LESLIECOMESOVER
LesliecameovertothehouseofdreamsonefrostyOctobernight，whenmoonlitmistswerehangingovertheharborandcurlinglikesilverribbonsalongtheseawardglens。ShelookedasifsherepentedcomingwhenGilbertansweredherknock；butAnneflewpasthim，pouncedonher，anddrewherin。
\"I’msogladyoupickedtonightforacall，\"shesaidgaily。\"Imadeupalotofextragoodfudgethisafternoonandwewantsomeonetohelpuseatit——beforethefire——whilewetellstories。PerhapsCaptainJimwilldropin，too。Thisishisnight。\"
\"No。CaptainJimisoverhome，\"saidLeslie。\"He——hemademecomehere，\"sheadded，halfdefiantly。
\"I’llsayathank-youtohimforthatwhenIseehim，\"
saidAnne，pullingeasychairsbeforethefire。
\"Oh，Idon’tmeanthatIdidn’twanttocome，\"
protestedLeslie，flushingalittle。\"I——I’vebeenthinkingofcoming——butitisn’talwayseasyformetogetaway。\"
\"OfcourseitmustbehardforyoutoleaveMr。
Moore，\"saidAnne，inamatter-of-facttone。ShehaddecidedthatitwouldbebesttomentionDickMooreoccasionallyasanacceptedfact，andnotgiveunduemorbidnesstothesubjectbyavoidingit。Shewasright，forLeslie’sairofconstraintsuddenlyvanished。EvidentlyshehadbeenwonderinghowmuchAnneknewoftheconditionsofherlifeandwasrelievedthatnoexplanationswereneeded。Sheallowedhercapandjackettobetaken，andsatdownwithagirlishsnuggleinthebigarmchairbyMagog。Shewasdressedprettilyandcarefully，withthecustomarytouchofcolorinthescarletgeraniumatherwhitethroat。Herbeautifulhairgleamedlikemoltengoldinthewarmfirelight。Hersea-blueeyeswerefullofsoftlaughterandallurement。Forthemoment，undertheinfluenceofthelittlehouseofdreams，shewasagirlagain——agirlforgetfulofthepastanditsbitterness。Theatmosphereofthemanylovesthathadsanctifiedthelittlehousewasallabouther；thecompanionshipoftwohealthy，happy，youngfolksofherowngenerationencircledher；shefeltandyieldedtothemagicofhersurroundings——MissCorneliaandCaptainJimwouldscarcelyhaverecognizedher；Annefoundithardtobelievethatthiswasthecold，unresponsivewomanshehadmetontheshore——thisanimatedgirlwhotalkedandlistenedwiththeeagernessofastarvedsoul。AndhowhungrilyLeslie’seyeslookedatthebookcasesbetweenthewindows！
\"Ourlibraryisn’tveryextensive，\"saidAnne，\"buteverybookinitisaFRIEND。We’vepickedourbooksupthroughtheyears，hereandthere，neverbuyingoneuntilwehadfirstreaditandknewthatitbelongedtotheraceofJoseph。\"
Leslielaughed——beautifullaughterthatseemedakintoallthemirththathadechoedthroughthelittlehouseinthevanishedyears。
\"Ihaveafewbooksoffather’s——notmany，\"shesaid。
\"I’vereadthemuntilIknowthemalmostbyheart。I
don’tgetmanybooks。There’sacirculatinglibraryattheGlenstore——butIdon’tthinkthecommitteewhopickthebooksforMr。ParkerknowwhatbooksareofJoseph’srace——orperhapstheydon’tcare。ItwassoseldomIgotoneIreallylikedthatIgaveupgettingany。\"
\"Ihopeyou’lllookonourbookshelvesasyourown，\"
saidAnne。
\"Youareentirelyandwholeheartedlywelcometotheloanofanybookonthem。\"
\"Youaresettingafeastoffatthingsbeforeme，\"
saidLeslie，joyously。Then，astheclockstruckten，sherose，halfunwillingly。
\"Imustgo。Ididn’trealiseitwassolate。CaptainJimisalwayssayingitdoesn’ttakelongtostayanhour。ButI’vestayedtwo——andoh，butI’veenjoyedthem，\"sheaddedfrankly。
\"Comeoften，\"saidAnneandGilbert。Theyhadrisenandstoodtogetherinthefirelight’sglow。Leslielookedatthem——youthful，hopeful，happy，typifyingallshehadmissedandmustforevermiss。Thelightwentoutofherfaceandeyes；thegirlvanished；itwasthesorrowful，cheatedwomanwhoansweredtheinvitationalmostcoldlyandgotherselfawaywithapitifulhaste。
Annewatchedheruntilshewaslostintheshadowsofthechillandmistynight。Thensheturnedslowlybacktotheglowofherownradianthearthstone。
\"Isn’tshelovely，Gilbert？Herhairfascinatesme。
MissCorneliasaysitreachestoherfeet。RubyGillishadbeautifulhair——butLeslie’sisALIVE——everythreadofitislivinggold。\"
\"Sheisverybeautiful，\"agreedGilbert，soheartilythatAnnealmostwishedhewereaLITTLElessenthusiastic。
\"Gilbert，wouldyoulikemyhairbetterifitwerelikeLeslie’s？\"sheaskedwistfully。
\"Iwouldn’thaveyourhairanycolorbutjustwhatitisfortheworld，\"saidGilbert，withoneortwoconvincingaccompaniments。
Youwouldn’tbeANNEifyouhadgoldenhair——orhairofanycolorbut\"——
\"Red，\"saidAnne，withgloomysatisfaction。
\"Yes，red——togivewarmthtothatmilk-whiteskinandthoseshininggray-greeneyesofyours。Goldenhairwouldn’tsuityouatallQueenAnne——MYQueenAnne——queenofmyheartandlifeandhome。\"
\"ThenyoumayadmireLeslie’sallyoulike，\"saidAnnemagnanimously。
CHAPTER13
AGHOSTLYEVENING
Oneevening，aweeklater，Annedecidedtorunoverthefieldstothehouseupthebrookforaninformalcall。
Itwasaneveningofgrayfogthathadcreptinfromthegulf，swathedtheharbor，filledtheglensandvalleys，andclungheavilytotheautumnalmeadows。
Throughittheseasobbedandshuddered。AnnesawFourWindsinanewaspect，andfounditweirdandmysteriousandfascinating；butitalsogaveheralittlefeelingofloneliness。Gilbertwasawayandwouldbeawayuntilthemorrow，attendingamedicalpow-wowinCharlottetown。Annelongedforanhouroffellowshipwithsomegirlfriend。CaptainJimandMissCorneliawere\"goodfellows\"each，intheirownway；
butyouthyearnedtoyouth。
\"IfonlyDianaorPhilorPrisorStellacoulddropinforachat，\"shesaidtoherself，\"howdelightfulitwouldbe！ThisissuchaGHOSTLYnight。I’msurealltheshipsthateversailedoutofFourWindstotheirdoomcouldbeseentonightsailinguptheharborwiththeirdrownedcrewsontheirdecks，ifthatshroudingfogcouldsuddenlybedrawnaside。Ifeelasifitconcealedinnumerablemysteries——asifIweresurroundedbythewraithsofoldgenerationsofFourWindspeoplepeeringatmethroughthatgrayveil。Ifeverthedeardeadladiesofthislittlehousecamebacktorevisitittheywouldcomeonjustsuchanightasthis。IfIsithereanylongerI’llseeoneofthemthereoppositemeinGilbert’schair。Thisplaceisn’texactlycannytonight。EvenGogandMagoghaveanairofprickinguptheirearstohearthefootstepsofunseenguests。I’llrunovertoseeLesliebeforeI
