第2章

Ithink，asyousay，Anne，thattherearebetterwaysofmanagingasarule，andthatcorporalpunishmentshouldbealastresort。

Butontheotherhand，asJanesays，Ibelievethereisanoccasionalchildwhocan’tbeinfluencedinanyotherwayandwho，inshort，needsawhippingandwouldbeimprovedbyit。Corporalpunishmentasalastresortistobemyrule。"

Gilbert，havingtriedtopleasebothsides，succeeded，asisusualandeminentlyright，inpleasingneither。Janetossedherhead。

"I’llwhipmypupilswhenthey’renaughty。It’stheshortestandeasiestwayofconvincingthem。"

AnnegaveGilbertadisappointedglance。

"Ishallneverwhipachild，"sherepeatedfirmly。"Ifeelsureitisn’teitherrightornecessary。"

"Supposeaboysaucedyoubackwhenyoutoldhimtodosomething？"

saidJane。

"I’dkeephiminafterschoolandtalkkindlyandfirmlytohim，"

saidAnne。"Thereissomegoodineverypersonifyoucanfindit。

Itisateacher’sdutytofindanddevelopit。ThatiswhatourSchoolManagementprofessoratQueen’stoldus，youknow。Doyousupposeyoucouldfindanygoodinachildbywhippinghim？It’sfarmoreimportanttoinfluencethechildrenarightthanitiseventoteachthemthethreeR’s，ProfessorRenniesays。"

"ButtheInspectorexaminestheminthethreeR’s，mindyou，andhewon’tgiveyouagoodreportiftheydon’tcomeuptohisstandard，"protestedJane。

"I’dratherhavemypupilslovemeandlookbacktomeinafteryearsasarealhelperthanbeontherollofhonor，"assertedAnnedecidedly。

"Wouldn’tyoupunishchildrenatall，whentheymisbehaved？"askedGilbert。

"Oh，yes，IsupposeIshallhaveto，althoughIknowI’llhatetodoit。Butyoucankeeptheminatrecessorstandthemonthefloororgivethemlinestowrite。"

"Isupposeyouwon’tpunishthegirlsbymakingthemsitwiththeboys？"

saidJaneslyly。

GilbertandAnnelookedateachotherandsmiledratherfoolishly。

Onceuponatime，AnnehadbeenmadetositwithGilbertforpunishmentandsadandbitterhadbeentheconsequencesthereof。

"Well，timewilltellwhichisthebestway，"saidJanephilosophicallyastheyparted。

AnnewentbacktoGreenGablesbywayofBirchPath，shadowy，rustling，fern-scented，throughVioletValeandpastWillowmere，wheredarkandlightkissedeachotherunderthefirs，anddownthroughLover’sLane……spotssheandDianahadsonamedlongago。Shewalkedslowly，enjoyingthesweetnessofwoodandfieldandthestarrysummertwilight，andthinkingsoberlyaboutthenewdutiesshewastotakeuponthemorrow。WhenshereachedtheyardatGreenGablesMrs。Lynde’sloud，decidedtonesfloatedoutthroughtheopenkitchenwindow。

"Mrs。Lyndehascomeuptogivemegoodadviceabouttomorrow，"

thoughtAnnewithagrimace，"butIdon’tbelieveI’llgoin。

Heradviceismuchlikepepper，Ithink……excellentinsmallquantitiesbutratherscorchinginherdoses。I’llrunoverandhaveachatwithMr。Harrisoninstead。"

ThiswasnotthefirsttimeAnnehadrunoverandchattedwithMr。

HarrisonsincethenotableaffairoftheJerseycow。ShehadbeenthereseveraleveningsandMr。Harrisonandshewereverygoodfriends，althoughthereweretimesandseasonswhenAnnefoundtheoutspokennessonwhichhepridedhimselfrathertrying。Gingerstillcontinuedtoregardherwithsuspicion，andneverfailedtogreethersarcasticallyas"redheadedsnippet。"Mr。HarrisonhadtriedvainlytobreakhimofthehabitbyjumpingexcitedlyupwheneverhesawAnnecomingandexclaiming，"Blessmysoul，here’sthatprettylittlegirlagain，"orsomethingequallyflattering。ButGingersawthroughtheschemeandscornedit。AnnewasnevertoknowhowmanycomplimentsMr。Harrisonpaidherbehindherback。Hecertainlyneverpaidheranytoherface。

"Well，Isupposeyou’vebeenbackinthewoodslayinginasupplyofswitchesfortomorrow？"washisgreetingasAnnecameuptheverandasteps。

"No，indeed，"saidAnneindignantly。Shewasanexcellenttargetforteasingbecauseshealwaystookthingssoseriously。"Ishallneverhaveaswitchinmyschool，Mr。Harrison。Ofcourse，Ishallhavetohaveapointer，butIshalluseitforpointingONLY。"

"Soyoumeantostraptheminstead？Well，Idon’tknowbutyou’reright。

Aswitchstingsmoreatthetimebutthestrapsmartslonger，that’safact。"

"Ishallnotuseanythingofthesort。I’mnotgoingtowhipmypupils。"

"Blessmysoul，"exclaimedMr。Harrisoningenuineastonishment，"howdoyoulayouttokeeporderthen？"

"Ishallgovernbyaffection，Mr。Harrison。"

"Itwon’tdo，"saidMr。Harrison，"won’tdoatall，Anne。

`Sparetherodandspoilthechild。’WhenIwenttoschoolthemasterwhippedmeregulareverydaybecausehesaidifIwasn’tinmischiefjustthenIwasplottingit。"

"Methodshavechangedsinceyourschooldays，Mr。Harrison。"

"Buthumannaturehasn’t。Markmywords，you’llnevermanagetheyoungfryunlessyoukeeparodinpickleforthem。Thethingisimpossible。"

"Well，I’mgoingtotrymywayfirst，"saidAnne，whohadafairlystrongwillofherownandwasapttoclingverytenaciouslytohertheories。

"You’reprettystubborn，Ireckon，"wasMr。Harrison’swayofputtingit。"Well，well，we’llsee。Somedaywhenyougetriledup……andpeoplewithhairlikeyoursaredesperateapttogetriled……you’llforgetallyourprettylittlenotionsandgivesomeofthemawhaling。You’retooyoungtobeteachinganyhow……fartooyoungandchildish。"

Altogether，Annewenttobedthatnightinaratherpessimisticmood。

ShesleptpoorlyandwassopaleandtragicatbreakfastnextmorningthatMarillawasalarmedandinsistedonmakinghertakeacupofscorchinggingertea。Annesippeditpatiently，althoughshecouldnotimaginewhatgoodgingerteawoulddo。Haditbeensomemagicbrew，potenttoconferageandexperience，Annewouldhaveswallowedaquartofitwithoutflinching。

"Marilla，whatifIfail！"

"You’llhardlyfailcompletelyinonedayandthere’splentymoredayscoming，"saidMarilla。"Thetroublewithyou，Anne，isthatyou’llexpecttoteachthosechildreneverythingandreformalltheirfaultsrightoff，andifyoucan’tyou’llthinkyou’vefailed。"

