Hello and welcome to this cozy corner of peaceful storytelling.
Today we continue exploring the enchanting world of Anne Shirley with her boundless imagination and the breathtaking beauty of Prince Edward Island as our backdrop.
Together,
We'll return to Green Gables,
Where rolling hills,
Blooming wildflowers,
And that iconic red-haired girl await us.
Now,
Let's take a moment to unwind and settle in.
Picture yourself standing at the edge of a quiet lane lined with tall trees whose leaves whisper in the soft breeze.
The night air is sweet with the scent of wildflowers and fresh grass.
In the distance,
You can hear the gentle lapping of the waves along the shore.
Soothing rhythm.
Calling you to let go of the day's worries imagine walking down this path light on the earth as the moonlight filters through the trees,
Casting a shimmering glow You feel a sense of peace wash over you,
As if you stepped into Anne's world.
A world filled with wonder,
Beauty,
And endless possibilities.
And so,
My friend.
Take a deep breath in… and as you exhale.
.
.
Let those shoulders relax Let the tranquility of Green Gables embrace you as we now begin our story.
Chapter 20 A Good Imagination Gone Wrong Spring had returned to Green Gables,
The lovely,
Unpredictable Canadian spring,
Slowly making its way through April and May with a mix of fresh,
Chilly days,
Pink sunsets,
And the magic of new life.
The maples in Lover's Lane were budding with red,
And little ferns curled up around the dryads' bubble.
High up in the barrens,
Behind Mr.
Silas Sloan's house,
The May flowers were blooming,
Pink and white stars of sweetness hidden under brown leaves.
One golden afternoon,
All the school children went out to gather them,
Returning in the cool twilight with their arms and baskets full of flowers.
I feel so sorry for people who live in places where there are no Mayflowers,
" Anne said.
Diana thinks they may have something even better.
But how could anything be better than Mayflowers?
And Diana says if they've never known Mayflowers,
They don't miss them.
But I think that's the saddest part of all.
Don't you,
Marilla?
Not knowing about Mayflowers and not even missing them?
Do you know what I think they are,
Marilla?
I think they're the souls of the flowers that died last summer,
And this is their heaven.
Oh,
We had such a wonderful time today.
We ate our lunch in a mossy hollow by an old well.
It was such a romantic spot.
Charlie Sloan dared Artie Gillis to jump over it,
And Artie did because nobody in school would back down from a dare.
Daring is so popular right now.
Mr.
Phillips gave all the May flowers he picked to Percy Andrews,
And I heard him say,
Sweets to the sweet.
He got that from a book,
I'm sure,
But at least it shows he has a bit of imagination.
I was offered some Mayflowers too,
But I refused with scorn.
I can't tell you who offered them because I've sworn never to speak that person's name.
We made wreaths from the Mayflowers and wore them on our hats.
When it was time to go home,
We marched down the road two by two,
With our bouquets and wreaths,
Singing,
My Home on the Hill.
It was so thrilling,
Marilla.
All of Mr.
Silas Sloan's came out to watch us,
And everyone we passed stopped and stared.
We made quite a sensation.
No wonder.
What foolishness,
Said Marilla.
After the Mayflowers came the Violets,
And Violet Veil turned purple with their blooms.
Anne walked through it on her way to school,
Treading lightly and looking around with awe,
As though she were on sacred ground.
Somehow,
She told Diana,
When I'm here,
I don't care if Gil,
If anyone gets ahead of me in class.
But once I'm in school,
It's all different,
And I care just as much as ever.
There are so many ands inside me,
Diana.
Sometimes I think why I'm so much trouble.
If I were just one Anne,
Life would be simpler.
But it wouldn't be as interesting.
One June evening,
When the orchards were pink with blossoms again,
And the frog sank sweetly in the marshes near the Lake of Shining Waters,
Anne sat by her gable window.
She had been studying,
But it had grown too dark to read.
So she gazed dreamily outside,
Past the flowering boughs of the snow queen.
Her little room hadn't changed much.
The walls were still white,
The pincushion just as hard,
And the chairs just as stiff and yellow.