frightenmyselfwithmyownfancies，asIdidlongagointhematteroftheHauntedWood。I’llleavemyhouseofdreamstowelcomebackitsoldinhabitants。Myfirewillgivethemmygood-willandgreeting——theywillbegonebeforeIcomeback，andmyhousewillbemineoncemore。TonightIamsureitiskeepingatrystwiththepast。\"
Laughingalittleoverherfancy，yetwithsomethingofacreepysensationintheregionofherspine，AnnekissedherhandtoGogandMagogandslippedoutintothefog，withsomeofthenewmagazinesunderherarmforLeslie。
\"Leslie’swildforbooksandmagazines，\"MissCorneliahadtoldher，\"andshehardlyeverseesone。Shecan’taffordtobuythemorsubscribeforthem。She’sreallypitifullypoor，Anne。Idon’tseehowshemakesouttoliveatallonthelittlerentthefarmbringsin。
Sheneverevenhintsacomplaintonthescoreofpoverty，butIknowwhatitmustbe。She’sbeenhandicappedbyitallherlife。Shedidn’tminditwhenshewasfreeandambitious，butitmustgallnow，believeME。I’mgladsheseemedsobrightandmerrytheeveningshespentwithyou。CaptainJimtoldmehehadfairlytoputhercapandcoatonandpushheroutofthedoor。Don’tbetoolonggoingtoseehereither。Ifyouareshe’llthinkit’sbecauseyoudon’tlikethesightofDick，andshe’llcrawlintohershellagain。Dick’sagreat，big，harmlessbaby，butthatsillygrinandchuckleofhisdogetonsomepeople’snerves。Thankgoodness，I’venonervesmyself。IlikeDickMoorebetternowthanIeverdidwhenhewasinhisrightsenses——thoughtheLordknowsthatisn’tsayingmuch。IwasdownthereonedayinhousecleaningtimehelpingLeslieabit，andIwasfryingdoughnuts。
Dickwashangingroundtogetone，asusual，andallatoncehepickedupascaldinghotoneI’djustfishedoutanddroppeditonthebackofmyneckwhenIwasbendingover。Thenhelaughedandlaughed。BelieveME，Anne，ittookallthegraceofGodinmyhearttokeepmefromjustwhiskingupthatstew-panofboilingfatandpouringitoverhishead。\"
AnnelaughedoverMissCornelia’swrathasshespedthroughthedarkness。Butlaughteraccordedillwiththatnight。Shewassoberenoughwhenshereachedthehouseamongthewillows。Everythingwasverysilent。
Thefrontpartofthehouseseemeddarkanddeserted，soAnneslippedroundtothesidedoor，whichopenedfromtheverandaintoalittlesittingroom。Thereshehaltednoiselessly。
Thedoorwasopen。Beyond，inthedimlylightedroom，satLeslieMoore，withherarmsflungoutonthetableandherheadbentuponthem。Shewasweepinghorribly——withlow，fierce，chokingsobs，asifsomeagonyinhersoulweretryingtotearitselfout。Anoldblackdogwassittingbyher，hisnoserestingonhislap，hisbigdoggisheyesfullofmute，imploringsympathyanddevotion。Annedrewbackindismay。Shefeltthatshecouldnotintermeddlewiththisbitterness。Herheartachedwithasympathyshemightnotutter。Togoinnowwouldbetoshutthedoorforeveronanypossiblehelporfriendship。SomeinstinctwarnedAnnethattheproud，bittergirlwouldneverforgivetheonewhothussurprisedherinherabandonmentofdespair。
Anneslippednoiselesslyfromtheverandaandfoundherwayacrosstheyard。Beyond，sheheardvoicesinthegloomandsawthedimglowofalight。Atthegateshemettwomen——CaptainJimwithalantern，andanotherwhosheknewmustbeDickMoore——abigman，badlygonetofat，withabroad，round，redface，andvacanteyes。
EveninthedulllightAnnegottheimpressionthattherewassomethingunusualabouthiseyes。
\"Isthisyou，MistressBlythe？\"saidCaptainJim。
\"Now，now，youhadn’toughterberoamingaboutaloneonanightlikethis。Youcouldgetlostinthisfogeasierthannot。JestyouwaittillIseeDicksafeinsidethedoorandI’llcomebackandlightyouoverthefields。Iain’tgoingtohaveDr。BlythecominghomeandfindingthatyouwalkedcleanoverCapeLeforceinthefog。Awomandidthatonce，fortyyearsago。
\"Soyou’vebeenovertoseeLeslie，\"hesaid，whenherejoinedher。
\"Ididn’tgoin，\"saidAnne，andtoldwhatshehadseen。CaptainJimsighed。
\"Poor，poor，littlegirl！Shedon’tcryoften，MistressBlythe——she’stoobraveforthat。Shemustfeelterriblewhenshedoescry。Anightlikethisishardonpoorwomenwhohavesorrows。There’ssomethingaboutitthatkinderbringsupallwe’vesuffered——orfeared。\"
\"It’sfullofghosts，\"saidAnne，withashiver。
\"ThatwaswhyIcameover——Iwantedtoclaspahumanhandandhearahumanvoice。
ThereseemtobesomanyINHUMANpresencesabouttonight。Evenmyowndearhousewasfullofthem。
Theyfairlyelbowedmeout。SoIfledoverhereforcompanionshipofmykind。\"
\"Youwererightnottogoin，though，MistressBlythe。
Lesliewouldn’thavelikedit。Shewouldn’thavelikedmegoinginwithDick，asI’dhavedoneifIhadn’tmetyou。IhadDickdownwithmeallday。IkeephimwithmeasmuchasIcantohelpLeslieabit。\"
\"Isn’ttheresomethingoddabouthiseyes？\"askedAnne。
\"Younoticedthat？Yes，oneisblueandt’otherishazel——hisfatherhadthesame。It’saMoorepeculiarity。ThatwaswhattoldmehewasDickMoorewhenIsawhimfirstdowninCuby。Ifithadn’ta-binforhiseyesImightn’ta-knownhim，withhisbeardandfat。Youknow，Ireckon，thatitwasmefoundhimandbroughthimhome。MissCorneliaalwayssaysI
shouldn’thavedoneit，butIcan’tagreewithher。ItwastheRIGHTthingtodo——andso’twastheonlything。
Thereain’tnoquestioninmymindaboutTHAT。ButmyoldheartachesforLeslie。She’sonlytwenty-eightandshe’seatenmorebreadwithsorrowthanmostwomendoineightyyears。\"
Theywalkedoninsilenceforalittlewhile。
PresentlyAnnesaid，\"Doyouknow，CaptainJim，Ineverlikewalkingwithalantern。Ihavealwaysthestrangestfeelingthatjustoutsidethecircleoflight，justoveritsedgeinthedarkness，Iamsurroundedbyaringoffurtive，sinisterthings，watchingmefromtheshadowswithhostileeyes。I’vehadthatfeelingfromchildhood。Whatisthereason？
IneverfeellikethatwhenI’mreallyinthedarkness——whenitiscloseallaroundme——I’mnottheleastfrightened。\"
\"I’vesomethingofthatfeelingmyself，\"admittedCaptainJim。\"Ireckonwhenthedarknessisclosetousitisafriend。Butwhenwesorterpushitawayfromus——divorceourselvesfromit，sotospeak，withlanternlight——itbecomesanenemy。Butthefogislifting。
There’sasmartwestwindrising，ifyounotice。Thestarswillbeoutwhenyougethome。\"
Theywereout；andwhenAnnere-enteredherhouseofdreamstheredemberswerestillglowingonthehearth，andallthehauntingpresencesweregone。
CHAPTER14
NOVEMBERDAYS