V

AFull-fledgedSchoolma’amWhenAnnereachedtheschoolthatmorning……forthefirsttimeinherlifeshehadtraversedtheBirchPathdeafandblindtoitsbeauties……allwasquietandstill。Theprecedingteacherhadtrainedthechildrentobeintheirplacesatherarrival，andwhenAnneenteredtheschoolroomshewasconfrontedbyprimrowsof"shiningmorningfaces"andbright，inquisitiveeyes。Shehungupherhatandfacedherpupils，hopingthatshedidnotlookasfrightenedandfoolishasshefeltandthattheywouldnotperceivehowshewastrembling。

Shehadsatupuntilnearlytwelvetheprecedingnightcomposingaspeechshemeanttomaketoherpupilsuponopeningtheschool。

Shehadrevisedandimproveditpainstakingly，andthenshehadlearneditoffbyheart。Itwasaverygoodspeechandhadsomeveryfineideasinit，especiallyaboutmutualhelpandearneststrivingafterknowledge。Theonlytroublewasthatshecouldnotnowrememberawordofit。

Afterwhatseemedtoherayear……abouttensecondsinreality……shesaidfaintly，"TakeyourTestaments，please，"andsankbreathlesslyintoherchairundercoveroftherustleandclatterofdesklidsthatfollowed。WhilethechildrenreadtheirversesAnnemarshalledhershakywitsintoorderandlookedoverthearrayoflittlepilgrimstotheGrownupLand。

Mostofthemwere，ofcourse，quitewellknowntoher。Herownclassmateshadpassedoutintheprecedingyearbuttheresthadallgonetoschoolwithher，exceptingtheprimerclassandtennewcomerstoAvonlea。Annesecretlyfeltmoreinterestinthesetenthaninthosewhosepossibilitieswerealreadyfairlywellmappedouttoher。Tobesure，theymightbejustascommonplaceastherest；butontheotherhandthereMIGHTbeageniusamongthem。Itwasathrillingidea。

SittingbyhimselfatacornerdeskwasAnthonyPye。Hehadadark，sullenlittleface，andwasstaringatAnnewithahostileexpressioninhisblackeyes。Anneinstantlymadeuphermindthatshewouldwinthatboy’saffectionanddiscomfitthePyesutterly。

IntheothercorneranotherstrangeboywassittingwithArtySloane……ajollylookinglittlechap，withasnubnose，freckledface，andbig，lightblueeyes，fringedwithwhitishlashes……

probablytheDonNELLboy；andifresemblancewentforanything，hissisterwassittingacrosstheaislewithMaryBell。Annewonderedwhatsortofmotherthechildhad，tosendhertoschooldressedasshewas。Sheworeafadedpinksilkdress，trimmedwithagreatdealofcottonlace，soiledwhitekidslippers，andsilkstockings。Hersandyhairwastorturedintoinnumerablekinkyandunnaturalcurls，surmountedbyaflamboyantbowofpinkribbonbiggerthanherhead。Judgingfromherexpressionshewasverywellsatisfiedwithherself。

Apalelittlething，withsmoothripplesoffine，silky，fawn-coloredhairflowingoverhershoulders，must，Annethought，beAnnettaBell，whoseparentshadformerlylivedintheNewbridgeschooldistrict，but，byreasonofhaulingtheirhousefiftyyardsnorthofitsoldsitewerenowinAvonlea。ThreepallidlittlegirlscrowdedintooneseatwerecertainlyCottons；andtherewasnodoubtthatthesmallbeautywiththelongbrowncurlsandhazeleyes，whowascastingcoquettishlooksatJackGillsovertheedgeofherTestament，wasPrillieRogerson，whosefatherhadrecentlymarriedasecondwifeandbroughtPrilliehomefromhergrandmother’sinGrafton。Atall，awkwardgirlinabackseat，whoseemedtohavetoomanyfeetandhands，Annecouldnotplaceatall，butlaterondiscoveredthathernamewasBarbaraShawandthatshehadcometolivewithanAvonleaaunt。ShewasalsotofindthatifBarbaraevermanagedtowalkdowntheaislewithoutfallingoverherownorsomebodyelse’sfeettheAvonleascholarswrotetheunusualfactupontheporchwalltocommemorateit。

ButwhenAnne’seyesmetthoseoftheboyatthefrontdeskfacingherown，aqueerlittlethrillwentoverher，asifshehadfoundhergenius。SheknewthismustbePaulIrvingandthatMrs。RachelLyndehadbeenrightforoncewhensheprophesiedthathewouldbeunliketheAvonleachildren。Morethanthat，Annerealizedthathewasunlikeotherchildrenanywhere，andthattherewasasoulsubtlyakintoherowngazingatheroutoftheverydarkblueeyesthatwerewatchinghersointently。

SheknewPaulwastenbuthelookednomorethaneight。Hehadthemostbeautifullittlefaceshehadeverseeninachild……

featuresofexquisitedelicacyandrefinement，framedinahaloofchestnutcurls。Hismouthwasdelicious，beingfullwithoutpouting，thecrimsonlipsjustsoftlytouchingandcurvingintofinelyfinishedlittlecornersthatnarrowlyescapedbeingdimpled。

Hehadasober，grave，meditativeexpression，asifhisspiritwasmucholderthanhisbody；butwhenAnnesmiledsoftlyathimitvanishedinasuddenansweringsmile，whichseemedanilluminationofhiswholebeing，asifsomelamphadsuddenlykindledintoflameinsideofhim，irradiatinghimfromtoptotoe。Bestofall，itwasinvoluntary，bornofnoexternaleffortormotive，butsimplytheoutflashingofahiddenpersonality，rareandfineandsweet。

WithaquickinterchangeofsmilesAnneandPaulwerefastfriendsforeverbeforeawordhadpassedbetweenthem。

Thedaywentbylikeadream。Annecouldneverclearlyrecallitafterwards。Italmostseemedasifitwerenotshewhowasteachingbutsomebodyelse。Sheheardclassesandworkedsumsandsetcopiesmechanically。Thechildrenbehavedquitewell；onlytwocasesofdisciplineoccurred。MorleyAndrewswascaughtdrivingapairoftrainedcricketsintheaisle。AnnestoodMorleyontheplatformforanhourand……whichMorleyfeltmuchmorekeenly……

confiscatedhiscrickets。SheputtheminaboxandonthewayfromschoolsetthemfreeinVioletVale；butMorleybelieved，thenandeverafterwards，thatshetookthemhomeandkeptthemforherownamusement。

TheotherculpritwasAnthonyPye，whopouredthelastdropsofwaterfromhisslatebottledownthebackofAureliaClay’sneck。

AnnekeptAnthonyinatrecessandtalkedtohimaboutwhatwasexpectedofgentlemen，admonishinghimthattheyneverpouredwaterdownladies’necks。Shewantedallherboystobegentlemen，shesaid。

Herlittlelecturewasquitekindandtouching；butunfortunatelyAnthonyremainedabsolutelyuntouched。Helistenedtoherinsilence，withthesamesullenexpression，andwhistledscornfullyashewentout。

