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    Anne of Avonlea
    Anne of Avonlea
    Anne of Avonlea
    Ebook364 pages5 hours

    Anne of Avonlea

    By Lucy Maud Montgomery

    4/5

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    Anne is about to start her first term teaching at the Avonlea school, although she will still continue her studies at home with Gilbert, who is teaching at the nearby White Sands School. The book soon introduces Anne's new and problematic neighbour, Mr. Harrison, and his foul-mouthed parrot, as well as the twins, Davy and Dora. They are the children of Marilla's third cousin and she takes them in when their mother dies while their uncle is out of the country. Dora is a nice, well-behaved girl, somewhat boring in her perfect behaviour. Davy is Dora's exact opposite, much more of a handful and constantly getting into many scrapes. They are initially meant to stay only a short time, but the twins' uncle postpones his return to collect the twins and then eventually dies. Both Anne and Marilla are relieved (Marilla inwardly of course) to know the twins will remain with her. Other characters introduced are some of Anne's new pupils, such as Paul Irving, an American boy living with his grandmother in Avonlea while his widower father works in the States. He delights Anne with his imagination and whimsical ways, which are reminiscent of Anne's in her childhood. Later in the book, Anne and her friends meet Miss Lavendar Lewis, a sweet but lonely lady in her 40s who had been engaged to Paul's father 25 years before, but parted from him after a disagreement. At the end of the book, Mr. Irving returns and he and Miss Lavendar marry. Anne discovers the delights and troubles of being a teacher, takes part in the raising of Davy and Dora, and organizes the A.V.I.S. (Avonlea Village Improvement Society) together with Gilbert, Diana, and Fred Wright, though their efforts to improve the town are not always successful. The Society takes up a subscription to repaint an old town hall, only to have the painter provide the wrong colour of paint, turning the hall into a bright blue eyesore. Towards the end of the book, Mrs. Rachel Lynde's husband dies and Mrs. Lynde moves in with Marilla at Green Gables, allowing Anne to go to college at last. She and Gilbert make plans to attend Redmond College in the fall. This book sees Anne maturing slightly, even though she still cannot avoid getting into a number of her familiar scrapes, as only Anne can—some of which include selling her neighbor's cow (having mistaken it for her own), or getting stuck in a broken duck house roof while peeping into a pantry window. (Excerpt from Wikipedia)
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOtbebookpublishing
    Release dateDec 27, 2015
    ISBN9783956760266
    Author

    Lucy Maud Montgomery

    Lucy Maud Montgomery was born on Prince Edward Island, Canada, in 1874 and raised by her maternal grandparents following her mother's death when she was just two years old. Biographical accounts of her upbringing suggest a strict and rather lonely childhood. She later spent a number of years working as a teacher before turning to journalism and then, ultimately to fiction writing. While Anne of Green Gables was completed in 1905 Montgomery was at first unable to find a publisher for it and - having set it aside for a while - eventually found a champion for it in the Page Company of Boston. Her first novel - and the one which was to prove by far her most successful - was published in 1908 and has remained in print the world over ever since. In creating the uniquely memorable Anne, Montgomery gave the world of classic fiction one of its most enduring heroines.

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    Reviews for Anne of Avonlea

