Hewantstoknowifwecankeepthemtillthefallandhe’lltryandtakethemthen。
Wewill,ofcourse,won’tweMarilla?\"
\"Idon’tseethatthereisanythingelseforustodo,\"saidMarillarathergrimly,althoughshefeltasecretrelief。
\"Anyhowthey’renotsomuchtroubleastheywere……orelsewe’vegotusedtothem。Davyhasimprovedagreatdeal。\"
\"HisMANNERSarecertainlymuchbetter,\"saidAnnecautiously,asifshewerenotpreparedtosayasmuchforhismorals。
Annehadcomehomefromschoolthepreviousevening,tofindMarillaawayatanAidmeeting,Doraasleeponthekitchensofa,andDavyinthesittingroomcloset,blissfullyabsorbingthecontentsofajarofMarilla’sfamousyellowplumpreserves……
\"companyjam,\"Davycalledit……whichhehadbeenforbiddentotouch。HelookedveryguiltywhenAnnepouncedonhimandwhiskedhimoutofthecloset。
\"DavyKeith,don’tyouknowthatitisverywrongofyoutobeeatingthatjam,whenyouweretoldnevertomeddlewithanythinginTHATcloset?\"
\"Yes,Iknewitwaswrong,\"admittedDavyuncomfortably,\"butplumjamisawfulnice,Anne。IjustpeepedinanditlookedsogoodI
thoughtI’dtakejustaweenytaste。Istuckmyfingerin……\"
Annegroaned……\"andlickeditclean。AnditwassomuchgooderthanI’deverthoughtthatIgotaspoonandjustSAILEDIN。\"
AnnegavehimsuchaseriouslectureonthesinofstealingplumjamthatDavybecameconsciencestrickenandpromisedwithrepentantkissesnevertodoitagain。
\"Anyhow,there’llbeplentyofjaminheaven,that’sonecomfort,\"
hesaidcomplacently。
Annenippedasmileinthebud。
\"Perhapstherewill……ifwewantit,\"shesaid,\"Butwhatmakesyouthinkso?\"
\"Why,it’sinthecatechism,\"saidDavy。
\"Oh,no,thereisnothinglikeTHATinthecatechism,Davy。\"
\"ButItellyouthereis,\"persistedDavy。\"ItwasinthatquestionMarillataughtmelastSunday。`WhyshouldweloveGod?’
Itsays,`BecauseHemakespreserves,andredeemsus。’Preservesisjustaholywayofsayingjam。\"
\"Imustgetadrinkofwater,\"saidAnnehastily。WhenshecamebackitcosthersometimeandtroubletoexplaintoDavythatacertaincommainthesaidcatechismquestionmadeagreatdealofdifferenceinthemeaning。
\"Well,Ithoughtitwastoogoodtobetrue,\"hesaidatlast,withasighofdisappointedconviction。\"Andbesides,Ididn’tseewhenHe’dfindtimetomakejamifit’soneendlessSabbathday,asthehymnsays。Idon’tbelieveIwanttogotoheaven。Won’tthereeverbeanySaturdaysinheaven,Anne?\"
\"Yes,Saturdays,andeveryotherkindofbeautifuldays。Andeverydayinheavenwillbemorebeautifulthantheonebeforeit,Davy,\"
assuredAnne,whowasrathergladthatMarillawasnotbytobeshocked。
Marilla,itisneedlesstosay,wasbringingthetwinsupinthegoodoldwaysoftheologyanddiscouragedallfancifulspeculationsthereupon。
DavyandDoraweretaughtahymn,acatechismquestion,andtwoBibleverseseverySunday。Doralearnedmeeklyandrecitedlikealittlemachine,withperhapsasmuchunderstandingorinterestasifshewereone。Davy,onthecontrary,hadalivelycuriosity,andfrequentlyaskedquestionswhichmadeMarillatrembleforhisfate。