But the room itself felt transformed.
It seemed alive,
With a vibrant,
Pulsing personality.
It was as though Anne's dreams,
Both waking and sleeping,
Had woven themselves into the room,
Draping it in shimmering tapestries of rainbow and moonlight.
Marilla came in briskly with Anne's freshly ironed aprons,
Setting them on a chair before sitting down with a sigh.
She'd had one of her headaches that afternoon.
And though the pain was gone,
She still felt drained.
And looked at her with shining,
Sympathetic eyes.
I wish I could have had your headache instead,
Marilla,
Anne said earnestly.
I'd have gladly endured it for your sake.
You did enough by managing the chores and letting me rest,
" Marilla replied.
You didn't do too badly.
Though I could have done without Matthew's starched handkerchiefs.
And most people,
When they warm up a pie for dinner,
Take it out when it's ready instead of burning it to a crisp.
But that's not your way apparently.
Marilla's headaches often made her a bit sharp-tongued.
Oh,
I'm so sorry,
Said Anne,
Looking ashamed.
I didn't think of that pie again after I put it in the oven,
Though I did feel something was missing from the table.
I promised myself I wouldn't daydream today,
But when I put the pie in,
I couldn't resist imagining I was an enchanted princess locked in a tower,
Waiting for a knight on a coal black horse to rescue me.
That's why I forgot the pie.
And about the handkerchiefs.
I was trying to think of a name for a little island Diana and I discovered by the brook.
It's such a beautiful spot,
Marilla,
With two maple trees and the brook running around it.
I thought Victoria Island would be perfect since we found it on the Queen's birthday.
But I'm really sorry about the pie and the handkerchiefs.
I want it to be extra good today because it's an important anniversary.
An anniversary?
Marilla asked.
I don't remember anything special about today.
Oh,
Marilla,
It's the day I came to Green Gables.
It changed my whole life.
You might not think it's such a big deal,
But it is to me.
I've been here a whole year,
And I've been so happy.
I've had my troubles,
But you can live through troubles.
Are you sorry you kept me,
Marilla?
No,
I'm not sorry,
Marilla said.
If you've finished your lessons,
Anne,
I need you to go to Mrs.
Barry's and borrow Diana's apron pattern.
And hesitated.
Oh,
It's too dark,
Marilla.
Too dark.
It's only twilight.
And you've gone over there plenty of times after dark.
I'll go early in the morning,
" Anne said eagerly.
I'll get up at sunrise and go then.
Gotten into you,
Aunt Shirley.
I need that pattern to cut out your apron tonight.
Go now and don't dawdle.
If I have to go,
I'll have to take the road,
" Anne said reluctantly,
Picking up her hat.
Take the road?
Waste half an hour going the long way around?
I don't think so.
I can't go through the haunted wood,
Marilla,
" Anne whispered desperately.
Marilla stared.
The haunted wood?
What nonsense are you talking about now?
The spruce grove by the brook and sat in a low voice.
Ridiculous.
There's no such thing as a haunted wood.
Who's been filling your head with such silliness?
No one,
Anne admitted.
Diane and I made it up.
All the places around here are so ordinary.
We wanted something more exciting.
We've been pretending it's haunted since April.
A haunted wood is so romantic,
Marilla.
The spruce grove is perfect because it's so gloomy.
We imagine the most terrifying things.
There's a white lady who walks along the brook at night,
Wringing her hands and crying.
She only appears when someone in the family is going to die.
And there's the ghost of a little child who was murdered.
It sneaks up behind you and lays its cold fingers on your hand like this,
And shuddered.
And there's a headless man who stalks the path,
And skeletons that glare at you from between the trees.
Marilla,
I couldn't possibly go through the haunted wood at night.
I'd be sure something white and ghostly would grab me.
Marilla listened in stunned silence.
Then she said,
And Shirley.
Do you actually believe this ridiculous nonsense you've imagined?
Not exactly,
Anne admitted.
I don't believe it in the daytime.
But after dark,
Marilla,
That's when ghosts come out.
There's no such thing as ghosts,
Anne,
" Marilla said firmly.