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    • 4/5
      This sequel to Anne of Green Gables finds Anne learning the ropes as a school teacher and Green Gables inhabiting some little people. As Anne remains bestfriends with Diana, new friendships blossom with old and new neighbors. And - Anne's dreaming never ceases.I found this sequel to be a little less enjoyable than the first. I like Anne and the rest of the characters and will eventually continue with the series, but I wasn't drawn to her as I was before. Maybe it's because she's growing up and acting more mature while I was anticipating more of the younger Anne - I don't know, she did have some impulsive moments. Anyway, I'll be more prepared for the next book. (3.75/5)Originally posted on: "Thoughts of Joy..."
    • 4/5
      Anne has big dreams for how she will teach her new class, but the bigger question is whether it's possible to follow them. Can she win the love and affection of all her students the traditional way? Meanwhile she's planning improvements for Avonlea and wondering just how she feels about Gilbert after all. She has new friends and at the end is wondering the same question of the last book- should she go away to college?
    • 4/5
      Even though I enjoyed “Anne of Avonlea”, I didn't like it as much as the first book in the series. I think it was because Anne was older and no longer creating havoc at every opportunity. This book focused on her first two years of teaching so was far more serious. However, I did like young Davy, one of the twins Marilla had taken in. He brought humour to the book with his cheeky personality and insatiable curiosity. In fact, he reminded me of Anne at the same age.My biggest complaint about “Anne of Avonlea” was the abrupt way each chapter came to an end. I found this annoying as it created a sense of discord. However, overall, still a sweet read.
    • 5/5
      Anne of Green Gables returns in this classic. Now she’s a school marm at age 17. Her little batch of students charm and try her by twists and turns. Toss in the recently orphaned twins Davy and Dora Keith, and Anne has her hands full indeed! She has many mishaps and whimsical adventures in this tale.This is a charming little book about Anne. While there’s no central plot to the tale (it reads more like a string of interconnected short stories), the characters really make it work. Anne is so well-meaning even if she makes mistakes and causes property damage. She always apologizes and makes amends (whether through doing repairs or paying for replacements). I especially liked Anne’s idea of the Avonlea Village Improvement Society (AVIS) and the Pye family.Anne wants everyone to love her and she strives to find a way to win the trust, love, and approval of all those around her. However, as a school marm she sometimes finds this impossible when the rascals try her sorely. Then there’s Mr. Harrison and his sailor-mouthed parrot Ginger. Davy would probably give her early grey hairs if he doesn’t learn to behave.Marilla, Anne’s adoptive guardian, is still a significant part of the story. I like her steadying hand and well-placed advice. While I did like Book 1 a little more since is was about Anne fitting into this new life, it’s so good to have Marilla be such a backbone presence in this tale.Occasionally the tale dips a toe into the preaching pond with examples of good morals and what not. It was mild but once or twice I did roll my eyes. There is one short discussion about ‘injun’ feathered headdresses which dates this work.Anne grows up a bit in this book. She’s working full time, has her own chores and adult friends. Then she and Marilla take on Davy and Dora. Marilla’s eyesight is failing so Anne has all the sewing to do for the household. Even though she hates sewing, she’s willing to do it to give these kids a good home, even if just temporarily.There’s busted plates, caterpillars down a shirt, frog in a bed, a cow sold accidentally, a horrendous storm, and plenty more in this tale of Anne’s young adulthood. My favorite was the parrot Ginger. He swears a lot (though we never get to hear it swear) but it provides meaningful companionship for Mr. Harrison.I received a free copy of this book.Narration: Colleen Winton was a great pick for Anne. She has that wonder and gentleness that Anne is well known for. She also does a great Marilla, being a little sour but overall well meaning. She has distinct voices for all the characters and her male character voices are quite well done too. Her little kid voices are great as well as though few for the elderly.
    • 3/5
      I was completely prepared to adore this book, but I just didn't. I feel like nothing happened, which is probably why hardly any of this made the cut for the Anne of Avonlea movie. I'm still going to finish the series, and I still love Anne, but this was disappointing. Borrow it?
    • 4/5
      Anne, now sixteen, begins her job as a schoolteacher.
    • 5/5
      Continuing the tale of Anne and the people of Avonlea. At 16, Anne and her girlfriends were done school and certified to be teachers in the communities on the island. Anne continues with her fanciful ways, Marilla has taken in twins - a docile girl and spirited Davy. And Anne meets Miss Lavender, who was once engaged to a pupil's father. He's now widowed, sent his son back to PEI to be cared for by Grandma & finds out that Miss Lavender is still single - so romance happens for that lucky couple. The book ends with Anne and Gilbert preparing to leave for college.
    • 4/5

      I came to this second installment in the Anne of Green Gables series with no clear memory of having read it as a child, although I'm fairly sure that I did. This means that I lack the strong emotional attachment to the book and to the series as a whole which I know is felt by many readers.

      When I recently listened to the audiobook of Anne of Green Gables for the first time since my childhood, I felt engaged by the characters and by the setting. I especially responded to Marilla as she came to recognise her love for Anne and developed her ability to express that love. However, I felt less engaged by the characters in this book. In my view, there's not enough of Marilla and the teenage Anne of this book is less interesting a character than the child Anne of the first book. She still has a wonderful imagination, a poetic attachment to the landscape in which she lives and she still gets into scrapes, but Anne appears to undergo very little development until the last paragraphs of the novel. In addition, the other main child characters are not particularly satisfying: Paul seems too good to be true, Davy is irritating and Dora is rather overlooked and neglected.

      Another weakness of the novel is that whereas Anne of Green Gables had Anne's character and her development as its narrative focus, this novel seems to be much more a series of episodes strung together without a real theme. That said, one element that emerges is that of communication in relationships between women and men and the danger to happiness caused by unresolved misunderstandings. This, of course, is also a theme of the first novel, with Anne's long-standing refusal to forgive Gilbert Blythe and Marilla's tale of having rejected Gilbert's father.

      A particular disappointment for me was the narration by Laurel Merlington. Her reading is very clear, but her voice lacks warmth and softness. My unhappiness with Merlington's narration was probably increased because of my very positive reaction to Kate Burton's reading of Anne of Green Gables. As I listened, I kept feeling that I would be enjoying the book more if I were reading it. I usually count the voice of the narrator as a positive feature of the audiobook format, but not this time.

      Overall, I can appreciate how much more I would have liked the book had it been a childhood favourite. It would have had all the familiarity and comfort of visiting old and much-loved friends. This felt a bit like visiting acquaintances after a very long interval and not being totally sure the visit was a good idea.

      I don't want to give the impression that my less than totally favourable reaction to this book means that I don't want to read the the rest of the series. I've become attached enough to Avonlea and its inhabitants to want to know what happens next. If I choose an audiobook next time, I'll make sure it's narrated by a kindred spirit with a warm and pleasant voice.

      For me, this was a 3-1/2 star read.
    • 4/5
      This is quite possibly one of my favorite in the series. The others aren't nearly as dog-eared.

