CHAPTER XVIII. Anne to the Rescue
|ALL things great are wound up with all things little. At first glanceit might not seem that the decision of a certain Canadian Premier toinclude Prince Edward Island in a political tour could have much oranything to do with the fortunes of little Anne Shirley at Green Gables.But it had.
It was a January the Premier came, to address his loyal supporters andsuch of his nonsupporters as chose to be present at the monster massmeeting held in Charlottetown. Most of the Avonlea people were onPremier's side of politics; hence on the night of the meeting nearlyall the men and a goodly proportion of the women had gone to town thirtymiles away. Mrs. Rachel Lynde had gone too. Mrs. Rachel Lynde was ared-hot politician and couldn't have believed that the political rallycould be carried through without her, although she was on the oppositeside of politics. So she went to town and took her husband--Thomas wouldbe useful in looking after the horse--and Marilla Cuthbert with her.Marilla had a sneaking interest in politics herself, and as she thoughtit might be her only chance to see a real live Premier, she promptlytook it, leaving Anne and Matthew to keep house until her return thefollowing day.
Hence, while Marilla and Mrs. Rachel were enjoying themselves hugelyat the mass meeting, Anne and Matthew had the cheerful kitchen at GreenGables all to themselves. A bright fire was glowing in the old-fashionedWaterloo stove and blue-white frost crystals were shining on thewindowpanes. Matthew nodded over a _Farmers' Advocate_ on the sofa andAnne at the table studied her lessons with grim determination, despitesundry wistful glances at the clock shelf, where lay a new book thatJane Andrews had lent her that day. Jane had assured her that it waswarranted to produce any number of thrills, or words to that effect, andAnne's fingers tingled to reach out for it. But that would mean GilbertBlythe's triumph on the morrow. Anne turned her back on the clock shelfand tried to imagine it wasn't there.
"Matthew, did you ever study geometry when you went to school?"
"Well now, no, I didn't," said Matthew, coming out of his doze with astart.
"I wish you had," sighed Anne, "because then you'd be able to sympathizewith me. You can't sympathize properly if you've never studied it. It iscasting a cloud over my whole life. I'm such a dunce at it, Matthew."
"Well now, I dunno," said Matthew soothingly. "I guess you're all rightat anything. Mr. Phillips told me last week in Blair's store at Carmodythat you was the smartest scholar in school and was making rapidprogress. 'Rapid progress' was his very words. There's them as runs downTeddy Phillips and says he ain't much of a teacher, but I guess he's allright."
Matthew would have thought anyone who praised Anne was "all right."
"I'm sure I'd get on better with geometry if only he wouldn't changethe letters," complained Anne. "I learn the proposition off by heart andthen he draws it on the blackboard and puts different letters from whatare in the book and I get all mixed up. I don't think a teacher shouldtake such a mean advantage, do you? We're studying agriculture now andI've found out at last what makes the roads red. It's a great comfort.I wonder how Marilla and Mrs. Lynde are enjoying themselves. Mrs. Lyndesays Canada is going to the dogs the way things are being run at Ottawaand that it's an awful warning to the electors. She says if women wereallowed to vote we would soon see a blessed change. What way do youvote, Matthew?"
"Conservative," said Matthew promptly. To vote Conservative was part ofMatthew's religion.
"Then I'm Conservative too," said Anne decidedly. "I'm glad becauseGil--because some of the boys in school are Grits. I guess Mr. Phillipsis a Grit too because Prissy Andrews's father is one, and Ruby Gillissays that when a man is courting he always has to agree with the girl'smother in religion and her father in politics. Is that true, Matthew?"
"Well now, I dunno," said Matthew.
"Did you ever go courting, Matthew?"
"Well now, no, I dunno's I ever did," said Matthew, who had certainlynever thought of such a thing in his whole existence.
Anne reflected with her chin in her hands.
