Ithink，asyousay，Anne，thattherearebetterwaysofmanagingasarule，andthatcorporalpunishmentshouldbealastresort。
Butontheotherhand，asJanesays，Ibelievethereisanoccasionalchildwhocan’tbeinfluencedinanyotherwayandwho，inshort，needsawhippingandwouldbeimprovedbyit。Corporalpunishmentasalastresortistobemyrule。"
Gilbert，havingtriedtopleasebothsides，succeeded，asisusualandeminentlyright，inpleasingneither。Janetossedherhead。
"I’llwhipmypupilswhenthey’renaughty。It’stheshortestandeasiestwayofconvincingthem。"
AnnegaveGilbertadisappointedglance。
"Ishallneverwhipachild，"sherepeatedfirmly。"Ifeelsureitisn’teitherrightornecessary。"
"Supposeaboysaucedyoubackwhenyoutoldhimtodosomething？"
saidJane。
"I’dkeephiminafterschoolandtalkkindlyandfirmlytohim，"
saidAnne。"Thereissomegoodineverypersonifyoucanfindit。
Itisateacher’sdutytofindanddevelopit。ThatiswhatourSchoolManagementprofessoratQueen’stoldus，youknow。Doyousupposeyoucouldfindanygoodinachildbywhippinghim？It’sfarmoreimportanttoinfluencethechildrenarightthanitiseventoteachthemthethreeR’s，ProfessorRenniesays。"
"ButtheInspectorexaminestheminthethreeR’s，mindyou，andhewon’tgiveyouagoodreportiftheydon’tcomeuptohisstandard，"protestedJane。
"I’dratherhavemypupilslovemeandlookbacktomeinafteryearsasarealhelperthanbeontherollofhonor，"assertedAnnedecidedly。
"Wouldn’tyoupunishchildrenatall，whentheymisbehaved？"askedGilbert。
"Oh，yes，IsupposeIshallhaveto，althoughIknowI’llhatetodoit。Butyoucankeeptheminatrecessorstandthemonthefloororgivethemlinestowrite。"
"Isupposeyouwon’tpunishthegirlsbymakingthemsitwiththeboys？"
saidJaneslyly。
GilbertandAnnelookedateachotherandsmiledratherfoolishly。
Onceuponatime，AnnehadbeenmadetositwithGilbertforpunishmentandsadandbitterhadbeentheconsequencesthereof。
"Well，timewilltellwhichisthebestway，"saidJanephilosophicallyastheyparted。
AnnewentbacktoGreenGablesbywayofBirchPath，shadowy，rustling，fern-scented，throughVioletValeandpastWillowmere，wheredarkandlightkissedeachotherunderthefirs，anddownthroughLover’sLane……spotssheandDianahadsonamedlongago。Shewalkedslowly，enjoyingthesweetnessofwoodandfieldandthestarrysummertwilight，andthinkingsoberlyaboutthenewdutiesshewastotakeuponthemorrow。WhenshereachedtheyardatGreenGablesMrs。Lynde’sloud，decidedtonesfloatedoutthroughtheopenkitchenwindow。
"Mrs。Lyndehascomeuptogivemegoodadviceabouttomorrow，"
thoughtAnnewithagrimace，"butIdon’tbelieveI’llgoin。
Heradviceismuchlikepepper，Ithink……excellentinsmallquantitiesbutratherscorchinginherdoses。I’llrunoverandhaveachatwithMr。Harrisoninstead。"
ThiswasnotthefirsttimeAnnehadrunoverandchattedwithMr。
HarrisonsincethenotableaffairoftheJerseycow。ShehadbeenthereseveraleveningsandMr。Harrisonandshewereverygoodfriends，althoughthereweretimesandseasonswhenAnnefoundtheoutspokennessonwhichhepridedhimselfrathertrying。Gingerstillcontinuedtoregardherwithsuspicion，andneverfailedtogreethersarcasticallyas"redheadedsnippet。"Mr。HarrisonhadtriedvainlytobreakhimofthehabitbyjumpingexcitedlyupwheneverhesawAnnecomingandexclaiming，"Blessmysoul，here’sthatprettylittlegirlagain，"orsomethingequallyflattering。ButGingersawthroughtheschemeandscornedit。AnnewasnevertoknowhowmanycomplimentsMr。Harrisonpaidherbehindherback。Hecertainlyneverpaidheranytoherface。
"Well，Isupposeyou’vebeenbackinthewoodslayinginasupplyofswitchesfortomorrow？"washisgreetingasAnnecameuptheverandasteps。
"No，indeed，"saidAnneindignantly。Shewasanexcellenttargetforteasingbecauseshealwaystookthingssoseriously。"Ishallneverhaveaswitchinmyschool，Mr。Harrison。Ofcourse，Ishallhavetohaveapointer，butIshalluseitforpointingONLY。"
"Soyoumeantostraptheminstead？Well，Idon’tknowbutyou’reright。
Aswitchstingsmoreatthetimebutthestrapsmartslonger，that’safact。"
"Ishallnotuseanythingofthesort。I’mnotgoingtowhipmypupils。"
"Blessmysoul，"exclaimedMr。Harrisoningenuineastonishment，"howdoyoulayouttokeeporderthen？"
"Ishallgovernbyaffection，Mr。Harrison。"
"Itwon’tdo，"saidMr。Harrison，"won’tdoatall，Anne。
`Sparetherodandspoilthechild。’WhenIwenttoschoolthemasterwhippedmeregulareverydaybecausehesaidifIwasn’tinmischiefjustthenIwasplottingit。"
"Methodshavechangedsinceyourschooldays，Mr。Harrison。"
"Buthumannaturehasn’t。Markmywords，you’llnevermanagetheyoungfryunlessyoukeeparodinpickleforthem。Thethingisimpossible。"
"Well，I’mgoingtotrymywayfirst，"saidAnne，whohadafairlystrongwillofherownandwasapttoclingverytenaciouslytohertheories。
"You’reprettystubborn，Ireckon，"wasMr。Harrison’swayofputtingit。"Well，well，we’llsee。Somedaywhenyougetriledup……andpeoplewithhairlikeyoursaredesperateapttogetriled……you’llforgetallyourprettylittlenotionsandgivesomeofthemawhaling。You’retooyoungtobeteachinganyhow……fartooyoungandchildish。"
Altogether，Annewenttobedthatnightinaratherpessimisticmood。
ShesleptpoorlyandwassopaleandtragicatbreakfastnextmorningthatMarillawasalarmedandinsistedonmakinghertakeacupofscorchinggingertea。Annesippeditpatiently，althoughshecouldnotimaginewhatgoodgingerteawoulddo。Haditbeensomemagicbrew，potenttoconferageandexperience，Annewouldhaveswallowedaquartofitwithoutflinching。
"Marilla，whatifIfail！"
"You’llhardlyfailcompletelyinonedayandthere’splentymoredayscoming，"saidMarilla。"Thetroublewithyou，Anne，isthatyou’llexpecttoteachthosechildreneverythingandreformalltheirfaultsrightoff，andifyoucan’tyou’llthinkyou’vefailed。"
V