      I do think this book (and any other by Montgomery) are a little tough to get through if you're older than 13. Mostly because of the very fluffy and antiquated language. But I love them!
    • 3/5
      Much preachier than I remembered. I rolled my eyes a lot.
    • 5/5
      I couldn't possibly tell you how many times I have read and reread L.M. Montgomery's eight-book "Anne" series over the years, from the classic Anne of Green Gables, in which our red-headed heroine finds a home at the eponymous Green Gables farm of Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, to the much-loved Rilla of Ingleside, which follows the story of Anne's youngest daughter during the first world war. Suffice it to say, it's been a fair few times, and every reading, I am happy to report, has strengthened my love for Montgomery's characters, and my appreciation of her work.Originally published in 1909, the year after Anne of Green Gables, this second installment of the series follows Anne through her two years as Avonlea school-teacher, and although I wouldn't say I was blind to its faults (it has a few), it has always been a favorite. There is something so delightful about Anne of Avonlea - a restful quality to it that allows me to sink into the reading experience as I would into a soft feather-bed. Perhaps because its heroine is now an established member of the Avonlea community - no longer the orphaned outsider struggling to find a place to belong - but still young enough to get into scrapes, it seems to function as a transition piece, between Anne-the-child and Anne-the-young-woman, and has all the wistful appeal that such transitions always hold for me. Yes, Davy and Dora Keith - the twin siblings that Marilla and Anne adopt - are a little annoying, and the dreamy Paul Irving can be somewhat precious, but the ups and downs of Anne's first teaching experience, the entertaining efforts of the Avonlea Village Improvement Society (A.V.I.S.) founded by Anne and her friends, the romantic tale of Miss Lavender and her long-lost beau, and Anne's own hilarious misadventures (my favorite was probably her accidental sale of Mr. Harrison's cow!), all combine to make this an immensely engaging read! I'm so happy to own a lovely vintage copy of this jewel, complete with the George Gibbs image on the cover, as Anne of Avonlea truly belongs on my "treasures" shelf!
    • 5/5
      In Anne of Avonlea we follow Anne Shirley through the two years she spends teaching school and ends with her about to embark upon her university years. Anne’s sphere is a little wider in this book, instead of concentrating on her home, Anne is now both the teacher of Avonlea’s young, and a member of the community, taking part in many activities and events.Anne is growing up and showing signs of the mature, thoughtful woman she is to become, but, there are flashes of the old Anne where her impulsiveness and her fiery temper lead her into some terrific scrapes. Anne and Marilla open Green Gables to a pair of orphaned twins, she meets some new “kindred” spirits to spend time with along with her much loved best friend Diana and other friends. Gilbert and Anne are enjoying their new found friendship and are growing closer as time passes. This is a delightful read encompassing the passing seasons of this peaceful rural community and although I freely admit to being biased, I highly recommend the Anne books as great comfort reads.
    • 4/5
      I remember liking Anne of Avonlea immensely when I first read it as a young teenager, and during my recent reread (for a group discussion of the book), I enjoyed most of the story as much as I did then, especially the anecdotes about the Avonlea Village Improvement Society (AVIS). But even more than the AVIS anecdotes, I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed reading about both Paul Irving and Lavendar Lewis (two characters to whom I did not really feel drawn when I originally read the novel).However, I did find myself having major problems universally liking the character of Davy Keith. And it is not Davy's mischievous nature that I find problematic, but the fact that he is so often deliberately cruel to his twin sister. Not only that, but I find that Dora is more often than not ignored or denigrated by almost everyone from Anne to even Mrs. Lynde and all simply because she is a quiet, unobtrusive child and must therefore also be monotonous. When one remembers what Anne's own childhood was like, and how she was both emotionally and spiritually neglected before she came to Green Gables, it is supremely ironic that she now seemingly neglects Dora as well throughout the story, often ignoring her because Davy's exploits are more interesting or perceived as being more interesting.I also think that there is a somewhat uncritical acceptance by L.M. Montgomery herself of this viewpoint, as Anne's (and others') attitudes towards and perceptions of poor Dora are not really ever actively criticised (Anne does realise that she might have a bit of an unfair, unflattering perception of Dora, but although she is aware of this, she does not really strive to rein in her at times quite overt favouritism of Davy). As someone who was rather quiet and unobtrusive as a child, this angered me somewhat during my recent reread (but strangely enough, when I was a teenager and reading Anne of Avonlea for the first time, this did not seem to bother me all that much, or perhaps I was not all that aware of it, even though at that time I often did feel very much ignored and under-appreciated by both my family and society).
    • 5/5
      I thought I hadn't read this one before, but I had. It's as delightful as the first, and I made such happy noises at the end, with Anne and Gilbert. I wish there were a little more of Gilbert in this one, but that's my only complaint, really. That, and I miss Matthew.
    • 5/5
      I loved every minute of this book. It is a great follow-up to the classic first book.
    • 3/5
      Uggh, Davy and Dora suck. Especially Davy.
    • 5/5
      Watching Anne grow up by degrees, I understand it better now than I would have if I'd finished reading this book the first time I started it, a good many years ago. I appreciate the beauty of it now, as well as the way Montgomery, as usual, takes you directly to Avonlea and Prince Edward Island, with all of its seasons and charms. Splendid imagery!
    • 4/5
      Listened to the Recorded Books CD edition narrated by Barbara Caruso. I've changed my rating from 5 stars to 4 for this one - it's just a little too sickly sweet for me. Paul Irving is sooo precious (not necessarily in a good way) and I'm not convinced any child ever talked the way he does. However Davy balances that sweetness somewhat and I love his constant "How come? I wanna know," questions. I think the rest of the series improves over this - I know Montgomery hadn't originally planned to write a sequel and wasn't thrilled at the thought, but maybe by the time the series continued again she had become more enthusiastic. This is a tough one to listen to thanks to the TV adaptation. Caruso's voices don't always match the voices I have in my head for the characters; she also pronounces Avonlea somewhat oddly with the emphasis on the second syllable and it's distracting to me every time she says it. By the end of the recording I was more used to Caruso's style and it didn't bother me as much, but I wonder if I'm more able to overlook the saccharine parts when I'm reading than when I'm listening. Previously read many times.
    • 4/5
      I'm really not sure why I liked this book so much. Anne should really come across as a mary-sue, she gets so close sometimes, but ultimately (at least in my mind) she dodges that particular bullet every time. I think it has to do with how many scrapes she gets into, and how many people think she's crazy. It also probably has to do with the fact that I listened to it as I went to bed, instead of reading through it; I am not sure if I could have stuck with such an optimistic character for so long if I had had to read it.

