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。"