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第1章

作者:Lucy Maud Montgomery 字数:19037 更新:2026-03-10 23:44:25

ingratefulremembranceofhersympathyandencouragementFlowersspringtoblossomwhereshewalksThecarefulwaysofduty,Ourhard,stifflinesoflifewithherAreflowingcurvesofbeauty。

AnIrateNeighborAtall,slimgirl,\"half-pastsixteen,\"withseriousgrayeyesandhairwhichherfriendscalledauburn,hadsatdownonthebroadredsandstonedoorstepofaPrinceEdwardIslandfarmhouseoneripeafternooninAugust,firmlyresolvedtoconstruesomanylinesofVirgil。

ButanAugustafternoon,withbluehazesscarfingtheharvestslopes,littlewindswhisperingelfishlyinthepoplars,andadancingslendorofredpoppiesoutflamingagainstthedarkcoppiceofyoungfirsinacornerofthecherryorchard,wasfitterfordreamsthandeadlanguages。

TheVirgilsoonslippedunheededtotheground,andAnne,herchinproppedonherclaspedhands,andhereyesonthesplendidmassoffluffycloudsthatwereheapingupjustoverMr。J。A。Harrison’shouselikeagreatwhitemountain,wasfarawayinadeliciousworldwhereacertainschoolteacherwasdoingawonderfulwork,shapingthedestiniesoffuturestatesmen,andinspiringyouthfulmindsandheartswithhighandloftyambitions。

Tobesure,ifyoucamedowntoharshfacts……which,itmustbeconfessed,Anneseldomdiduntilshehadto……itdidnotseemlikelythattherewasmuchpromisingmaterialforcelebritiesinAvonleaschool;butyoucouldnevertellwhatmighthappenifateacherusedherinfluenceforgood。

Annehadcertainrose-tintedidealsofwhatateachermightaccomplishifsheonlywenttherightwayaboutit;andshewasinthemidstofadelightfulscene,fortyyearshence,withafamouspersonage……justexactlywhathewastobefamousforwasleftinconvenienthaziness,butAnnethoughtitwouldberathernicetohavehimacollegepresidentoraCanadianpremier……bowinglowoverherwrinkledhandandassuringherthatitwasshewhohadfirstkindledhisambition,andthatallhissuccessinlifewasduetothelessonsshehadinstilledsolongagoinAvonleaschool。Thispleasantvisionwasshatteredbyamostunpleasantinterruption。

AdemurelittleJerseycowcamescuttlingdownthelaneandfivesecondslaterMr。Harrisonarrived……if\"arrived\"benottoomildatermtodescribethemannerofhisirruptionintotheyard。

Hebouncedoverthefencewithoutwaitingtoopenthegate,andangrilyconfrontedastonishedAnne,whohadrisentoherfeetandstoodlookingathiminsomebewilderment。Mr。Harrisonwastheirnewrighthandneighborandshehadnevermethimbefore,althoughshehadseenhimonceortwice。

InearlyApril,beforeAnnehadcomehomefromQueen’s,Mr。RobertBell,whosefarmadjoinedtheCuthbertplaceonthewest,hadsoldoutandmovedtoCharlottetown。HisfarmhadbeenboughtbyacertainMr。J。A。

Harrison,whosename,andthefactthathewasaNewBrunswickman,wereallthatwasknownabouthim。ButbeforehehadbeenamonthinAvonleahehadwonthereputationofbeinganoddperson……\"acrank,\"

Mrs。RachelLyndesaid。Mrs。Rachelwasanoutspokenlady,asthoseofyouwhomayhavealreadymadeheracquaintancewillremember。

Mr。Harrisonwascertainlydifferentfromotherpeople……andthatistheessentialcharacteristicofacrank,aseverybodyknows。

Inthefirstplacehekepthouseforhimselfandhadpubliclystatedthathewantednofoolsofwomenaroundhisdiggings。

FeminineAvonleatookitsrevengebythegruesometalesitrelatedabouthishouse-keepingandcooking。HehadhiredlittleJohnHenryCarterofWhiteSandsandJohnHenrystartedthestories。

Foronething,therewasneveranystatedtimeformealsintheHarrisonestablishment。Mr。Harrison\"gotabite\"whenhefelthungry,andifJohnHenrywerearoundatthetime,hecameinforashare,butifhewerenot,hehadtowaituntilMr。Harrison’snexthungryspell。JohnHenrymournfullyaverredthathewouldhavestarvedtodeathifitwasn’tthathegothomeonSundaysandgotagoodfillingup,andthathismotheralwaysgavehimabasketof\"grub\"totakebackwithhimonMondaymornings。

Asforwashingdishes,Mr。HarrisonnevermadeanypretenceofdoingitunlessarainySundaycame。Thenhewenttoworkandwashedthemallatonceintherainwaterhogshead,andleftthemtodraindry。

Again,Mr。Harrisonwas\"close。\"WhenhewasaskedtosubscribetotheRev。Mr。Allan’ssalaryhesaidhe’dwaitandseehowmanydollars’worthofgoodhegotoutofhispreachingfirst……hedidn’tbelieveinbuyingapiginapoke。AndwhenMrs。Lyndewenttoaskforacontributiontomissions……andincidentallytoseetheinsideofthehouse……hetoldherthereweremoreheathensamongtheoldwomangossipsinAvonleathananywhereelseheknewof,andhe’dcheerfullycontributetoamissionforChristianizingthemifshe’dundertakeit。Mrs。RachelgotherselfawayandsaiditwasamercypoorMrs。RobertBellwassafeinhergrave,foritwouldhavebrokenherhearttoseethestateofherhouseinwhichsheusedtotakesomuchpride。

\"Why,shescrubbedthekitchenflooreverysecondday,\"Mrs。LyndetoldMarillaCuthbertindignantly,\"andifyoucouldseeitnow!

IhadtoholdupmyskirtsasIwalkedacrossit。\"

Finally,Mr。HarrisonkeptaparrotcalledGinger。NobodyinAvonleahadeverkeptaparrotbefore;consequentlythatproceedingwasconsideredbarelyrespectable。Andsuchaparrot!