"It must be rather interesting, don't you think, Matthew? Ruby Gillissays when she grows up she's going to have ever so many beaus on thestring and have them all crazy about her; but I think that would be tooexciting. I'd rather have just one in his right mind. But Ruby Gillisknows a great deal about such matters because she has so many bigsisters, and Mrs. Lynde says the Gillis girls have gone off like hotcakes. Mr. Phillips goes up to see Prissy Andrews nearly every evening.He says it is to help her with her lessons but Miranda Sloane isstudying for Queen's too, and I should think she needed help a lot morethan Prissy because she's ever so much stupider, but he never goes tohelp her in the evenings at all. There are a great many things in thisworld that I can't understand very well, Matthew."
"Well now, I dunno as I comprehend them all myself," acknowledgedMatthew.
"Well, I suppose I must finish up my lessons. I won't allow myself toopen that new book Jane lent me until I'm through. But it's a terribletemptation, Matthew. Even when I turn my back on it I can see it therejust as plain. Jane said she cried herself sick over it. I love a bookthat makes me cry. But I think I'll carry that book into the sittingroom and lock it in the jam closet and give you the key. And you must_not_ give it to me, Matthew, until my lessons are done, not even ifI implore you on my bended knees. It's all very well to say resisttemptation, but it's ever so much easier to resist it if you can't getthe key. And then shall I run down the cellar and get some russets,Matthew? Wouldn't you like some russets?"
"Well now, I dunno but what I would," said Matthew, who never aterussets but knew Anne's weakness for them.
Just as Anne emerged triumphantly from the cellar with her plateful ofrussets came the sound of flying footsteps on the icy board walk outsideand the next moment the kitchen door was flung open and in rushed DianaBarry, white faced and breathless, with a shawl wrapped hastily aroundher head. Anne promptly let go of her candle and plate in her surprise,and plate, candle, and apples crashed together down the cellar ladderand were found at the bottom embedded in melted grease, the next day,by Marilla, who gathered them up and thanked mercy the house hadn't beenset on fire.
"Whatever is the matter, Diana?" cried Anne. "Has your mother relentedat last?"
"Oh, Anne, do come quick," implored Diana nervously. "Minnie May isawful sick--she's got croup. Young Mary Joe says--and Father and Motherare away to town and there's nobody to go for the doctor. Minnie May isawful bad and Young Mary Joe doesn't know what to do--and oh, Anne, I'mso scared!"
Matthew, without a word, reached out for cap and coat, slipped pastDiana and away into the darkness of the yard.
"He's gone to harness the sorrel mare to go to Carmody for the doctor,"said Anne, who was hurrying on hood and jacket. "I know it as well asif he'd said so. Matthew and I are such kindred spirits I can read histhoughts without words at all."
"I don't believe he'll find the doctor at Carmody," sobbed Diana. "Iknow that Dr. Blair went to town and I guess Dr. Spencer would go too.Young Mary Joe never saw anybody with croup and Mrs. Lynde is away. Oh,Anne!"
"Don't cry, Di," said Anne cheerily. "I know exactly what to do forcroup. You forget that Mrs. Hammond had twins three times. When you lookafter three pairs of twins you naturally get a lot of experience. Theyall had croup regularly. Just wait till I get the ipecac bottle--youmayn't have any at your house. Come on now."
The two little girls hastened out hand in hand and hurried throughLover's Lane and across the crusted field beyond, for the snow was toodeep to go by the shorter wood way. Anne, although sincerely sorryfor Minnie May, was far from being insensible to the romance of thesituation and to the sweetness of once more sharing that romance with akindred spirit.
The night was clear and frosty, all ebony of shadow and silver of snowyslope; big stars were shining over the silent fields; here and there thedark pointed firs stood up with snow powdering their branches and thewind whistling through them. Anne thought it was truly delightful to goskimming through all this mystery and
loveliness with your bosom friendwho had been so long estranged.
Minnie May, aged three, was really very sick. She lay on the kitchensofa feverish and restless, while her hoarse breathing could be heardall over the house. Young Mary Joe, a buxom, broad-faced French girlfrom the creek, whom Mrs. Barry had engaged to stay with the childrenduring her absence, was helpless and bewildered, quite incapable ofthinking what to do, or doing it if she thought of it.
