Night is falling over Avonlea.
This tiny village in turn-of-the-century Prince Edward Island is peaceful and welcoming,
Home to some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world and some of the most interesting townsfolk.
We join Anne Shirley and Diana Barry as they travel from Avonlea to the refined city of Charlottetown to visit Aunt Josephine.
This selection is lightly abridged from Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery.
Take some time to get comfortable in your bed.
Remember that you are safe and have no worries to speak of right now.
It's time to relax into sleep.
Let's join Anne and her friends in Avonlea.
Let your mind wander along the beautiful island coast.
Notice how the sea gently laps against the white sandy shore.
Take a moment to breathe in as the tide rolls softly in,
And out as the tide goes out.
Breathe in,
And out.
Breathe in,
And out.
Breathe in,
And out.
And let your breathing return to its normal rhythm as you settle gently into bed.
An Epoch in Anne's Life Marilla agreed to let Anne go to town,
And it was arranged that Mr.
Barry should take the girls in on the following Tuesday.
As Charlottetown was 30 miles away,
And Mr.
Barry wished to go and return the same day,
It was necessary to make a very early start.
But Anne counted it all joy and was up before sunrise on Tuesday morning.
A glance from her window assured her that the day would be fine,
For the eastern sky behind the firs of the haunted wood was all silvery and cloudless.
Through the gap in the trees,
A light was shining in the western gable of Orchard Slope,
A token that Diana was also up.
Anne was dressed by the time Matthew had the fire on and had the breakfast ready when Marilla came down,
But for her own part was much too excited to eat.
After breakfast,
Her jaunty new cap and jacket were donned,
And Anne hastened over the brook and up through the firs to Orchard Slope.
Mr.
Barry and Diana were waiting for her,
And they were soon on the road.
It was a long drive,
But Anne and Diana enjoyed every minute of it.
It was delightful to rattle along over the moist roads in the early red sunlight that was creeping across the shorn harvest fields.
The air was fresh and crisp,
And little smoke-blue mists curled through the valleys and floated off from the hills.
Sometimes the road went through woods,
Where maples were beginning to hang out scarlet banners.
Sometimes it crossed rivers on bridges that made Anne's flesh cringe with the old,
Half-delightful fear.
Sometimes it wound along a harbor shore and passed by a little cluster of weather-gray fishing huts.
Again it mounted to hills whence a far sweep of curving upland or misty blue sky could be seen.
But wherever it went,
There was much of interest to discuss.
It was almost noon when they reached town and found their way to Beachwood.
It was quite a fine old mansion,
Set back from the street in a seclusion of green elms and branching beaches.
Miss Barry met them at the door,
With a twinkle in her sharp black eyes.
"'So you've come to see me at last,
You Anne girl,
' she said.
"'Mercy,
Child,
How you have grown!
You're taller than I am,
I declare.
And you're ever so much better-looking than you used to be,
Too.
But I dare say you know that without being told.
' "'Indeed,
I didn't,
' said Anne radiantly.
"'I know I'm not so freckled as I used to be,
So I've much to be thankful for.
But I really hadn't dared to hope there was any other improvement.
I'm so glad you think there is,
Miss Barry.
' Miss Barry's house was furnished with great magnificence.
As Anne told Marilla afterwards,
The two little country girls were rather abashed by the splendor of the parlor where Miss Barry left them when she went to see about dinner.
"'Isn't it just like a palace?
' whispered Diana.
"'I never was in Aunt Josephine's house before,
And I'd no idea it was so grand.
I just wish Julia Bell could see this.
She puts on such airs about her mother's parlor.
' "'Velvet carpet,
' sighed Anne luxuriously,
"'and silk curtains.
I've dreamed of such things,
Diana,
But do you know I don't believe I feel very comfortable with them after all.
There are so many things in this room,
And all so splendid,
That there is no scope for imagination.
That is one consolation when you are poor.
There are so many more things you can imagine about.
'" Their sojourn in town was something that Anne and Diana dated from for years.
From first to last,
It was crowded with delights.
On Wednesday,
Miss Barry took them to the exhibition grounds and kept them there all day.
"'It was splendid,
' Anne related to Marilla later on.
"'I never imagined anything so interesting.
I don't really know which department was the most interesting.
I think I liked the horses and the flowers,
And the fancy work best.
' Josie Pye took first prize for Knitted Lace.
I was real glad she did,
And I was glad that I felt glad,
For it shows I'm improving.
Don't you think,
Marilla,
When I can rejoice in Josie's success?
' Mr.
Harmon Andrews took second prize for Gravenstein Apples,
And Mr.
Bell took first prize for a pig.
Diana said she thought it was ridiculous for a Sunday school superintendent to take a prize in pigs,
But I don't see why.
Do you?
' She said she would always think of it after this,
When he was praying so solemnly.
Clara Louise McPherson took a prize for Painting,
And Mrs.
Linde got first prize for Homemade Butter and Cheese.
So Avonlea was pretty well represented,
Wasn't it?
Mrs.
Linde was there that day,
And I never knew how much I really liked her until I saw her familiar face among all those strangers.
There were thousands of people there,
Marilla.
It made me feel dreadfully insignificant.
And Miss Barry took us up to the grandstand to see the horse races.
Mrs.
Linde wouldn't go.
She said horse racing was an abomination,
And she,
Being a church member,
Thought it her bounden duty to set a good example by staying away.
But there were so many there,
I don't believe Mrs.