      So I must say that this book manages to balance happy optimism and realism to the greatest extent that I can remember any book I've read ever doing. I kind of wish that they still let sixteen-year-olds teach elementary schools :p
    • 5/5
      "Anne Of Avonlea"is a great book. It is about a women(Anne) who is a teacher. She teaches all grades because she lives in older times. In the book Marilla adopts twins and Davy (the twin) is crazy. Dora is more of a serious girl. Davy causes the trouble. Dora learns to help around the house. Anne says that Davy reminds her of herself when she was little. Dora is practical and never gets in trouble. Anne likes Davy better. At one point in the story Davy locks Dora in a shed. Anne and Marilla started panicking and looking for her. They eventually found her hours later. Davy got in big trouble. Then he gets sent to his room and a hour later he broke a platter. He was not allowed to eat dinner. He said he felt bad for doing it. I hope you like the book as much as I did.
    • 4/5
      The second in the Green Gables series. Not as good as the first, but still great. Loved it.
    • 4/5
      Nothing could ever be as good as the first book of the series - Anne of Green Gables. But still, further adventures of all the favorite characters is very comforting and familiar. Anne is too grown up now for the kind of delightful scrapes in the first book, but a host of new young characters make plenty of trouble, and Anne still manages to come up with a few good ones, such as getting herself stuck half-way through an outbuilding roof.
    • 3/5
      I read these in middle school. I loved the series, though I never finished it. Something I look forward to reading with my daughter... maybe we can get through the entire series.
    • 4/5
      Kind of a charming story, and Anne isn't too bad, but the main reason I read these is for the lovely imagery and descriptions, idealized setting, and romantic imagination of the author.
    • 5/5
      Anne is growing up but still has a knack for getting into mischief!
    • 5/5
      I read this many years ago. I only remember now that I loved the first three books in the series, I intend to read them again someday.
    • 5/5
      Anne of Avonlea is a delightful continuation of the story of Anne Shirley, who many readers can claim captured them in Anne of Green Gables. The Anne depicted in Anne of Avonlea seems to have a kind of disconnect from the one depicted in the first novel, making this second a difficult one to get into at first, but the scenes and adventures that once-orphan Anne Shirley finds herself in once again make up for the difference in her character. This is a classic novel and one that I would recommend to everyone regardless of age.
    • 5/5
      Continuing on from Anne of Green Gables, this is the story of how Anne grows up to become a bright young woman, still taking classes and studying for the Queen's (or anywhere) entrance exam, and a schoolteacher herself for the young children of PE Island.Anne's life is still fraught with conflict and sticky situations (usually of her own devising) and she's still trying to figure out how her feelings for Gilbert Blythe fit into the grand scheme of her life. Creative and moving as ever the second installment of the "Anne of" series does not disappoint.
    • 4/5
      I had to take a week off from reading this book in the middle of it, and I have to say I missed it while I was away. I think I like "grown-up" Anne better than young Anne; this book sees her getting more interested in other people's lives than her own, and Avonlea becomes a richer place with the introduction of some new characters and a more nuanced look at the emotional lives of some of the old ones. Sometimes the book still reverts to its predecessor's frequent "one mishap per chapter" format, but otherwise I think this book shows Montgomery starting to grow as a writer. It may be a bit simpler than some "great" literature, but it is a simple pleasure, indeed.
    • 4/5
      This has always been my least favorite of all the Anne books; I like it even less than the really episodic ones later in the series which were written years after she finished the rest of them. This one has some of the most annoying characterization of any book I've ever even remotely liked -- I always just read it because I feel like I have to, before I can move on to the rest of the series.

    Book preview

    Anne of Avonlea - Lucy Maud Montgomery

    ANNE OF AVONLEA

    by Lucy Maud Montgomery

    To

    my former teacher

    HATTIE GORDON SMITH

    in grateful remembrance of her

    sympathy and encouragement.