AFull-fledgedSchoolma’amWhenAnnereachedtheschoolthatmorning……forthefirsttimeinherlifeshehadtraversedtheBirchPathdeafandblindtoitsbeauties……allwasquietandstill。Theprecedingteacherhadtrainedthechildrentobeintheirplacesatherarrival，andwhenAnneenteredtheschoolroomshewasconfrontedbyprimrowsof"shiningmorningfaces"andbright，inquisitiveeyes。Shehungupherhatandfacedherpupils，hopingthatshedidnotlookasfrightenedandfoolishasshefeltandthattheywouldnotperceivehowshewastrembling。
Shehadsatupuntilnearlytwelvetheprecedingnightcomposingaspeechshemeanttomaketoherpupilsuponopeningtheschool。
Shehadrevisedandimproveditpainstakingly，andthenshehadlearneditoffbyheart。Itwasaverygoodspeechandhadsomeveryfineideasinit，especiallyaboutmutualhelpandearneststrivingafterknowledge。Theonlytroublewasthatshecouldnotnowrememberawordofit。
Afterwhatseemedtoherayear……abouttensecondsinreality……shesaidfaintly，"TakeyourTestaments，please，"andsankbreathlesslyintoherchairundercoveroftherustleandclatterofdesklidsthatfollowed。WhilethechildrenreadtheirversesAnnemarshalledhershakywitsintoorderandlookedoverthearrayoflittlepilgrimstotheGrownupLand。
Mostofthemwere，ofcourse，quitewellknowntoher。Herownclassmateshadpassedoutintheprecedingyearbuttheresthadallgonetoschoolwithher，exceptingtheprimerclassandtennewcomerstoAvonlea。Annesecretlyfeltmoreinterestinthesetenthaninthosewhosepossibilitieswerealreadyfairlywellmappedouttoher。Tobesure，theymightbejustascommonplaceastherest；butontheotherhandthereMIGHTbeageniusamongthem。Itwasathrillingidea。
SittingbyhimselfatacornerdeskwasAnthonyPye。Hehadadark，sullenlittleface，andwasstaringatAnnewithahostileexpressioninhisblackeyes。Anneinstantlymadeuphermindthatshewouldwinthatboy’saffectionanddiscomfitthePyesutterly。
IntheothercorneranotherstrangeboywassittingwithArtySloane……ajollylookinglittlechap，withasnubnose，freckledface，andbig，lightblueeyes，fringedwithwhitishlashes……
probablytheDonNELLboy；andifresemblancewentforanything，hissisterwassittingacrosstheaislewithMaryBell。Annewonderedwhatsortofmotherthechildhad，tosendhertoschooldressedasshewas。Sheworeafadedpinksilkdress，trimmedwithagreatdealofcottonlace，soiledwhitekidslippers，andsilkstockings。Hersandyhairwastorturedintoinnumerablekinkyandunnaturalcurls，surmountedbyaflamboyantbowofpinkribbonbiggerthanherhead。Judgingfromherexpressionshewasverywellsatisfiedwithherself。
Apalelittlething，withsmoothripplesoffine，silky，fawn-coloredhairflowingoverhershoulders，must，Annethought，beAnnettaBell，whoseparentshadformerlylivedintheNewbridgeschooldistrict，but，byreasonofhaulingtheirhousefiftyyardsnorthofitsoldsitewerenowinAvonlea。ThreepallidlittlegirlscrowdedintooneseatwerecertainlyCottons；andtherewasnodoubtthatthesmallbeautywiththelongbrowncurlsandhazeleyes，whowascastingcoquettishlooksatJackGillsovertheedgeofherTestament，wasPrillieRogerson，whosefatherhadrecentlymarriedasecondwifeandbroughtPrilliehomefromhergrandmother’sinGrafton。Atall，awkwardgirlinabackseat，whoseemedtohavetoomanyfeetandhands，Annecouldnotplaceatall，butlaterondiscoveredthathernamewasBarbaraShawandthatshehadcometolivewithanAvonleaaunt。ShewasalsotofindthatifBarbaraevermanagedtowalkdowntheaislewithoutfallingoverherownorsomebodyelse’sfeettheAvonleascholarswrotetheunusualfactupontheporchwalltocommemorateit。
ButwhenAnne’seyesmetthoseoftheboyatthefrontdeskfacingherown，aqueerlittlethrillwentoverher，asifshehadfoundhergenius。SheknewthismustbePaulIrvingandthatMrs。RachelLyndehadbeenrightforoncewhensheprophesiedthathewouldbeunliketheAvonleachildren。Morethanthat，Annerealizedthathewasunlikeotherchildrenanywhere，andthattherewasasoulsubtlyakintoherowngazingatheroutoftheverydarkblueeyesthatwerewatchinghersointently。
SheknewPaulwastenbuthelookednomorethaneight。Hehadthemostbeautifullittlefaceshehadeverseeninachild……
featuresofexquisitedelicacyandrefinement，framedinahaloofchestnutcurls。Hismouthwasdelicious，beingfullwithoutpouting，thecrimsonlipsjustsoftlytouchingandcurvingintofinelyfinishedlittlecornersthatnarrowlyescapedbeingdimpled。
Hehadasober，grave，meditativeexpression，asifhisspiritwasmucholderthanhisbody；butwhenAnnesmiledsoftlyathimitvanishedinasuddenansweringsmile，whichseemedanilluminationofhiswholebeing，asifsomelamphadsuddenlykindledintoflameinsideofhim，irradiatinghimfromtoptotoe。Bestofall，itwasinvoluntary，bornofnoexternaleffortormotive，butsimplytheoutflashingofahiddenpersonality，rareandfineandsweet。
WithaquickinterchangeofsmilesAnneandPaulwerefastfriendsforeverbeforeawordhadpassedbetweenthem。
Thedaywentbylikeadream。Annecouldneverclearlyrecallitafterwards。Italmostseemedasifitwerenotshewhowasteachingbutsomebodyelse。Sheheardclassesandworkedsumsandsetcopiesmechanically。Thechildrenbehavedquitewell；onlytwocasesofdisciplineoccurred。MorleyAndrewswascaughtdrivingapairoftrainedcricketsintheaisle。AnnestoodMorleyontheplatformforanhourand……whichMorleyfeltmuchmorekeenly……
confiscatedhiscrickets。SheputtheminaboxandonthewayfromschoolsetthemfreeinVioletVale；butMorleybelieved，thenandeverafterwards，thatshetookthemhomeandkeptthemforherownamusement。
TheotherculpritwasAnthonyPye，whopouredthelastdropsofwaterfromhisslatebottledownthebackofAureliaClay’sneck。
AnnekeptAnthonyinatrecessandtalkedtohimaboutwhatwasexpectedofgentlemen，admonishinghimthattheyneverpouredwaterdownladies’necks。Shewantedallherboystobegentlemen，shesaid。