Annesighed；andthencheeredherselfupbyrememberingthatwinningaPye’saffections，likethebuildingofRome，wasn’ttheworkofaday。

Infact，itwasdoubtfulwhethersomeofthePyeshadanyaffectionstowin；butAnnehopedbetterthingsofAnthony，wholookedasifhemightbearatherniceboyifoneevergotbehindhissullenness。

WhenschoolwasdismissedandthechildrenhadgoneAnnedroppedwearilyintoherchair。Herheadachedandshefeltwoefullydiscouraged。Therewasnorealreasonfordiscouragement，sincenothingverydreadfulhadoccurred；butAnnewasverytiredandinclinedtobelievethatshewouldneverlearntoliketeaching。

Andhowterribleitwouldbetobedoingsomethingyoudidn’tlikeeverydayfor……well，sayfortyyears。Annewasoftwomindswhethertohavehercryoutthenandthere，orwaittillshewassafelyinherownwhiteroomathome。Beforeshecoulddecidetherewasaclickofheelsandasilkenswishontheporchfloor，andAnnefoundherselfconfrontedbyaladywhoseappearancemadeherrecallarecentcriticismofMr。Harrison’sonanoverdressedfemalehehadseeninaCharlottetownstore。"Shelookedlikeahead-oncollisionbetweenafashionplateandanightmare。"

Thenewcomerwasgorgeouslyarrayedinapalebluesummersilk，puffed，frilled，andshirredwhereverpuff，frill，orshirringcouldpossiblybeplaced。Herheadwassurmountedbyahugewhitechiffonhat，bedeckedwiththreelongbutratherstringyostrichfeathers。Aveilofpinkchiffon，lavishlysprinkledwithhugeblackdots，hunglikeaflouncefromthehatbrimtohershouldersandfloatedoffintwoairystreamersbehindher。Sheworeallthejewelrythatcouldbecrowdedononesmallwoman，andaverystrongodorofperfumeattendedher。

"IamMrs。DonNELL……Mrs。H。B。DonNELL，"announcedthisvision，"andIhavecomeintoseeyouaboutsomethingClariceAlmiratoldmewhenshecamehometodinnertoday。ItannoyedmeEXCESSIVELY。"

"I’msorry，"falteredAnne，vainlytryingtorecollectanyincidentofthemorningconnectedwiththeDonnellchildren。

"ClariceAlmiratoldmethatyoupronouncedournameDONnell。Now，MissShirley，thecorrectpronunciationofournameisDonNELL……

accentonthelastsyllable。Ihopeyou’llrememberthisinfuture。"

"I’lltryto，"gaspedAnne，chokingbackawilddesiretolaugh。

"Iknowbyexperiencethatit’sveryunpleasanttohaveone’snameSPELLEDwrongandIsupposeitmustbeevenworsetohaveitpronouncedwrong。"

"Certainlyitis。AndClariceAlmiraalsoinformedmethatyoucallmysonJacob。"

"HetoldmehisnamewasJacob，"protestedAnne。

"Imightwellhaveexpectedthat，"saidMrs。H。B。Donnell，inatonewhichimpliedthatgratitudeinchildrenwasnottobelookedforinthisdegenerateage。"Thatboyhassuchplebeiantastes，MissShirley。WhenhewasbornIwantedtocallhimSt。Clair……itsoundsSOaristocratic，doesn’tit？ButhisfatherinsistedheshouldbecalledJacobafterhisuncle。Iyielded，becauseUncleJacobwasaricholdbachelor。Andwhatdoyouthink，MissShirley？WhenourinnocentboywasfiveyearsoldUncleJacobactuallywentandgotmarriedandnowhehasthreeboysofhisown。Didyoueverhearofsuchingratitude？Themomenttheinvitationtothewedding……forhehadtheimpertinencetosendusaninvitation，MissShirley……cametothehouseIsaid，`NomoreJacobsforme，thankyou。’FromthatdayIcalledmysonSt。

ClairandSt。ClairIamdeterminedheshallbecalled。HisfatherobstinatelycontinuestocallhimJacob，andtheboyhimselfhasaperfectlyunaccountablepreferenceforthevulgarname。

ButSt。ClairheisandSt。Clairheshallremain。Youwillkindlyrememberthis，MissShirley，willyounot？THANKyou。ItoldClariceAlmirathatIwassureitwasonlyamisunderstandingandthatawordwouldsetitright。Donnell……accentonthelastsyllable……andSt。Clair……onnoaccountJacob。You’llremember？

THANKyou。"

WhenMrs。H。B。DonNELLhadskimmedawayAnnelockedtheschooldoorandwenthome。AtthefootofthehillshefoundPaulIrvingbytheBirchPath。HeheldouttoheraclusterofthedaintylittlewildorchidswhichAvonleachildrencalled"ricelillies。"

"Please，teacher，IfoundtheseinMr。Wright’sfield，"hesaidshyly，"andIcamebacktogivethemtoyoubecauseIthoughtyouwerethekindofladythatwouldlikethem，andbecause……"heliftedhisbigbeautifuleyes……"Ilikeyou，teacher。"

"Youdarling，"saidAnne，takingthefragrantspikes。AsifPaul’swordshadbeenaspellofmagic，discouragementandwearinesspassedfromherspirit，andhopeupwelledinherheartlikeadancingfountain。ShewentthroughtheBirchPathlight-footedly，attendedbythesweetnessofherorchidsasbyabenediction。

"Well，howdidyougetalong？"Marillawantedtoknow。

"AskmethatamonthlaterandImaybeabletotellyou。Ican’tnow……Idon’tknowmyself……I’mtoonearit。Mythoughtsfeelasiftheyhadbeenallstirredupuntiltheywerethickandmuddy。TheonlythingIfeelreallysureofhavingaccomplishedtodayisthatItaughtCliffieWrightthatAisA。Heneverknewitbefore。Isn’titsomethingtohavestartedasoulalongapaththatmayendinShakespeareandParadiseLost？"

Mrs。Lyndecameuplateronwithmoreencouragement。Thatgoodladyhadwaylaidtheschoolchildrenathergateanddemandedofthemhowtheylikedtheirnewteacher。

"Andeveryoneofthemsaidtheylikedyousplendid，Anne，exceptAnthonyPye。Imustadmithedidn’t。Hesaidyou`weren’tanygood，justlikeallgirlteachers。’There’sthePyeleavenforyou。

Butnevermind。"

"I’mnotgoingtomind，"saidAnnequietly，"andI’mgoingtomakeAnthonyPyelikemeyet。Patienceandkindnesswillsurelywinhim。"

"Well，youcannevertellaboutaPye，"saidMrs。Rachelcautiously。

"Theygobycontraries，likedreams，oftenasnot。AsforthatDonNELLwoman，she’llgetnoDonNELLingfromme，Icanassureyou。

ThenameisDONnellandalwayshasbeen。Thewomaniscrazy，that’swhat。

ShehasapugdogshecallsQueenieandithasitsmealsatthetablealongwiththefamily，eatingoffachinaplate。I’dbeafraidofajudgmentifIwasher。ThomassaysDonnellhimselfisasensible，hard-workingman，buthehadn’tmuchgumptionwhenhepickedoutawife，that’swhat。"