Anne went to work with skill and promptness.
"Minnie May has croup all right; she's pretty bad, but I've seen themworse. First we must have lots of hot water. I declare, Diana, thereisn't more than a cupful in the kettle! There, I've filled it up, and,Mary Joe, you may put some wood in the stove. I don't want to hurt yourfeelings but it seems to me you might have thought of this before ifyou'd any imagination. Now, I'll undress Minnie May and put her to bedand you try to find some soft flannel cloths, Diana. I'm going to giveher a dose of ipecac first of all."
Minnie May did not take kindly to the ipecac but Anne had not brought upthree pairs of twins for nothing. Down that ipecac went, not only once,but many times during the long, anxious night when the two little girlsworked patiently over the suffering Minnie May, and Young Mary Joe,honestly anxious to do all she could, kept up a roaring fire and heatedmore water than would have been needed for a hospital of croupy babies.
It was three o'clock when Matthew came with a doctor, for he had beenobliged to go all the way to Spencervale for one. But the pressing needfor assistance was past. Minnie May was much better and was sleepingsoundly.
"I was awfully near giving up in despair," explained Anne. "She gotworse and worse until she was sicker than ever the Hammond twins were,even the last pair. I actually thought she was going to choke to death.I gave her every drop of ipecac in that bottle and when the last dosewent down I said to myself--not to Diana or Young Mary Joe, because Ididn't want to worry them any more than they were worried, but I hadto say it to myself just to relieve my feelings--'This is the lastlingering hope and I fear, tis a vain one.' But in about three minutesshe coughed up the phlegm and began to get better right away. You mustjust imagine my relief, doctor, because I can't express it in words. Youknow there are some things that cannot be expressed in words."
"Yes, I know," nodded the doctor. He looked at Anne as if he werethinking some things about her that couldn't be expressed in words.Later on, however, he expressed them to Mr. and Mrs. Barry.
"That little redheaded girl they have over at Cuthbert's is as smart asthey make 'em. I tell you she saved that baby's life, for it would havebeen too late by the time I got there. She seems to have a skill andpresence of mind perfectly wonderful in a child of her age. I never sawanything like the eyes of her when she was explaining the case to me."
Anne had gone home in the wonderful, white-frosted winter morning, heavyeyed from loss of sleep, but still talking unweariedly to Matthew asthey crossed the long white field and walked under the glittering fairyarch of the Lover's Lane maples.
"Oh, Matthew, isn't it a wonderful morning? The world looks likesomething God had just imagined for His own pleasure, doesn't it? Thosetrees look as if I could blow them away with a breath--pouf! I'm so gladI live in a world where there are white frosts, aren't you? And I'm soglad Mrs. Hammond had three pairs of twins after all. If she hadn't Imightn't have known what to do for Minnie May. I'm real sorry I wasever cross with Mrs. Hammond for having twins. But, oh, Matthew, I'm sosleepy. I can't go to school. I just know I couldn't keep my eyes openand I'd be so stupid. But I hate to stay home, for Gil--some ofthe others will get head of the class, and it's so hard to get upagain--although of course the harder it is the more satisfaction youhave when you do get up, haven't you?"
"Well now, I guess you'll manage all right," said Matthew, looking atAnne's white little face and the dark shadows under her eyes. "You justgo right to bed and have a good sleep. I'll do all the chores."
Anne accordingly went to bed and slept so long and soundly that itwas well on in the white and rosy winter afternoon when she awoke anddescended to the kitchen where Marilla, who had arrived home in themeantime, was sitting knitting.
"Oh, did you see the Premier?" exclaimed Anne at once. "What did he looklike Marilla?"
"Well, he never got to be Premier on account of his looks," saidMarilla. "Such a nose as that man had! But he can speak. I was proud ofbeing a Conservative. Rachel Lynde, of course, being a Liberal, had nouse for him. Your dinner is in the oven, Anne, and you can get yourselfsome blue plum preserve out of the pantry. I guess you're hungry.Matthew has been telling me about last night. I must say it wasfortunate you knew what to do. I wouldn't have had any idea myself, forI never saw a case of croup. There now, never mind talking till you'vehad your dinner. I can tell by the look of you that you're just full upwith speeches, but they'll keep."