Oh,
But there are,
Marilla,
" Anne replied earnestly.
I know people who've seen them,
And they're respectable people.
Charlie Sloan says his grandmother once saw his grandfather driving the cows home a year after he'd been buried.
And Mrs.
Thomas' father was chased home one night by a lamb with its head hanging by a strip of skin.
He was sure it was his brother's spirit warning him he'd die soon.
He didn't die right away,
But he did two years later,
So it was true.
And Ruby Gillis says,
That's enough and Marilla interrupted sharply.
I don't want to hear any more of this nonsense.
Your imagination is out of control.
You're going to Mrs.
Barry's right now,
And you'll go through that spruce grove.
Maybe this will teach you a lesson about making up such foolishness.
And I don't want to hear another word about haunted woods.
Anne cried and pleaded,
But Marilla was unmoved.
Her terror of the haunted wood was real,
But Marilla was determined to put an end to it.
She marched Anne to the spring and told her to cross the bridge and go through the spruce grove.
Marilla,
How can you be so cruel?
" Anne sobbed.
What if something white grabs me and carries me off?
I'll take my chances,
" said Marilla firmly.
Now march.
You know I always mean what I say.
And obeyed.
She stumbled over the bridge and into the dark path beyond.
She never forgot that walk.
Her imagination turned every shadow into a lurking goblin with cold,
Bony hands reaching for her.
A strip of white birch bark blowing in the breeze made her heart stop.
The creaking sound of tree branches rubbing together sent shivers down her spine.
Bats swooped overhead,
Their wings like those of ghostly creatures.
When she finally reached Mr.
William Bell's field,
She ran across it as fast as she could and burst into the Berry kitchen,
Out of breath and trembling,
To ask for the apron pattern.
Diana wasn't home,
So Anne couldn't stay.
She had no choice but to face the terrifying journey back.
She walked through the haunted wood with her eyes shut,
Preferring the risk of running into a tree to seeing anything ghostly.
When she finally stumbled over the bridge,
She let out a long,
Shaky breath of relief.
Well,
Nothing got you,
Did it?
" Marilla said,
Unsympathetically.
Chapter 21 A New Departure in Flavorings Dear me,
There is nothing but meetings and partings in this world,
As Mrs.
Lynde always says,
And said with a sigh.
She put her slate and books down on the kitchen table on the last day of June and dabbed at her red eyes with a damp handkerchief.
Wasn't it lucky,
Marilla,
That I brought an extra handkerchief to school today?
I had a feeling I'd need it.
I never thought you liked Mr.
Phillips so much that you'd need two handkerchiefs to cry over his leaving,
" said Marilla.
I don't think I cried because I was especially fond of him,
" Anne replied thoughtfully.
I think I cried because everyone else did.
Ruby Gill has started it.
She always said she hated Mr.
Phillips,
But as soon as he stood up to give his farewell speech,
She burst into tears.
Then all the girls started crying one after the other.
I tried to hold back,
Marilla.
I really did.
I kept reminding myself of all the times Mr.
Phillips was mean to me.
The time he made me sit with Gil,
With a boy.
Or the time he spelled my name without an E on the blackboard.
Or when he called me the worst dunce he'd ever seen at Geometry and laughed at my spelling.
Oh,
And all the times he was sarcastic.
But somehow,
None of that mattered at the moment,
And I couldn't help it.
It,
I had to cry too.
Jane Andrews had been saying for weeks how glad she'd be when Mr.
Phillips left and swore she wouldn't shed a tear.
But she cried harder than any of us,
And even had to borrow a handkerchief from her brother because she didn't bring one.
She thought she wouldn't need it.
The boys,
Of course,
Didn't cry.
Oh,
Marilla,
It was heartbreaking.
Mr.
Phillips gave such a beautiful farewell speech.
He began with The time has come for us to part.
It was so moving,
And he even had tears in his eyes.
I felt awful for all the times I'd misbehaved in school.
Drawn silly pictures of him on my slate,
And made fun of him and Prissy.
I really wish I'd been a model pupil like Minnie Andrews.