Linde's absence would ever be noticed.
I don't think,
Though,
That I ought to go very often to horse races,
Because they are awfully fascinating.
Diana got so excited that she offered to bet me ten cents that the red horse would win.
I didn't believe he would,
But I refused to bet,
Because I wanted to tell Mrs.
Allen all about everything,
And I felt sure it wouldn't do to tell her that.
It's always wrong to do anything you can't tell the minister's wife.
It's as good as an extra conscience to have a minister's wife for your friend.
And I was very glad I didn't bet,
Because the red horse did win,
And I would have lost ten cents.
So you see that virtue was its own reward.
We saw a man go up in a balloon.
I'd love to go up in a balloon,
Marilla.
It would be simply thrilling.
And we saw a man selling fortunes.
You paid him ten cents,
And a little bird picked out your fortune for you.
Miss Barry gave Diana and me ten cents each to have our fortunes told.
Mine was that I would marry a man who was very wealthy,
And I would go across the water to live.
I suppose it's too early to be looking out for him yet.
Oh,
It was a never-to-be-forgotten day,
Marilla.
I was so tired I couldn't sleep at night.
Miss Barry put us in the spare room,
According to promise.
It was an elegant room,
Marilla,
But somehow sleeping in a spare room isn't what I used to think it was.
It's the worst of growing up,
And I'm beginning to realize it.
The things you wanted so much when you were a child don't seem half so wonderful to you when you get them.
Thursday,
The girls had a drive in the park,
And in the evening,
Miss Barry took them to a concert in the Academy of Music,
Where a noted prima donna was to sing.
To Anne,
The evening was a glittering vision of delight.
Oh,
Marilla,
It was beyond description.
I was so excited I couldn't even talk,
So you may know what it was like.
I just sat in enraptured silence.
Madame Selitsky was perfectly beautiful,
And wore white satin and diamonds.
When she began to sing,
I never thought about anything else.
Oh,
I can't tell you how I felt,
But it seemed to me that it could never be hard to be good anymore.
I felt like I do when I look up at the stars.
Tears came into my eyes,
But oh,
They were such happy tears.
I was so sorry when it was all over,
And I told Miss Barry I didn't see how I was ever to return to common life again.
She said she thought if we went over to the restaurant across the street and had an ice cream,
It might help me.
That sounded so prosaic,
But to my surprise,
I found it true.
The ice cream was delicious,
Marilla,
And it was so lovely and dissipated to be sitting there eating it at eleven o'clock at night.
Diana said she believed she was born for city life.
Miss Barry asked me what my opinion was,
But I said I would have to think it over very seriously before I could tell her what I really thought.
So I thought it over after I went to bed.
That is the best time to think things out.
And I came to the conclusion,
Marilla,
That I wasn't born for city life,
And that I was glad of it.
It's nice to be eating ice cream at brilliant restaurants at eleven o'clock at night once in a while,
But as a regular thing,
I'd rather be in the East Gable at eleven,
Sound asleep but kind of knowing even in my sleep that the stars were shining outside and that the wind was blowing in the firs across the brook.
I told Miss Barry so at breakfast the next morning,
And she laughed.
Miss Barry generally laughed at anything I said,
Even when I said the most solemn things.
I don't think I liked it,
Marilla,
Because I wasn't trying to be funny.
But she is a most hospitable lady,
And treated us royally.
Friday brought going home time,
And Mr.
Barry drove in for the girls.
Well,
I hope you've enjoyed yourselves,
Said Miss Barry as she bade them goodbye.
Indeed we have,
Said Diana.
And you,
Anne girl?
I've enjoyed every minute of the time,
Said Anne,
Throwing her arms impulsively about the old woman's neck and kissing her wrinkled cheek.
Diana would never have dared to do such a thing,
And felt rather aghast at Anne's freedom.
But Miss Barry was pleased,
And she stood on her veranda and watched the buggy out of sight.
Anne and Diana found the drive home as pleasant as the drive in.
Pleasanter indeed,
Since there was the delightful consciousness of home waiting at the end of it.
It was sunset when they passed through white sands and turned into the shore road.
Behind them,
The moon was rising out of the sea that grew all radiant and transfigured in her light.
Every little cove along the curving road was a marvel of dancing ripples.
The waves broke with a soft swish on the rocks below them,
And the tang of the sea was in the strong,
Fresh air.
Oh,
But it's good to be alive and to be going home,
Breathed Anne.
When she crossed the log bridge over the brook,
The kitchen light of green gables winked her a friendly welcome back.
And through the open door shone the hearth fire,
Sending out its warm red glow athwart the chilly autumn night.
Anne ran blithely up the hill and into the kitchen where a hot supper was waiting on the table.
So you've got back,
Said Marilla,
Folding up her knitting.
Yes,
And oh,
It's so good to be back,
Said Anne joyously.
I could kiss everything,
Even to the clock.
Marilla,
A broiled chicken,
You don't mean to say you cooked that for me.
I thought you'd be hungry after such a drive and need something real appetizing.
Hurry and take off your things,
And we'll have supper as soon as Matthew comes in.
I'm glad you've got back,
I must say.
It's been fearful lonesome here without you,
And I never put in four longer days.
After supper,
Anne sat before the fire between Matthew and Marilla and gave them a full account of her visit.
I've had a splendid time,
She concluded happily,
And I feel that it marks an epoch in my life.
But the best of it all was the coming home.