Herlittlelecturewasquitekindandtouching；butunfortunatelyAnthonyremainedabsolutelyuntouched。Helistenedtoherinsilence，withthesamesullenexpression，andwhistledscornfullyashewentout。
Annesighed；andthencheeredherselfupbyrememberingthatwinningaPye’saffections，likethebuildingofRome，wasn’ttheworkofaday。
Infact，itwasdoubtfulwhethersomeofthePyeshadanyaffectionstowin；butAnnehopedbetterthingsofAnthony，wholookedasifhemightbearatherniceboyifoneevergotbehindhissullenness。
WhenschoolwasdismissedandthechildrenhadgoneAnnedroppedwearilyintoherchair。Herheadachedandshefeltwoefullydiscouraged。Therewasnorealreasonfordiscouragement，sincenothingverydreadfulhadoccurred；butAnnewasverytiredandinclinedtobelievethatshewouldneverlearntoliketeaching。
Andhowterribleitwouldbetobedoingsomethingyoudidn’tlikeeverydayfor……well，sayfortyyears。Annewasoftwomindswhethertohavehercryoutthenandthere，orwaittillshewassafelyinherownwhiteroomathome。Beforeshecoulddecidetherewasaclickofheelsandasilkenswishontheporchfloor，andAnnefoundherselfconfrontedbyaladywhoseappearancemadeherrecallarecentcriticismofMr。Harrison’sonanoverdressedfemalehehadseeninaCharlottetownstore。"Shelookedlikeahead-oncollisionbetweenafashionplateandanightmare。"
Thenewcomerwasgorgeouslyarrayedinapalebluesummersilk，puffed，frilled，andshirredwhereverpuff，frill，orshirringcouldpossiblybeplaced。Herheadwassurmountedbyahugewhitechiffonhat，bedeckedwiththreelongbutratherstringyostrichfeathers。Aveilofpinkchiffon，lavishlysprinkledwithhugeblackdots，hunglikeaflouncefromthehatbrimtohershouldersandfloatedoffintwoairystreamersbehindher。Sheworeallthejewelrythatcouldbecrowdedononesmallwoman，andaverystrongodorofperfumeattendedher。
"IamMrs。DonNELL……Mrs。H。B。DonNELL，"announcedthisvision，"andIhavecomeintoseeyouaboutsomethingClariceAlmiratoldmewhenshecamehometodinnertoday。ItannoyedmeEXCESSIVELY。"
"I’msorry，"falteredAnne，vainlytryingtorecollectanyincidentofthemorningconnectedwiththeDonnellchildren。
"ClariceAlmiratoldmethatyoupronouncedournameDONnell。Now，MissShirley，thecorrectpronunciationofournameisDonNELL……
accentonthelastsyllable。Ihopeyou’llrememberthisinfuture。"
"I’lltryto，"gaspedAnne，chokingbackawilddesiretolaugh。
"Iknowbyexperiencethatit’sveryunpleasanttohaveone’snameSPELLEDwrongandIsupposeitmustbeevenworsetohaveitpronouncedwrong。"
"Certainlyitis。AndClariceAlmiraalsoinformedmethatyoucallmysonJacob。"
"HetoldmehisnamewasJacob，"protestedAnne。
"Imightwellhaveexpectedthat，"saidMrs。H。B。Donnell，inatonewhichimpliedthatgratitudeinchildrenwasnottobelookedforinthisdegenerateage。"Thatboyhassuchplebeiantastes，MissShirley。WhenhewasbornIwantedtocallhimSt。Clair……itsoundsSOaristocratic，doesn’tit？ButhisfatherinsistedheshouldbecalledJacobafterhisuncle。Iyielded，becauseUncleJacobwasaricholdbachelor。Andwhatdoyouthink，MissShirley？WhenourinnocentboywasfiveyearsoldUncleJacobactuallywentandgotmarriedandnowhehasthreeboysofhisown。Didyoueverhearofsuchingratitude？Themomenttheinvitationtothewedding……forhehadtheimpertinencetosendusaninvitation，MissShirley……cametothehouseIsaid，`NomoreJacobsforme，thankyou。’FromthatdayIcalledmysonSt。
ClairandSt。ClairIamdeterminedheshallbecalled。HisfatherobstinatelycontinuestocallhimJacob，andtheboyhimselfhasaperfectlyunaccountablepreferenceforthevulgarname。
ButSt。ClairheisandSt。Clairheshallremain。Youwillkindlyrememberthis，MissShirley，willyounot？THANKyou。ItoldClariceAlmirathatIwassureitwasonlyamisunderstandingandthatawordwouldsetitright。Donnell……accentonthelastsyllable……andSt。Clair……onnoaccountJacob。You’llremember？
THANKyou。"
WhenMrs。H。B。DonNELLhadskimmedawayAnnelockedtheschooldoorandwenthome。AtthefootofthehillshefoundPaulIrvingbytheBirchPath。HeheldouttoheraclusterofthedaintylittlewildorchidswhichAvonleachildrencalled"ricelillies。"
"Please，teacher，IfoundtheseinMr。Wright’sfield，"hesaidshyly，"andIcamebacktogivethemtoyoubecauseIthoughtyouwerethekindofladythatwouldlikethem，andbecause……"heliftedhisbigbeautifuleyes……"Ilikeyou，teacher。"
"Youdarling，"saidAnne，takingthefragrantspikes。AsifPaul’swordshadbeenaspellofmagic，discouragementandwearinesspassedfromherspirit，andhopeupwelledinherheartlikeadancingfountain。ShewentthroughtheBirchPathlight-footedly，attendedbythesweetnessofherorchidsasbyabenediction。
"Well，howdidyougetalong？"Marillawantedtoknow。
"AskmethatamonthlaterandImaybeabletotellyou。Ican’tnow……Idon’tknowmyself……I’mtoonearit。Mythoughtsfeelasiftheyhadbeenallstirredupuntiltheywerethickandmuddy。TheonlythingIfeelreallysureofhavingaccomplishedtodayisthatItaughtCliffieWrightthatAisA。Heneverknewitbefore。Isn’titsomethingtohavestartedasoulalongapaththatmayendinShakespeareandParadiseLost？"
Mrs。Lyndecameuplateronwithmoreencouragement。Thatgoodladyhadwaylaidtheschoolchildrenathergateanddemandedofthemhowtheylikedtheirnewteacher。
"Andeveryoneofthemsaidtheylikedyousplendid，Anne，exceptAnthonyPye。Imustadmithedidn’t。Hesaidyou`weren’tanygood，justlikeallgirlteachers。’There’sthePyeleavenforyou。
Butnevermind。"
"I’mnotgoingtomind，"saidAnnequietly，"andI’mgoingtomakeAnthonyPyelikemeyet。Patienceandkindnesswillsurelywinhim。"
"Well，youcannevertellaboutaPye，"saidMrs。Rachelcautiously。
"Theygobycontraries，likedreams，oftenasnot。AsforthatDonNELLwoman，she’llgetnoDonNELLingfromme，Icanassureyou。