IfyoutookJohnHenryCarter’swordforit,neverwassuchanunholybird。Itsworeterribly。Mrs。CarterwouldhavetakenJohnHenryawayatonceifshehadbeensureshecouldgetanotherplaceforhim。Besides,GingerhadbittenapiecerightoutofthebackofJohnHenry’sneckonedaywhenhehadstoopeddowntoonearthecage。Mrs。CartershowedeverybodythemarkwhenthelucklessJohnHenrywenthomeonSundays。

AllthesethingsflashedthroughAnne’smindasMr。Harrisonstood,quitespeechlesswithwrathapparently,beforeher。InhismostamiablemoodMr。Harrisoncouldnothavebeenconsideredahandsomeman;hewasshortandfatandbald;andnow,withhisroundfacepurplewithrageandhisprominentblueeyesalmoststickingoutofhishead,Annethoughthewasreallytheugliestpersonshehadeverseen。

AllatonceMr。Harrisonfoundhisvoice。

\"I’mnotgoingtoputupwiththis,\"hespluttered,\"notadaylonger,doyouhear,miss。Blessmysoul,thisisthethirdtime,miss……

thethirdtime!Patiencehasceasedtobeavirtue,miss。

Iwarnedyourauntthelasttimenottoletitoccuragain……

andshe’sletit……she’sdoneit……whatdoesshemeanbyit,thatiswhatIwanttoknow。ThatiswhatI’mhereabout,miss。\"

\"Willyouexplainwhatthetroubleis?\"askedAnne,inhermostdignifiedmanner。Shehadbeenpracticingitconsiderablyoflatetohaveitingoodworkingorderwhenschoolbegan;butithadnoapparenteffectontheirateJ。A。Harrison。

\"Trouble,isit?Blessmysoul,troubleenough,Ishouldthink。

Thetroubleis,miss,thatIfoundthatJerseycowofyouraunt’sinmyoatsagain,nothalfanhourago。Thethirdtime,markyou。

IfoundherinlastTuesdayandIfoundherinyesterday。Icamehereandtoldyourauntnottoletitoccuragain。Shehasletitoccuragain。Where’syouraunt,miss?Ijustwanttoseeherforaminuteandgiveherapieceofmymind……apieceofJ。A。

Harrison’smind,miss。\"

\"IfyoumeanMissMarillaCuthbert,sheisnotmyaunt,andshehasgonedowntoEastGraftontoseeadistantrelativeofherswhoisveryill,\"saidAnne,withdueincreaseofdignityateveryword。

\"Iamverysorrythatmycowshouldhavebrokenintoyouroats……

sheismycowandnotMissCuthbert’s……MatthewgavehertomethreeyearsagowhenshewasalittlecalfandheboughtherfromMr。Bell。\"

\"Sorry,miss!Sorryisn’tgoingtohelpmattersany。You’dbettergoandlookatthehavocthatanimalhasmadeinmyoats……trampledthemfromcentertocircumference,miss。\"

\"Iamverysorry,\"repeatedAnnefirmly,\"butperhapsifyoukeptyourfencesinbetterrepairDollymightnothavebrokenin。ItisyourpartofthelinefencethatseparatesyouroatfieldfromourpastureandInoticedtheotherdaythatitwasnotinverygoodcondition。\"

\"Myfenceisallright,\"snappedMr。Harrison,angrierthaneveratthiscarryingofthewarintotheenemy’scountry。\"Thejailfencecouldn’tkeepademonofacowlikethatout。AndIcantellyou,youredheadedsnippet,thatifthecowisyours,asyousay,you’dbebetteremployedinwatchingheroutofotherpeople’sgrainthaninsittingroundreadingyellowcoverednovels,\"……withascathingglanceattheinnocenttan-coloredVirgilbyAnne’sfeet。

SomethingatthatmomentwasredbesidesAnne’shair……whichhadalwaysbeenatenderpointwithher。

\"I’dratherhaveredhairthannoneatall,exceptalittlefringeroundmyears,\"sheflashed。

Theshottold,forMr。Harrisonwasreallyverysensitiveabouthisbaldhead。HisangerchokedhimupagainandhecouldonlyglarespeechlesslyatAnne,whorecoveredhertemperandfollowedupheradvantage。

\"Icanmakeallowanceforyou,Mr。Harrison,becauseIhaveanimagination。IcaneasilyimaginehowverytryingitmustbetofindacowinyouroatsandIshallnotcherishanyhardfeelingsagainstyouforthethingsyou’vesaid。IpromiseyouthatDollyshallneverbreakintoyouroatsagain。IgiveyoumywordofhonoronTHATpoint。\"

\"Well,mindyoushedoesn’t,\"mutteredMr。Harrisoninasomewhatsubduedtone;buthestampedoffangrilyenoughandAnneheardhimgrowlingtohimselfuntilhewasoutofearshot。

Grievouslydisturbedinmind,AnnemarchedacrosstheyardandshutthenaughtyJerseyupinthemilkingpen。

\"Shecan’tpossiblygetoutofthatunlessshetearsthefencedown,\"

shereflected。\"Shelooksprettyquietnow。Idaresayshehassickenedherselfonthoseoats。IwishI’dsoldhertoMr。

Shearerwhenhewantedherlastweek,butIthoughtitwasjustaswelltowaituntilwehadtheauctionofthestockandletthemallgotogether。IbelieveitistrueaboutMr。Harrisonbeingacrank。

Certainlythere’snothingofthekindredspiritaboutHIM。\"

Annehadalwaysaweathereyeopenforkindredspirits。

MarillaCuthbertwasdrivingintotheyardasAnnereturnedfromthehouse,andthelatterflewtogetteaready。Theydiscussedthematterattheteatable。

\"I’llbegladwhentheauctionisover,\"saidMarilla。\"ItistoomuchresponsibilityhavingsomuchstockabouttheplaceandnobodybutthatunreliableMartintolookafterthem。HehasnevercomebackyetandhepromisedthathewouldcertainlybebacklastnightifI’dgivehimthedayofftogotohisaunt’sfuneral。I

don’tknowhowmanyauntshehasgot,Iamsure。That’sthefourththat’sdiedsincehehiredhereayearago。I’llbemorethanthankfulwhenthecropisinandMr。Barrytakesoverthefarm。

We’llhavetokeepDollyshutupinthepentillMartincomes,forshemustbeputinthebackpastureandthefencestherehavetobefixed。Ideclare,itisaworldoftrouble,asRachelsays。

Here’spoorMaryKeithdyingandwhatistobecomeofthosetwochildrenofhersismorethanIknow。ShehasabrotherinBritishColumbiaandshehaswrittentohimaboutthem,butshehasn’theardfromhimyet。\"

\"Whatarethechildrenlike?Howoldarethey?\"

\"Sixpast……they’retwins。\"

\"Oh,I’vealwaysbeenespeciallyinterestedintwinseversinceMrs。Hammondhadsomany,\"saidAnneeagerly。\"Aretheypretty?\"