VI

AllSortsandConditionsofMen……andwomenASeptemberdayonPrinceEdwardIslandhills；acrispwindblowingupoverthesanddunesfromthesea；alongredroad，windingthroughfieldsandwoods，nowloopingitselfaboutacornerofthicksetspruces，nowthreadingaplantationofyoungmapleswithgreatfeatherysheetsoffernsbeneaththem，nowdippingdownintoahollowwhereabrookflashedoutofthewoodsandintothemagain，nowbaskinginopensunshinebetweenribbonsofgolden-rodandsmoke-blueasters；airathrillwiththepipingsofmyriadsofcrickets，thosegladlittlepensionersofthesummerhills；aplumpbrownponyamblingalongtheroad；twogirlsbehindhim，fulltothelipswiththesimple，pricelessjoyofyouthandlife。

"Oh，thisisadayleftoverfromEden，isn’tit，Diana？"……andAnnesighedforsheerhappiness。"Theairhasmagicinit。Lookatthepurpleinthecupoftheharvestvalley，Diana。Andoh，dosmellthedyingfir！It’scomingupfromthatlittlesunnyhollowwhereMr。EbenWrighthasbeencuttingfencepoles。Blissisitonsuchadaytobealive；buttosmelldyingfirisveryheaven。

That’stwothirdsWordsworthandonethirdAnneShirley。Itdoesn’tseempossiblethatthereshouldbedyingfirinheaven，doesit？Andyetitdoesn’tseemtomethatheavenwouldbequiteperfectifyoucouldn’tgetawhiffofdeadfirasyouwentthroughitswoods。Perhapswe’llhavetheodortherewithoutthedeath。

Yes，Ithinkthatwillbetheway。Thatdeliciousaromamustbethesoulsofthefirs……andofcourseitwillbejustsoulsinheaven。"

"Treeshaven’tsouls，"saidpracticalDiana，"butthesmellofdeadfiriscertainlylovely。I’mgoingtomakeacushionandfillitwithfirneedles。You’dbettermakeonetoo，Anne。"

"IthinkIshall……anduseitformynaps。I’dbecertaintodreamIwasadryadorawoodnymphthen。ButjustthisminuteI’mwellcontenttobeAnneShirley，Avonleaschoolma’am，drivingoveraroadlikethisonsuchasweet，friendlyday。"

"It’salovelydaybutwehaveanythingbutalovelytaskbeforeus，"

sighedDiana。"Whyonearthdidyouoffertocanvassthisroad，Anne？

AlmostallthecranksinAvonlealivealongit，andwe’llprobablybetreatedasifwewerebeggingforourselves。It’stheveryworstroadofall。"

"ThatiswhyIchoseit。OfcourseGilbertandFredwouldhavetakenthisroadifwehadaskedthem。Butyousee，Diana，IfeelmyselfresponsiblefortheA。V。I。S。，sinceIwasthefirsttosuggestit，anditseemstomethatIoughttodothemostdisagreeablethings。I’msorryonyouraccount；butyouneedn’tsayawordatthecrankyplaces。I’lldoallthetalking……

Mrs。LyndewouldsayIwaswellableto。Mrs。Lyndedoesn’tknowwhethertoapproveofourenterpriseornot。Sheinclinesto，whensheremembersthatMr。andMrs。Allanareinfavorofit；

butthefactthatvillageimprovementsocietiesfirstoriginatedintheStatesisacountagainstit。SosheishaltingbetweentwoopinionsandonlysuccesswilljustifyusinMrs。Lynde’seyes。

PriscillaisgoingtowriteapaperforournextImprovementmeeting，andIexpectitwillbegood，forherauntissuchacleverwriterandnodoubtitrunsinthefamily。IshallneverforgetthethrillitgavemewhenIfoundoutthatMrs。CharlotteE。MorganwasPriscilla’saunt。

ItseemedsowonderfulthatIwasafriendofthegirlwhoseauntwrote`EdgewoodDays’and`TheRosebudGarden。’"

"WheredoesMrs。Morganlive？"

"InToronto。AndPriscillasayssheiscomingtotheIslandforavisitnextsummer，andifitispossiblePriscillaisgoingtoarrangetohaveusmeether。Thatseemsalmosttoogoodtobetrue——butit’ssomethingpleasanttoimagineafteryougotobed。"

TheAvonleaVillageImprovementSocietywasanorganizedfact。

GilbertBlythewaspresident，FredWrightvice-president，AnneShirleysecretary，andDianaBarrytreasurer。The"Improvers，"astheywerepromptlychristened，weretomeetonceafortnightatthehomesofthemembers。Itwasadmittedthattheycouldnotexpecttoaffectmanyimprovementssolateintheseason；buttheymeanttoplanthenextsummer’scampaign，collectanddiscussideas，writeandreadpapers，and，asAnnesaid，educatethepublicsentimentgenerally。

Therewassomedisapproval，ofcourse，and……whichtheImproversfeltmuchmorekeenly……agooddealofridicule。Mr。ElishaWrightwasreportedtohavesaidthatamoreappropriatenamefortheorganizationwouldbeCourtingClub。Mrs。HiramSloanedeclaredshehadheardtheImproversmeanttoploughupalltheroadsidesandsetthemoutwithgeraniums。Mr。LeviBoulterwarnedhisneighborsthattheImproverswouldinsistthateverybodypulldownhishouseandrebuilditafterplansapprovedbythesociety。

Mr。JamesSpencersentthemwordthathewishedtheywouldkindlyshoveldownthechurchhill。EbenWrighttoldAnnethathewishedtheImproverscouldinduceoldJosiahSloanetokeephiswhiskerstrimmed。

Mr。LawrenceBellsaidhewouldwhitewashhisbarnsifnothingelsewouldpleasethembuthewouldNOThanglacecurtainsinthecowstablewindows。

Mr。MajorSpenceraskedCliftonSloane，anImproverwhodrovethemilktotheCarmodycheesefactory，ifitwastruethateverybodywouldhavetohavehismilk-standhand-paintednextsummerandkeepanembroideredcenterpieceonit。

Inspiteof……orperhaps，humannaturebeingwhatitis，becauseof……this，theSocietywentgamelytoworkattheonlyimprovementtheycouldhopetobringaboutthatfall。Atthesecondmeeting，intheBarryparlor，OliverSloanemovedthattheytartasubscriptiontore-shingleandpaintthehall；JuliaBellsecondedit，withanuneasyfeelingthatshewasdoingsomethingnotexactlyladylike。

Gilbertputthemotion，itwascarriedunanimously，andAnnegravelyrecordeditinherminutes。Thenextthingwastoappointacommittee，andGertiePye，determinednottoletJuliaBellcarryoffallthelaurels，boldlymovedthatMissJaneAndrewsbechairmanofsaidcommittee。