ThesplendorofcolorwhichhadglowedforweeksalongtheshoresofFourWindsHarborhadfadedoutintothesoftgray-blueoflateautumnalhills。Therecamemanydayswhenfieldsandshoresweredimwithmistyrain，orshiveringbeforethebreathofamelancholysea-wind——nights，too，ofstormandtempest，whenAnnesometimeswakenedtopraythatnoshipmightbebeatingupthegrimnorthshore，forifitweresonoteventhegreat，faithfullightwhirlingthroughthedarknessunafraid，couldavailtoguideitintosafehaven。
\"InNovemberIsometimesfeelasifspringcouldnevercomeagain，\"shesighed，grievingoverthehopelessunsightlinessofherfrostedandbedraggledflower-plots。Thegaylittlegardenoftheschoolmaster’sbridewasratheraforlornplacenow，andtheLombardiesandbircheswereunderbarepoles，asCaptainJimsaid。Butthefir-woodbehindthelittlehousewasforevergreenandstaunch；andeveninNovemberandDecembertherecamegraciousdaysofsunshineandpurplehazes，whentheharbordancedandsparkledasblithelyasinmidsummer，andthegulfwassosoftlyblueandtenderthatthestormandthewildwindseemedonlythingsofalong-pastdream。
AnneandGilbertspentmanyanautumneveningatthelighthouse。Itwasalwaysacheeryplace。Evenwhentheeastwindsanginminorandtheseawasdeadandgray，hintsofsunshineseemedtobelurkingallaboutit。PerhapsthiswasbecausetheFirstMatealwaysparadeditinpanoplyofgold。Hewassolargeandeffulgentthatonehardlymissedthesun，andhisresoundingpurrsformedapleasantaccompanimenttothelaughterandconversationwhichwentonaroundCaptainJim’sfireplace。CaptainJimandGilberthadmanylongdiscussionsandhighconverseonmattersbeyondthekenofcatorking。
\"Iliketoponderonallkindsofproblems，thoughI
can’tsolve’em，\"saidCaptainJim。\"Myfatherheldthatweshouldnevertalkofthingswecouldn’tunderstand，butifwedidn’t，doctor，thesubjectsforconversationwouldbemightyfew。Ireckonthegodslaughmanyatimetohearus，butwhatmatterssolongaswerememberthatwe’reonlymenanddon’ttaketofancyingthatwe’regodsourselves，really，knowinggoodandevil。Ireckonourpow-wowswon’tdousoranyonemuchharm，solet’shaveanotherwhackatthewhence，whyandwhitherthisevening，doctor。\"
Whilethey\"whacked，\"Annelistenedordreamed。
SometimesLesliewenttothelighthousewiththem，andsheandAnnewanderedalongtheshoreintheeerietwilight，orsatontherocksbelowthelighthouseuntilthedarknessdrovethembacktothecheerofthedriftwoodfire。ThenCaptainJimwouldbrewthemteaandtellthem\"talesoflandandseaAndwhatsoevermightbetideThegreatforgottenworldoutside。\"
Leslieseemedalwaystoenjoythoselighthousecarousalsverymuch，andbloomedoutforthetimebeingintoreadywitandbeautifullaughter，orglowing-eyedsilence。TherewasacertaintangandsavorintheconversationwhenLesliewaspresentwhichtheymissedwhenshewasabsent。Evenwhenshedidnottalksheseemedtoinspireotherstobrilliancy。CaptainJimtoldhisstoriesbetter，Gilbertwasquickerinargumentandrepartee，AnnefeltlittlegushesandtricklesoffancyandimaginationbubblingtoherlipsundertheinfluenceofLeslie’spersonality。
\"Thatgirlwasborntobealeaderinsocialandintellectualcircles，farawayfromFourWinds，\"shesaidtoGilbertastheywalkedhomeonenight。\"She’sjustwastedhere——wasted。\"
\"Weren’tyoulisteningtoCaptainJimandyourstrulytheothernightwhenwediscussedthatsubjectgenerally？WecametothecomfortingconclusionthattheCreatorprobablyknewhowtorunHisuniversequiteaswellaswedo，andthat，afterall，therearenosuchthingsas`wasted’lives，savingandexceptwhenanindividualwilfullysquandersandwasteshisownlife——whichLeslieMoorecertainlyhasn’tdone。AndsomepeoplemightthinkthataRedmondB。A。，whomeditorswerebeginningtohonor，was`wasted’asthewifeofastrugglingcountrydoctorintheruralcommunityofFourWinds。\"
\"Gilbert！\"
\"IfyouhadmarriedRoyGardner，now，\"continuedGilbertmercilessly，\"YOUcouldhavebeen`aleaderinsocialandintellectualcirclesfarawayfromFourWinds。’\"
\"GilbertBLYTHE！\"
\"YouKNOWyouwereinlovewithhimatonetime，Anne。\"
\"Gilbert，that’smean——`pisenmean，justlikeallthemen，’asMissCorneliasays。INEVERwasinlovewithhim。IonlyimaginedIwas。YOUknowthat。YouKNOW
I’dratherbeyourwifeinourhouseofdreamsandfulfillmentthanaqueeninapalace。\"
Gilbert’sanswerwasnotinwords；butIamafraidthatbothofthemforgotpoorLesliespeedingherlonelywayacrossthefieldstoahousethatwasneitherapalacenorthefulfillmentofadream。
Themoonwasrisingoverthesad，darkseabehindthemandtransfiguringit。Herlighthadnotyetreachedtheharbor，thefurthersideofwhichwasshadowyandsuggestive，withdimcovesandrichgloomsandjewellinglights。
\"Howthehomelightsshineouttonightthroughthedark！\"saidAnne。\"Thatstringofthemovertheharborlookslikeanecklace。AndwhatacoruscationthereisupattheGlen！Oh，look，Gilbert；thereisours。I’msogladweleftitburning。Ihatetocomehometoadarkhouse。OURhomelight，Gilbert！Isn’titlovelytosee？\"
\"Justoneofearth’smanymillionsofhomes，Anne——girl——butours——OURS——ourbeaconin`anaughtyworld。’Whenafellowhasahomeandadear，little，red-hairedwifeinitwhatmoreneedheaskoflife？\"
\"Well，hemightaskONEthingmore，\"whisperedAnnehappily。\"Oh，Gilbert，itseemsasifIjustCOULDN’T
waitforthespring。\"
CHAPTER15
CHRISTMASATFOURWINDS
AtfirstAnneandGilberttalkedofgoinghometoAvonleaforChristmas；buteventuallytheydecidedtostayinFourWinds。\"IwanttospendthefirstChristmasofourlifetogetherinourownhome，\"
decreedAnne。
SoitfelloutthatMarillaandMrs。RachelLyndeandthetwinscametoFourWindsforChristmas。Marillahadthefaceofawomanwhohadcircumnavigatedtheglobe。Shehadneverbeensixtymilesawayfromhomebefore；andshehadnevereatenaChristmasdinneranywheresaveatGreenGables。
Mrs。Rachelhadmadeandbroughtwithheranenormousplumpudding。NothingcouldhaveconvincedMrs。RachelthatacollegegraduateoftheyoungergenerationcouldmakeaChristmasplumpuddingproperly；butshebestowedapprovalonAnne’shouse。
\"Anne’sagoodhousekeeper，\"shesaidtoMarillainthespareroomthenightoftheirarrival。\"I’velookedintoherbreadboxandherscrappail。Ialwaysjudgeahousekeeperbythose，that’swhat。There’snothinginthepailthatshouldn’thavebeenthrownaway，andnostalepiecesinthebreadbox。Ofcourse，shewastrainedupwithyou——but，then，shewenttocollegeafterwards。Inoticeshe’sgotmytobaccostripequiltonthebedhere，andthatbigroundbraidedmatofyoursbeforeherliving-roomfire。Itmakesmefeelrightathome。\"