\"ChesterSloanesayswe’lldonothingallthetimeinheavenbutwalkaroundinwhitedressesandplayonharps;andhesayshehopeshewon’thavetogotillhe’sanoldman,’causemaybehe’lllikeitbetterthen。AndhethinksitwillbehorridtoweardressesandIthinksotoo。Whycan’tmenangelsweartrousers,Anne?ChesterSloaneisinterestedinthosethings,’causethey’regoingtomakeaministerofhim。He’sgottobeaminister’causehisgrandmotherleftthemoneytosendhimtocollegeandhecan’thaveitunlessheisaminister。Shethoughtaministerwassucha’spectablethingtohaveinafamily。Chestersayshedoesn’tmindmuch……thoughhe’dratherbeablacksmith……buthe’sboundtohaveallthefunhecanbeforehebeginstobeaminister,’causehedoesn’texpecttohavemuchafterwards。Iain’tgoingtobeaminister。I’mgoingtobeastorekeeper,likeMr。Blair,andkeepheapsofcandyandbananas。ButI’dratherlikegoingtoyourkindofaheavenifthey’dletmeplayamouthorganinsteadofaharp。
Doyous’posetheywould?\"
\"Yes,Ithinktheywouldifyouwantedit,\"wasallAnnecouldtrustherselftosay。
TheA。V。I。S。metatMr。HarmonAndrews’thateveningandafullattendancehadbeenrequested,sinceimportantbusinesswastobediscussed。TheA。V。I。S。wasinaflourishingcondition,andhadalreadyaccomplishedwonders。EarlyinthespringMr。MajorSpencerhadredeemedhispromiseandhadstumped,graded,andseededdownalltheroadfrontofhisfarm。Adozenothermen,somepromptedbyadeterminationnottoletaSpencergetaheadofthem,othersgoadedintoactionbyImproversintheirownhouseholds,hadfollowedhisexample。Theresultwasthattherewerelongstripsofsmoothvelvetturfwhereoncehadbeenunsightlyundergrowthorbrush。Thefarmfrontsthathadnotbeendonelookedsobadlybycontrastthattheirownersweresecretlyshamedintoresolvingtoseewhattheycoulddoanotherspring。
Thetriangleofgroundatthecrossroadshadalsobeenclearedandseededdown,andAnne’sbedofgeraniums,unharmedbyanymaraudingcow,wasalreadysetoutinthecenter。
Altogether,theImproversthoughtthattheyweregettingonbeautifully,evenifMr。LeviBoulter,tactfullyapproachedbyacarefullyselectedcommitteeinregardtotheoldhouseonhisupperfarm,didbluntlytellthemthathewasn’tgoingtohaveitmeddledwith。
Atthisespecialmeetingtheyintendedtodrawupapetitiontotheschooltrustees,humblyprayingthatafencebeputaroundtheschoolgrounds;andaplanwasalsotobediscussedforplantingafewornamentaltreesbythechurch,ifthefundsofthesocietywouldpermitofit……for,asAnnesaid,therewasnouseinstartinganothersubscriptionaslongasthehallremainedblue。
ThememberswereassembledintheAndrews’parlorandJanewasalreadyonherfeettomovetheappointmentofacommitteewhichshouldfindoutandreportonthepriceofsaidtrees,whenGertiePyesweptin,pompadouredandfrilledwithinaninchofherlife。
Gertiehadahabitofbeinglate……\"tomakeherentrancemoreeffective,\"spitefulpeoplesaid。Gertie’sentranceinthisinstancewascertainlyeffective,forshepauseddramaticallyonthemiddleofthefloor,threwupherhands,rolledhereyes,andexclaimed,\"I’vejustheardsomethingperfectlyawful。
WhatDOyouthink?Mr。JudsonParkerISGOINGTORENTALL
THEROADFENCEOFHISFARMTOAPATENTMEDICINECOMPANYTO
PAINTADVERTISEMENTSON。\"
ForonceinherlifeGertiePyemadeallthesensationshedesired。
IfshehadthrownabombamongthecomplacentImproversshecouldhardlyhavemademore。
\"ItCAN’Tbetrue,\"saidAnneblankly。
\"That’sjustwhat_I_saidwhenIhearditfirst,don’tyouknow,\"