She didn't have anything to feel guilty about.
The girls cried all the way home from school.
Carrie Sloan kept repeating,
The time has come for us to part,
And it would start us all off crying again just when we thought we might cheer up.
I do feel terribly sad,
Marilla.
But you can't feel completely in the depths of despair when you've got two months of vacation ahead,
Can you?
And besides,
Something exciting happened.
We met the new minister and his wife coming from the station.
Even though I was feeling so upset about Mr.
Phillips leaving,
I couldn't help being a little curious about them,
Could I?
The minister's wife is very pretty.
Not exactly what you'd call regally beautiful.
That wouldn't be right for a minister's wife,
I suppose.
Mrs.
Lynn says the minister's wife in Newbridge sets a bad example because she dresses so fashionably.
Our new minister's wife wore a lovely blue muslin dress with puffed sleeves and a hat trimmed with roses.
Jane Andrews thought puffed sleeves were too worldly for a minister's wife.
But I didn't say anything unkind like that.
I know what it's like to wish for puff sleeves.
And besides,
She's only been a minister's wife for a short time.
We should give her some grace,
Shouldn't we?
They're going to stay with Mrs.
Lynde until the manse is ready.
If Marilla had any other reason for going to Mrs.
Lynn's that evening besides returning the quilting frame she borrowed last winter,
It was a perfectly natural curiosity.
One shared by most of the Avonlea community.
A new minister,
Especially one with a wife,
Was an exciting event in the quiet little settlement,
Where big happenings were rare.
Many of Mrs.
Lynn's borrowed items—things she had long since lent out,
And almost given up hope of seeing again—were suddenly returned that evening,
As neighbors stopped by,
Eager for a chance to see the newcomers.
The previous minister,
Mr.
Bentley,
Whom Anne had once described as lacking imagination,
Had served Avonlea for 18 years.
He was a widower when he arrived and stayed that way.
Despite the fact that gossip regularly paired him off with one woman or another.
He resigned in February and left amidst heartfelt farewells from his congregation,
Who had grown fond of him over the years,
Even if his sermons weren't particularly inspiring.
Since Mr.
Bentley's departure,
The Avonlea Church had enjoyed a variety of guest preachers filling in every Sunday.
These candidates would preach while the congregation decided if they were suitable for the position.
The older,
Respected church members often had the final say,
But a certain red-haired girl,
Sitting quietly in the Cuthbert pew,
Had plenty of opinions of her own.
Anne eagerly shared her thoughts on each preacher with Matthew,
As Marilla,
On principle,
Refused to criticize ministers in any way.
I don't think Mr.
Smith would have worked out,
Matthew,
Ann concluded one evening.
Mrs.
Lynn says his delivery was poor,
But I think his biggest problem was just like Mr.
Bentley's.
He had no imagination.
Mr.
Terry,
On the other hand,
Had far too much imagination.
It ran away with him,
Just like mine does sometimes,
Like when I imagine the haunted wood.
And Mrs.
Lin says his theology wasn't sound,
Which is important,
Isn't it?
Mr.
Gresham was a good man and very religious,
But he told too many funny stories.
People laughed in church,
And that's undignified.
Ministers need to have dignity,
Don't you think,
Matthew?
Now,
I thought Mr.
Marshall was very attractive,
But Mrs.
Lynn says he's not married or even engaged.
She asked about it specifically and said it would never do to have an unmarried minister in Avonlea.
He might marry someone in the congregation,
And that would cause trouble.
Mrs.
Lind is very wise,
Isn't she?
I'm so glad they decided to call Mr.
Allen.
I liked him,
Because his sermon was interesting,
And when he prayed,
It felt like he really meant it,
Not like he was just doing it because it was expected.
Mrs.
Lin says he's not perfect,
But then she says we can't expect perfection for $750 a year.
Anyway,
His theology is sound.
She made sure to ask him about every point of doctrine.
She also knows his wife's family,
And they're very respectable.
Mrs.
Lin says all the women in the family are excellent housekeepers.
She says sound doctrine in the man and good housekeeping in the woman is the ideal combination for a minister's household.