ThenameisDONnellandalwayshasbeen。Thewomaniscrazy，that’swhat。
ShehasapugdogshecallsQueenieandithasitsmealsatthetablealongwiththefamily，eatingoffachinaplate。I’dbeafraidofajudgmentifIwasher。ThomassaysDonnellhimselfisasensible，hard-workingman，buthehadn’tmuchgumptionwhenhepickedoutawife，that’swhat。"
VI
AllSortsandConditionsofMen……andwomenASeptemberdayonPrinceEdwardIslandhills；acrispwindblowingupoverthesanddunesfromthesea；alongredroad，windingthroughfieldsandwoods，nowloopingitselfaboutacornerofthicksetspruces，nowthreadingaplantationofyoungmapleswithgreatfeatherysheetsoffernsbeneaththem，nowdippingdownintoahollowwhereabrookflashedoutofthewoodsandintothemagain，nowbaskinginopensunshinebetweenribbonsofgolden-rodandsmoke-blueasters；airathrillwiththepipingsofmyriadsofcrickets，thosegladlittlepensionersofthesummerhills；aplumpbrownponyamblingalongtheroad；twogirlsbehindhim，fulltothelipswiththesimple，pricelessjoyofyouthandlife。
"Oh，thisisadayleftoverfromEden，isn’tit，Diana？"……andAnnesighedforsheerhappiness。"Theairhasmagicinit。Lookatthepurpleinthecupoftheharvestvalley，Diana。Andoh，dosmellthedyingfir！It’scomingupfromthatlittlesunnyhollowwhereMr。EbenWrighthasbeencuttingfencepoles。Blissisitonsuchadaytobealive；buttosmelldyingfirisveryheaven。
That’stwothirdsWordsworthandonethirdAnneShirley。Itdoesn’tseempossiblethatthereshouldbedyingfirinheaven，doesit？Andyetitdoesn’tseemtomethatheavenwouldbequiteperfectifyoucouldn’tgetawhiffofdeadfirasyouwentthroughitswoods。Perhapswe’llhavetheodortherewithoutthedeath。
Yes，Ithinkthatwillbetheway。Thatdeliciousaromamustbethesoulsofthefirs……andofcourseitwillbejustsoulsinheaven。"
"Treeshaven’tsouls，"saidpracticalDiana，"butthesmellofdeadfiriscertainlylovely。I’mgoingtomakeacushionandfillitwithfirneedles。You’dbettermakeonetoo，Anne。"
"IthinkIshall……anduseitformynaps。I’dbecertaintodreamIwasadryadorawoodnymphthen。ButjustthisminuteI’mwellcontenttobeAnneShirley，Avonleaschoolma’am，drivingoveraroadlikethisonsuchasweet，friendlyday。"
"It’salovelydaybutwehaveanythingbutalovelytaskbeforeus，"
sighedDiana。"Whyonearthdidyouoffertocanvassthisroad，Anne？
AlmostallthecranksinAvonlealivealongit，andwe’llprobablybetreatedasifwewerebeggingforourselves。It’stheveryworstroadofall。"
"ThatiswhyIchoseit。OfcourseGilbertandFredwouldhavetakenthisroadifwehadaskedthem。Butyousee，Diana，IfeelmyselfresponsiblefortheA。V。I。S。，sinceIwasthefirsttosuggestit，anditseemstomethatIoughttodothemostdisagreeablethings。I’msorryonyouraccount；butyouneedn’tsayawordatthecrankyplaces。I’lldoallthetalking……
Mrs。LyndewouldsayIwaswellableto。Mrs。Lyndedoesn’tknowwhethertoapproveofourenterpriseornot。Sheinclinesto，whensheremembersthatMr。andMrs。Allanareinfavorofit；
butthefactthatvillageimprovementsocietiesfirstoriginatedintheStatesisacountagainstit。SosheishaltingbetweentwoopinionsandonlysuccesswilljustifyusinMrs。Lynde’seyes。
PriscillaisgoingtowriteapaperforournextImprovementmeeting，andIexpectitwillbegood，forherauntissuchacleverwriterandnodoubtitrunsinthefamily。IshallneverforgetthethrillitgavemewhenIfoundoutthatMrs。CharlotteE。MorganwasPriscilla’saunt。
ItseemedsowonderfulthatIwasafriendofthegirlwhoseauntwrote`EdgewoodDays’and`TheRosebudGarden。’"
"WheredoesMrs。Morganlive？"
"InToronto。AndPriscillasayssheiscomingtotheIslandforavisitnextsummer，andifitispossiblePriscillaisgoingtoarrangetohaveusmeether。Thatseemsalmosttoogoodtobetrue——butit’ssomethingpleasanttoimagineafteryougotobed。"
TheAvonleaVillageImprovementSocietywasanorganizedfact。
GilbertBlythewaspresident，FredWrightvice-president，AnneShirleysecretary，andDianaBarrytreasurer。The"Improvers，"astheywerepromptlychristened，weretomeetonceafortnightatthehomesofthemembers。Itwasadmittedthattheycouldnotexpecttoaffectmanyimprovementssolateintheseason；buttheymeanttoplanthenextsummer’scampaign，collectanddiscussideas，writeandreadpapers，and，asAnnesaid，educatethepublicsentimentgenerally。
Therewassomedisapproval，ofcourse，and……whichtheImproversfeltmuchmorekeenly……agooddealofridicule。Mr。ElishaWrightwasreportedtohavesaidthatamoreappropriatenamefortheorganizationwouldbeCourtingClub。Mrs。HiramSloanedeclaredshehadheardtheImproversmeanttoploughupalltheroadsidesandsetthemoutwithgeraniums。Mr。LeviBoulterwarnedhisneighborsthattheImproverswouldinsistthateverybodypulldownhishouseandrebuilditafterplansapprovedbythesociety。
Mr。JamesSpencersentthemwordthathewishedtheywouldkindlyshoveldownthechurchhill。EbenWrighttoldAnnethathewishedtheImproverscouldinduceoldJosiahSloanetokeephiswhiskerstrimmed。
Mr。LawrenceBellsaidhewouldwhitewashhisbarnsifnothingelsewouldpleasethembuthewouldNOThanglacecurtainsinthecowstablewindows。
Mr。MajorSpenceraskedCliftonSloane，anImproverwhodrovethemilktotheCarmodycheesefactory，ifitwastruethateverybodywouldhavetohavehismilk-standhand-paintednextsummerandkeepanembroideredcenterpieceonit。
Inspiteof……orperhaps，humannaturebeingwhatitis，becauseof……this，theSocietywentgamelytoworkattheonlyimprovementtheycouldhopetobringaboutthatfall。Atthesecondmeeting，intheBarryparlor，OliverSloanemovedthattheytartasubscriptiontore-shingleandpaintthehall；JuliaBellsecondedit，withanuneasyfeelingthatshewasdoingsomethingnotexactlyladylike。
Gilbertputthemotion，itwascarriedunanimously，andAnnegravelyrecordeditinherminutes。Thenextthingwastoappointacommittee，andGertiePye，determinednottoletJuliaBellcarryoffallthelaurels，boldlymovedthatMissJaneAndrewsbechairmanofsaidcommittee。