Anne’sfirstChristmasinherownhousewasasdelightfulasshecouldhavewished。Thedaywasfineandbright；thefirstskimofsnowhadfallenonChristmasEveandmadetheworldbeautiful；theharborwasstillopenandglittering。
CaptainJimandMissCorneliacametodinner。LeslieandDickhadbeeninvited，butLesliemadeexcuse；theyalwayswenttoherUncleIsaacWest’sforChristmas，shesaid。
\"She’dratherhaveitso，\"MissCorneliatoldAnne。
\"Shecan’tbeartakingDickwheretherearestrangers。
ChristmasisalwaysahardtimeforLeslie。Sheandherfatherusedtomakealotofit。\"
MissCorneliaandMrs。Racheldidnottakeaveryviolentfancytoeachother。\"Twosunsholdnottheircoursesinonesphere。\"Buttheydidnotclashatall，forMrs。RachelwasinthekitchenhelpingAnneandMarillawiththedinner，anditfelltoGilberttoentertainCaptainJimandMissCornelia，——orrathertobeentertainedbythem，foradialoguebetweenthosetwooldfriendsandantagonistswasassuredlyneverdull。
\"It’smanyayearsincetherewasaChristmasdinnerhere，MistressBlythe，\"saidCaptainJim。\"MissRussellalwayswenttoherfriendsintownforChristmas。ButIwasheretothefirstChristmasdinnerthatwasevereateninthishouse——andtheschoolmaster’sbridecookedit。Thatwassixtyyearsagotoday，MistressBlythe——andadayverylikethis——justenoughsnowtomakethehillswhite，andtheharborasblueasJune。Iwasonlyalad，andI’dneverbeeninvitedouttodinnerbefore，andIwastooshytoeatenough。I’vegotalloverTHAT。\"
\"Mostmendo，\"saidMissCornelia，sewingfuriously。
MissCorneliawasnotgoingtositwithidlehands，evenonChristmas。
Babiescomewithoutanyconsiderationforholidays，andtherewasoneexpectedinapoverty-strickenhouseholdatGlenSt。Mary。MissCorneliahadsentthathouseholdasubstantialdinnerforitslittleswarm，andsomeanttoeatherownwithacomfortableconscience。
\"Well，youknow，thewaytoaman’sheartisthroughhisstomach，Cornelia，\"explainedCaptainJim。
\"Ibelieveyou——whenheHASaheart，\"retortedMissCornelia。\"Isupposethat’swhysomanywomenkillthemselvescooking——justaspoorAmeliaBaxterdid。
ShediedlastChristmasmorning，andshesaiditwasthefirstChristmassinceshewasmarriedthatshedidn’thavetocookabig，twenty-platedinner。Itmusthavebeenarealpleasantchangeforher。Well，she’sbeendeadayear，soyou’llsoonhearofHoraceBaxtertakingnotice。\"
\"Iheardhewastakingnoticealready，\"saidCaptainJim，winkingatGilbert。\"Wasn’theuptoyourplaceoneSundaylately，withhisfuneralblackson，andaboiledcollar？\"
\"No，hewasn’t。Andheneedn’tcomeneither。Icouldhavehadhimlongagowhenhewasfresh。Idon’twantanysecond-handgoods，believeME。AsforHoraceBaxter，hewasinfinancialdifficultiesayearagolastsummer，andheprayedtotheLordforhelp；andwhenhiswifediedandhegotherlifeinsurancehesaidhebelieveditwastheanswertohisprayer。
Wasn’tthatlikeaman？\"
\"Haveyoureallyproofthathesaidthat，Cornelia？\"
\"IhavetheMethodistminister’swordforit——ifyoucallTHATproof。RobertBaxtertoldmethesamethingtoo，butIadmitTHATisn’tevidence。RobertBaxterisn’toftenknowntotellthetruth。\"
\"Come，come，Cornelia，Ithinkhegenerallytellsthetruth，buthechangeshisopinionsooftenitsometimessoundsasifhedidn’t。\"
\"Itsoundslikeitmightyoften，believeME。Buttrustonemantoexcuseanother。IhavenouseforRobertBaxter。HeturnedMethodistjustbecausethePresbyterianchoirhappenedtobesinging`Beholdthebridegroomcometh’foracollectionpiecewhenhimandMargaretwalkeduptheaisletheSundayaftertheyweremarried。Servedhimrightforbeinglate！Healwaysinsistedthechoirdiditonpurposetoinsulthim，asifhewasofthatmuchimportance。Butthatfamilyalwaysthoughttheyweremuchbiggerpotatoesthantheyreallywere。HisbrotherEliphaletimaginedthedevilwasalwaysathiselbow——but_I_neverbelievedthedevilwastedthatmuchtimeonhim。\"
\"I——don’t——know，\"saidCaptainJimthoughtfully。
\"EliphaletBaxterlivedtoomuchalone——hadn’tevenacatordogtokeephimhuman。Whenamanisalonehe’smightyapttobewiththedevil——ifheain’twithGod。
Hehastochoosewhichcompanyhe’llkeep，Ireckon。
IfthedevilalwayswasatLifeBaxter’selbowitmusthavebeenbecauseLifelikedtohavehimthere。\"
\"Man-like，\"saidMissCornelia，andsubsidedintosilenceoveracomplicatedarrangementoftucksuntilCaptainJimdeliberatelystirredherupagainbyremarkinginacasualway:
\"IwasuptotheMethodistchurchlastSundaymorning。\"
\"You’dbetterhavebeenhomereadingyourBible，\"wasMissCornelia’sretort。
\"Come，now，Cornelia，_I_can’tseeanyharmingoingtotheMethodistchurchwhenthere’snopreachinginyourown。I’vebeenaPresbyterianforseventy-sixyears，anditisn’tlikelymytheologywillhoistanchoratthislateday。\"
\"It’ssettingabadexample，\"saidMissCorneliagrimly。
\"Besides，\"continuedwickedCaptainJim，\"Iwantedtohearsomegoodsinging。TheMethodistshaveagoodchoir；andyoucan’tdeny，Cornelia，thatthesinginginourchurchisawfulsincethesplitinthechoir。\"
\"Whatifthesingingisn’tgood？They’redoingtheirbest，andGodseesnodifferencebetweenthevoiceofacrowandthevoiceofanightingale。\"
\"Come，come，Cornelia，\"saidCaptainJimmildly，\"I’veabetteropinionoftheAlmighty’searformusicthanTHAT。\"
\"Whatcausedthetroubleinourchoir？\"askedGilbert，whowassufferingfromsuppressedlaughter。
\"Itdatesbacktothenewchurch，threeyearsago，\"
answeredCaptainJim。\"Wehadafearfultimeoverthebuildingofthatchurch——felloutoverthequestionofanewsite。Thetwositeswasn’tmore’ntwohundredyardsapart，butyou’dhavethoughttheywasathousandbythebitternessofthatfight。Wewassplitupintothreefactions——onewantedtheeastsiteandonethesouth，andoneheldtotheold。Itwasfoughtoutinbedandatboard，andinchurchandatmarket。Alltheoldscandalsofthreegenerationsweredraggedoutoftheirgravesandaired。Threematcheswasbrokenupbyit。Andthemeetingswehadtotrytosettlethequestion！Cornelia，willyoueverforgettheonewhenoldLutherBurnsgotupandmadeaspeech？HEstatedhisopinionsforcibly。\"