The new minister and his wife were a young,
Cheerful couple,
Still enjoying the glow of their honeymoon.
They were full of enthusiasm for their life's work,
And Avonlea took to them immediately.
Everyone,
Young and old,
Liked the friendly,
High-spirited minister with his noble ideals,
And the gentle,
Bright young woman who gracefully took on the role of mistress of the manse.
Anne instantly and completely adored Mrs.
Allen.
She had discovered another kindred spirit.
Mrs.
Allen is just wonderful,
" Anne declared one Sunday afternoon.
She's taken over our Sunday school class,
And she's an amazing teacher.
She said right away that it wasn't fair for the teacher to ask all the questions.
You know,
Marilla,
I've always thought the same thing.
She said we could ask her anything we wanted,
And I asked a lot of questions.
I'm very good at asking questions,
Marilla.
I believe you,
" Marilla replied dryly.
Nobody else asked anything except Ruby Gillis,
And she just wanted to know if there'd be a Sunday school picnic this summer.
I didn't think that was a very appropriate question,
Since it had nothing to do with the lesson,
Which was about Daniel in the lion's den.
But Mrs.
Allen just smiled and said she thought there probably would be a picnic.
Mrs.
Allen has the loveliest smile,
Marilla,
With the sweetest dimples in her cheeks.
I wish I had dimples.
I'm not as skinny as I was when I first came here,
But I still don't have any dimples.
If I did.
.
.
Maybe I could influence people for good.
Mrs.
Allens said we should always try to influence others for good.
She talks so nicely about everything.
I never knew before that religion could be such a cheerful thing.
I always thought it was more serious and gloomy.
But Mrs.
Allens isn't like that at all.
I'd love to be a Christian if I could be one like her.
I wouldn't want to be like Mr.
Superintendent Bell.
Was very naughty of you to talk that way about Mr.
Bell,
" said Marilla sternly.
Mr.
Bell is a very good man.
Oh,
Of course he's good,
Anne agreed.
But he doesn't seem to enjoy it.
If I were good,
I'd want to dance and sing all day because I'd be so happy about it.
I suppose Mrs.
Allen is too old to dance and sing,
And it probably wouldn't be dignified for a minister's wife.
But you can just tell she's glad to be a Christian.
I think she'd still be one,
Even if she could get to heaven without it.
We should have Mr.
And Mrs.
Allen over for tea sometime soon,
" Marilla said thoughtfully.
They've been almost everywhere in Avonlea except here.
Let me think.
Next Wednesday would be a good day.
But don't say a word to Matthew about it.
If he knows they're coming,
He'll come up with some excuse to be away.
He got used to Mr.
Bentley over the years,
But it's gonna be hard for him to get acquainted with a new minister.
And a minister's wife?
That'll terrify him.
I'll be as secret as the dead,
Assured Anne.
But oh,
Marilla,
Will you let me make a cake for the occasion?
I'd love to do something for Mrs.
Allen.
And you know,
I can make a pretty good cake by this time.
You can make a layer cake,
Promised Marilla.
Monday and Tuesday,
Great preparations went on at Green Gables.
Having the minister and his wife to tea was a serious and important undertaking,
And Marilla was determined not to be eclipsed by any of the Avonlea housekeepers.
Anne was wild with excitement and delight.
She talked it all over with Diana Tuesday night in the twilight,
As they sat on the big red stones by the Dryad's Bubble and made rainbows in the water with little twigs dipped in fir balsam.
Everything is ready,
Diana,
Except my cake which I'm to make in the morning,
And the baking powder biscuits which Marilla will make just before tea time.
I assure you,
Diana,
That Marilla and I have had a busy two days of it.
It's such a responsibility having a minister's family to teach.
I never went through such an experience before.
You should just see our pantry.
It's a sight to behold.
We're going to have jellied chicken and cold tongue.
We're to have two kinds of jelly,
Red and yellow,
And whipped cream and lemon pie,
And cherry pie,
And three kinds of cookies and fruit cake.
