anne of the island-第9节

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fringe　of　things　during　their　first　college　year。



To　Anne　and　Priscilla；　with　their　more　serious　views　of　life；

Phil　remained　the　amusing；　lovable　baby　she　had　seemed　on　their

first　meeting。　　Yet；　as　she　said　herself；　she　had　〃heaps〃　of

brains。　　When　or　where　she　found　time　to　study　was　a　mystery；　for

she　seemed　always　in　demand　for　some　kind　of　〃fun；〃　and　her　home

evenings　were　crowded　with　callers。　　She　had　all　the　〃beaux〃　that

heart　could　desire；　for　nine…tenths　of　the　Freshmen　and　a　big

fraction　of　all　the　other　classes　were　rivals　for　her　smiles。

She　was　naively　delighted　over　this；　and　gleefully　recounted　each

new　conquest　to　Anne　and　Priscilla；　with　comments　that　might　have

made　the　unlucky　lover's　ears　burn　fiercely。



〃Alec　and　Alonzo　don't　seem　to　have　any　serious　rival　yet；〃

remarked　Anne；　teasingly。



〃Not　one；〃　agreed　Philippa。　　〃I　write　them　both　every　week　and

tell　them　all　about　my　young　men　here。　　I'm　sure　it　must　amuse　them。

But；　of　course；　the　one　I　like　best　I　can't　get。　　Gilbert　Blythe

won't　take　any　notice　of　me；　except　to　look　at　me　as　if　I　were　a

nice　little　kitten　he'd　like　to　pat。　　Too　well　I　know　the　reason。

I　owe　you　a　grudge；　Queen　Anne。　　I　really　ought　to　hate　you　and

instead　I　love　you　madly；　and　I'm　miserable　if　I　don't　see　you

every　day。　　You're　different　from　any　girl　I　ever　knew　before。

When　you　look　at　me　in　a　certain　way　I　feel　what　an

insignificant；　frivolous　little　beast　I　am；　and　I　long　to

be　better　and　wiser　and　stronger。　　And　then　I　make　good

resolutions；　but　the　first　nice…looking　mannie　who　comes　my　way

knocks　them　all　out　of　my　head。　　Isn't　college　life　magnificent？

It's　so　funny　to　think　I　hated　it　that　first　day。　　But　if　I　hadn't

I　might　never　got　really　acquainted　with　you。　　Anne；　please　tell　me

over　again　that　you　like　me　a　little　bit。　　I　yearn　to　hear　it。〃



〃I　like　you　a　big　bit　　and　I　think　you're　a　dear；　sweet；

adorable；　velvety；　clawless；　little　　kitten；〃　laughed　Anne；

〃but　I　don't　see　when　you　ever　get　time　to　learn　your　lessons。〃



Phil　must　have　found　time　for　she　held　her　own　in　every　class　of

her　year。　　Even　the　grumpy　old　professor　of　Mathematics；　who

detested　coeds；　and　had　bitterly　opposed　their　admission　to

Redmond；　couldn't　floor　her。　　She　led　the　freshettes　everywhere；

except　in　English；　where　Anne　Shirley　left　her　far　behind。　　Anne

herself　found　the　studies　of　her　Freshman　year　very　easy；　thanks

in　great　part　to　the　steady　work　she　and　Gilbert　had　put　in

during　those　two　past　years　in　Avonlea。　　This　left　her　more　time

for　a　social　life　which　she　thoroughly　enjoyed。　　But　never　for　a

moment　did　she　forget　Avonlea　and　the　friends　there。　　To　her；　the

happiest　moments　in　each　week　were　those　in　which　letters　came

from　home。　　It　was　not　until　she　had　got　her　first　letters　that

she　began　to　think　she　could　ever　like　Kingsport　or　feel　at　home

there。　　Before　they　came；　Avonlea　had　seemed　thousands　of　miles