Thismotionbeingalsodulysecondedandcarried，JanereturnedthecomplimentbyappointingGertieonthecommittee，alongwithGilbert，Anne，Diana，andFredWright。Thecommitteechosetheirroutesinprivateconclave。AnneandDianaweretoldofffortheNewbridgeroad，GilbertandFredfortheWhiteSandsroad，andJaneandGertiefortheCarmodyroad。

"Because，"explainedGilberttoAnne，astheywalkedhometogetherthroughtheHauntedWood，"thePyesalllivealongthatroadandtheywon’tgiveacentunlessoneofthemselvescanvassesthem。"

ThenextSaturdayAnneandDianastartedout。Theydrovetotheendoftheroadandcanvassedhomeward，callingfirstonthe"Andrewgirls。"

"IfCatherineisalonewemaygetsomething，"saidDiana，"butifElizaistherewewon’t。"

Elizawasthere……verymuchso……andlookedevengrimmerthanusual。MissElizawasoneofthosepeoplewhogiveyoutheimpressionthatlifeisindeedavaleoftears，andthatasmile，nevertospeakofalaugh，isawasteofnervousenergytrulyreprehensible。TheAndrewgirlshadbeen"girls"forfiftyoddyearsandseemedlikelytoremaingirlstotheendoftheirearthlypilgrimage。Catherine，itwassaid，hadnotentirelygivenuphope，butEliza，whowasbornapessimist，hadneverhadany。TheylivedinalittlebrownhousebuiltinasunnycornerscoopedoutofMarkAndrew’sbeechwoods。Elizacomplainedthatitwasterriblehotinsummer，butCatherinewaswonttosayitwaslovelyandwarminwinter。

Elizawassewingpatchwork，notbecauseitwasneededbutsimplyasaprotestagainstthefrivolouslaceCatherinewascrocheting。

ElizalistenedwithafrownandCatherinewithasmile，asthegirlsexplainedtheirerrand。Tobesure，wheneverCatherinecaughtEliza’seyeshediscardedthesmileinguiltyconfusion；

butitcreptbackthenextmoment。

"IfIhadmoneytowaste，"saidElizagrimly，"I’dburnitupandhavethefunofseeingablazemaybe；butIwouldn’tgiveittothathall，notacent。It’snobenefittothesettlement……justaplaceforyoungfolkstomeetandcarryonwhenthey’sbetterbehomeintheirbeds。"

"Oh，Eliza，youngfolksmusthavesomeamusement，"protestedCatherine。

"Idon’tseethenecessity。Wedidn’tgadabouttohallsandplaceswhenwewereyoung，CatherineAndrews。Thisworldisgettingworseeveryday"

"Ithinkit’sgettingbetter，"saidCatherinefirmly。

"YOUthink！"MissEliza’svoiceexpressedtheutmostcontempt。

"Itdoesn’tsignifywhatyouTHINK，CatherineAndrews。Factsisfacts。"

"Well，Ialwaysliketolookonthebrightside，Eliza。"

"Thereisn’tanybrightside。"

"Oh，indeedthereis，"criedAnne，whocouldn’tenduresuchheresyinsilence。"Why，thereareeversomanybrightsides，MissAndrews。

It’sreallyabeautifulworld。"

"Youwon’thavesuchahighopinionofitwhenyou’velivedaslonginitasIhave，"retortedMissElizasourly，"andyouwon’tbesoenthusiasticaboutimprovingiteither。Howisyourmother，Diana？

Dearme，butshehasfailedoflate。Shelooksterriblerundown。

AndhowlongisitbeforeMarillaexpectstobestoneblind，Anne？"

"Thedoctorthinkshereyeswillnotgetanyworseifsheisverycareful，"falteredAnne。

Elizashookherhead。

"Doctorsalwaystalklikethatjusttokeeppeoplecheeredup。Iwouldn’thavemuchhopeifIwasher。It’sbesttobepreparedfortheworst。"

"Butoughtn’twebepreparedforthebesttoo？"pleadedAnne。

"It’sjustaslikelytohappenastheworst。"

"Notinmyexperience，andI’vefifty-sevenyearstosetagainstyoursixteen，"retortedEliza。"Going，areyou？Well，IhopethisnewsocietyofyourswillbeabletokeepAvonleafromrunninganyfurtherdownhillbutIhaven’tmuchhopeofit。"

AnneandDianagotthemselvesthankfullyout，anddroveawayasfastasthefatponycouldgo。AstheyroundedthecurvebelowthebeechwoodaplumpfigurecamespeedingoverMr。Andrews’pasture，wavingtothemexcitedly。ItwasCatherineAndrewsandshewassooutofbreaththatshecouldhardlyspeak，butshethrustacoupleofquartersintoAnne’shand。

"That’smycontributiontopaintingthehall，"shegasped。"I’dliketogiveyouadollarbutIdon’tdaretakemorefrommyeggmoneyforElizawouldfinditoutifIdid。I’mrealinterestedinyoursocietyandIbelieveyou’regoingtodoalotofgood。

I’manoptimist。IHAVEtobe，livingwithEliza。Imusthurrybackbeforeshemissesme……shethinksI’mfeedingthehens。

Ihopeyou’llhavegoodluckcanvassing，anddon’tbecastdownoverwhatElizasaid。TheworldISgettingbetter……itcertainlyis。"

ThenexthousewasDanielBlair’s。

"Now，italldependsonwhetherhiswifeishomeornot，"saidDiana，astheyjoltedalongadeep-ruttedlane。"Ifsheiswewon’tgetacent。

EverybodysaysDanBlairdoesn’tdarehavehishaircutwithoutaskingherpermission；andit’scertainshe’sveryclose，tostateitmoderately。

Shesaysshehastobejustbeforeshe’sgenerous。ButMrs。Lyndesaysshe’ssomuch`before’thatgenerositynevercatchesupwithheratall。"

AnnerelatedtheirexperienceattheBlairplacetoMarillathatevening。

"Wetiedthehorseandthenrappedatthekitchendoor。

Nobodycamebutthedoorwasopenandwecouldhearsomebodyinthepantry，goingondreadfully。Wecouldn’tmakeoutthewordsbutDianasayssheknowstheywereswearingbythesoundofthem。

Ican’tbelievethatofMr。Blair，forheisalwayssoquietandmeek；

butatleasthehadgreatprovocation，forMarilla，whenthatpoormancametothedoor，redasabeet，withperspirationstreamingdownhisface，hehadononeofhiswife’sbigginghamaprons。`Ican’tgetthisdurnedthingoff，’hesaid，`forthestringsaretiedinahardknotandIcan’tbust’em，soyou’llhavetoexcuseme，ladies。’

Webeggedhimnottomentionitandwentinandsatdown。Mr。Blairsatdowntoo；hetwistedtheapronaroundtohisbackandrolleditup，buthedidlooksoashamedandworriedthatIfeltsorryforhim，andDianasaidshefearedwehadcalledataninconvenienttime。

`Oh，notatall，’saidMr。Blair，tryingtosmile……youknowheisalwaysverypolite……’I’malittlebusy……gettingreadytobakeacakeasitwere。MywifegotatelegramtodaythathersisterfromMontrealiscomingtonightandshe’sgonetothetraintomeetherandleftordersformetomakeacakefortea。