\"Goodness,youcouldn’ttell……theyweretoodirty。DavyhadbeenoutmakingmudpiesandDorawentouttocallhimin。Davypushedherheadfirstintothebiggestpieandthen,becauseshecried,hegotintoithimselfandwallowedinittoshowheritwasnothingtocryabout。MarysaidDorawasreallyaverygoodchildbutthatDavywasfullofmischief。Hehasneverhadanybringingupyoumightsay。HisfatherdiedwhenhewasababyandMaryhasbeensickalmosteversince。\"

\"I’malwayssorryforchildrenthathavenobringingup,\"saidAnnesoberly。\"Youknow_I_hadn’tanytillyoutookmeinhand。

Ihopetheirunclewilllookafterthem。JustwhatrelationisMrs。Keithtoyou?\"

\"Mary?Noneintheworld。Itwasherhusband……hewasourthirdcousin。There’sMrs。Lyndecomingthroughtheyard。

Ithoughtshe’dbeuptohearaboutMary\"

\"Don’ttellheraboutMr。Harrisonandthecow,\"imploredAnne。

Marillapromised;butthepromisewasquiteunnecessary,forMrs。Lyndewasnosoonerfairlyseatedthanshesaid,\"IsawMr。HarrisonchasingyourJerseyoutofhisoatstodaywhenIwascominghomefromCarmody。Ithoughthelookedprettymad。

Didhemakemuchofarumpus?\"

AnneandMarillafurtivelyexchangedamusedsmiles。FewthingsinAvonleaeverescapedMrs。Lynde。ItwasonlythatmorningAnnehadsaid,\"Ifyouwenttoyourownroomatmidnight,lockedthedoor,pulleddowntheblind,andSNEEZED,Mrs。Lyndewouldaskyouthenextdayhowyourcoldwas!\"

\"Ibelievehedid,\"admittedMarilla。\"Iwasaway。HegaveAnneapieceofhismind。\"

\"Ithinkheisaverydisagreeableman,\"saidAnne,witharesentfultossofherruddyhead。

\"Youneversaidatruerword,\"saidMrs。Rachelsolemnly。\"Iknewthere’dbetroublewhenRobertBellsoldhisplacetoaNewBrunswickman,that’swhat。Idon’tknowwhatAvonleaiscomingto,withsomanystrangepeoplerushingintoit。It’llsoonnotbesafetogotosleepinourbeds。\"

\"Why,whatotherstrangersarecomingin?\"askedMarilla。

\"Haven’tyouheard?Well,there’safamilyofDonnells,foronething。They’verentedPeterSloane’soldhouse。Peterhashiredthemantorunhismill。Theybelongdowneastandnobodyknowsanythingaboutthem。ThenthatshiftlessTimothyCottonfamilyaregoingtomoveupfromWhiteSandsandthey’llsimplybeaburdenonthepublic。Heisinconsumption……whenheisn’tstealing……

andhiswifeisaslack-twistedcreaturethatcan’tturnherhandtoathing。ShewashesherdishesSITTINGDOWN。Mrs。GeorgePyehastakenherhusband’sorphannephew,AnthonyPye。He’llbegoingtoschooltoyou,Anne,soyoumanyexpecttrouble,that’swhat。

Andyou’llhaveanotherstrangepupil,too。PaulIrvingiscomingfromtheStatestolivewithhisgrandmother。Yourememberhisfather,Marilla……StephenIrving,himthatjiltedLavendarLewisoveratGrafton?\"

\"Idon’tthinkhejiltedher。Therewasaquarrel……Isupposetherewasblameonbothsides。\"

\"Well,anyway,hedidn’tmarryher,andshe’sbeenasqueeraspossibleeversince,theysay……livingallbyherselfinthatlittlestonehouseshecallsEchoLodge。StephenwentofftotheStatesandwentintobusinesswithhisuncleandmarriedaYankee。

He’sneverbeenhomesince,thoughhismotherhasbeenuptoseehimonceortwice。Hiswifediedtwoyearsagoandhe’ssendingtheboyhometohismotherforaspell。He’stenyearsoldandI

don’tknowifhe’llbeaverydesirablepupil。YoucannevertellaboutthoseYankees。\"

MrsLyndelookeduponallpeoplewhohadthemisfortunetobebornorbroughtupelsewherethaninPrinceEdwardIslandwithadecidedcan-any-good-thing-come-out-of-Nazarethair。TheyMIGHTbegoodpeople,ofcourse;butyouwereonthesafesideindoubtingit。

Shehadaspecialprejudiceagainst\"Yankees。\"HerhusbandhadbeencheatedoutoftendollarsbyanemployerforwhomhehadonceworkedinBostonandneitherangelsnorprincipalitiesnorpowerscouldhaveconvincedMrs。RachelthatthewholeUnitedStateswasnotresponsibleforit。

\"Avonleaschoolwon’tbetheworseforalittlenewblood,\"saidMarilladrily,\"andifthisboyisanythinglikehisfatherhe’llbeallright。SteveIrvingwasthenicestboythatwaseverraisedintheseparts,thoughsomepeopledidcallhimproud。IshouldthinkMrs。Irvingwouldbeverygladtohavethechild。Shehasbeenverylonesomesinceherhusbanddied。\"

\"Oh,theboymaybewellenough,buthe’llbedifferentfromAvonleachildren,\"saidMrs。Rachel,asifthatclinchedthematter。

Mrs。Rachel’sopinionsconcerninganyperson,place,orthing,werealwayswarrantedtowear。\"What’sthisIhearaboutyourgoingtostartupaVillageImprovementSociety,Anne?\"

\"IwasjusttalkingitoverwithsomeofthegirlsandboysatthelastDebatingClub,\"saidAnne,flushing。\"Theythoughtitwouldberathernice……andsodoMr。andMrs。Allan。Lotsofvillageshavethemnow。\"

\"Well,you’llgetintonoendofhotwaterifyoudo。Betterleaveitalone,Anne,that’swhat。Peopledon’tlikebeingimproved。\"

\"Oh,wearenotgoingtotrytoimprovethePEOPLE。ItisAvonleaitself。Therearelotsofthingswhichmightbedonetomakeitprettier。Forinstance,ifwecouldcoaxMr。LeviBoultertopulldownthatdreadfuloldhouseonhisupperfarmwouldn’tthatbeanimprovement?\"