away；　those　letters　brought　it　near　and　linked　the　old　life　to

the　new　so　closely　that　they　began　to　seem　one　and　the　same；

instead　of　two　hopelessly　segregated　existences。　　The　first　batch

contained　six　letters；　from　Jane　Andrews；　Ruby　Gillis；　Diana

Barry；　Marilla；　Mrs。　Lynde　and　Davy。　　Jane's　was　a　copperplate

production；　with　every　〃t〃　nicely　crossed　and　every　〃i〃　precisely

dotted；　and　not　an　interesting　sentence　in　it。　　She　never

mentioned　the　school；　concerning　which　Anne　was　avid　to　hear；　she

never　answered　one　of　the　questions　Anne　had　asked　in　her　letter。

But　she　told　Anne　how　many　yards　of　lace　she　had　recently

crocheted；　and　the　kind　of　weather　they　were　having　in　Avonlea；

and　how　she　intended　to　have　her　new　dress　made；　and　the　way　she

felt　when　her　head　ached。　　Ruby　Gillis　wrote　a　gushing　epistle

deploring　Anne's　absence；　assuring　her　she　was　horribly　missed　in

everything；　asking　what　the　Redmond　〃fellows〃　were　like；　and

filling　the　rest　with　accounts　of　her　own　harrowing　experiences

with　her　numerous　admirers。　　It　was　a　silly；　harmless　letter；　and

Anne　would　have　laughed　over　it　had　it　not　been　for　the　postscript。

〃Gilbert　seems　to　be　enjoying　Redmond；　judging　from　his　letters；〃

wrote　Ruby。　　〃I　don't　think　Charlie　is　so　stuck　on　it。〃



So　Gilbert　was　writing　to　Ruby！　　Very　well。　　He　had　a　perfect

right　to；　of　course。　　Only　　！！　　Anne　did　not　know　that　Ruby　had

written　the　first　letter　and　that　Gilbert　had　answered　it　from

mere　courtesy。　　She　tossed　Ruby's　letter　aside　contemptuously。

But　it　took　all　Diana's　breezy；　newsy；　delightful　epistle　to

banish　the　sting　of　Ruby's　postscript。　　Diana's　letter　contained

a　little　too　much　Fred；　but　was　otherwise　crowded　and　crossed

with　items　of　interest；　and　Anne　almost　felt　herself　back　in

Avonlea　while　reading　it。　　Marilla's　was　a　rather　prim　and

colorless　epistle；　severely　innocent　of　gossip　or　emotion。

Yet　somehow　it　conveyed　to　Anne　a　whiff　of　the　wholesome；　simple

life　at　Green　Gables；　with　its　savor　of　ancient　peace；　and　the

steadfast　abiding　love　that　was　there　for　her。　　Mrs。　Lynde's

letter　was　full　of　church　news。　　Having　broken　up　housekeeping；

Mrs。　Lynde　had　more　time　than　ever　to　devote　to　church　affairs

and　had　flung　herself　into　them　heart　and　soul。　　She　was　at

present　much　worked　up　over　the　poor　〃supplies〃　they　were　having

in　the　vacant　Avonlea　pulpit。



〃I　don't　believe　any　but　fools　enter　the　ministry　nowadays；〃　she

wrote　bitterly。　　〃Such　candidates　as　they　have　sent　us；　and　such

stuff　as　they　preach！　　Half　of　it　ain't　true；　and；　what's　worse；

it　ain't　sound　doctrine。　　The　one　we　have　now　is　the　worst　of　the

lot。　　He　mostly　takes　a　text　and　preaches　about　something　else。

And　he　says　he　doesn't　believe　all　the　heathen　will　be　eternally

lost。　　The　idea！　　If　they　won't　all　the　money　we've　been　giving

to　Foreign　Missions　will　be　clean　wasted；　that's　what！　　Last

Sunday　night　he　announced　that　next　Sunday　he'd　preach　on　the

axe…head　that　swam。　　I　think　he'd　better　confine　himself　to　the