    Flowers spring to blossom where she walks

    The careful ways of duty,

    Our hard, stiff lines of life with her

    Are flowing curves of beauty.

    —WHITTIER

    CONTENTS

    I

    II

    III

    IV

    V

    VI

    VII

    VIII

    IX

    X

    XI

    XII

    XIII

    XIV

    XV

    XVI

    XVII

    XVIII

    XIX

    XX

    XXI

    XXII

    XXIII

    XXIV

    XXV

    XXVI

    XXVII

    XXVIII    

    XXIX

    XXX

    I

    An Irate Neighbor

    A tall, slim girl, half-past sixteen, with serious gray eyes and hair which her friends called auburn, had sat down on the broad red sandstone doorstep of a Prince Edward Island farmhouse one ripe afternoon in August, firmly resolved to construe so many lines of Virgil.

    But an August afternoon, with blue hazes scarfing the harvest slopes, little winds whispering elfishly in the poplars, and a dancing slendor of red poppies outflaming against the dark coppice of young firs in a corner of the cherry orchard, was fitter for dreams than dead languages. The Virgil soon slipped unheeded to the ground, and Anne, her chin propped on her clasped hands, and her eyes on the splendid mass of fluffy clouds that were heaping up just over Mr. J. A. Harrison's house like a great white mountain, was far away in a delicious world where a certain schoolteacher was doing a wonderful work, shaping the destinies of future statesmen, and inspiring youthful minds and hearts with high and lofty ambitions.

    To be sure, if you came down to harsh facts . . . which, it must be confessed, Anne seldom did until she had to . . . it did not seem likely that there was much promising material for celebrities in Avonlea school; but you could never tell what might happen if a teacher used her influence for good. Anne had certain rose-tinted ideals of what a teacher might accomplish if she only went the right way about it; and she was in the midst of a delightful scene, forty years hence, with a famous personage . . . just exactly what he was to be famous for was left in convenient haziness, but Anne thought it would be rather nice to have him a college president or a Canadian premier . . . bowing low over her wrinkled hand and assuring her that it was she who had first kindled his ambition, and that all his success in life was due to the lessons she had instilled so long ago in Avonlea school. This pleasant vision was shattered by a most unpleasant interruption.

    A demure little Jersey cow came scuttling down the lane and five seconds later Mr. Harrison arrived . . . if arrived be not too mild a term to describe the manner of his irruption into the yard.

    He bounced over the fence without waiting to open the gate, and angrily confronted astonished Anne, who had risen to her feet and stood looking at him in some bewilderment. Mr. Harrison was their new righthand neighbor and she had never met him before, although she had seen him once or twice.

    In early April, before Anne had come home from Queen's, Mr. Robert Bell, whose farm adjoined the Cuthbert place on the west, had sold out and moved to Charlottetown. His farm had been bought by a certain Mr. J. A. Harrison, whose name, and the fact that he was a New Brunswick man, were all that was known about him. But before he had been a month in Avonlea he had won the reputation of being an odd person . . . a crank, Mrs. Rachel Lynde said. Mrs. Rachel was an outspoken lady, as those of you who may have already made her acquaintance will remember. Mr. Harrison was certainly different from other people . . . and that is the essential characteristic of a crank, as everybody knows.

    In the first place he kept house for himself and had publicly stated that he wanted no fools of women around his diggings. Feminine Avonlea took its revenge by the gruesome tales it related about his house-keeping and cooking. He had hired little John Henry Carter of White Sands and John Henry started the stories. For one thing, there was never any stated time for meals in the Harrison establishment. Mr. Harrison got a bite when he felt hungry, and if John Henry were around at the time, he came in for a share, but if he were not, he had to wait until Mr. Harrison's next hungry spell. John Henry mournfully averred that he would have starved to death if it wasn't that he got home on Sundays and got a good filling up, and that his mother always gave him a basket of grub to take back with him on Monday mornings.

    As for washing dishes, Mr. Harrison never made any pretence of doing it unless a rainy Sunday came. Then he went to work and washed them all at once in the rainwater hogshead, and left them to drain dry.

    Again, Mr. Harrison was close. When he was asked to subscribe to the Rev. Mr. Allan's salary he said he'd wait and see how many dollars' worth of good he got out of his preaching first . . . he didn't believe in buying a pig in a poke. And when Mrs. Lynde went to ask for a contribution to missions . . . and incidentally to see the inside of the house . . . he told her there were more heathens among the old woman gossips in Avonlea than anywhere else he knew of, and he'd cheerfully contribute to a mission for Christianizing them if she'd undertake it. Mrs. Rachel got herself away and said it was a mercy poor Mrs. Robert Bell was safe in her grave, for it would have broken her heart to see the state of her house in which she used to take so much pride.

    Why, she scrubbed the kitchen floor every second day, Mrs. Lynde told Marilla Cuthbert indignantly, and if you could see it now! I had to hold up my skirts as I walked across it.

    Finally, Mr. Harrison kept a parrot called Ginger. Nobody in Avonlea had ever kept a parrot before; consequently that proceeding was considered barely respectable. And such a parrot! If you took John Henry Carter's word for it, never was such an unholy bird. It swore terribly. Mrs. Carter would have taken John Henry away at once if she had been sure she could get another place for him. Besides, Ginger had bitten a piece right out of the back of John Henry's neck one day when he had stooped down too near the cage. Mrs. Carter showed everybody the mark when the luckless John Henry went home on Sundays.

