ItwasOctoberagainwhenAnnewasreadytogobacktoschool—agloriousOctober,allredandgold,withmellowmorningswhenthevalleyswerefilledwithdelicatemistsasifthespiritofautumnhadpouredtheminforthesuntodrain—amethyst,pearl,silver,rose,andsmoke-blue. Thedewsweresoheavythatthefieldsglistenedlikeclothofsilverandthereweresuchheapsofrustlingleavesinthehollowsofmany-stemmedwoodstoruncrisplythrough. TheBirchPathwasacanopyofyellowandthefernsweresearandbrownallalongit. Therewasatangintheveryairthatinspiredtheheartsofsmallmaidenstripping,unlikesnails,swiftlyandwillinglytoschool;anditWASjollytobebackagainatthelittlebrowndeskbesideDiana,withRubyGillisnoddingacrosstheaisleandCarrieSloanesendingupnotesandJuliaBellpassinga“chew”ofgumdownfromthebackseat. Annedrewalongbreathofhappinessasshesharpenedherpencilandarrangedherpicturecardsinherdesk.Lifewascertainlyveryinteresting. Inthenewteachershefoundanothertrueandhelpfulfriend. MissStacywasabright,sympatheticyoungwomanwiththehappygiftofwinningandholdingtheaffectionsofherpupilsandbringingoutthebestthatwasinthemmentallyandmorally. AnneexpandedlikeaflowerunderthiswholesomeinfluenceandcarriedhometotheadmiringMatthewandthecriticalMarillaglowingaccountsofschoolworkandaims. “IloveMissStacywithmywholeheart,Marilla. Sheissoladylikeandshehassuchasweetvoice. WhenshepronouncesmynameIfeelINSTINCTIVELYthatshe’sspellingitwithanE.Wehadrecitationsthisafternoon. Ijustwishyoucouldhavebeentheretohearmerecite‘Mary,QueenofScots.’Ijustputmywholesoulintoit. RubyGillistoldmecominghomethatthewayIsaidtheline,‘Nowformyfather’sarm,’shesaid,‘mywoman’sheartfarewell,’justmadeherbloodruncold.” “Wellnow,youmightreciteitformesomeofthesedays,outinthebarn,”suggestedMatthew. “OfcourseIwill,”saidAnnemeditatively,“butIwon’tbeabletodoitsowell,Iknow. Itwon’tbesoexcitingasitiswhenyouhaveawholeschoolfulbeforeyouhangingbreathlesslyonyourwords. IknowIwon’tbeabletomakeyourbloodruncold.” “Mrs.LyndesaysitmadeHERbloodruncoldtoseetheboysclimbingtotheverytopsofthosebigtreesonBell’shillaftercrows’nestslastFriday,”saidMarilla. “IwonderatMissStacyforencouragingit.” “Butwewantedacrow’snestfornaturestudy,”explainedAnne.“Thatwasonourfieldafternoon.Fieldafternoonsaresplendid,Marilla. AndMissStacyexplainseverythingsobeautifully. WehavetowritecompositionsonourfieldafternoonsandIwritethebestones.” “It’sveryvainofyoutosaysothen.You’dbetterletyourteachersayit.” “ButsheDIDsayit,Marilla.AndindeedI’mnotvainaboutit. HowcanIbe,whenI’msuchadunceatgeometry? AlthoughI’mreallybeginningtoseethroughitalittle,too.MissStacymakesitsoclear. Still,I’llneverbegoodatitandIassureyouitisahumblingreflection.ButIlovewritingcompositions. MostlyMissStacyletsuschooseourownsubjects;butnextweekwearetowriteacompositiononsomeremarkableperson. It’shardtochooseamongsomanyremarkablepeoplewhohavelived. Mustn’titbesplendidtoberemarkableandhavecompositionswrittenaboutyouafteryou’redead? Oh,Iwoulddearlylovetoberemarkable. IthinkwhenIgrowupI’llbeatrainednurseandgowiththeRedCrossestothefieldofbattleasamessengerofmercy. Thatis,ifIdon’tgooutasaforeignmissionary. Thatwouldbeveryromantic,butonewouldhavetobeverygoodtobeamissionary,andthatwouldbeastumblingblock. Wehavephysicalcultureexerciseseveryday,too. Theymakeyougracefulandpromotedigestion.” “Promotefiddlesticks!”saidMarilla,whohonestlythoughtitwasallnonsense. ButallthefieldafternoonsandrecitationFridaysandphysicalculturecontortionspaledbeforeaprojectwhichMissStacybroughtforwardinNovember. ThiswasthatthescholarsofAvonleaschoolshouldgetupaconcertandholditinthehallonChristmasNight,forthelaudablepurposeofhelpingtopayforaschoolhouseflag. Thepupilsoneandalltakinggraciouslytothisplan,thepreparationsforaprogramwerebegunatonce. Andofalltheexcitedperformers-electnonewassoexcitedasAnneShirley,whothrewherselfintotheundertakingheartandsoul,hamperedasshewasbyMarilla’sdisapproval. Marillathoughtitallrankfoolishness. “It’sjustfillingyourheadsupwithnonsenseandtakingtimethatoughttobeputonyourlessons,”shegrumbled. “Idon’tapproveofchildren’sgettingupconcertsandracingabouttopractices. Itmakesthemvainandforwardandfondofgadding.” “Butthinkoftheworthyobject,”pleadedAnne.“Aflagwillcultivateaspiritofpatriotism,Marilla.” “Fudge!There’spreciouslittlepatriotisminthethoughtsofanyofyou.Allyouwantisagoodtime.” “Well,whenyoucancombinepatriotismandfun,isn’titallright? Ofcourseit’srealnicetobegettingupaconcert. We’regoingtohavesixchorusesandDianaistosingasolo. I’mintwodialogues—’TheSocietyfortheSuppressionofGossip’and‘TheFairyQueen.’ Theboysaregoingtohaveadialoguetoo. AndI’mtohavetworecitations,Marilla. IjusttremblewhenIthinkofit,butit’sanicethrillykindoftremble. Andwe’retohaveatableauatthelast—’Faith,HopeandCharity.’ DianaandRubyandIaretobeinit,alldrapedinwhitewithflowinghair. I’mtobeHope,withmyhandsclasped—so—andmyeyesuplifted. I’mgoingtopracticemyrecitationsinthegarret. Don’tbealarmedifyouhearmegroaning. Ihavetogroanheartrendinglyinoneofthem,andit’sreallyhardtogetupagoodartisticgroan,Marilla. JosiePyeissulkybecauseshedidn’tgetthepartshewantedinthedialogue.Shewantedtobethefairyqueen. Thatwouldhavebeenridiculous,forwhoeverheardofafairyqueenasfatasJosie?Fairyqueensmustbeslender. JaneAndrewsistobethequeenandIamtobeoneofhermaidsofhonor. Josiesaysshethinksared-hairedfairyisjustasridiculousasafatone,butIdonotletmyselfmindwhatJosiesays. I’mtohaveawreathofwhiterosesonmyhairandRubyGillisisgoingtolendmeherslippersbecauseIhaven’tanyofmyown. It’snecessaryforfairiestohaveslippers,youknow. Youcouldn’timagineafairywearingboots,couldyou?Especiallywithcoppertoes? Wearegoingtodecoratethehallwithcreepingspruceandfirmottoeswithpinktissue-paperrosesinthem. Andwearealltomarchintwobytwoaftertheaudienceisseated,whileEmmaWhiteplaysamarchontheorgan. Oh,Marilla,IknowyouarenotsoenthusiasticaboutitasIam,butdon’tyouhopeyourlittleAnnewilldistinguishherself?” “AllIhopeisthatyou’llbehaveyourself. I’llbeheartilygladwhenallthisfussisoverandyou’llbeabletosettledown. Youaresimplygoodfornothingjustnowwithyourheadstuffedfullofdialoguesandgroansandtableaus. Asforyourtongue,it’samarvelit’snotcleanwornout.” Annesighedandbetookherselftothebackyard,overwhichayoungnewmoonwasshiningthroughtheleaflesspoplarboughsfromanapple-greenwesternsky,andwhereMatthewwassplittingwood. Anneperchedherselfonablockandtalkedtheconcertoverwithhim,sureofanappreciativeandsympatheticlistenerinthisinstanceatleast. “Wellnow,Ireckonit’sgoingtobeaprettygoodconcert. AndIexpectyou’lldoyourpartfine,”hesaid,smilingdownintohereager,vivaciouslittleface.Annesmiledbackathim. ThosetwowerethebestoffriendsandMatthewthankedhisstarsmanyatimeandoftthathehadnothingtodowithbringingherup. ThatwasMarilla’sexclusiveduty;ifithadbeenhishewouldhavebeenworriedoverfrequentconflictsbetweeninclinationandsaidduty. Asitwas,hewasfreeto,“spoilAnne”—Marilla’sphrasing—asmuchasheliked. Butitwasnotsuchabadarrangementafterall;alittle“appreciation”sometimesdoesquiteasmuchgoodasalltheconscientious“bringingup”intheworld. 