\"Callaspadeaspade，Captain。Youmeanhegotred-madandrakedthemall，foreandaft。Theydeservedittoo——apackofincapables。Butwhatwouldyouexpectofacommitteeofmen？Thatbuildingcommitteeheldtwenty-sevenmeetings，andattheendofthetwenty-seventhweren’tnonearerhavingachurchthanwhentheybegun——notsonear，forafact，forinonefitofhurryingthingsalongthey’dgonetoworkandtoretheoldchurchdown，sotherewewere，withoutachurch，andnoplacebutthehalltoworshipin。\"
\"TheMethodistsofferedustheirchurch，Cornelia。\"
\"TheGlenSt。Marychurchwouldn’thavebeenbuilttothisday，\"wentonMissCornelia，ignoringCaptainJim，\"ifwewomenhadn’tjuststartedinandtookcharge。WesaidWEmeanttohaveachurch，ifthemenmeanttoquarreltilldoomsday，andweweretiredofbeingalaughing-stockfortheMethodists。WeheldONE
meetingandelectedacommitteeandcanvassedforsubscriptions。Wegotthem，too。Whenanyofthementriedtosassuswetoldthemthey’dtriedfortwoyearstobuildachurchanditwasourturnnow。Weshutthemupclose，believeME，andinsixmonthswehadourchurch。Ofcourse，whenthemensawweweredeterminedtheystoppedfightingandwenttowork，man-like，assoonastheysawtheyhadto，orquitbossing。Oh，womencan’tpreachorbeelders；buttheycanbuildchurchesandscareupthemoneyforthem。\"
\"TheMethodistsallowwomentopreach，\"saidCaptainJim。
MissCorneliaglaredathim。
\"IneversaidtheMethodistshadn’tcommonsense，Captain。WhatIsayis，Idoubtiftheyhavemuchreligion。\"
\"Isupposeyouareinfavorofvotesforwomen，MissCornelia，\"saidGilbert。
\"I’mnothankeringafterthevote，believeME，\"saidMissCorneliascornfully。\"_I_knowwhatitistocleanupafterthemen。Butsomeofthesedays，whenthemenrealizethey’vegottheworldintoamesstheycan’tgetitoutof，they’llbegladtogiveusthevote，andshouldertheirtroublesoveronus。That’sTHEIRscheme。Oh，it’swellthatwomenarepatient，believeME！\"
\"WhataboutJob？\"suggestedCaptainJim。
\"Job！Itwassuchararethingtofindapatientmanthatwhenonewasreallydiscoveredtheyweredeterminedheshouldn’tbeforgotten，\"retortedMissCorneliatriumphantly。\"Anyhow，thevirtuedoesn’tgowiththename。ThereneverwassuchanimpatientmanbornasoldJobTayloroverharbor。\"
\"Well，youknow，hehadagooddealtotryhim，Cornelia。Evenyoucan’tdefendhiswife。IalwaysrememberwhatoldWilliamMacAllistersaidofheratherfuneral，`There’snaedootshewasaChreestianwumman，butshehadthede’il’sowntemper。’\"
\"IsupposesheWAStrying，\"admittedMissCorneliareluctantly，\"butthatdidn’tjustifywhatJobsaidwhenshedied。Herodehomefromthegraveyardthedayofthefuneralwithmyfather。Heneversaidawordtilltheygotnearhome。Thenheheavedabigsighandsaid，`Youmaynotbelieveit，Stephen，butthisisthehappiestdayofmylife！’Wasn’tthatlikeaman？\"
\"Is’posepooroldMrs。Jobdidmakelifekinderuneasyforhim，\"reflectedCaptainJim。
\"Well，there’ssuchathingasdecency，isn’tthere？
Evenifamanisrejoicinginhisheartoverhiswifebeingdead，heneedn’tproclaimittothefourwindsofheaven。Andhappydayornot，JobTaylorwasn’tlonginmarryingagain，youmightnotice。Hissecondwifecouldmanagehim。ShemadehimwalkSpanish，believeme！ThefirstthingshedidwastomakehimhustleroundandputupatombstonetothefirstMrs。
Job——andshehadaplaceleftonitforherownname。
Shesaidthere’dbenobodytomakeJobputupamonumenttoHER。\"
\"SpeakingofTaylors，howisMrs。LewisTaylorupattheGlen，doctor？\"askedCaptainJim。
\"She’sgettingbetterslowly——butshehastoworktoohard，\"repliedGilbert。
\"Herhusbandworkshardtoo——raisingprizepigs，\"saidMissCornelia。\"He’snotedforhisbeautifulpigs。
He’saheapprouderofhispigsthanofhischildren。
Butthen，tobesure，hispigsarethebestpigspossible，whilehischildrendon’tamounttomuch。Hepickedapoormotherforthem，andstarvedherwhileshewasbearingandrearingthem。Hispigsgotthecreamandhischildrengottheskimmilk。
\"Therearetimes，Cornelia，whenIhavetoagreewithyou，thoughithurtsme，\"saidCaptainJim。\"That’sjustexactlythetruthaboutLewisTaylor。WhenIseethosepoor，miserablechildrenofhis，robbedofallchildrenoughttohave，itp’isensmyownbiteandsupfordaysafterwards。\"
GilbertwentouttothekitcheninresponsetoAnne’sbeckoning。Anneshutthedoorandgavehimaconnubiallecture。
\"Gilbert，youandCaptainJimmuststopbaitingMissCornelia。Oh，I’vebeenlisteningtoyou——andIjustwon’tallowit。\"
`Anne，MissCorneliaisenjoyingherselfhugely。Youknowsheis。’
\"Well，nevermind。Youtwoneedn’teggheronlikethat。Dinnerisreadynow，and，Gilbert，DON’TletMrs。Rachelcarvethegeese。Iknowshemeanstooffertodoitbecauseshedoesn’tthinkyoucandoitproperly。Showheryoucan。\"
\"Ioughttobeableto。I’vebeenstudyingA-B-C-D
diagramsofcarvingforthepastmonth，\"saidGilbert。
\"Onlydon’ttalktomewhileI’mdoingit，Anne，forifyoudrivethelettersoutofmyheadI’llbeinaworsepredicamentthanyouwereinoldgeometrydayswhentheteacherchangedthem。\"
Gilbertcarvedthegeesebeautifully。EvenMrs。Rachelhadtoadmitthat。Andeverybodyateofthemandenjoyedthem。Anne’sfirstChristmasdinnerwasagreatsuccessandshebeamedwithhousewifelypride。
Merrywasthefeastandlong；andwhenitwasovertheygatheredaroundthecheeroftheredhearthflameandCaptainJimtoldthemstoriesuntiltheredsunswunglowoverFourWindsHarbor，andthelongblueshadowsoftheLombardiesfellacrossthesnowinthelane。
\"Imustbegettingbacktothelight，\"hesaidfinally。\"I’lljesthavetimetowalkhomebeforesundown。ThankyouforabeautifulChristmas，MistressBlythe。BringMasterDavydowntothelightsomenightbeforehegoeshome。
\"Iwanttoseethosestonegods，\"saidDavywitharelish。
CHAPTER16
NEWYEAR’SEVEATTHELIGHT
TheGreenGablesfolkwenthomeafterChristmas，Marillaundersolemncovenanttoreturnforamonthinthespring。MoresnowcamebeforeNewYear’s，andtheharborfrozeover，butthegulfstillwasfree，beyondthewhite，imprisonedfields。Thelastdayoftheoldyearwasoneofthosebright，cold，dazzlingwinterdays，whichbombarduswiththeirbrilliancy，andcommandouradmirationbutneverourlove。Theskywassharpandblue；thesnowdiamondssparkledinsistently；