saidGertie,whowasenjoyingherselfhugely。\"_I_saiditcouldn’tbetrue……thatJudsonParkerwouldn’thavetheHEARTtodoit,don’tyouknow。ButfathermethimthisafternoonandaskedhimaboutitandhesaiditWAStrue。Justfancy!Hisfarmisside-ontotheNewbridgeroadandhowperfectlyawfulitwilllooktoseeadvertisementsofpillsandplastersallalongit,don’tyouknow?\"
TheImproversDIDknow,alltoowell。Eventheleastimaginativeamongthemcouldpicturethegrotesqueeffectofhalfamileofboardfenceadornedwithsuchadvertisements。Allthoughtofchurchandschoolgroundsvanishedbeforethisnewdanger。
Parliamentaryrulesandregulationswereforgotten,andAnne,indespair,gaveuptryingtokeepminutesatall。Everybodytalkedatonceandfearfulwasthehubbub。
\"Oh,letuskeepcalm,\"imploredAnne,whowasthemostexcitedofthemall,\"andtrytothinkofsomewayofpreventinghim。\"
\"Idon’tknowhowyou’regoingtopreventhim,\"exclaimedJanebitterly。
\"EverybodyknowswhatJudsonParkeris。He’ddoANYTHINGformoney。
Hehasn’taSPARKofpublicspiritorANYsenseofthebeautiful。\"
Theprospectlookedratherunpromising。JudsonParkerandhissisterweretheonlyParkersinAvonlea,sothatnoleveragecouldbeexertedbyfamilyconnections。MarthaParkerwasaladyofalltoocertainagewhodisapprovedofyoungpeopleingeneralandtheImproversinparticular。Judsonwasajovial,smooth-spokenman,souniformlygoodnaturedandblandthatitwassurprisinghowfewfriendshehad。Perhapshehadgotthebetterintoomanybusinesstransactions……whichseldommakesforpopularity。Hewasreputedtobevery\"sharp\"anditwasthegeneralopinionthathe\"hadn’tmuchprinciple。\"
\"IfJudsonParkerhasachanceto`turnanhonestpenny,’ashesayshimself,he’llneverloseit,\"declaredFredWright。
\"IsthereNOBODYwhohasanyinfluenceoverhim?\"askedAnnedespairingly。
\"HegoestoseeLouisaSpenceratWhiteSands,\"suggestedCarrieSloane。\"Perhapsshecouldcoaxhimnottorenthisfences。\"
\"Notshe,\"saidGilbertemphatically。\"IknowLouisaSpencerwell。
Shedoesn’t`believe’inVillageImprovementSocieties,butsheDOESbelieveindollarsandcents。She’dbemorelikelytourgeJudsononthantodissuadehim。\"
\"Theonlythingtodoistoappointacommitteetowaitonhimandprotest,\"
saidJuliaBell,\"andyoumustsendgirls,forhe’dhardlybeciviltoboys……but_I_won’tgo,sonobodyneednominateme。\"
\"BettersendAnnealone,\"saidOliverSloane。\"ShecantalkJudsonoverifanybodycan。\"
Anneprotested。Shewaswillingtogoanddothetalking;butshemusthaveotherswithher\"formoralsupport。\"DianaandJanewerethereforeappointedtosupporthermorallyandtheImproversbrokeup,buzzinglikeangrybeeswithindignation。Annewassoworriedthatshedidn’tsleepuntilnearlymorning,andthenshedreamedthatthetrusteeshadputafencearoundtheschoolandpainted\"TryPurplePills\"alloverit。
ThecommitteewaitedonJudsonParkerthenextafternoon。AnnepleadedeloquentlyagainsthisnefariousdesignandJaneandDianasupportedhermorallyandvaliantly。Judsonwassleek,suave,flattering;
paidthemseveralcomplimentsofthedelicacyofsunflowers;
feltrealbadtorefusesuchcharmingyoungladies……butbusinesswasbusiness;couldn’taffordtoletsentimentstandinthewaythesehardtimes。
\"ButI’lltellwhatIWILLdo,\"hesaid,withatwinkleinhislight,fulleyes。\"I’lltelltheagenthemustuseonlyhandsome,tastycolors……redandyellowandsoon。I’lltellhimhemustn’tpainttheadsBLUEonanyaccount。\"