Thismotionbeingalsodulysecondedandcarried，JanereturnedthecomplimentbyappointingGertieonthecommittee，alongwithGilbert，Anne，Diana，andFredWright。Thecommitteechosetheirroutesinprivateconclave。AnneandDianaweretoldofffortheNewbridgeroad，GilbertandFredfortheWhiteSandsroad，andJaneandGertiefortheCarmodyroad。
"Because，"explainedGilberttoAnne，astheywalkedhometogetherthroughtheHauntedWood，"thePyesalllivealongthatroadandtheywon’tgiveacentunlessoneofthemselvescanvassesthem。"
ThenextSaturdayAnneandDianastartedout。Theydrovetotheendoftheroadandcanvassedhomeward，callingfirstonthe"Andrewgirls。"
"IfCatherineisalonewemaygetsomething，"saidDiana，"butifElizaistherewewon’t。"
Elizawasthere……verymuchso……andlookedevengrimmerthanusual。MissElizawasoneofthosepeoplewhogiveyoutheimpressionthatlifeisindeedavaleoftears，andthatasmile，nevertospeakofalaugh，isawasteofnervousenergytrulyreprehensible。TheAndrewgirlshadbeen"girls"forfiftyoddyearsandseemedlikelytoremaingirlstotheendoftheirearthlypilgrimage。Catherine，itwassaid，hadnotentirelygivenuphope，butEliza，whowasbornapessimist，hadneverhadany。TheylivedinalittlebrownhousebuiltinasunnycornerscoopedoutofMarkAndrew’sbeechwoods。Elizacomplainedthatitwasterriblehotinsummer，butCatherinewaswonttosayitwaslovelyandwarminwinter。
Elizawassewingpatchwork，notbecauseitwasneededbutsimplyasaprotestagainstthefrivolouslaceCatherinewascrocheting。
ElizalistenedwithafrownandCatherinewithasmile，asthegirlsexplainedtheirerrand。Tobesure，wheneverCatherinecaughtEliza’seyeshediscardedthesmileinguiltyconfusion；
butitcreptbackthenextmoment。
"IfIhadmoneytowaste，"saidElizagrimly，"I’dburnitupandhavethefunofseeingablazemaybe；butIwouldn’tgiveittothathall，notacent。It’snobenefittothesettlement……justaplaceforyoungfolkstomeetandcarryonwhenthey’sbetterbehomeintheirbeds。"
"Oh，Eliza，youngfolksmusthavesomeamusement，"protestedCatherine。
"Idon’tseethenecessity。Wedidn’tgadabouttohallsandplaceswhenwewereyoung，CatherineAndrews。Thisworldisgettingworseeveryday"
"Ithinkit’sgettingbetter，"saidCatherinefirmly。
"YOUthink！"MissEliza’svoiceexpressedtheutmostcontempt。
"Itdoesn’tsignifywhatyouTHINK，CatherineAndrews。Factsisfacts。"
"Well，Ialwaysliketolookonthebrightside，Eliza。"
"Thereisn’tanybrightside。"
"Oh，indeedthereis，"criedAnne，whocouldn’tenduresuchheresyinsilence。"Why，thereareeversomanybrightsides，MissAndrews。
It’sreallyabeautifulworld。"
"Youwon’thavesuchahighopinionofitwhenyou’velivedaslonginitasIhave，"retortedMissElizasourly，"andyouwon’tbesoenthusiasticaboutimprovingiteither。Howisyourmother，Diana？
Dearme，butshehasfailedoflate。Shelooksterriblerundown。
AndhowlongisitbeforeMarillaexpectstobestoneblind，Anne？"
"Thedoctorthinkshereyeswillnotgetanyworseifsheisverycareful，"falteredAnne。
Elizashookherhead。
"Doctorsalwaystalklikethatjusttokeeppeoplecheeredup。Iwouldn’thavemuchhopeifIwasher。It’sbesttobepreparedfortheworst。"
"Butoughtn’twebepreparedforthebesttoo？"pleadedAnne。
"It’sjustaslikelytohappenastheworst。"
"Notinmyexperience，andI’vefifty-sevenyearstosetagainstyoursixteen，"retortedEliza。"Going，areyou？Well，IhopethisnewsocietyofyourswillbeabletokeepAvonleafromrunninganyfurtherdownhillbutIhaven’tmuchhopeofit。"
AnneandDianagotthemselvesthankfullyout，anddroveawayasfastasthefatponycouldgo。AstheyroundedthecurvebelowthebeechwoodaplumpfigurecamespeedingoverMr。Andrews’pasture，wavingtothemexcitedly。ItwasCatherineAndrewsandshewassooutofbreaththatshecouldhardlyspeak，butshethrustacoupleofquartersintoAnne’shand。
"That’smycontributiontopaintingthehall，"shegasped。"I’dliketogiveyouadollarbutIdon’tdaretakemorefrommyeggmoneyforElizawouldfinditoutifIdid。I’mrealinterestedinyoursocietyandIbelieveyou’regoingtodoalotofgood。
I’manoptimist。IHAVEtobe，livingwithEliza。Imusthurrybackbeforeshemissesme……shethinksI’mfeedingthehens。
Ihopeyou’llhavegoodluckcanvassing，anddon’tbecastdownoverwhatElizasaid。TheworldISgettingbetter……itcertainlyis。"
ThenexthousewasDanielBlair’s。
"Now，italldependsonwhetherhiswifeishomeornot，"saidDiana，astheyjoltedalongadeep-ruttedlane。"Ifsheiswewon’tgetacent。
EverybodysaysDanBlairdoesn’tdarehavehishaircutwithoutaskingherpermission；andit’scertainshe’sveryclose，tostateitmoderately。
Shesaysshehastobejustbeforeshe’sgenerous。ButMrs。Lyndesaysshe’ssomuch`before’thatgenerositynevercatchesupwithheratall。"
AnnerelatedtheirexperienceattheBlairplacetoMarillathatevening。
"Wetiedthehorseandthenrappedatthekitchendoor。
Nobodycamebutthedoorwasopenandwecouldhearsomebodyinthepantry，goingondreadfully。Wecouldn’tmakeoutthewordsbutDianasayssheknowstheywereswearingbythesoundofthem。
Ican’tbelievethatofMr。Blair，forheisalwayssoquietandmeek；
butatleasthehadgreatprovocation，forMarilla，whenthatpoormancametothedoor，redasabeet，withperspirationstreamingdownhisface，hehadononeofhiswife’sbigginghamaprons。`Ican’tgetthisdurnedthingoff，’hesaid，`forthestringsaretiedinahardknotandIcan’tbust’em，soyou’llhavetoexcuseme，ladies。’
Webeggedhimnottomentionitandwentinandsatdown。Mr。Blairsatdowntoo；hetwistedtheapronaroundtohisbackandrolleditup，buthedidlooksoashamedandworriedthatIfeltsorryforhim，andDianasaidshefearedwehadcalledataninconvenienttime。