\"Itcertainlywould,\"admittedMrs。Rachel。\"Thatoldruinhasbeenaneyesoretothesettlementforyears。ButifyouImproverscancoaxLeviBoultertodoanythingforthepublicthatheisn’ttobepaidfordoing,mayIbetheretoseeandheartheprocess,that’swhat。Idon’twanttodiscourageyou,Anne,fortheremaybesomethinginyouridea,thoughIsupposeyoudidgetitoutofsomerubbishyYankeemagazine;butyou’llhaveyourhandsfullwithyourschoolandIadviseyouasafriendnottobotherwithyourimprovements,that’swhat。Butthere,Iknowyou’llgoaheadwithitifyou’vesetyourmindonit。Youwerealwaysonetocarryathingthroughsomehow。\"

SomethingaboutthefirmoutlinesofAnne’slipstoldthatMrs。

Rachelwasnotfarastrayinthisestimate。Anne’sheartwasbentonformingtheImprovementSociety。GilbertBlythe,whowastoteachinWhiteSandsbutwouldalwaysbehomefromFridaynighttoMondaymorning,wasenthusiasticaboutit;

andmostoftheotherfolkswerewillingtogoinforanythingthatmeantoccasionalmeetingsandconsequentlysome\"fun。\"

Asforwhatthe\"improvements\"weretobe,nobodyhadanyveryclearideaexceptAnneandGilbert。TheyhadtalkedthemoverandplannedthemoutuntilanidealAvonleaexistedintheirminds,ifnowhereelse。

Mrs。Rachelhadstillanotheritemofnews。

\"They’vegiventheCarmodyschooltoaPriscillaGrant。Didn’tyougotoQueen’swithagirlofthatname,Anne?\"

\"Yes,indeed。PriscillatoteachatCarmody!Howperfectlylovely!\"exclaimedAnne,hergrayeyeslightingupuntiltheylookedlikeeveningstars,causingMrs。LyndetowonderanewifshewouldevergetitsettledtohersatisfactionwhetherAnneShirleywerereallyaprettygirlornot。

II

SellinginHasteandRepentingatLeisureAnnedroveovertoCarmodyonashoppingexpeditionthenextafternoonandtookDianaBarrywithher。Dianawas,ofcourse,apledgedmemberoftheImprovementSociety,andthetwogirlstalkedaboutlittleelseallthewaytoCarmodyandback。

\"Theveryfirstthingweoughttodowhenwegetstartedistohavethathallpainted,\"saidDiana,astheydrovepasttheAvonleahall,arathershabbybuildingsetdowninawoodedhollow,withsprucetreeshoodingitaboutonallsides。\"It’sadisgracefullookingplaceandwemustattendtoitevenbeforewetrytogetMr。LeviBouldertopullhishousedown。Fathersayswe’llneversucceedinDOINGthat。LeviBoulteristoomeantospendthetimeitwouldtake。\"

\"Perhapshe’lllettheboystakeitdowniftheypromisetohaultheboardsandsplitthemupforhimforkindlingwood,\"saidAnnehopefully。

\"Wemustdoourbestandbecontenttogoslowlyatfirst。Wecan’texpecttoimproveeverythingallatonce。We’llhavetoeducatepublicsentimentfirst,ofcourse。\"

Dianawasn’texactlysurewhateducatingpublicsentimentmeant;

butitsoundedfineandshefeltratherproudthatshewasgoingtobelongtoasocietywithsuchanaiminview。

\"Ithoughtofsomethinglastnightthatwecoulddo,Anne。

Youknowthatthree-corneredpieceofgroundwheretheroadsfromCarmodyandNewbridgeandWhiteSandsmeet?It’sallgrownoverwithyoungspruce;butwouldn’titbenicetohavethemallclearedout,andjustleavethetwoorthreebirchtreesthatareonit?\"

\"Splendid,\"agreedAnnegaily。\"Andhavearusticseatputunderthebirches。Andwhenspringcomeswe’llhaveaflower-bedmadeinthemiddleofitandplantgeraniums。\"

\"Yes;onlywe’llhavetodevisesomewayofgettingoldMrs。HiramSloanetokeephercowofftheroad,orshe’lleatourgeraniumsup,\"laughedDiana。\"Ibegintoseewhatyoumeanbyeducatingpublicsentiment,Anne。There’stheoldBoulterhousenow。Didyoueverseesucharookery?Andperchedrightclosetotheroadtoo。Anoldhousewithitswindowsgonealwaysmakesmethinkofsomethingdeadwithitseyespickedout。\"

\"Ithinkanold,desertedhouseissuchasadsight,\"saidAnnedreamily。\"Italwaysseemstometobethinkingaboutitspastandmourningforitsold-timejoys。Marillasaysthatalargefamilywasraisedinthatoldhouselongago,andthatitwasarealprettyplace,withalovelygardenandrosesclimbingalloverit。

Itwasfulloflittlechildrenandlaughterandsongs;andnowitisempty,andnothingeverwandersthroughitbutthewind。Howlonelyandsorrowfulitmustfeel!Perhapstheyallcomebackonmoonlitnights……theghostsofthelittlechildrenoflongagoandtherosesandthesongs……andforalittlewhiletheoldhousecandreamitisyoungandjoyousagain。\"

Dianashookherhead。

\"Ineverimaginethingslikethataboutplacesnow,Anne。Don’tyourememberhowcrossmotherandMarillawerewhenweimaginedghostsintotheHauntedWood?TothisdayIcan’tgothroughthatbushcomfortablyafterdark;andifIbeganimaginingsuchthingsabouttheoldBoulterhouseI’dbefrightenedtopassittoo。

Besides,thosechildrenaren’tdead。They’reallgrownupanddoingwell……andoneofthemisabutcher。Andflowersandsongscouldn’thaveghostsanyhow。\"

Annesmotheredalittlesigh。ShelovedDianadearlyandtheyhadalwaysbeengoodcomrades。Butshehadlongagolearnedthatwhenshewanderedintotherealmoffancyshemustgoalone。Thewaytoitwasbyanenchantedpathwherenotevenherdearestmightfollowher。

Athunder-showercameupwhilethegirlswereatCarmody;itdidnotlastlong,however,andthedrivehome,throughlaneswheretheraindropssparkledontheboughsandlittleleafyvalleyswherethedrenchedfernsgaveoutspicyodors,wasdelightful。ButjustastheyturnedintotheCuthbertlaneAnnesawsomethingthatspoiledthebeautyofthelandscapeforher。

BeforethemontherightextendedMr。Harrison’sbroad,gray-greenfieldoflateoats,wetandluxuriant;andthere,standingsquarelyinthemiddleofit,uptohersleeksidesinthelushgrowth,andblinkingatthemcalmlyovertheinterveningtassels,wasaJerseycow!