    All these things flashed through Anne's mind as Mr. Harrison stood, quite speechless with wrath apparently, before her. In his most amiable mood Mr. Harrison could not have been considered a handsome man; he was short and fat and bald; and now, with his round face purple with rage and his prominent blue eyes almost sticking out of his head, Anne thought he was really the ugliest person she had ever seen.

    All at once Mr. Harrison found his voice.

    I'm not going to put up with this, he spluttered, not a day longer, do you hear, miss. Bless my soul, this is the third time, miss . . . the third time! Patience has ceased to be a virtue, miss. I warned your aunt the last time not to let it occur again . . . and she's let it . . . she's done it . . . what does she mean by it, that is what I want to know. That is what I'm here about, miss.

    Will you explain what the trouble is? asked Anne, in her most dignified manner. She had been practicing it considerably of late to have it in good working order when school began; but it had no apparent effect on the irate J. A. Harrison.

    Trouble, is it? Bless my soul, trouble enough, I should think. The trouble is, miss, that I found that Jersey cow of your aunt's in my oats again, not half an hour ago. The third time, mark you. I found her in last Tuesday and I found her in yesterday. I came here and told your aunt not to let it occur again. She has let it occur again. Where's your aunt, miss? I just want to see her for a minute and give her a piece of my mind . . . a piece of J. A. Harrison's mind, miss.

    If you mean Miss Marilla Cuthbert, she is not my aunt, and she has gone down to East Grafton to see a distant relative of hers who is very ill, said Anne, with due increase of dignity at every word. I am very sorry that my cow should have broken into your oats . . . she is my cow and not Miss Cuthbert's . . . Matthew gave her to me three years ago when she was a little calf and he bought her from Mr. Bell.

    Sorry, miss! Sorry isn't going to help matters any. You'd better go and look at the havoc that animal has made in my oats . . . trampled them from center to circumference, miss.

    I am very sorry, repeated Anne firmly, but perhaps if you kept your fences in better repair Dolly might not have broken in. It is your part of the line fence that separates your oatfield from our pasture and I noticed the other day that it was not in very good condition.

    My fence is all right, snapped Mr. Harrison, angrier than ever at this carrying of the war into the enemy's country. The jail fence couldn't keep a demon of a cow like that out. And I can tell you, you redheaded snippet, that if the cow is yours, as you say, you'd be better employed in watching her out of other people's grain than in sitting round reading yellow-covered novels, . . . with a scathing glance at the innocent tan-colored Virgil by Anne's feet.

    Something at that moment was red besides Anne's hair . . . which had always been a tender point with her.

    I'd rather have red hair than none at all, except a little fringe round my ears, she flashed.

    The shot told, for Mr. Harrison was really very sensitive about his bald head. His anger choked him up again and he could only glare speechlessly at Anne, who recovered her temper and followed up her advantage.

    I can make allowance for you, Mr. Harrison, because I have an imagination. I can easily imagine how very trying it must be to find a cow in your oats and I shall not cherish any hard feelings against you for the things you've said. I promise you that Dolly shall never break into your oats again. I give you my word of honor on THAT point.

    Well, mind you she doesn't, muttered Mr. Harrison in a somewhat subdued tone; but he stamped off angrily enough and Anne heard him growling to himself until he was out of earshot.

    Grievously disturbed in mind, Anne marched across the yard and shut the naughty Jersey up in the milking pen.

    She can't possibly get out of that unless she tears the fence down, she reflected. She looks pretty quiet now. I daresay she has sickened herself on those oats. I wish I'd sold her to Mr. Shearer when he wanted her last week, but I thought it was just as well to wait until we had the auction of the stock and let them all go together. I believe it is true about Mr. Harrison being a crank. Certainly there's nothing of the kindred spirit about HIM.

    Anne had always a weather eye open for kindred spirits.

    Marilla Cuthbert was driving into the yard as Anne returned from the house, and the latter flew to get tea ready. They discussed the matter at the tea table.

    I'll be glad when the auction is over, said Marilla. It is too much responsibility having so much stock about the place and nobody but that unreliable Martin to look after them. He has never come back yet and he promised that he would certainly be back last night if I'd give him the day off to go to his aunt's funeral. I don't know how many aunts he has got, I am sure. That's the fourth that's died since he hired here a year ago. I'll be more than thankful when the crop is in and Mr. Barry takes over the farm. We'll have to keep Dolly shut up in the pen till Martin comes, for she must be put in the back pasture and the fences there have to be fixed. I declare, it is a world of trouble, as Rachel says. Here's poor Mary Keith dying and what is to become of those two children of hers is more than I know. She has a brother in British Columbia and she has written to him about them, but she hasn't heard from him yet.

    What are the children like? How old are they?

    Six past . . . they're twins.

    Oh, I've always been especially interested in twins ever since Mrs. Hammond had so many, said Anne eagerly. Are they pretty?