thestarktreeswerebareandshameless，withakindofbrazenbeauty；thehillsshotassaultinglancesofcrystal。Eventheshadowsweresharpandstiffandclear-cut，asnopropershadowsshouldbe。Everythingthatwashandsomeseemedtentimeshandsomerandlessattractiveintheglaringsplendor；andeverythingthatwasuglyseemedtentimesuglier，andeverythingwaseitherhandsomeorugly。Therewasnosoftblending，orkindobscurity，orelusivemistinessinthatsearchingglitter。Theonlythingsthatheldtheirownindividualitywerethefirs——forthefiristhetreeofmysteryandshadow，andyieldsnevertotheencroachmentsofcruderadiance。
Butfinallythedaybegantorealisethatshewasgrowingold。Thenacertainpensivenessfelloverherbeautywhichdimmedyetintensifiedit；sharpangles，glitteringpoints，meltedawayintocurvesandenticinggleams。Thewhiteharborputonsoftgraysandpinks；thefar-awayhillsturnedamethyst。
\"Theoldyearisgoingawaybeautifully，\"saidAnne。
SheandLeslieandGilbertwereontheirwaytotheFourWindsPoint，havingplottedwithCaptainJimtowatchtheNewYearinatthelight。ThesunhadsetandinthesouthwesternskyhungVenus，gloriousandgolden，havingdrawnasneartoherearth-sisterasispossibleforher。ForthefirsttimeAnneandGilbertsawtheshadowcastbythatbrilliantstarofevening，thatfaint，mysteriousshadow，neverseensavewhenthereiswhitesnowtorevealit，andthenonlywithavertedvision，vanishingwhenyougazeatitdirectly。
\"It’slikethespiritofashadow，isn’tit？\"
whisperedAnne。\"Youcanseeitsoplainlyhauntingyoursidewhenyoulookahead；butwhenyouturnandlookatit——it’sgone。\"
\"IhaveheardthatyoucanseetheshadowofVenusonlyonceinalifetime，andthatwithinayearofseeingityourlife’smostwonderfulgiftwillcometoyou，\"
saidLeslie。Butshespokeratherhardly；perhapsshethoughtthateventheshadowofVenuscouldbringhernogiftoflife。Annesmiledinthesofttwilight；shefeltquitesurewhatthemysticshadowpromisedher。
TheyfoundMarshallElliottatthelighthouse。AtfirstAnnefeltinclinedtoresenttheintrusionofthislong-haired，long-beardedeccentricintothefamiliarlittlecircle。ButMarshallElliottsoonprovedhislegitimateclaimtomembershipinthehouseholdofJoseph。Hewasawitty，intelligent，well-readman，rivallingCaptainJimhimselfintheknackoftellingagoodstory。Theywereallgladwhenheagreedtowatchtheoldyearoutwiththem。
CaptainJim’ssmallnephewJoehadcomedowntospendNewYear’swithhisgreat-uncle，andhadfallenasleeponthesofawiththeFirstMatecurledupinahugegoldenballathisfeet。
\"Ain’theadearlittleman？\"saidCaptainJimgloatingly。\"Idolovetowatchalittlechildasleep，MistressBlythe。It’sthemostbeautifulsightintheworld，Ireckon。Joedoeslovetogetdownhereforanight，becauseIhavehimsleepwithme。Athomehehastosleepwiththeothertwoboys，andhedoesn’tlikeit。\"Whycan’tIsleepwithfather，UncleJim？\"
sayshe。`EverybodyintheBiblesleptwiththeirfathers。’Asforthequestionsheasks，theministerhimselfcouldn’tanswerthem。Theyfairswampme。
`UncleJim，ifIwasn’tMEwho’dIbe？’and，`UncleJim，whatwouldhappenifGoddied？’Hefiredthemtwooffatmetonight，aforehewenttosleep。Asforhisimagination，itsailsawayfromeverything。Hemakesupthemostremarkableyarns——andthenhismothershutshimupintheclosetfortellingstories。Andhesitsdownandmakesupanotherone，andhasitreadytorelatetoherwhensheletshimout。Hehadoneformewhenhecomedowntonight。`UncleJim，’sayshe，solemnasatombstone，`Ihada’ventureintheGlentoday。’`Yes，whatwasit？’saysI，expectingsomethingquitestartling，butnowisepreparedforwhatIreallygot。`Imetawolfinthestreet，’sayshe，`a’normouswolfwithabig，redmoufandAWFUL
longteeth，UncleJim。’`Ididn’tknowtherewasanywolvesupattheGlen，’saysI。`Oh，hecomedtherefromfar，faraway，’saysJoe，`andIfoughthewasgoingtoeatmeup，UncleJim。’`Wereyouscared？’
saysI。`No，’causeIhadabiggun，’saysJoe，`andI
shotthewolfdead，UncleJim，——soliddead——andthenhewentuptoheavenandbitGod，’sayshe。Well，I
wasfairstaggered，MistressBlythe。\"
Thehoursbloomedintomirtharoundthedriftwoodfire。
CaptainJimtoldtales，andMarshallElliottsangoldScotchballadsinafinetenorvoice；finallyCaptainJimtookdownhisoldbrownfiddlefromthewallandbegantoplay。Hehadatolerableknackoffiddling，whichallappreciatedsavetheFirstMate，whosprangfromthesofaasifhehadbeenshot，emittedashriekofprotest，andfledwildlyupthestairs。
\"Can’tcultivateanearformusicinthatcatnohow，\"
saidCaptainJim。\"Hewon’tstaylongenoughtolearntolikeit。WhenwegottheorganupattheGlenchurcholdElderRichardsbouncedupfromhisseattheminutetheorganistbegantoplayandscuttleddowntheaisleandoutofthechurchattherateofno-man’s-business。ItremindedmesostrongoftheFirstMatetearinglooseassoonasIbegintofiddlethatIcomenearertolaughingoutloudinchurchthanIeverdidbeforeorsince。\"
TherewassomethingsoinfectiousintherollickingtuneswhichCaptainJimplayedthatverysoonMarshallElliott’sfeetbegantotwitch。Hehadbeenanoteddancerinhisyouth。PresentlyhestartedupandheldouthishandstoLeslie。Instantlysheresponded。
Roundandroundthefirelitroomtheycircledwitharhythmicgracethatwaswonderful。Lesliedancedlikeoneinspired；thewild，sweetabandonofthemusicseemedtohaveenteredintoandpossessedher。Annewatchedherinfascinatedadmiration。Shehadneverseenherlikethis。Alltheinnaterichnessandcolorandcharmofhernatureseemedtohavebrokenlooseandoverflowedincrimsoncheekandglowingeyeandgraceofmotion。EventheaspectofMarshallElliott，withhislongbeardandhair，couldnotspoilthepicture。
Onthecontrary，itseemedtoenhanceit。MarshallElliottlookedlikeaVikingofelderdays，dancingwithoneoftheblue-eyed，golden-haireddaughtersoftheNorthland。
\"ThepurtiestdancingIeversaw，andI’veseensomeinmytime，\"declaredCaptainJim，whenatlastthebowfellfromhistiredhand。Lesliedroppedintoherchair，laughing，breathless。
\"Ilovedancing，\"shesaidaparttoAnne。\"Ihaven’tdancedsinceIwassixteen——butIloveit。ThemusicseemstorunthroughmyveinslikequicksilverandI
forgeteverything——everything——exceptthedelightofkeepingtimetoit。Thereisn’tanyfloorbeneathme，orwallsaboutme，orroofoverme——I’mfloatingamidthestars。\"
CaptainJimhunghisfiddleupinitsplace，besidealargeframeenclosingseveralbanknotes。
\"Isthereanybodyelseofyouracquaintancewhocanaffordtohanghiswallswithbanknotesforpictures？\"