And Marilla's famous yellow plum preserves that she keeps especially for ministers,
And pound cake and layer cake and biscuits and new bread and old both in case the minister is dyspeptic and can't eat new.
Mrs.
Lynn says ministers are dyspeptic,
But I don't think Mr.
Allen has been a minister long enough for it to have had a bad effect on him.
I just grow cold when I think of my layer cake.
Oh Diana,
What if it shouldn't be good?
I dreamed last night that I was chased all around by a fearful goblin with a big layer of cake for a head.
It'll be good alright,
Assured Diana,
Who was a very comfortable sort of friend.
I'm sure that piece of the one you made that we had for lunch in Idlewild two weeks ago was perfectly elegant.
Yes,
But cakes have such a terrible habit of turning out bad just when you especially want them to be good,
Sighed Anne,
Setting a particularly well-balsomed twig afloat.
However,
I suppose I shall just have to trust to Providence and be careful to put in the flower.
Oh,
Look Diana,
What a lovely rainbow!
Do you suppose the dry head will come out after we go away and take it for a scarf?
You know,
There's no such thing as a dryad,
" said Diana.
Diana's mother had found out about the haunted wood,
And had been decidedly angry over it.
As a result,
Diana had abstained from any further imitative flights of imagination and did not think it prudent to cultivate a spirit of belief even in harmless dryads.
It's so easy to imagine there is,
" said Anne.
Every night before I go to bed,
I look out of my window and wonder if the Dryad is really sitting there,
Calming her locks with the spring for a mirror.
Sometimes I look for her footprints in the dew in the morning.
Oh Diana,
Don't give up your faith in the Dryad.
Wednesday morning came.
Anne got up at sunrise because she was too excited to sleep.
She had caught a severe cold in the head by reason of her dabbling in the spring on the preceding evening,
But nothing short of absolute pneumonia could have quenched her interest in culinary matters that morning.
After breakfast,
She proceeded to make her cake.
When she finally shut the oven door upon it,
She drew a long breath.
I'm sure I didn't forget anything this time,
Marilla.
But do you think it will rise?
What if the baking powder isn't good?
I used it from the new can.
Mrs.
Lin says you can't trust baking powder these days because everything is so adulterated.
She says the government should do something about it,
But she also says we'll never see a Tory government tackle such a matter.
Oh,
Marilla,
What if the cake doesn't rise?
" We'll have plenty without it,
" said Marilla's practical response.
The cake did rise,
Turning out light and fluffy like golden foam.
Anne,
Thrilled with her success,
Spread layers of ruby-red jelly between its tiers and happily imagined Mrs.
Allen eating a slice,
And perhaps even asking for another.
You'll use the best tea set,
Won't you,
Marilla?
She asked.
And may I decorate the table with ferns and wild roses?
I think that's all nonsense,
Marilla sniffed.
What matters is the food,
Not frills and decorations.
Mrs.
Barry decorated her table and pointed out.
Not entirely above a little strategic persuasion.
And the Minister paid her a lovely compliment.
He said it was a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.
Well,
Do as you like,
" said Marilla,
Who was determined not to be outdone by Mrs.
Barry or anyone else.
Just make sure you leave enough space for the dishes and food.
Anne threw herself into decorating the table with great enthusiasm.
Using plenty of roses and ferns and her own artistic flair,
She transformed the tea table into such a lovely sight that when the minister and his wife sat down,
They exclaimed in delight at its beauty.
It's all Anne's doing,
Marilla said,
Grudgingly fair,
As the guests admired the setup.
Anne felt as though Mrs.
Allen's approving smile was almost too much happiness to bear.
Even Matthew was present,
Though only Anne knew how she had managed to convince him to come.
He had been so shy and nervous about meeting the minister and his wife that Marilla had given up hope of his staying,
But Anne had coaxed him successfully.
Now,
He sat at the table in his best clothes and a white collar,
Making polite conversation with the minister.
He didn't say a word to Mrs.
Allen,
But that wasn't entirely unexpected.
Everything went smoothly until Anne's layer cake was served.
Mrs.
Allen had already tried an impressive variety of treats,
Politely declined at first.