ShewritouttherecipeandtoldmewhattodobutI’vecleanforgothalfthedirectionsalready。Anditsays，"flavoraccordingtotaste。"

Whatdoesthatmean？Howcanyoutell？Andwhatifmytastedoesn’thappentobeotherpeople’staste？Wouldatablespoonofvanillabeenoughforasmalllayercake？"

"Ifeltsorrierthaneverforthepoorman。Hedidn’tseemtobeinhispropersphereatall。IhadheardofhenpeckedhusbandsandnowIfeltthatIsawone。Itwasonmylipstosay，`Mr。Blair，ifyou’llgiveusasubscriptionforthehallI’llmixupyourcakeforyou。’ButIsuddenlythoughtitwouldn’tbeneighborlytodrivetoosharpabargainwithafellowcreatureindistress。SoI

offeredtomixthecakeforhimwithoutanyconditionsatall。

Hejustjumpedatmyoffer。Hesaidhe’dbeenusedtomakinghisownbreadbeforehewasmarriedbuthefearedcakewasbeyondhim，andyethehatedtodisappointhiswife。Hegotmeanotherapron，andDianabeattheeggsandImixedthecake。Mr。Blairranaboutandgotusthematerials。HehadforgottenallabouthisapronandwhenheranitstreamedoutbehindhimandDianasaidshethoughtshewoulddietoseeit。Hesaidhecouldbakethecakeallright……hewasusedtothat……andthenheaskedforourlistandheputdownfourdollars。Soyouseewewererewarded。Butevenifhehadn’tgivenacentI’dalwaysfeelthatwehaddoneatrulyChristianactinhelpinghim。"

TheodoreWhite’swasthenextstoppingplace。NeitherAnnenorDianahadeverbeentherebefore，andtheyhadonlyaveryslightacquaintancewithMrs。Theodore，whowasnotgiventohospitality。

Shouldtheygotothebackorfrontdoor？WhiletheyheldawhisperedconsultationMrs。Theodoreappearedatthefrontdoorwithanarmfulofnewspapers。Deliberatelyshelaidthemdownonebyoneontheporchfloorandtheporchsteps，andthendownthepathtotheveryfeetofhermystifiedcallers。

"Willyoupleasewipeyourfeetcarefullyonthegrassandthenwalkonthesepapers？"shesaidanxiously。"I’vejustsweptthehousealloverandIcan’thaveanymoredusttrackedin。

Thepath’sbeenrealmuddysincetherainyesterday。"

"Don’tyoudarelaugh，"warnedAnneinawhisper，astheymarchedalongthenewspapers。"AndIimploreyou，Diana，nottolookatme，nomatterwhatshesays，orIshallnotbeabletokeepasoberface。"

Thepapersextendedacrossthehallandintoaprim，flecklessparlor。

AnneandDianasatdowngingerlyonthenearestchairsandexplainedtheirerrand。Mrs。Whiteheardthempolitely，interruptingonlytwice，oncetochaseoutanadventurousfly，andoncetopickupatinywispofgrassthathadfallenonthecarpetfromAnne’sdress。Annefeltwretchedlyguilty；butMrs。Whitesubscribedtwodollarsandpaidthemoneydown……"topreventusfromhavingtogobackforit，"

Dianasaidwhentheygotaway。Mrs。Whitehadthenewspapersgatheredupbeforetheyhadtheirhorseuntiedandastheydroveoutoftheyardtheysawherbusilywieldingabroominthehall。

"I’vealwaysheardthatMrs。TheodoreWhitewastheneatestwomanaliveandI’llbelieveitafterthis，"saidDiana，givingwaytohersuppressedlaughterassoonasitwassafe。

"Iamgladshehasnochildren，"saidAnnesolemnly。"Itwouldbedreadfulbeyondwordsforthemifshehad。"

AttheSpencers’Mrs。IsabellaSpencermadethemmiserablebysayingsomethingill-naturedabouteveryoneinAvonlea。Mr。ThomasBoulterrefusedtogiveanythingbecausethehall，whenithadbeenbuilt，twentyyearsbefore，hadn’tbeenbuiltonthesiteherecommended。

Mrs。EstherBell，whowasthepictureofhealth，tookhalfanhourtodetailallherachesandpains，andsadlyputdownfiftycentsbecauseshewouldn’tbetherethattimenextyeartodoit……no，shewouldbeinhergrave。

Theirworstreception，however，wasatSimonFletcher’s。Whentheydroveintotheyardtheysawtwofacespeeringatthemthroughtheporchwindow。Butalthoughtheyrappedandwaitedpatientlyandpersistentlynobodycametothedoor。TwodecidedlyruffledandindignantgirlsdroveawayfromSimonFletcher’s。EvenAnneadmittedthatshewasbeginningtofeeldiscouraged。Butthetideturnedafterthat。SeveralSloanehomesteadscamenext，wheretheygotliberalsubscriptions，andfromthattotheendtheyfaredwell，withonlyanoccasionalsnub。TheirlastplaceofcallwasatRobertDickson’sbythepondbridge。Theystayedtoteahere，althoughtheywerenearlyhome，ratherthanriskoffendingMrs。

Dickson，whohadthereputationofbeingavery"touchy"woman。

WhiletheywerethereoldMrs。JamesWhitecalledin。

"I’vejustbeendowntoLorenzo’s，"sheannounced。"He’stheproudestmaninAvonleathisminute。Whatdoyouthink？There’sabrandnewboythere……andaftersevengirlsthat’squiteanevent，Icantellyou。"Anneprickedupherears，andwhentheydroveawayshesaid。

"I’mgoingstraighttoLorenzoWhite’s。"

"ButhelivesontheWhiteSandsroadandit’squiteadistanceoutofour，way"protestedDiana。"GilbertandFredwillcanvasshim。"

"TheyarenotgoingarounduntilnextSaturdayanditwillbetoolatebythen，"saidAnnefirmly。"Thenoveltywillbewornoff。

LorenzoWhiteisdreadfullymeanbuthewillsubscribetoANYTHING

justnow。Wemustn’tletsuchagoldenopportunityslip，Diana。"

TheresultjustifiedAnne’sforesight。Mr。Whitemetthemintheyard，beaminglikethesunuponanEasterday。WhenAnneaskedforasubscriptionheagreedenthusiastically。

"Certain，certain。Justputmedownforadollarmorethanthehighestsubscriptionyou’vegot。"

"Thatwillbefivedollars……Mr。DanielBlairputdownfour，"

saidAnne，halfafraid。ButLorenzodidnotflinch。

"Fiveitis……andhere’sthemoneyonthespot。Now，Iwantyoutocomeintothehouse。There’ssomethinginthereworthseeing……

somethingveryfewpeoplehaveseenasyet。JustcomeinandpassYOURopinion。"

"Whatwillwesayifthebabyisn’tpretty？"whisperedDianaintrepidationastheyfollowedtheexcitedLorenzointothehouse。

"Oh，therewillcertainlybesomethingelsenicetosayaboutit，"

saidAnneeasily。"Therealwaysisaboutababy。"