Annedroppedthereinsandstoodupwithatighteningofthelipsthatbodednogoodtothepredatoryquadruped。Notawordsaidshe,butsheclimbednimblydownoverthewheels,andwhiskedacrossthefencebeforeDianaunderstoodwhathadhappened。

\"Anne,comeback,\"shriekedthelatter,assoonasshefoundhervoice。\"You’llruinyourdressinthatwetgrain……ruinit。

Shedoesn’thearme!Well,she’llnevergetthatcowoutbyherself。

Imustgoandhelpher,ofcourse。\"

Annewaschargingthroughthegrainlikeamadthing。Dianahoppedbrisklydown,tiedthehorsesecurelytoapost,turnedtheskirtofherprettyginghamdressoverhershoulders,mountedthefence,andstartedinpursuitofherfranticfriend。ShecouldrunfasterthanAnne,whowashamperedbyherclinginganddrenchedskirt,andsoonovertookher。BehindthemtheyleftatrailthatwouldbreakMr。Harrison’sheartwhenheshouldseeit。

\"Anne,formercy’ssake,stop,\"pantedpoorDiana。\"I’mrightoutofbreathandyouarewettotheskin。\"

\"Imust……get……thatcow……out……before……Mr。Harrison……seesher,\"gaspedAnne。\"Idon’t……care……ifI’m……drowned……ifwe……can……only……dothat。\"

ButtheJerseycowappearedtoseenogoodreasonforbeinghustledoutofherlusciousbrowsingground。Nosoonerhadthetwobreathlessgirlsgotnearherthansheturnedandboltedsquarelyfortheoppositecornerofthefield。

\"Headheroff,\"screamedAnne。\"Run,Diana,run。\"

Dianadidrun。Annetriedto,andthewickedJerseywentaroundthefieldasifshewerepossessed。Privately,Dianathoughtshewas。

ItwasfullytenminutesbeforetheyheadedheroffanddroveherthroughthecornergapintotheCuthbertlane。

ThereisnodenyingthatAnnewasinanythingbutanangelictemperatthatprecisemoment。Nordiditsootheherintheleasttobeholdabuggyhaltedjustoutsidethelane,whereinsatMr。

ShearerofCarmodyandhisson,bothofwhomworeabroadsmile。

\"Iguessyou’dbetterhavesoldmethatcowwhenIwantedtobuyherlastweek,Anne,\"chuckledMr。Shearer。

\"I’llsellhertoyounow,ifyouwanther,\"saidherflushedanddisheveledowner。\"Youmayhaveherthisveryminute。\"

\"Done。I’llgiveyoutwentyforherasIofferedbefore,andJimherecandriveherrightovertoCarmody。She’llgototownwiththerestoftheshipmentthisevening。Mr。ReedofBrightonwantsaJerseycow。\"

FiveminuteslaterJimShearerandtheJerseycowweremarchinguptheroad,andimpulsiveAnnewasdrivingalongtheGreenGableslanewithhertwentydollars。

\"WhatwillMarillasay?\"askedDiana。

\"Oh,shewon’tcare。Dollywasmyowncowanditisn’tlikelyshe’dbringmorethantwentydollarsattheauction。Butohdear,ifMr。Harrisonseesthatgrainhewillknowshehasbeeninagain,andaftermygivinghimmywordofhonorthatI’dneverletithappen!Well,ithastaughtmealessonnottogivemywordofhonoraboutcows。Acowthatcouldjumpoverorbreakthroughourmilk-penfencecouldn’tbetrustedanywhere。\"

MarillahadgonedowntoMrs。Lynde’s,andwhenshereturnedknewallaboutDolly’ssaleandtransfer,forMrs。Lyndehadseenmostofthetransactionfromherwindowandguessedtherest。

\"Isupposeit’sjustaswellshe’sgone,thoughyouDOdothingsinadreadfulheadlongfashion,Anne。Idon’tseehowshegotoutofthepen,though。Shemusthavebrokensomeoftheboardsoff。\"

\"Ididn’tthinkoflooking,\"saidAnne,\"butI’llgoandseenow。

Martinhasnevercomebackyet。Perhapssomemoreofhisauntshavedied。Ithinkit’ssomethinglikeMr。PeterSloaneandtheoctogenarians。TheothereveningMrs。SloanewasreadinganewspaperandshesaidtoMr。Sloane,`Iseeherethatanotheroctogenarianhasjustdied。Whatisanoctogenarian,Peter?’AndMr。Sloanesaidhedidn’tknow,buttheymustbeverysicklycreatures,foryouneverheardtellofthembuttheyweredying。

That’sthewaywithMartin’saunts。\"

\"Martin’sjustlikealltherestofthoseFrench,\"saidMarillaindisgust。

\"Youcan’tdependonthemforaday。\"MarillawaslookingoverAnne’sCarmodypurchaseswhensheheardashrillshriekinthebarnyard。

AminutelaterAnnedashedintothekitchen,wringingherhands。

\"AnneShirley,what’sthematternow?\"

\"Oh,Marilla,whatevershallIdo?Thisisterrible。Andit’sallmyfault。Oh,willIEVERlearntostopandreflectalittlebeforedoingrecklessthings?Mrs。LyndealwaystoldmeIwoulddosomethingdreadfulsomeday,andnowI’vedoneit!\"

\"Anne,youarethemostexasperatinggirl!WHATisityou’vedone?\"

\"SoldMr。Harrison’sJerseycow……theoneheboughtfromMr。Bell……toMr。Shearer!Dollyisoutinthemilkingpenthisveryminute。\"

\"AnneShirley,areyoudreaming?\"

\"IonlywishIwere。There’snodreamaboutit,thoughit’sverylikeanightmare。AndMr。Harrison’scowisinCharlottetownbythistime。Oh,Marilla,IthoughtI’dfinishedgettingintoscrapes,andhereIamintheveryworstoneIeverwasininmylife。

WhatcanIdo?\"

\"Do?There’snothingtodo,child,exceptgoandseeMr。Harrisonaboutit。WecanofferhimourJerseyinexchangeifhedoesn’twanttotakethemoney。Sheisjustasgoodashis。\"

\"I’msurehe’llbeawfullycrossanddisagreeableaboutit,though,\"

moanedAnne。

\"Idaresayhewill。Heseemstobeanirritablesortofaman。

I’llgoandexplaintohimifyoulike。\"

