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kept saying every few minutes, `The time has come for us to part,' and that
would start us off again whenever we were in any danger of cheering up. I
do feel dreadfully sad, Marilla. But one can't feel quite in the depths of
despair with two months' vacation before them, can they, Marilla? And
besides, we met the new minister and his wife coming from the station. For
all I was feeling so bad about Mr. Phillips going away I couldn't help taking
a little interest in a new minister, could I? His wife is very pretty. Not
exactly regally lovely, of course--it wouldn't do, I suppose, for a minister
to have a regally lovely wife, because it might set a bad example. Mrs.
Lynde says the minister's wife over at Newbridge sets a very bad example
because she dresses so fashionably. Our new minister's wife was dressed in
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blue muslin with lovely puffed sleeves and a hat trimmed with roses. Jane
Andrews said she thought puffed sleeves were too worldly for a minister's
wife, but I didn't make any such uncharitable remark, Marilla, because I
know what it is to long for puffed sleeves. Besides, she's only been a
minister's wife for a little while, so one should make allowances, shouldn't
they? They are going to board with Mrs. Lynde until the manse is ready."
If Marilla, in going down to Mrs. Lynde's that evening, was actuated by any
motive save her avowed one of returning the quilting frames she had
borrowed the preceding winter, it was an amiable weakness shared by most
of the Avonlea people. Many a thing Mrs. Lynde had lent, sometimes never
expecting to see it again, came home that night in charge of the borrowers
thereof. A new minister, and moreover a minister with a wife, was a lawful
object of curiosity in a quiet little country settlement where sensations were
few and far between.
Old Mr. Bentley, the minister whom Anne had found lacking in
imagination, had been pastor of Avonlea for eighteen years. He was a
widower when he came, and a widower he remained, despite the fact that
gossip regularly married him to this, that, or the other one, every year of his
sojourn. In the preceding February he had resigned his charge and departed
amid the regrets of his people, most of whom had the affection born of long
intercourse for their good old minister in spite of his shortcomings as an
orator. Since then the Avonlea church had enjoyed a variety of religious
dissipation in listening to the many and various candidates and "supplies"
who came Sunday after Sunday to preach on trial. These stood or fell by the
judgment of the fathers and mothers in Israel; but a certain small,
red-haired girl who sat meekly in the corner of the old Cuthbert pew also
had her opinions about them and discussed the same in full with Matthew,
Marilla always declining from principle to criticize ministers in any shape
or form.
"I don't think Mr. Smith would have done, Matthew" was Anne's final
summing up. "Mrs. Lynde says his delivery was so poor, but I think his
worst fault was just like Mr. Bentley's--he had no imagination. And Mr.
Terry had too much; he let it run away with him just as I did mine in the
CHAPTER XXI 172
matter of the Haunted Wood. Besides, Mrs. Lynde says his theology wasn't
sound. Mr. Gresham was a very good man and a very religious man, but he
told too many funny stories and made the people laugh in church; he was
undignified, and you must have some dignity about a minister, mustn't you,
Matthew? I thought Mr. Marshall was decidedly attractive; but Mrs. Lynde
says he isn't married, or even engaged, because she made special inquiries
about him, and she says it would never do to have a young unmarried
minister in Avonlea, because he might marry in the congregation and that
would make trouble. Mrs. Lynde is a very farseeing woman, isn't she,
Matthew? I'm very glad they've called Mr. Allan. I liked him because his
sermon was interesting and he prayed as if he meant it and not just as if he
did it because he was in the habit of it. Mrs. Lynde says he isn't perfect, but
she says she supposes we couldn't expect a perfect minister for seven
hundred and fifty dollars a year, and anyhow his theology is sound because
she questioned him thoroughly on all the points of doctrine. And she knows
his wife's people and they are most respectable and the women are all good
housekeepers. Mrs. Lynde says that sound doctrine in the man and good
housekeeping in the woman make an ideal combination for a minister's
family."
The new minister and his wife were a young, pleasant-faced couple, still
on their honeymoon, and full of all good and beautiful enthusiasms for their
chosen lifework. Avonlea opened its heart to them from the start. Old and
young liked the frank, cheerful young man with his high ideals, and the
bright, gentle little lady who assumed the mistress-ship of the manse. With
Mrs. Allan Anne fell promptly and wholeheartedly in love. She had
discovered another kindred spirit.
"Mrs. Allan is perfectly lovely," she announced one Sunday afternoon.
"She's taken our class and she's a splendid teacher. She said right away she
didn't think it was fair for the teacher to ask all the questions, and you
know, Marilla, that is exactly what I've always thought. She said we could
ask her any question we liked and I asked ever so many. I'm good at asking
questions, Marilla."
"I believe you" was Marilla's emphatic comment.
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"Nobody else asked any except Ruby Gillis, and she asked if there was to
be a Sunday-school picnic this summer. I didn't think that was a very
proper question to ask because it hadn't any connection with the
lesson--the lesson was about Daniel in the lions' den--but Mrs. Allan just
smiled and said she thought there would be. Mrs. Allan has a lovely smile;
she has such EXQUISITE dimples in her cheeks. I wish I had dimples in
my cheeks, Marilla. I'm not half so skinny as I was when I came here, but I
have no dimples yet. If I had perhaps I could influence people for good.
Mrs. Allan said we ought always to try to influence other people for good.
She talked so nice about everything. I never knew before that religion was
such a cheerful thing. I always thought it was kind of melancholy, but Mrs.
Allan's isn't, and I'd like to be a Christian if I could be one like her. I
wouldn't want to be one like Mr. Superintendent Bell."
"It's very naughty of you to speak so about Mr. Bell," said Marilla severely.
"Mr. Bell is a real good man."
"Oh, of course he's good," agreed Anne, "but he doesn't seem to get any
comfort out of it. If I could be good I'd dance and sing all day because I
was glad of it. I suppose Mrs. Allan is too old to dance and sing and of
course it wouldn't be dignified in a minister's wife. But I can just feel she's
glad she's a Christian and that she'd be one even if she could get to heaven
without it."
"I suppose we must have Mr. and Mrs. Allan up to tea someday soon," said
Marilla reflectively. "They've been most everywhere but here. Let me see.
Next Wednesday would be a good time to have them. But don't say a word [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]