Bible　and　leave　sensational　subjects　alone。　　Things　have　come　to

a　pretty　pass　if　a　minister　can't　find　enough　in　Holy　Writ　to

preach　about；　that's　what。　　What　church　do　you　attend；　Anne？　　I

hope　you　go　regularly。　　People　are　apt　to　get　so　careless　about

church…going　away　from　home；　and　I　understand　college　students

are　great　sinners　in　this　respect。　　I'm　told　many　of　them　actually

study　their　lessons　on　Sunday。　　I　hope　you'll　never　sink　that　low；

Anne。　　Remember　how　you　were　brought　up。　　And　be　very　careful　what

friends　you　make。　　You　never　know　what　sort　of　creatures　are　in

them　colleges。　　Outwardly　they　may　be　as　whited　sepulchers　and

inwardly　as　ravening　wolves；　that's　what。　　You'd　better　not　have

anything　to　say　to　any　young　man　who　isn't　from　the　Island。



〃I　forgot　to　tell　you　what　happened　the　day　the　minister　called

here。　　It　was　the　funniest　thing　I　ever　saw。　　I　said　to　Marilla；

‘If　Anne　had　been　here　wouldn't　she　have　had　a　laugh？'　　Even

Marilla　laughed。　　You　know　he's　a　very　short；　fat　little　man　with

bow　legs。　　Well；　that　old　pig　of　Mr。　Harrison's　　the　big；　tall

one　　had　wandered　over　here　that　day　again　and　broke　into　the

yard；　and　it　got　into　the　back　porch；　unbeknowns　to　us；　and　it

was　there　when　the　minister　appeared　in　the　doorway。　　It　made　one

wild　bolt　to　get　out；　but　there　was　nowhere　to　bolt　to　except

between　them　bow　legs。　　So　there　it　went；　and；　being　as　it　was　so

big　and　the　minister　so　little；　it　took　him　clean　off　his　feet

and　carried　him　away。　　His　hat　went　one　way　and　his　cane　another；

just　as　Marilla　and　I　got　to　the　door。　　I'll　never　forget　the

look　of　him。　　And　that　poor　pig　was　near　scared　to　death。　　I'll

never　be　able　to　read　that　account　in　the　Bible　of　the　swine　that

rushed　madly　down　the　steep　place　into　the　sea　without　seeing

Mr。　Harrison's　pig　careering　down　the　hill　with　that　minister。

I　guess　the　pig　thought　he　had　the　Old　Boy　on　his　back　instead

of　inside　of　him。　　I　was　thankful　the　twins　weren't　about。

It　wouldn't　have　been　the　right　thing　for　them　to　have　seen

a　minister　in　such　an　undignified　predicament。　　Just　before

they　got　to　the　brook　the　minister　jumped　off　or　fell　off。

The　pig　rushed　through　the　brook　like　mad　and　up　through　the　woods。

Marilla　and　I　run　down　and　helped　the　minister　get　up　and　brush

his　coat。　　He　wasn't　hurt；　but　he　was　mad。　　He　seemed　to　hold

Marilla　and　me　responsible　for　it　all；　though　we　told　him　the　pig

didn't　belong　to　us；　and　had　been　pestering　us　all　summer。

Besides；　what　did　he　come　to　the　back　door　for？　　You'd　never　have

caught　Mr。　Allan　doing　that。　　It'll　be　a　long　time　before　we　get

a　man　like　Mr。　Allan。　　But　it's　an　ill　wind　that　blows　no　good。

We've　never　seen　hoof　or　hair　of　that　pig　since；　and　it's　my

belief　we　never　will。



〃Things　is　pretty　quiet　in　Avonlea。　　I　don't　find　Green　Gables

as　lonesome　as　I　expected。　　I　think　I'll　start　another　cotton

warp　quilt　this　winter。　　Mrs。　Silas　Sloane　has　a　handsome　new

apple…l