\"No,indeed,I’mnotasmeanasthat,\"exclaimedAnne。\"ThisisallmyfaultandI’mcertainlynotgoingtoletyoutakemypunishment。

I’llgomyselfandI’llgoatonce。Thesoonerit’soverthebetter,foritwillbeterriblyhumiliating。\"

PoorAnnegotherhatandhertwentydollarsandwaspassingoutwhenshehappenedtoglancethroughtheopenpantrydoor。Onthetablereposedanutcakewhichshehadbakedthatmorning……aparticularlytoothsomeconcoctionicedwithpinkicingandadornedwithwalnuts。AnnehadintendeditforFridayevening,whentheyouthofAvonleaweretomeetatGreenGablestoorganizetheImprovementSociety。ButwhatweretheycomparedtothejustlyoffendedMr。Harrison?Annethoughtthatcakeoughttosoftentheheartofanyman,especiallyonewhohadtodohisowncooking,andshepromptlypoppeditintoabox。ShewouldtakeittoMr。Harrisonasapeaceoffering。

\"Thatis,ifhegivesmeachancetosayanythingatall,\"shethoughtruefully,assheclimbedthelanefenceandstartedonashortcutacrossthefields,goldeninthelightofthedreamyAugustevening。\"Iknownowjusthowpeoplefeelwhoarebeingledtoexecution。\"

III

Mr。HarrisonatHomeMr。Harrison’shousewasanold-fashioned,low-eaved,whitewashedstructure,setagainstathicksprucegrove。

Mr。Harrisonhimselfwassittingonhisvineshadedveranda,inhisshirtsleeves,enjoyinghiseveningpipe。Whenherealizedwhowascomingupthepathhesprangsuddenlytohisfeet,boltedintothehouse,andshutthedoor。Thiswasmerelytheuncomfortableresultofhissurprise,mingledwithagooddealofshameoverhisoutburstoftemperthedaybefore。ButitnearlyswepttheremnantofhercouragefromAnne’sheart。

\"Ifhe’ssocrossnowwhatwillhebewhenhehearswhatI’vedone,\"shereflectedmiserably,assherappedatthedoor。

ButMr。Harrisonopenedit,smilingsheepishly,andinvitedhertoenterinatonequitemildandfriendly,ifsomewhatnervous。

Hehadlaidasidehispipeanddonnedhiscoat;heofferedAnneaverydustychairverypolitely,andherreceptionwouldhavepassedoffpleasantlyenoughifithadnotbeenforthetelltaleofaparrotwhowaspeeringthroughthebarsofhiscagewithwickedgoldeneyes。

NosoonerhadAnneseatedherselfthanGingerexclaimed,\"Blessmysoul,what’sthatredheadedsnippetcomingherefor?\"

Itwouldbehardtosaywhosefacewastheredder,Mr。Harrison’sorAnne’s。

\"Don’tyoumindthatparrot,\"saidMr。Harrison,castingafuriousglanceatGinger。\"He’s……he’salwaystalkingnonsense。Igothimfrommybrotherwhowasasailor。Sailorsdon’talwaysusethechoicestlanguage,andparrotsareveryimitativebirds。\"

\"SoIshouldthink,\"saidpoorAnne,theremembranceofhererrandquellingherresentment。Shecouldn’taffordtosnubMr。Harrisonunderthecircumstances,thatwascertain。Whenyouhadjustsoldaman’sJerseycowoffhand,withouthisknowledgeorconsentyoumustnotmindifhisparrotrepeateduncomplimentarythings。

Nevertheless,the\"redheadedsnippet\"wasnotquitesomeekasshemightotherwisehavebeen。

\"I’vecometoconfesssomethingtoyou,Mr。Harrison,\"shesaidresolutely。\"It’s……it’sabout……thatJerseycow\"

\"Blessmysoul,\"exclaimedMr。Harrisonnervously,\"hasshegoneandbrokenintomyoatsagain?Well,nevermind……nevermindifshehas。It’snodifference……noneatall。I……Iwastoohastyyesterday,that’safact。Nevermindifshehas。\"

\"Oh,ifitwereonlythat,\"sighedAnne。\"Butit’stentimesworse。Idon’t……\"

\"Blessmysoul,doyoumeantosayshe’sgotintomywheat?\"

\"No……no……notthewheat。But……\"

\"Thenit’sthecabbages!She’sbrokenintomycabbagesthatIwasraisingforExhibition,hey?\"

\"It’sNOTthecabbages,Mr。Harrison。I’lltellyoueverything……

thatiswhatIcamefor——butpleasedon’tinterruptme。Itmakesmesonervous。Justletmetellmystoryanddon’tsayanythingtillIgetthrough——andthennodoubtyou’llsayplenty,\"

Anneconcluded,butinthoughtonly。

\"Iwon’tsayanotherword,\"saidMr。Harrison,andhedidn’t。ButGingerwasnotboundbyanycontractofsilenceandkeptejaculating,\"Redheadedsnippet\"atintervalsuntilAnnefeltquitewild。

\"IshutmyJerseycowupinourpenyesterday。ThismorningIwenttoCarmodyandwhenIcamebackIsawaJerseycowinyouroats。

DianaandIchasedheroutandyoucan’timaginewhatahardtimewehad。Iwassodreadfullywetandtiredandvexed——andMr。

Shearercamebythatveryminuteandofferedtobuythecow。I

soldhertohimonthespotfortwentydollars。Itwaswrongofme。

IshouldhavewaitedandconsultedMarilla,ofcourse。ButI’mdreadfullygiventodoingthingswithoutthinking——everybodywhoknowsmewilltellyouthat。Mr。Shearertookthecowrightawaytoshipherontheafternoontrain。\"

\"Redheadedsnippet,\"quotedGingerinatoneofprofoundcontempt。

AtthispointMr。Harrisonaroseand,withanexpressionthatwouldhavestruckterrorintoanybirdbutaparrot,carriedGinger’scageintoanadjoiningroomandshutthedoor。Gingershrieked,swore,andotherwiseconductedhimselfinkeepingwithhisreputation,butfindinghimselfleftalone,relapsedintosulkysilence。

\"Excusemeandgoon,\"saidMr。Harrison,sittingdownagain。

\"Mybrotherthesailornevertaughtthatbirdanymanners。\"

\"IwenthomeandafterteaIwentouttothemilkingpen。Mr。

Harrison,\"……Anneleanedforward,claspingherhandswithheroldchildishgesture,whileherbiggrayeyesgazedimploringlyintoMr。Harrison’sembarrassedface……\"Ifoundmycowstillshutupinthepen。ItwasYOURcowIhadsoldtoMr。Shearer。\"