    Goodness, you couldn't tell . . . they were too dirty. Davy had been out making mud pies and Dora went out to call him in. Davy pushed her headfirst into the biggest pie and then, because she cried, he got into it himself and wallowed in it to show her it was nothing to cry about. Mary said Dora was really a very good child but that Davy was full of mischief. He has never had any bringing up you might say. His father died when he was a baby and Mary has been sick almost ever since.

    I'm always sorry for children that have no bringing up, said Anne soberly. "You know I hadn't any till you took me in hand. I hope their uncle will look after them. Just what relation is Mrs. Keith to you?"

    Mary? None in the world. It was her husband . . . he was our third cousin. There's Mrs. Lynde coming through the yard. I thought she'd be up to hear about Mary.

    Don't tell her about Mr. Harrison and the cow, implored Anne.

    Marilla promised; but the promise was quite unnecessary, for Mrs. Lynde was no sooner fairly seated than she said,

    I saw Mr. Harrison chasing your Jersey out of his oats today when I was coming home from Carmody. I thought he looked pretty mad. Did he make much of a rumpus?

    Anne and Marilla furtively exchanged amused smiles. Few things in Avonlea ever escaped Mrs. Lynde. It was only that morning Anne had said,

    If you went to your own room at midnight, locked the door, pulled down the blind, and SNEEZED, Mrs. Lynde would ask you the next day how your cold was!

    I believe he did, admitted Marilla. I was away. He gave Anne a piece of his mind.

    I think he is a very disagreeable man, said Anne, with a resentful toss of her ruddy head.

    You never said a truer word, said Mrs. Rachel solemnly. I knew there'd be trouble when Robert Bell sold his place to a New Brunswick man, that's what. I don't know what Avonlea is coming to, with so many strange people rushing into it. It'll soon not be safe to go to sleep in our beds.

    Why, what other strangers are coming in? asked Marilla.

    Haven't you heard? Well, there's a family of Donnells, for one thing. They've rented Peter Sloane's old house. Peter has hired the man to run his mill. They belong down east and nobody knows anything about them. Then that shiftless Timothy Cotton family are going to move up from White Sands and they'll simply be a burden on the public. He is in consumption . . . when he isn't stealing . . . and his wife is a slack-twisted creature that can't turn her hand to a thing. She washes her dishes SITTING DOWN. Mrs. George Pye has taken her husband's orphan nephew, Anthony Pye. He'll be going to school to you, Anne, so you may expect trouble, that's what. And you'll have another strange pupil, too. Paul Irving is coming from the States to live with his grandmother. You remember his father, Marilla . . . Stephen Irving, him that jilted Lavendar Lewis over at Grafton?

    I don't think he jilted her. There was a quarrel . . . I suppose there was blame on both sides.

    Well, anyway, he didn't marry her, and she's been as queer as possible ever since, they say . . . living all by herself in that little stone house she calls Echo Lodge. Stephen went off to the States and went into business with his uncle and married a Yankee. He's never been home since, though his mother has been up to see him once or twice. His wife died two years ago and he's sending the boy home to his mother for a spell. He's ten years old and I don't know if he'll be a very desirable pupil. You can never tell about those Yankees.

    Mrs Lynde looked upon all people who had the misfortune to be born or brought up elsewhere than in Prince Edward Island with a decided can-any-good-thing-come-out-of-Nazareth air. They MIGHT be good people, of course; but you were on the safe side in doubting it. She had a special prejudice against Yankees. Her husband had been cheated out of ten dollars by an employer for whom he had once worked in Boston and neither angels nor principalities nor powers could have convinced Mrs. Rachel that the whole United States was not responsible for it.

    Avonlea school won't be the worse for a little new blood, said Marilla drily, and if this boy is anything like his father he'll be all right. Steve Irving was the nicest boy that was ever raised in these parts, though some people did call him proud. I should think Mrs. Irving would be very glad to have the child. She has been very lonesome since her husband died.

    Oh, the boy may be well enough, but he'll be different from Avonlea children, said Mrs. Rachel, as if that clinched the matter. Mrs. Rachel's opinions concerning any person, place, or thing, were always warranted to wear. What's this I hear about your going to start up a Village Improvement Society, Anne?

    I was just talking it over with some of the girls and boys at the last Debating Club, said Anne, flushing. They thought it would be rather nice . . . and so do Mr. and Mrs. Allan. Lots of villages have them now.

    Well, you'll get into no end of hot water if you do. Better leave it alone, Anne, that's what. People don't like being improved.

    Oh, we are not going to try to improve the PEOPLE. It is Avonlea itself. There are lots of things which might be done to make it prettier. For instance, if we could coax Mr. Levi Boulter to pull down that dreadful old house on his upper farm wouldn't that be an improvement?

    It certainly would, admitted Mrs. Rachel. That old ruin has been an eyesore to the settlement for years. But if you Improvers can coax Levi Boulter to do anything for the public that he isn't to be paid for doing, may I be there to see and hear the process, that's what. I don't want to discourage you, Anne, for there may be something in your idea, though I suppose you did get it out of some rubbishy Yankee magazine; but you'll have your hands full with your school and I advise you as a friend not to bother with your improvements, that's what. But there, I know you'll go ahead with it if you've set your mind on it. You were always one to carry a thing through somehow.