ThebabyWASpretty，however，andMr。Whitefeltthathegothisfivedollars’worthofthegirls’honestdelightovertheplumplittlenewcomer。Butthatwasthefirst，last，andonlytimethatLorenzoWhiteeversubscribedtoanything。

Anne，tiredasshewas，madeonemoreeffortforthepublicwealthatnight，slippingoverthefieldstointerviewMr。Harrison，whowasasusualsmokinghispipeontheverandawithGingerbesidehim。

StricklyspeakinghewasontheCarmodyroad；butJaneandGertie，whowerenotacquaintedwithhimsavebydoubtfulreport，hadnervouslybeggedAnnetocanvasshim。

Mr。Harrison，however，flatlyrefusedtosubscribeacent，andallAnne’swileswereinvain。

"ButIthoughtyouapprovedofoursociety，Mr。Harrison，"shemourned。

"SoIdo……soIdo……butmyapprovaldoesn’tgoasdeepasmypocket，Anne。"

"AfewmoreexperiencessuchasIhavehadtodaywouldmakemeasmuchofapessimistasMissElizaAndrews，"Annetoldherreflectionintheeastgablemirroratbedtime。

VII

ThePointingofDutyAnneleanedbackinherchaironemildOctobereveningandsighed。

Shewassittingatatablecoveredwithtextbooksandexercises，butthecloselywrittensheetsofpaperbeforeherhadnoapparentconnectionwithstudiesorschoolwork。

"Whatisthematter？"askedGilbert，whohadarrivedattheopenkitchendoorjustintimetohearthesigh。

Annecolored，andthrustherwritingoutofsightundersomeschoolcompositions。

"Nothingverydreadful。Iwasjusttryingtowriteoutsomeofmythoughts，asProfessorHamiltonadvisedme，butIcouldn’tgetthemtopleaseme。Theyseemsostillandfoolishdirectlythey’rewrittendownonwhitepaperwithblackink。Fanciesarelikeshadows……

youcan’tcagethem，they’resuchwayward，dancingthings。

ButperhapsI’lllearnthesecretsomedayifIkeepontrying。

Ihaven’tagreatmanysparemoments，youknow。BythetimeI

finishcorrectingschoolexercisesandcompositions，Idon’talwaysfeellikewritinganyofmyown。"

"Youaregettingonsplendidlyinschool，Anne。Allthechildrenlikeyou，"saidGilbert，sittingdownonthestonestep。

"No，notall。AnthonyPyedoesn’tandWON’Tlikeme。Whatisworse，hedoesn’trespectme……no，hedoesn’t。HesimplyholdsmeincontemptandIdon’tmindconfessingtoyouthatitworriesmemiserably。

Itisn’tthatheissoverybad……heisonlyrathermischievous，butnoworsethansomeoftheothers。Heseldomdisobeysme；butheobeyswithascornfulairoftolerationasifitwasn’tworthwhiledisputingthepointorhewould……andithasabadeffectontheothers。

I’vetriedeverywaytowinhimbutI’mbeginningtofearInevershall。

Iwantto，forhe’sratheracutelittlelad，ifheISaPye，andI

couldlikehimifhe’dletme。"

"Probablyit’smerelytheeffectofwhathehearsathome。"

"Notaltogether。Anthonyisanindependentlittlechapandmakesuphisownmindaboutthings。Hehasalwaysgonetomenbeforeandhesaysgirlteachersarenogood。Well，we’llseewhatpatienceandkindnesswilldo。Ilikeovercomingdifficultiesandteachingisreallyveryinterestingwork。PaulIrvingmakesupforallthatislackingintheothers。Thatchildisaperfectdarling，Gilbert，andageniusintothebargain。I’mpersuadedtheworldwillhearofhimsomeday，"concludedAnneinatoneofconviction。

"Iliketeaching，too，"saidGilbert。"It’sgoodtraining，foronething。

Why，Anne，I’velearnedmoreintheweeksI’vebeenteachingtheyoungtheideasofWhiteSandsthanIlearnedinalltheyearsIwenttoschoolmyself。

Weallseemtobegettingonprettywell。TheNewbridgepeoplelikeJane，Ihear；andIthinkWhiteSandsistolerablysatisfiedwithyourhumbleservant……allexceptMr。AndrewSpencer。ImetMrs。PeterBlewettonmywayhomelastnightandshetoldmeshethoughtitherdutytoinformmethatMr。Spencerdidn’tapproveofmymethods。"

"Haveyouevernoticed，"askedAnnereflectively，"thatwhenpeoplesayitistheirdutytotellyouacertainthingyoumayprepareforsomethingdisagreeable？Whyisitthattheyneverseemtothinkitadutytotellyouthepleasantthingstheyhearaboutyou？

Mrs。H。B。DonNELLcalledattheschoolagainyesterdayandtoldmeshethoughtitHERdutytoinformmethatMrs。HarmonAndrewdidn’tapproveofmyreadingfairytalestothechildren，andthatMr。RogersonthoughtPrilliewasn’tcomingonfastenoughinarithmetic。IfPrilliewouldspendlesstimemakingeyesattheboysoverherslateshemightdobetter。IfeelquitesurethatJackGillisworksherclasssumsforher，thoughI’veneverbeenabletocatchhimred-handed。"

"HaveyousucceededinreconcilingMrs。DonNELL’shopefulsontohissaintlyname？"

"Yes，"laughedAnne，"butitwasreallyadifficulttask。Atfirst，whenIcalledhim`St。Clair’hewouldnottaketheleastnoticeuntilI’dspokentwoorthreetimes；andthen，whentheotherboysnudgedhim，hewouldlookupwithsuchanaggrievedair，asifI’dcalledhimJohnorCharlieandhecouldn’tbeexpectedtoknowImeanthim。SoIkepthiminafterschoolonenightandtalkedkindlytohim。ItoldhimhismotherwishedmetocallhimSt。ClairandIcouldn’tgoagainstherwishes。Hesawitwhenitwasallexplainedout……he’sreallyaveryreasonablelittlefellow……andhesaid_I_couldcallhimSt。Clairbutthathe’d`lickthestuffing’outofanyoftheboysthattriedit。

Ofcourse，Ihadtorebukehimagainforusingsuchshockinglanguage。

Sincethen_I_callhimSt。ClairandtheboyscallhimJakeandallgoessmoothly。Heinformsmethathemeanstobeacarpenter，butMrs。DonNELLsaysIamtomakeacollegeprofessoroutofhim。"

ThementionofcollegegaveanewdirectiontoGilbert’sthoughts，andtheytalkedforatimeoftheirplansandwishes……gravely，earnestly，hopefully，asyouthlovestotalk，whilethefutureisyetanuntroddenpathfullofwonderfulpossibilities。

Gilberthadfinallymadeuphismindthathewasgoingtobeadoctor。

"It’sasplendidprofession，"hesaidenthusiastically。"Afellowhastofightsomethingallthroughlife……didn’tsomebodyoncedefinemanasafightinganimal？……andIwanttofightdiseaseandpainandignorance……whichareallmembersoneofanother。