\"Blessmysoul,\"exclaimedMr。Harrison,inblankamazementatthisunlooked-forconclusion。\"WhataVERYextraordinarything!\"

\"Oh,itisn’tintheleastextraordinarythatIshouldbegettingmyselfandotherpeopleintoscrapes,\"saidAnnemournfully。

\"I’mnotedforthat。YoumightsupposeI’dhavegrownoutofitbythistime……I’llbeseventeennextMarch……butitseemsthatIhaven’t。Mr。Harrison,isittoomuchtohopethatyou’llforgiveme?I’mafraidit’stoolatetogetyourcowback,buthereisthemoneyforher……oryoucanhavemineinexchangeifyou’drather。She’saverygoodcow。AndIcan’texpresshowsorryIamforitall。\"

\"Tut,tut,\"saidMr。Harrisonbriskly,\"don’tsayanotherwordaboutit,miss。It’sofnoconsequence……noconsequencewhatever。

Accidentswillhappen。I’mtoohastymyselfsometimes,miss……

fartoohasty。ButIcan’thelpspeakingoutjustwhatIthinkandfolksmusttakemeastheyfindme。Ifthatcowhadbeeninmycabbagesnow……butnevermind,shewasn’t,soit’sallright。IthinkI’dratherhaveyourcowinexchange,sinceyouwanttoberidofher。\"

\"Oh,thankyou,Mr。Harrison。I’msogladyouarenotvexed。

Iwasafraidyouwouldbe。\"

\"AndIsupposeyouwerescaredtodeathtocomehereandtellme,afterthefussImadeyesterday,hey?Butyoumustn’tmindme,I’materribleoutspokenoldfellow,that’sall……awfulapttotellthetruth,nomatterifitisabitplain。\"

\"SoisMrs。Lynde,\"saidAnne,beforeshecouldpreventherself。

\"Who?Mrs。Lynde?Don’tyoutellmeI’mlikethatoldgossip,\"

saidMr。Harrisonirritably。\"I’mnot……notabit。Whathaveyougotinthatbox?\"

\"Acake,\"saidAnnearchly。InherreliefatMr。Harrison’sunexpectedamiabilityherspiritssoaredupwardfeather-light。

\"Ibroughtitoverforyou……Ithoughtperhapsyoudidn’thavecakeveryoften。\"

\"Idon’t,that’safact,andI’mmightyfondofit,too。I’mmuchobligedtoyou。Itlooksgoodontop。Ihopeit’sgoodallthewaythrough。\"

\"Itis,\"saidAnne,gailyconfident。\"IhavemadecakesinmytimethatwereNOT,asMrs。Allancouldtellyou,butthisoneisallright。

ImadeitfortheImprovementSociety,butIcanmakeanotherforthem。\"

\"Well,I’lltellyouwhat,miss,youmusthelpmeeatit。I’llputthekettleonandwe’llhaveacupoftea。Howwillthatdo?\"

\"Willyouletmemakethetea?\"saidAnnedubiously。

Mr。Harrisonchuckled。

\"Iseeyouhaven’tmuchconfidenceinmyabilitytomaketea。

You’rewrong……Icanbrewupasgoodajorumofteaasyoueverdrank。Butgoaheadyourself。FortunatelyitrainedlastSunday,sothere’splentyofcleandishes。\"

Annehoppedbrisklyupandwenttowork。Shewashedtheteapotinseveralwatersbeforesheputtheteatosteep。Thenshesweptthestoveandsetthetable,bringingthedishesoutofthepantry。

ThestateofthatpantryhorrifiedAnne,butshewiselysaidnothing。Mr。Harrisontoldherwheretofindthebreadandbutterandacanofpeaches。Anneadornedthetablewithabouquetfromthegardenandshuthereyestothestainsonthetablecloth。SoontheteawasreadyandAnnefoundherselfsittingoppositeMr。

Harrisonathisowntable,pouringhisteaforhim,andchattingfreelytohimaboutherschoolandfriendsandplans。Shecouldhardlybelievetheevidenceofhersenses。

Mr。HarrisonhadbroughtGingerback,averringthatthepoorbirdwouldbelonesome;andAnne,feelingthatshecouldforgiveeverybodyandeverything,offeredhimawalnut。ButGinger’sfeelingshadbeengrievouslyhurtandherejectedalloverturesoffriendship。Hesatmoodilyonhisperchandruffledhisfeathersupuntilhelookedlikeamereballofgreenandgold。

\"WhydoyoucallhimGinger?\"askedAnne,wholikedappropriatenamesandthoughtGingeraccordednotatallwithsuchgorgeousplumage。

\"Mybrotherthesailornamedhim。Maybeithadsomereferencetohistemper。Ithinkalotofthatbirdthough……you’dbesurprisedifyouknewhowmuch。Hehashisfaultsofcourse。

Thatbirdhascostmeagooddealonewayandanother。Somepeopleobjecttohisswearinghabitsbuthecan’tbebrokenofthem。

I’vetried……otherpeoplehavetried。Somefolkshaveprejudicesagainstparrots。Silly,ain’tit?Ilikethemmyself。Ginger’salotofcompanytome。Nothingwouldinducemetogivethatbirdup……nothingintheworld,miss。\"

Mr。HarrisonflungthelastsentenceatAnneasexplosivelyasifhesuspectedherofsomelatentdesignofpersuadinghimtogiveGingerup。Anne,however,wasbeginningtolikethequeer,fussy,fidgetylittleman,andbeforethemealwasovertheywerequitegoodfriends。Mr。HarrisonfoundoutabouttheImprovementSocietyandwasdisposedtoapproveofit。

\"That’sright。Goahead。There’slotsofroomforimprovementinthissettlement……andinthepeopletoo。\"

\"Oh,Idon’tknow,\"flashedAnne。Toherself,ortoherparticularcronies,shemightadmitthatthereweresomesmallimperfections,easilyremovable,inAvonleaanditsinhabitants。ButtohearapracticaloutsiderlikeMr。Harrisonsayingitwasanentirelydifferentthing。\"IthinkAvonleaisalovelyplace;andthepeopleinitareverynice,too。\"

\"Iguessyou’vegotaspiceoftemper,\"commentedMr。Harrison,surveyingtheflushedcheeksandindignanteyesoppositehim。

\"Itgoeswithhairlikeyours,Ireckon。AvonleaisaprettydecentplaceorIwouldn’thavelocatedhere;butIsupposeevenyouwilladmitthatithasSOMEfaults?\"