`Oh，notatall，’saidMr。Blair，tryingtosmile……youknowheisalwaysverypolite……’I’malittlebusy……gettingreadytobakeacakeasitwere。MywifegotatelegramtodaythathersisterfromMontrealiscomingtonightandshe’sgonetothetraintomeetherandleftordersformetomakeacakefortea。
ShewritouttherecipeandtoldmewhattodobutI’vecleanforgothalfthedirectionsalready。Anditsays，"flavoraccordingtotaste。"
Whatdoesthatmean？Howcanyoutell？Andwhatifmytastedoesn’thappentobeotherpeople’staste？Wouldatablespoonofvanillabeenoughforasmalllayercake？"
"Ifeltsorrierthaneverforthepoorman。Hedidn’tseemtobeinhispropersphereatall。IhadheardofhenpeckedhusbandsandnowIfeltthatIsawone。Itwasonmylipstosay，`Mr。Blair，ifyou’llgiveusasubscriptionforthehallI’llmixupyourcakeforyou。’ButIsuddenlythoughtitwouldn’tbeneighborlytodrivetoosharpabargainwithafellowcreatureindistress。SoI
offeredtomixthecakeforhimwithoutanyconditionsatall。
Hejustjumpedatmyoffer。Hesaidhe’dbeenusedtomakinghisownbreadbeforehewasmarriedbuthefearedcakewasbeyondhim，andyethehatedtodisappointhiswife。Hegotmeanotherapron，andDianabeattheeggsandImixedthecake。Mr。Blairranaboutandgotusthematerials。HehadforgottenallabouthisapronandwhenheranitstreamedoutbehindhimandDianasaidshethoughtshewoulddietoseeit。Hesaidhecouldbakethecakeallright……hewasusedtothat……andthenheaskedforourlistandheputdownfourdollars。Soyouseewewererewarded。Butevenifhehadn’tgivenacentI’dalwaysfeelthatwehaddoneatrulyChristianactinhelpinghim。"
TheodoreWhite’swasthenextstoppingplace。NeitherAnnenorDianahadeverbeentherebefore，andtheyhadonlyaveryslightacquaintancewithMrs。Theodore，whowasnotgiventohospitality。
Shouldtheygotothebackorfrontdoor？WhiletheyheldawhisperedconsultationMrs。Theodoreappearedatthefrontdoorwithanarmfulofnewspapers。Deliberatelyshelaidthemdownonebyoneontheporchfloorandtheporchsteps，andthendownthepathtotheveryfeetofhermystifiedcallers。
"Willyoupleasewipeyourfeetcarefullyonthegrassandthenwalkonthesepapers？"shesaidanxiously。"I’vejustsweptthehousealloverandIcan’thaveanymoredusttrackedin。
Thepath’sbeenrealmuddysincetherainyesterday。"
"Don’tyoudarelaugh，"warnedAnneinawhisper，astheymarchedalongthenewspapers。"AndIimploreyou，Diana，nottolookatme，nomatterwhatshesays，orIshallnotbeabletokeepasoberface。"
Thepapersextendedacrossthehallandintoaprim，flecklessparlor。
AnneandDianasatdowngingerlyonthenearestchairsandexplainedtheirerrand。Mrs。Whiteheardthempolitely，interruptingonlytwice，oncetochaseoutanadventurousfly，andoncetopickupatinywispofgrassthathadfallenonthecarpetfromAnne’sdress。Annefeltwretchedlyguilty；butMrs。Whitesubscribedtwodollarsandpaidthemoneydown……"topreventusfromhavingtogobackforit，"
Dianasaidwhentheygotaway。Mrs。Whitehadthenewspapersgatheredupbeforetheyhadtheirhorseuntiedandastheydroveoutoftheyardtheysawherbusilywieldingabroominthehall。
"I’vealwaysheardthatMrs。TheodoreWhitewastheneatestwomanaliveandI’llbelieveitafterthis，"saidDiana，givingwaytohersuppressedlaughterassoonasitwassafe。
"Iamgladshehasnochildren，"saidAnnesolemnly。"Itwouldbedreadfulbeyondwordsforthemifshehad。"
AttheSpencers’Mrs。IsabellaSpencermadethemmiserablebysayingsomethingill-naturedabouteveryoneinAvonlea。Mr。ThomasBoulterrefusedtogiveanythingbecausethehall，whenithadbeenbuilt，twentyyearsbefore，hadn’tbeenbuiltonthesiteherecommended。
Mrs。EstherBell，whowasthepictureofhealth，tookhalfanhourtodetailallherachesandpains，andsadlyputdownfiftycentsbecauseshewouldn’tbetherethattimenextyeartodoit……no，shewouldbeinhergrave。
Theirworstreception，however，wasatSimonFletcher’s。Whentheydroveintotheyardtheysawtwofacespeeringatthemthroughtheporchwindow。Butalthoughtheyrappedandwaitedpatientlyandpersistentlynobodycametothedoor。TwodecidedlyruffledandindignantgirlsdroveawayfromSimonFletcher’s。EvenAnneadmittedthatshewasbeginningtofeeldiscouraged。Butthetideturnedafterthat。SeveralSloanehomesteadscamenext，wheretheygotliberalsubscriptions，andfromthattotheendtheyfaredwell，withonlyanoccasionalsnub。TheirlastplaceofcallwasatRobertDickson’sbythepondbridge。Theystayedtoteahere，althoughtheywerenearlyhome，ratherthanriskoffendingMrs。
Dickson，whohadthereputationofbeingavery"touchy"woman。
WhiletheywerethereoldMrs。JamesWhitecalledin。
"I’vejustbeendowntoLorenzo’s，"sheannounced。"He’stheproudestmaninAvonleathisminute。Whatdoyouthink？There’sabrandnewboythere……andaftersevengirlsthat’squiteanevent，Icantellyou。"Anneprickedupherears，andwhentheydroveawayshesaid。
"I’mgoingstraighttoLorenzoWhite’s。"
"ButhelivesontheWhiteSandsroadandit’squiteadistanceoutofour，way"protestedDiana。"GilbertandFredwillcanvasshim。"
"TheyarenotgoingarounduntilnextSaturdayanditwillbetoolatebythen，"saidAnnefirmly。"Thenoveltywillbewornoff。
LorenzoWhiteisdreadfullymeanbuthewillsubscribetoANYTHING
justnow。Wemustn’tletsuchagoldenopportunityslip，Diana。"
TheresultjustifiedAnne’sforesight。Mr。Whitemetthemintheyard，beaminglikethesunuponanEasterday。WhenAnneaskedforasubscriptionheagreedenthusiastically。
"Certain，certain。Justputmedownforadollarmorethanthehighestsubscriptionyou’vegot。"
"Thatwillbefivedollars……Mr。DanielBlairputdownfour，"
saidAnne，halfafraid。ButLorenzodidnotflinch。
"Fiveitis……andhere’sthemoneyonthespot。Now，Iwantyoutocomeintothehouse。There’ssomethinginthereworthseeing……
somethingveryfewpeoplehaveseenasyet。JustcomeinandpassYOURopinion。"
"Whatwillwesayifthebabyisn’tpretty？"whisperedDianaintrepidationastheyfollowedtheexcitedLorenzointothehouse。