Iwanttodomyshareofhonest，realworkintheworld，Anne……

addalittletothesumofhumanknowledgethatallthegoodmenhavebeenaccumulatingsinceitbegan。ThefolkswholivedbeforemehavedonesomuchformethatIwanttoshowmygratitudebydoingsomethingforthefolkswhowillliveafterme。Itseemstomethatistheonlywayafellowcangetsquarewithhisobligationstotherace。"

"I’dliketoaddsomebeautytolife，"saidAnnedreamily。"Idon’texactlywanttomakepeopleKNOWmore……thoughIknowthatISthenoblestambition……butI’dlovetomakethemhaveapleasantertimebecauseofme……tohavesomelittlejoyorhappythoughtthatwouldneverhaveexistedifIhadn’tbeenborn。"

"Ithinkyou’refulfillingthatambitioneveryday，"saidGilbertadmiringly。

Andhewasright。Annewasoneofthechildrenoflightbybirthright。

Aftershehadpassedthroughalifewithasmileorawordthrownacrossitlikeagleamofsunshinetheownerofthatlifesawit，forthetimebeingatleast，ashopefulandlovelyandofgoodreport。

FinallyGilbertroseregretfully。

"Well，ImustrunuptoMacPhersons’。MoodySpurgeoncamehomefromQueen’stodayforSundayandhewastobringmeoutabookProfessorBoydislendingme。"

"AndImustgetMarilla’stea。ShewenttoseeMrs。Keiththiseveningandshewillsoonbeback。"

AnnehadteareadywhenMarillacamehome；thefirewascracklingcheerily，avaseoffrost-bleachedfernsandruby-redmapleleavesadornedthetable，anddelectableodorsofhamandtoastpervadedtheair。ButMarillasankintoherchairwithadeepsigh。

"Areyoureyestroublingyou？Doesyourheadache？"queriedAnneanxiously。

"No。I’monlytired……andworried。It’saboutMaryandthosechildren……Maryisworse……shecan’tlastmuchlonger。Andasforthetwins，_I_don’tknowwhatistobecomeofthem。"

"Hasn’ttheirunclebeenheardfrom？"

"Yes，Maryhadaletterfromhim。He’sworkinginalumbercampand`shackingit，’whateverthatmeans。Anyway，hesayshecan’tpossiblytakethechildrentillthespring。Heexpectstobemarriedthenandwillhaveahometotakethemto；buthesaysshemustgetsomeoftheneighborstokeepthemforthewinter。

Shesaysshecan’tbeartoaskanyofthem。MarynevergotonanytoowellwiththeEastGraftonpeopleandthat’safact。

Andthelongandshortofitis，Anne，thatI’msureMarywantsmetotakethosechildren……shedidn’tsaysobutsheLOOKEDit。"

"Oh！"Anneclaspedherhands，allathrillwithexcitement。

"Andofcourseyouwill，Marilla，won’tyou？"

"Ihaven’tmadeupmymind，"saidMarillarathertartly。"Idon’trushintothingsinyourheadlongway，Anne。Thirdcousinshipisaprettyslimclaim。Anditwillbeafearfulresponsibilitytohavetwochildrenofsixyearstolookafter……twins，atthat。"

Marillahadanideathattwinswerejusttwiceasbadassinglechildren。

"Twinsareveryinteresting……atleastonepairofthem，"saidAnne。

"It’sonlywhentherearetwoorthreepairsthatitgetsmonotonous。

AndIthinkitwouldberealniceforyoutohavesomethingtoamuseyouwhenI’mawayinschool。"

"Idon’treckonthere’dbemuchamusementinit……moreworryandbotherthananythingelse，Ishouldsay。Itwouldn’tbesoriskyiftheywereevenasoldasyouwerewhenItookyou。Iwouldn’tmindDorasomuch……sheseemsgoodandquiet。ButthatDavyisalimb。"

AnnewasfondofchildrenandherheartyearnedovertheKeithtwins。

Theremembranceofherownneglectedchildhoodwasveryvividwithherstill。SheknewthatMarilla’sonlyvulnerablepointwashersterndevotiontowhatshebelievedtobeherduty，andAnneskillfullymarshalledherargumentsalongthisline。

"IfDavyisnaughtyit’sallthemorereasonwhyheshouldhavegoodtraining，isn’tit，Marilla？Ifwedon’ttakethemwedon’tknowwhowill，norwhatkindofinfluencesmaysurroundthem。

SupposeMrs。Keith’snextdoorneighbors，theSprotts，weretotakethem。Mrs。LyndesaysHenrySprottisthemostprofanemanthateverlivedandyoucan’tbelieveawordhischildrensay。

Wouldn’titbedreadfultohavethetwinslearnanythinglikethat？

OrsupposetheywenttotheWiggins’。Mrs。LyndesaysthatMr。

Wigginssellseverythingofftheplacethatcanbesoldandbringshisfamilyuponskimmilk。Youwouldn’tlikeyourrelationstobestarved，eveniftheywereonlythirdcousins，wouldyou？Itseemstome，Marilla，thatitisourdutytotakethem。"

"Isupposeitis，"assentedMarillagloomily。"IdaresayI’lltellMaryI’lltakethem。Youneedn’tlooksodelighted，Anne。Itwillmeanagooddealofextraworkforyou。Ican’tsewastitchonaccountofmyeyes，soyou’llhavetoseetothemakingandmendingoftheirclothes。Andyoudon’tlikesewing。"

"Ihateit，"saidAnnecalmly，"butifyouarewillingtotakethosechildrenfromasenseofdutysurelyIcandotheirsewingfromasenseofduty。Itdoespeoplegoodtohavetodothingstheydon’tlike……inmoderation。"

VIII

MarillaAdoptsTwinsMrs。RachelLyndewassittingatherkitchenwindow，knittingaquilt，justasshehadbeensittingoneeveningseveralyearspreviouslywhenMatthewCuthberthaddrivendownoverthehillwithwhatMrs。Rachelcalled"hisimportedorphan。"Butthathadbeeninspringtime；andthiswaslateautumn，andallthewoodswereleaflessandthefieldssereandbrown。ThesunwasjustsettingwithagreatdealofpurpleandgoldenpompbehindthedarkwoodswestofAvonleawhenabuggydrawnbyacomfortablebrownnagcamedownthehill。Mrs。Rachelpeeredatiteagerly。

"There’sMarillagettinghomefromthefuneral，"shesaidtoherhusband，whowaslyingonthekitchenlounge。ThomasLyndelaymoreontheloungenowadaysthanhehadbeenusedtodo，butMrs。

Rachel，whowassosharpatnoticinganythingbeyondherownhousehold，hadnotasyetnoticedthis。"Andshe’sgotthetwinswithher，……yes，there’sDavyleaningoverthedashboardgrabbingatthepony’stailandMarillajerkinghimback。

Dora’ssittingupontheseatasprimasyouplease。Shealwayslooksasifshe’djustbeenstarchedandironed。Well，poorMarillaisgoingtohaveherhandsfullthiswinterandnomistake。