\"Ilikeitallthebetterforthem,\"saidloyalAnne。\"Idon’tlikeplacesorpeopleeitherthathaven’tanyfaults。Ithinkatrulyperfectpersonwouldbeveryuninteresting。Mrs。MiltonWhitesaysshenevermetaperfectperson,butshe’sheardenoughaboutone……herhusband’sfirstwife。Don’tyouthinkitmustbeveryuncomfortabletobemarriedtoamanwhosefirstwifewasperfect?\"

\"Itwouldbemoreuncomfortabletobemarriedtotheperfectwife,\"

declaredMr。Harrison,withasuddenandinexplicablewarmth。

WhenteawasoverAnneinsistedonwashingthedishes,althoughMr。

Harrisonassuredherthattherewereenoughinthehousetodoforweeksyet。Shewoulddearlyhavelovedtosweeptheflooralso,butnobroomwasvisibleandshedidnotliketoaskwhereitwasforfeartherewasn’toneatall。

\"Youmightrunacrossandtalktomeonceinawhile,\"suggestedMr。Harrisonwhenshewasleaving。\"’Tisn’tfarandfolksoughttobeneighborly。I’mkindofinterestedinthatsocietyofyours。

Seemstomethere’llbesomefuninit。Whoareyougoingtotacklefirst?\"

\"WearenotgoingtomeddlewithPEOPLE……itisonlyPLACESwemeantoimprove,\"saidAnne,inadignifiedtone。SherathersuspectedthatMr。Harrisonwasmakingfunoftheproject。

WhenshehadgoneMr。Harrisonwatchedherfromthewindow……alithe,girlishshape,trippinglightheartedlyacrossthefieldsinthesunsetafterglow。

\"I’macrusty,lonesome,crabbedoldchap,\"hesaidaloud,\"butthere’ssomethingaboutthatlittlegirlmakesmefeelyoungagain……andit’ssuchapleasantsensationI’dliketohaveitrepeatedonceinawhile。\"

\"Redheadedsnippet,\"croakedGingermockingly。

Mr。Harrisonshookhisfistattheparrot。

\"Youornerybird,\"hemuttered,\"IalmostwishI’dwrungyourneckwhenmybrotherthesailorbroughtyouhome。Willyouneverbedonegettingmeintotrouble?\"

AnneranhomeblithelyandrecountedheradventurestoMarilla,whohadbeennotalittlealarmedbyherlongabsenceandwasonthepointofstartingouttolookforher。

\"It’saprettygoodworld,afterall,isn’tit,Marilla?\"concludedAnnehappily。\"Mrs。Lyndewascomplainingtheotherdaythatitwasn’tmuchofaworld。Shesaidwheneveryoulookedforwardtoanythingpleasantyouweresuretobemoreorlessdisappointed……perhapsthatistrue。Butthereisagoodsidetoittoo。

Thebadthingsdon’talwayscomeuptoyourexpectationseither……theynearlyalwaysturnouteversomuchbetterthanyouthink。

IlookedforwardtoadreadfullyunpleasantexperiencewhenIwentovertoMr。Harrison’stonight;andinsteadhewasquitekindandIhadalmostanicetime。Ithinkwe’regoingtoberealgoodfriendsifwemakeplentyofallowancesforeachother,andeverythinghasturnedoutforthebest。Butallthesame,Marilla,Ishallcertainlyneveragainsellacowbeforemakingsuretowhomshebelongs。AndIdoNOTlikeparrots!\"

IV

DifferentOpinionsOneeveningatsunset,JaneAndrews,GilbertBlythe,andAnneShirleywerelingeringbyafenceintheshadowofgentlyswayingspruceboughs,whereawoodcutknownastheBirchPathjoinedthemainroad。JanehadbeenuptospendtheafternoonwithAnne,whowalkedpartofthewayhomewithher;atthefencetheymetGilbert,andallthreewerenowtalkingaboutthefatefulmorrow;forthatmorrowwasthefirstofSeptemberandtheschoolswouldopen。JanewouldgotoNewbridgeandGilberttoWhiteSands。

\"Youbothhavetheadvantageofme,\"sighedAnne。\"You’regoingtoteachchildrenwhodon’tknowyou,butIhavetoteachmyownoldschoolmates,andMrs。Lyndesaysshe’safraidtheywon’trespectmeastheywouldastrangerunlessI’mverycrossfromthefirst。

ButIdon’tbelieveateachershouldbecross。Oh,itseemstomesucharesponsibility!\"

\"Iguesswe’llgetonallright,\"saidJanecomfortably。Janewasnottroubledbyanyaspirationstobeaninfluenceforgood。

Shemeanttoearnhersalaryfairly,pleasethetrustees,andgethernameontheSchoolInspector’srollofhonor。FurtherambitionsJanehadnone。\"Themainthingwillbetokeeporderandateacherhastobealittlecrosstodothat。Ifmypupilswon’tdoasItellthemIshallpunishthem。\"

\"How?\"

\"Givethemagoodwhipping,ofcourse。\"

\"Oh,Jane,youwouldn’t,\"criedAnne,shocked。\"Jane,youCOULDN’T!\"

\"Indeed,Icouldandwould,iftheydeservedit,\"saidJanedecidedly。

\"IcouldNEVERwhipachild,\"saidAnnewithequaldecision。

\"Idon’tbelieveinitATALL。MissStacyneverwhippedanyofusandshehadperfectorder;andMr。Phillipswasalwayswhippingandhehadnoorderatall。No,ifIcan’tgetalongwithoutwhippingIshallnottrytoteachschool。Therearebetterwaysofmanaging。

Ishalltrytowinmypupils’affectionsandthentheywillWANTtodowhatItellthem。\"

\"Butsupposetheydon’t?\"saidpracticalJane。

\"Iwouldn’twhipthemanyhow。I’msureitwouldn’tdoanygood。

Oh,don’twhipyourpupils,Janedear,nomatterwhattheydo。\"

\"Whatdoyouthinkaboutit,Gilbert?\"demandedJane。\"Don’tyouthinktherearesomechildrenwhoreallyneedawhippingnowandthen?\"

\"Don’tyouthinkit’sacruel,barbarousthingtowhipachild……

ANYchild?\"exclaimedAnne,herfaceflushingwithearnestness。

\"Well,\"saidGilbertslowly,tornbetweenhisrealconvictionsandhiswishtomeasureuptoAnne’sideal,\"there’ssomethingtobesaidonbothsides。Idon’tbelieveinwhippingchildrenMUCH。

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