    Something about the firm outlines of Anne's lips told that Mrs. Rachel was not far astray in this estimate. Anne's heart was bent on forming the Improvement Society. Gilbert Blythe, who was to teach in White Sands but would always be home from Friday night to Monday morning, was enthusiastic about it; and most of the other folks were willing to go in for anything that meant occasional meetings and consequently some fun. As for what the improvements were to be, nobody had any very clear idea except Anne and Gilbert. They had talked them over and planned them out until an ideal Avonlea existed in their minds, if nowhere else.

    Mrs. Rachel had still another item of news.

    They've given the Carmody school to a Priscilla Grant. Didn't you go to Queen's with a girl of that name, Anne?

    Yes, indeed. Priscilla to teach at Carmody! How perfectly lovely! exclaimed Anne, her gray eyes lighting up until they looked like evening stars, causing Mrs. Lynde to wonder anew if she would ever get it settled to her satisfaction whether Anne Shirley were really a pretty girl or not.

    II

    Selling in Haste and Repenting at Leisure

    Anne drove over to Carmody on a shopping expedition the next afternoon and took Diana Barry with her. Diana was, of course, a pledged member of the Improvement Society, and the two girls talked about little else all the way to Carmody and back.

    The very first thing we ought to do when we get started is to have that hall painted, said Diana, as they drove past the Avonlea hall, a rather shabby building set down in a wooded hollow, with spruce trees hooding it about on all sides. It's a disgraceful looking place and we must attend to it even before we try to get Mr. Levi Boulder to pull his house down. Father says we'll never succeed in DOING that. Levi Boulter is too mean to spend the time it would take.

    Perhaps he'll let the boys take it down if they promise to haul the boards and split them up for him for kindling wood, said Anne hopefully. We must do our best and be content to go slowly at first. We can't expect to improve everything all at once. We'll have to educate public sentiment first, of course.

    Diana wasn't exactly sure what educating public sentiment meant; but it sounded fine and she felt rather proud that she was going to belong to a society with such an aim in view.

    I thought of something last night that we could do, Anne. You know that three-cornered piece of ground where the roads from Carmody and Newbridge and White Sands meet? It's all grown over with young spruce; but wouldn't it be nice to have them all cleared out, and just leave the two or three birch trees that are on it?

    Splendid, agreed Anne gaily. And have a rustic seat put under the birches. And when spring comes we'll have a flower-bed made in the middle of it and plant geraniums.

    Yes; only we'll have to devise some way of getting old Mrs. Hiram Sloane to keep her cow off the road, or she'll eat our geraniums up, laughed Diana. I begin to see what you mean by educating public sentiment, Anne. There's the old Boulter house now. Did you ever see such a rookery? And perched right close to the road too. An old house with its windows gone always makes me think of something dead with its eyes picked out.

    I think an old, deserted house is such a sad sight, said Anne dreamily. It always seems to me to be thinking about its past and mourning for its old-time joys. Marilla says that a large family was raised in that old house long ago, and that it was a real pretty place, with a lovely garden and roses climbing all over it. It was full of little children and laughter and songs; and now it is empty, and nothing ever wanders through it but the wind. How lonely and sorrowful it must feel! Perhaps they all come back on moonlit nights . . . the ghosts of the little children of long ago and the roses and the songs . . . and for a little while the old house can dream it is young and joyous again.

    Diana shook her head.

    I never imagine things like that about places now, Anne. Don't you remember how cross mother and Marilla were when we imagined ghosts into the Haunted Wood? To this day I can't go through that bush comfortably after dark; and if I began imagining such things about the old Boulter house I'd be frightened to pass it too. Besides, those children aren't dead. They're all grown up and doing well . . . and one of them is a butcher. And flowers and songs couldn't have ghosts anyhow.

    Anne smothered a little sigh. She loved Diana dearly and they had always been good comrades. But she had long ago learned that when she wandered into the realm of fancy she must go alone. The way to it was by an enchanted path where not even her dearest might follow her.

    A thunder-shower came up while the girls were at Carmody; it did not last long, however, and the drive home, through lanes where the raindrops sparkled on the boughs and little leafy valleys where the drenched ferns gave out spicy odors, was delightful. But just as they turned into the Cuthbert lane Anne saw something that spoiled the beauty of the landscape for her.

    Before them on the right extended Mr. Harrison's broad, gray-green field of late oats, wet and luxuriant; and there, standing squarely in the middle of it, up to her sleek sides in the lush growth, and blinking at them calmly over the intervening tassels, was a Jersey cow!

    Anne dropped the reins and stood up with a tightening of the lips that boded no good to the predatory quadruped. Not a word said she, but she climbed nimbly down over the wheels, and whisked across the fence before Diana understood what had happened.

    Anne, come back, shrieked the latter, as soon as she found her voice. You'll ruin your dress in that wet grain . . . ruin it. She doesn't hear me! Well, she'll never get that cow out by herself. I must go and help her, of course.

    Anne was charging through the grain like a mad thing. Diana hopped briskly down, tied the horse securely to a post, turned the skirt of her pretty gingham dress over her shoulders, mounted the fence, and started in pursuit of her frantic friend. She could run faster than Anne,

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