"Oh，therewillcertainlybesomethingelsenicetosayaboutit，"
saidAnneeasily。"Therealwaysisaboutababy。"
ThebabyWASpretty，however，andMr。Whitefeltthathegothisfivedollars’worthofthegirls’honestdelightovertheplumplittlenewcomer。Butthatwasthefirst，last，andonlytimethatLorenzoWhiteeversubscribedtoanything。
Anne，tiredasshewas，madeonemoreeffortforthepublicwealthatnight，slippingoverthefieldstointerviewMr。Harrison，whowasasusualsmokinghispipeontheverandawithGingerbesidehim。
StricklyspeakinghewasontheCarmodyroad；butJaneandGertie，whowerenotacquaintedwithhimsavebydoubtfulreport，hadnervouslybeggedAnnetocanvasshim。
Mr。Harrison，however，flatlyrefusedtosubscribeacent，andallAnne’swileswereinvain。
"ButIthoughtyouapprovedofoursociety，Mr。Harrison，"shemourned。
"SoIdo……soIdo……butmyapprovaldoesn’tgoasdeepasmypocket，Anne。"
"AfewmoreexperiencessuchasIhavehadtodaywouldmakemeasmuchofapessimistasMissElizaAndrews，"Annetoldherreflectionintheeastgablemirroratbedtime。
VII
ThePointingofDutyAnneleanedbackinherchaironemildOctobereveningandsighed。
Shewassittingatatablecoveredwithtextbooksandexercises，butthecloselywrittensheetsofpaperbeforeherhadnoapparentconnectionwithstudiesorschoolwork。
"Whatisthematter？"askedGilbert，whohadarrivedattheopenkitchendoorjustintimetohearthesigh。
Annecolored，andthrustherwritingoutofsightundersomeschoolcompositions。
"Nothingverydreadful。Iwasjusttryingtowriteoutsomeofmythoughts，asProfessorHamiltonadvisedme，butIcouldn’tgetthemtopleaseme。Theyseemsostillandfoolishdirectlythey’rewrittendownonwhitepaperwithblackink。Fanciesarelikeshadows……
youcan’tcagethem，they’resuchwayward，dancingthings。
ButperhapsI’lllearnthesecretsomedayifIkeepontrying。
Ihaven’tagreatmanysparemoments，youknow。BythetimeI
finishcorrectingschoolexercisesandcompositions，Idon’talwaysfeellikewritinganyofmyown。"
"Youaregettingonsplendidlyinschool，Anne。Allthechildrenlikeyou，"saidGilbert，sittingdownonthestonestep。
"No，notall。AnthonyPyedoesn’tandWON’Tlikeme。Whatisworse，hedoesn’trespectme……no，hedoesn’t。HesimplyholdsmeincontemptandIdon’tmindconfessingtoyouthatitworriesmemiserably。
Itisn’tthatheissoverybad……heisonlyrathermischievous，butnoworsethansomeoftheothers。Heseldomdisobeysme；butheobeyswithascornfulairoftolerationasifitwasn’tworthwhiledisputingthepointorhewould……andithasabadeffectontheothers。
I’vetriedeverywaytowinhimbutI’mbeginningtofearInevershall。
Iwantto，forhe’sratheracutelittlelad，ifheISaPye，andI
couldlikehimifhe’dletme。"
"Probablyit’smerelytheeffectofwhathehearsathome。"
"Notaltogether。Anthonyisanindependentlittlechapandmakesuphisownmindaboutthings。Hehasalwaysgonetomenbeforeandhesaysgirlteachersarenogood。Well，we’llseewhatpatienceandkindnesswilldo。Ilikeovercomingdifficultiesandteachingisreallyveryinterestingwork。PaulIrvingmakesupforallthatislackingintheothers。Thatchildisaperfectdarling，Gilbert，andageniusintothebargain。I’mpersuadedtheworldwillhearofhimsomeday，"concludedAnneinatoneofconviction。
"Iliketeaching，too，"saidGilbert。"It’sgoodtraining，foronething。
Why，Anne，I’velearnedmoreintheweeksI’vebeenteachingtheyoungtheideasofWhiteSandsthanIlearnedinalltheyearsIwenttoschoolmyself。
Weallseemtobegettingonprettywell。TheNewbridgepeoplelikeJane，Ihear；andIthinkWhiteSandsistolerablysatisfiedwithyourhumbleservant……allexceptMr。AndrewSpencer。ImetMrs。PeterBlewettonmywayhomelastnightandshetoldmeshethoughtitherdutytoinformmethatMr。Spencerdidn’tapproveofmymethods。"
"Haveyouevernoticed，"askedAnnereflectively，"thatwhenpeoplesayitistheirdutytotellyouacertainthingyoumayprepareforsomethingdisagreeable？Whyisitthattheyneverseemtothinkitadutytotellyouthepleasantthingstheyhearaboutyou？
Mrs。H。B。DonNELLcalledattheschoolagainyesterdayandtoldmeshethoughtitHERdutytoinformmethatMrs。HarmonAndrewdidn’tapproveofmyreadingfairytalestothechildren，andthatMr。RogersonthoughtPrilliewasn’tcomingonfastenoughinarithmetic。IfPrilliewouldspendlesstimemakingeyesattheboysoverherslateshemightdobetter。IfeelquitesurethatJackGillisworksherclasssumsforher，thoughI’veneverbeenabletocatchhimred-handed。"
"HaveyousucceededinreconcilingMrs。DonNELL’shopefulsontohissaintlyname？"
"Yes，"laughedAnne，"butitwasreallyadifficulttask。Atfirst，whenIcalledhim`St。Clair’hewouldnottaketheleastnoticeuntilI’dspokentwoorthreetimes；andthen，whentheotherboysnudgedhim，hewouldlookupwithsuchanaggrievedair，asifI’dcalledhimJohnorCharlieandhecouldn’tbeexpectedtoknowImeanthim。SoIkepthiminafterschoolonenightandtalkedkindlytohim。ItoldhimhismotherwishedmetocallhimSt。ClairandIcouldn’tgoagainstherwishes。Hesawitwhenitwasallexplainedout……he’sreallyaveryreasonablelittlefellow……andhesaid_I_couldcallhimSt。Clairbutthathe’d`lickthestuffing’outofanyoftheboysthattriedit。
Ofcourse，Ihadtorebukehimagainforusingsuchshockinglanguage。
Sincethen_I_callhimSt。ClairandtheboyscallhimJakeandallgoessmoothly。Heinformsmethathemeanstobeacarpenter，butMrs。DonNELLsaysIamtomakeacollegeprofessoroutofhim。"
ThementionofcollegegaveanewdirectiontoGilbert’sthoughts，andtheytalkedforatimeoftheirplansandwishes……gravely，earnestly，hopefully，asyouthlovestotalk，whilethefutureisyetanuntroddenpathfullofwonderfulpossibilities。
Gilberthadfinallymadeuphismindthathewasgoingtobeadoctor。
"It’sasplendidprofession，"hesaidenthusiastically。"Afellowhastofightsomethingallthroughlife……didn’tsomebodyoncedefinemanasafightinganimal？……andIwanttofightdiseaseandpainandignorance……whichareallmembersoneofanother。