heasked。\"There’stwentyten-dollarnotesthere，notworththeglassoverthem。They’reoldBankofP。E。
Islandnotes。Hadthembymewhenthebankfailed，andIhad’emframedandhungup，partlyasaremindernottoputyourtrustinbanks，andpartlytogivemearealluxurious，millionairyfeeling。Hullo，Matey，don’tbescared。Youcancomebacknow。Themusicandrevelryisoverfortonight。Theoldyearhasjustanotherhourtostaywithus。I’veseenseventy-sixNewYearscomeinoverthatgulfyonder，MistressBlythe。\"
\"You’llseeahundred，\"saidMarshallElliott。
CaptainJimshookhishead。
\"No；andIdon’twantto——atleast，IthinkIdon’t。
Deathgrowsfriendlieraswegrowolder。Notthatoneofusreallywantstodiethough，Marshall。Tennysonspoketruthwhenhesaidthat。There’soldMrs。
WallaceupattheGlen。She’shadheapsoftroubleallherlife，poorsoul，andshe’slostalmosteveryoneshecaredabout。She’salwayssayingthatshe’llbegladwhenhertimecomes，andshedoesn’twanttosojournanylongerinthisvaleoftears。Butwhenshetakesasickspellthere’safuss！Doctorsfromtown，andatrainednurse，andenoughmedicinetokilladog。Lifemaybeavaleoftears，allright，buttherearesomefolkswhoenjoyweeping，Ireckon。\"
Theyspenttheoldyear’slasthourquietlyaroundthefire。AfewminutesbeforetwelveCaptainJimroseandopenedthedoor。
\"WemustlettheNewYearin，\"hesaid。
Outsidewasafinebluenight。Asparklingribbonofmoonlightgarlandedthegulf。Insidethebartheharborshonelikeapavementofpearl。Theystoodbeforethedoorandwaited——CaptainJimwithhisripe，fullexperience，MarshallElliottinhisvigorousbutemptymiddlelife，GilbertandAnnewiththeirpreciousmemoriesandexquisitehopes，Lesliewithherrecordofstarvedyearsandherhopelessfuture。Theclockonthelittleshelfabovethefireplacestrucktwelve。
\"Welcome，NewYear，\"saidCaptainJim，bowinglowasthelaststrokediedaway。\"Iwishyouallthebestyearofyourlives，mates。IreckonthatwhatevertheNewYearbringsuswillbethebesttheGreatCaptainhasforus——andsomehoworotherwe’llallmakeportinagoodharbor。\"
CHAPTER17
AFOURWINDSWINTER
WintersetinvigorouslyafterNewYear’s。Big，whitedriftsheapedthemselvesaboutthelittlehouse，andpalmsoffrostcovereditswindows。Theharboricegrewharderandthicker，untiltheFourWindspeoplebegantheirusualwintertravellingoverit。Thesafewayswere\"bushed\"byabenevolentGovernment，andnightanddaythegaytinkleofthesleigh-bellssoundedonit。OnmoonlitnightsAnneheardtheminherhouseofdreamslikefairychimes。Thegulffrozeover，andtheFourWindslightflashednomore。DuringthemonthswhennavigationwasclosedCaptainJim’sofficewasasinecure。
\"TheFirstMateandIwillhavenothingtodotillspringexceptkeepwarmandamuseourselves。ThelastlighthousekeeperusedalwaystomoveuptotheGleninwinter；butI’dratherstayatthePoint。TheFirstMatemightgetpoisonedorchewedupbydogsattheGlen。It’samitelonely，tobesure，withneitherthelightnorthewaterforcompany，butifourfriendscometoseeusoftenwe’llweatheritthrough。\"
CaptainJimhadaniceboat，andmanyawild，gloriousspinGilbertandAnneandLesliehadovertheglibharboricewithhim。AnneandLeslietooklongsnowshoetrampstogether，too，overthefields，oracrosstheharborafterstorms，orthroughthewoodsbeyondtheGlen。Theywereverygoodcomradesintheirramblesandtheirfiresidecommunings。Eachhadsomethingtogivetheother——eachfeltlifethericherforfriendlyexchangeofthoughtandfriendlysilence；
eachlookedacrossthewhitefieldsbetweentheirhomeswithapleasantconsciousnessofafriendbeyond。But，inspiteofallthis，AnnefeltthattherewasalwaysabarrierbetweenLeslieandherself——aconstraintthatneverwhollyvanished。
\"Idon’tknowwhyIcan’tgetclosertoher，\"AnnesaidoneeveningtoCaptainJim。\"Ilikehersomuch——Iadmirehersomuch——IWANTtotakeherrightintomyheartandcreeprightintohers。ButIcannevercrossthebarrier。\"
\"You’vebeentoohappyallyourlife，MistressBlythe，\"saidCaptainJimthoughtfully。\"Ireckonthat’swhyyouandLesliecan’tgetrealclosetogetherinyoursouls。Thebarrierbetweenyouisherexperienceofsorrowandtrouble。Sheain’tresponsibleforitandyouain’t；butit’sthereandneitherofyoucancrossit。\"
\"Mychildhoodwasn’tveryhappybeforeIcametoGreenGables，\"saidAnne，gazingsoberlyoutofthewindowatthestill，sad，deadbeautyoftheleaflesstree-shadowsonthemoonlitsnow。
\"Mebbenot——butitwasjusttheusualunhappinessofachildwhohasn’tanyonetolookafteritproperly。
Therehasn’tbeenanyTRAGEDYinyourlife，MistressBlythe。AndpoorLeslie’shasbeenalmostALL
tragedy。Shefeels，Ireckon，thoughmebbeshehardlyknowsshefeelsit，thatthere’savastdealinherlifeyoucan’tenternorunderstand——andsoshehastokeepyoubackfromit——holdyouoff，sotospeak，fromhurtingher。Youknowifwe’vegotanythingaboutusthathurtsweshrinkfromanyone’stouchonornearit。
Itholdsgoodwithoursoulsaswellasourbodies，I
reckon。Leslie’ssoulmustbenearraw——it’snowondershehidesitaway。\"
\"Ifthatwerereallyall，Iwouldn’tmind，CaptainJim。
Iwouldunderstand。Buttherearetimes——notalways，butnowandagain——whenIalmosthavetobelievethatLesliedoesn’t——doesn’tlikeme。SometimesIsurprisealookinhereyesthatseemstoshowresentmentanddislike——itgoessoquickly——butI’veseenit，I’msureofthat。Andithurtsme，CaptainJim。I’mnotusedtobeingdisliked——andI’vetriedsohardtowinLeslie’sfriendship。\"
\"Youhavewonit，MistressBlythe。Don’tyougocherishinganyfoolishnotionthatLesliedon’tlikeyou。Ifshedidn’tshewouldn’thaveanythingtodowithyou，muchlesschummingwithyouasshedoes。I
knowLeslieMooretoowellnottobesureofthat。\"
\"ThefirsttimeIeversawher，drivinghergeesedownthehillonthedayIcametoFourWinds，shelookedatmewiththesameexpression，\"persistedAnne。\"Ifeltit，eveninthemidstofmyadmirationofherbeauty。
Shelookedatmeresentfully——shedid，indeed，CaptainJim。\"
\"Theresentmentmusthavebeenaboutsomethingelse，MistressBlythe，andyoujestcomeinforashareofitbecauseyouhappenedpast。LeslieDOEStakesullenspellsnowandagain，poorgirl。Ican’tblameher，whenIknowwhatshehastoputupwith。Idon’tknowwhyit’spermitted。ThedoctorandIhavetalkedalotabuttheoriginofevil，butwehaven’tquitefoundoutallaboutityet。There’savastofonunderstandablethingsinlife，ain’tthere，MistressBlythe？