However,
Marilla,
Noticing Anne's crestfallen expression,
Said with a smile,
Oh,
You must try this,
Mrs.
Allen,
Anne made it especially for you.
In that case,
I must have a piece,
" laughed Mrs.
Allen,
Taking a generous slice.
The minister and Marilla did the same.
Mrs.
Allen took a bite,
And a strange expression flickered across her face.
She said nothing,
But continued to eat,
Though slowly.
Marilla,
Catching the look,
Quickly tasted the cake herself.
And surely,
She exclaimed.
What on earth did you put in this cake?
Nothing but what the recipe said,
Anne cried,
Her voice filled with distress.
Oh,
Isn't it alright?
All right,
It's dreadful.
Mr.
Allen,
Don't eat it.
And taste it yourself.
What flavoring did you use?
Vanilla,
" Anne said,
Her face red with embarrassment after tasting the cake.
Or vanilla.
Oh,
Marilla,
It must have been the baking powder.
I suspected it might be bad.
Baking powder nonsense.
Go get me the bottle of vanilla you used.
Ann dashed to the pantry and returned with a bottle labeled Best Vanilla.
Marilla uncorked it and sniffed,
Then gave a horrid gasp.
Mercy on us,
Anne.
You flavored the cake with anodyne liniment.
I broke the liniment bottle last week and poured what was left in an old vanilla bottle It's partly my fault.
I should have warned you.
But why didn't you smell it?
I couldn't.
I had such a bad cold.
Anne wailed before fleeing to her room where she flung herself onto her bed and cried as if her heart would break.
Soon,
Light footsteps sounded on the stairs,
And someone entered the room.
Oh,
Marilla,
Anne sobbed without looking up.
I'm ruined forever.
Everyone will hear about this.
Things always get out in Avonlea.
Diana will ask how my cake turned out,
And I'll have to tell her the truth.
The boys at school will never stop laughing at me.
Oh,
Marilla,
If you have a shred of pity,
Don't make me go downstairs to wash the dishes tonight.
I'll do it after they leave.
But I can't face Mrs.
Allen again.
She'll think I tried to poison her.
Mrs.
Lind always says she knows an orphan girl who poisoned her benefactor,
But the liniment isn't poisonous.
It's meant to be taken internally,
Just not in cakes.
Marilla,
Won't you tell her that?
Why don't you get up and tell her yourself,
Said a cheerful voice.
Anne jumped up to see Mrs.
Allen standing by the bed,
Her eyes full of laughter.
My dear little girl,
You mustn't cry like this,
" said Mrs.
Allen,
Genuinely concerned.
It was just a funny mistake that anyone could make.
Oh no,
It takes me to make a mistake like that,
" Anne said miserably.
I wanted so much for the cake to be perfect for you.
And I appreciate your kindness and thoughtfulness just as much as if it had been perfect,
Mrs.
Allen said warmly.
Now dry your tears and come show me your flower garden.
Mrs.
Cuthbert tells me you have a little plot of your own,
And I'm very interested in flowers.
Anne allowed herself to be led outside,
Comforted by the thought that Mrs.
Allen was truly a kindred spirit.
Nothing more was said about the liniment cake,
And Anne found that,
Despite the incident,
She had enjoyed the evening more than she expected.
As the guests left,
Anne sighed deeply and said,
Marilla,
Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a fresh day with no mistakes in it yet?
I'm sure you'll fill it with plenty of mistakes,
" Marilla replied.
I have never known anyone like you for making them.
Yes,
I know,
" Anne said mournfully.
But haven't you noticed one good thing about me,
Marilla?
I never make the same mistake twice.
I'm not sure that's much comfort when you're always finding new ones to make.
Oh,
But don't you see,
Marilla,
There has to be a limit to the number of mistakes one person can make.
When I've made them all,
I'll be done with them.
That's such a comforting thought.
Well,
You'd better take that cake out to the pigs,
" said Marilla.
It's not fit for any human to eat,
Not even Jerry Boutte.
Sweet dreams my friend.
Sleep well.
You you