Iwanttodomyshareofhonest，realworkintheworld，Anne……
addalittletothesumofhumanknowledgethatallthegoodmenhavebeenaccumulatingsinceitbegan。ThefolkswholivedbeforemehavedonesomuchformethatIwanttoshowmygratitudebydoingsomethingforthefolkswhowillliveafterme。Itseemstomethatistheonlywayafellowcangetsquarewithhisobligationstotherace。"
"I’dliketoaddsomebeautytolife，"saidAnnedreamily。"Idon’texactlywanttomakepeopleKNOWmore……thoughIknowthatISthenoblestambition……butI’dlovetomakethemhaveapleasantertimebecauseofme……tohavesomelittlejoyorhappythoughtthatwouldneverhaveexistedifIhadn’tbeenborn。"
"Ithinkyou’refulfillingthatambitioneveryday，"saidGilbertadmiringly。
Andhewasright。Annewasoneofthechildrenoflightbybirthright。
Aftershehadpassedthroughalifewithasmileorawordthrownacrossitlikeagleamofsunshinetheownerofthatlifesawit，forthetimebeingatleast，ashopefulandlovelyandofgoodreport。
FinallyGilbertroseregretfully。
"Well，ImustrunuptoMacPhersons’。MoodySpurgeoncamehomefromQueen’stodayforSundayandhewastobringmeoutabookProfessorBoydislendingme。"
"AndImustgetMarilla’stea。ShewenttoseeMrs。Keiththiseveningandshewillsoonbeback。"
AnnehadteareadywhenMarillacamehome；thefirewascracklingcheerily，avaseoffrost-bleachedfernsandruby-redmapleleavesadornedthetable，anddelectableodorsofhamandtoastpervadedtheair。ButMarillasankintoherchairwithadeepsigh。
"Areyoureyestroublingyou？Doesyourheadache？"queriedAnneanxiously。
"No。I’monlytired……andworried。It’saboutMaryandthosechildren……Maryisworse……shecan’tlastmuchlonger。Andasforthetwins，_I_don’tknowwhatistobecomeofthem。"
"Hasn’ttheirunclebeenheardfrom？"
"Yes，Maryhadaletterfromhim。He’sworkinginalumbercampand`shackingit，’whateverthatmeans。Anyway，hesayshecan’tpossiblytakethechildrentillthespring。Heexpectstobemarriedthenandwillhaveahometotakethemto；buthesaysshemustgetsomeoftheneighborstokeepthemforthewinter。
Shesaysshecan’tbeartoaskanyofthem。MarynevergotonanytoowellwiththeEastGraftonpeopleandthat’safact。
Andthelongandshortofitis，Anne，thatI’msureMarywantsmetotakethosechildren……shedidn’tsaysobutsheLOOKEDit。"
"Oh！"Anneclaspedherhands，allathrillwithexcitement。
"Andofcourseyouwill，Marilla，won’tyou？"
"Ihaven’tmadeupmymind，"saidMarillarathertartly。"Idon’trushintothingsinyourheadlongway，Anne。Thirdcousinshipisaprettyslimclaim。Anditwillbeafearfulresponsibilitytohavetwochildrenofsixyearstolookafter……twins，atthat。"
Marillahadanideathattwinswerejusttwiceasbadassinglechildren。
"Twinsareveryinteresting……atleastonepairofthem，"saidAnne。
"It’sonlywhentherearetwoorthreepairsthatitgetsmonotonous。
AndIthinkitwouldberealniceforyoutohavesomethingtoamuseyouwhenI’mawayinschool。"
"Idon’treckonthere’dbemuchamusementinit……moreworryandbotherthananythingelse，Ishouldsay。Itwouldn’tbesoriskyiftheywereevenasoldasyouwerewhenItookyou。Iwouldn’tmindDorasomuch……sheseemsgoodandquiet。ButthatDavyisalimb。"
AnnewasfondofchildrenandherheartyearnedovertheKeithtwins。
Theremembranceofherownneglectedchildhoodwasveryvividwithherstill。SheknewthatMarilla’sonlyvulnerablepointwashersterndevotiontowhatshebelievedtobeherduty，andAnneskillfullymarshalledherargumentsalongthisline。
"IfDavyisnaughtyit’sallthemorereasonwhyheshouldhavegoodtraining，isn’tit，Marilla？Ifwedon’ttakethemwedon’tknowwhowill，norwhatkindofinfluencesmaysurroundthem。
SupposeMrs。Keith’snextdoorneighbors，theSprotts，weretotakethem。Mrs。LyndesaysHenrySprottisthemostprofanemanthateverlivedandyoucan’tbelieveawordhischildrensay。
Wouldn’titbedreadfultohavethetwinslearnanythinglikethat？
OrsupposetheywenttotheWiggins’。Mrs。LyndesaysthatMr。
Wigginssellseverythingofftheplacethatcanbesoldandbringshisfamilyuponskimmilk。Youwouldn’tlikeyourrelationstobestarved，eveniftheywereonlythirdcousins，wouldyou？Itseemstome，Marilla，thatitisourdutytotakethem。"
"Isupposeitis，"assentedMarillagloomily。"IdaresayI’lltellMaryI’lltakethem。Youneedn’tlooksodelighted，Anne。Itwillmeanagooddealofextraworkforyou。Ican’tsewastitchonaccountofmyeyes，soyou’llhavetoseetothemakingandmendingoftheirclothes。Andyoudon’tlikesewing。"
"Ihateit，"saidAnnecalmly，"butifyouarewillingtotakethosechildrenfromasenseofdutysurelyIcandotheirsewingfromasenseofduty。Itdoespeoplegoodtohavetodothingstheydon’tlike……inmoderation。"
VIII
MarillaAdoptsTwinsMrs。RachelLyndewassittingatherkitchenwindow，knittingaquilt，justasshehadbeensittingoneeveningseveralyearspreviouslywhenMatthewCuthberthaddrivendownoverthehillwithwhatMrs。Rachelcalled"hisimportedorphan。"Butthathadbeeninspringtime；andthiswaslateautumn，andallthewoodswereleaflessandthefieldssereandbrown。ThesunwasjustsettingwithagreatdealofpurpleandgoldenpompbehindthedarkwoodswestofAvonleawhenabuggydrawnbyacomfortablebrownnagcamedownthehill。Mrs。Rachelpeeredatiteagerly。
"There’sMarillagettinghomefromthefuneral，"shesaidtoherhusband，whowaslyingonthekitchenlounge。ThomasLyndelaymoreontheloungenowadaysthanhehadbeenusedtodo，butMrs。
Rachel，whowassosharpatnoticinganythingbeyondherownhousehold，hadnotasyetnoticedthis。"Andshe’sgotthetwinswithher，……yes，there’sDavyleaningoverthedashboardgrabbingatthepony’stailandMarillajerkinghimback。
Dora’ssittingupontheseatasprimasyouplease。Shealwayslooksasifshe’djustbeenstarchedandironed。Well，poorMarillaisgoingtohaveherhandsfullthiswinterandnomistake。