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。"