Sometimesthingsseemtoworkoutrealproper-like，sameaswithyouandthedoctor。Andthenagaintheyallseemtogocatawampus。There’sLeslie，socleverandbeautifulyou’dthinkshewasmeantforaqueen，andinsteadshe’scoopedupoverthere，robbedofalmosteverythingawoman’dvalue，withnoprospectexceptwaitingonDickMooreallherlife。Though，mindyou，MistressBlythe，Idaresayshe’dchooseherlifenow，suchasitis，ratherthanthelifeshelivedwithDickbeforehewentaway。THAT’Ssomethingaclumsyoldsailor’stonguemustn’tmeddlewith。Butyou’vehelpedLesliealot——she’sadifferentcreaturesinceyoucometoFourWinds。Usoldfriendsseethedifferenceinher，asyoucan’t。MissCorneliaandmewastalkingitovertheotherday，andit’soneofthemightyfewp’intsthatweseeeyetoeyeon。Sojestyouthrowoverboardanyideaofhernotlikingyou。\"
Annecouldhardlydiscarditcompletely，fortherewereundoubtedlytimeswhenshefelt，withaninstinctthatwasnottobecombatedbyreason，thatLeslieharboredaqueer，indefinableresentmenttowardsher。Attimes，thissecretconsciousnessmarredthedelightoftheircomradeship；atothersitwasalmostforgotten；butAnnealwaysfeltthehiddenthornwasthere，andmightprickheratanymoment。ShefeltacruelstingfromitonthedaywhenshetoldLeslieofwhatshehopedthespringwouldbringtothelittlehouseofdreams。
Leslielookedatherwithhard，bitter，unfriendlyeyes。
\"SoyouaretohaveTHAT，too，\"shesaidinachokedvoice。Andwithoutanotherwordshehadturnedandgoneacrossthefieldshomeward。Annewasdeeplyhurt；
forthemomentshefeltasifshecouldneverlikeLeslieagain。ButwhenLesliecameoverafeweveningslatershewassopleasant，sofriendly，sofrank，andwitty，andwinsome，thatAnnewascharmedintoforgivenessandforgetfulness。Only，shenevermentionedherdarlinghopetoLeslieagain；nordidLeslieeverrefertoit。Butoneevening，whenlatewinterwaslisteningforthewordofspring，shecameovertothelittlehouseforatwilightchat；andwhenshewentawaysheleftasmall，whiteboxonthetable。
Annefounditaftershewasgoneandopeneditwonderingly。Initwasatinywhitedressofexquisiteworkmanship——delicateembroidery，wonderfultucking，sheerloveliness。Everystitchinitwashandwork；andthelittlefrillsoflaceatneckandsleeveswereofrealValenciennes。Lyingonitwasacard——\"withLeslie’slove。\"
\"Whathoursofworkshemusthaveputonit，\"saidAnne。\"Andthematerialmusthavecostmorethanshecouldreallyafford。Itisverysweetofher。\"
ButLesliewasbrusqueandcurtwhenAnnethankedher，andagainthelatterfeltthrownbackuponherself。
Leslie’sgiftwasnotaloneinthelittlehouse。MissCorneliahad，forthetimebeing，givenupsewingforunwanted，unwelcomeeighthbabies，andfallentosewingforaverymuchwantedfirstone，whosewelcomewouldleavenothingtobedesired。PhilippaBlakeandDianaWrighteachsentamarvellousgarment；andMrs。RachelLyndesentseveral，inwhichgoodmaterialandhoneststitchestooktheplaceofembroideryandfrills。Anneherselfmademany，desecratedbynotouchofmachinery，spendingoverthemthehappiesthoursofthehappywinter。
CaptainJimwasthemostfrequentguestofthelittlehouse，andnonewasmorewelcome。EverydayAnnelovedthesimple-souled，true-heartedoldsailormoreandmore。Hewasasrefreshingasaseabreeze，asinterestingassomeancientchronicle。Shewasnevertiredoflisteningtohisstories，andhisquaintremarksandcommentswereacontinualdelighttoher。
CaptainJimwasoneofthoserareandinterestingpeoplewho\"neverspeakbuttheysaysomething。\"Themilkofhumankindnessandthewisdomoftheserpentweremingledinhiscompositionindelightfulproportions。
NothingeverseemedtoputCaptainJimoutordepresshiminanyway。
\"I’vekindofcontractedahabitofenj’yingthings，\"
heremarkedonce，whenAnnehadcommentedonhisinvariablecheerfulness。\"It’sgotsochronicthatI
believeIevenenj’ythedisagreeablethings。It’sgreatfunthinkingtheycan’tlast。`Oldrheumatiz，’
saysI，whenitgripsmehard，`you’veGOTtostopachingsometime。Theworseyouarethesooneryou’llstop，mebbe。I’mboundtogetthebetterofyouinthelongrun，whetherinthebodyoroutofthebody。’\"
Onenight，bythefiresideatthelightAnnesawCaptainJim’s\"life-book。\"Heneedednocoaxingtoshowitandproudlygaveittohertoread。
\"IwritittoleavetolittleJoe，\"hesaid。\"Idon’tliketheideaofeverythingI’vedoneandseenbeingcleanforgotafterI’veshippedformylastv’yage。
Joe，he’llrememberit，andtelltheyarnstohischildren。\"
Itwasanoldleather-boundbookfilledwiththerecordofhisvoyagesandadventures。Annethoughtwhatatreasuretroveitwouldbetoawriter。Everysentencewasanugget。Initselfthebookhadnoliterarymerit；CaptainJim’scharmofstorytellingfailedhimwhenhecametopenandink；hecouldonlyjotroughlydowntheoutlineofhisfamoustales，andbothspellingandgrammarweresadlyaskew。ButAnnefeltthatifanyonepossessedofthegiftcouldtakethatsimplerecordofabrave，adventurouslife，readingbetweenthebaldlinesthetalesofdangersstaunchlyfacedanddutymanfullydone，awonderfulstorymightbemadefromit。RichcomedyandthrillingtragedywerebothlyinghiddeninCaptainJim’s\"life-book，\"waitingforthetouchofthemasterhandtowakenthelaughterandgriefandhorrorofthousands。
AnnesaidsomethingofthistoGilbertastheywalkedhome。
\"Whydon’tyoutryyourhandatityourself，Anne？\"
Anneshookherhead。
\"No。IonlywishIcould。Butit’snotinthepowerofmygift。Youknowwhatmyforteis，Gilbert——thefanciful，thefairylike，thepretty。TowriteCaptainJim’slife-bookasitshouldbewrittenoneshouldbeamasterofvigorousyetsubtlestyle，akeenpsychologist，abornhumoristandaborntragedian。A
rarecombinationofgiftsisneeded。Paulmightdoitifhewereolder。Anyhow，I’mgoingtoaskhimtocomedownnextsummerandmeetCaptainJim。\"
\"Cometothisshore，\"wroteAnnetoPaul。\"IamafraidyoucannotfindhereNoraortheGoldenLadyortheTwinSailors；butyouwillfindoneoldsailorwhocantellyouwonderfulstories。\"
Paul，howeverwroteback，sayingregretfullythathecouldnotcomethatyear。Hewasgoingabroadfortwoyear’sstudy。
\"WhenIreturnI’llcometoFourWinds，dearTeacher，\"
hewrote。
\"Butmeanwhile，CaptainJimisgrowingold，\"saidAnne，sorrowfully，\"andthereisnobodytowritehislife-book。\"
