第4章

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。"