Marilla had something to tell Anne, but she did not tell it just thenfor she knew if she did Anne's consequent excitement would lift herclear out of the region of such material matters as appetite or dinner.Not until Anne had finished her saucer of blue plums did Marilla say:
"Mrs. Barry was here this afternoon, Anne. She wanted to see you, but Iwouldn't wake you up. She says you saved Minnie May's life, and she isvery sorry she acted as she did in that affair of the currant wine. Shesays she knows now you didn't mean to set Diana drunk, and she hopesyou'll forgive her and be good friends with Diana again. You're to goover this evening if you like for Diana can't stir outside the dooron account of a bad cold she caught last night. Now, Anne Shirley, forpity's sake don't fly up into the air."
The warning seemed not unnecessary, so uplifted and aerial was Anne'sexpression and attitude as she sprang to her feet, her face irradiatedwith the flame of her spirit.
"Oh, Marilla, can I go right now--without washing my dishes? I'll washthem when I come back, but I cannot tie myself down to anything sounromantic as dishwashing at this thrilling moment."
"Yes, yes, run along," said Marilla indulgently. "Anne Shirley--are youcrazy? Come back this instant and put something on you. I might as wellcall to the wind. She's gone without a cap or wrap. Look at her tearingthrough the orchard with her hair streaming. It'll be a mercy if shedoesn't catch her death of cold."
Anne came dancing home in the purple winter twilight across the snowyplaces. Afar in the southwest was the great shimmering, pearl-likesparkle of an evening star in a sky that was pale golden and etherealrose over gleaming white spaces and dark glens of spruce. The tinklesof sleigh bells among the snowy hills came like elfin chimes throughthe frosty air, but their music was not sweeter than the song in Anne'sheart and on her lips.
"You see before you a perfectly happy person, Marilla," she announced."I'm perfectly happy--yes, in spite of my red hair. Just at present Ihave a soul above red hair. Mrs. Barry kissed me and cried and said shewas so sorry and she could never repay me. I felt fearfully embarrassed,Marilla, but I just said as politely as I could, 'I have no hardfeelings for you, Mrs. Barry. I assure you once for all that I did notmean to intoxicate Diana and henceforth I shall cover the past with themantle of oblivion.' That was a pretty dignified way of speaking wasn'tit, Marilla?"
"I felt that I was heaping coals of fire on Mrs. Barry's head. And Dianaand I had a lovely afternoon. Diana showed me a new fancy crochet stitchher aunt over at Carmody taught her. Not a soul in Avonlea knows it butus, and we pledged a solemn vow never to reveal it to anyone else. Dianagave me a beautiful card with a wreath of roses on it and a verse ofpoetry:"
"If you love me as I love you Nothing but death can part us two."
"And that is true, Marilla. We're going to ask Mr. Phillips to let ussit together in school again, and Gertie Pye can go with Minnie Andrews.We had an elegant tea. Mrs. Barry had the very best china set out,Marilla, just as if I was real company. I can't tell you what a thrillit gave me. Nobody ever used their very best china on my account before.And we had fruit cake and pound cake and doughnuts and two kinds ofpreserves, Marilla. And Mrs.
Barry asked me if I took tea and said 'Pa,why don't you pass the biscuits to Anne?' It must be lovely to be grownup, Marilla, when just being treated as if you were is so nice."
"I don't know about that," said Marilla, with a brief sigh.
"Well, anyway, when I am grown up," said Anne decidedly, "I'm alwaysgoing to talk to little girls as if they were too, and I'll never laughwhen they use big words. I know from sorrowful experience how that hurtsone's feelings. After tea Diana and I made taffy. The taffy wasn't verygood, I suppose because neither Diana nor I had ever made any before.Diana left me to stir it while she buttered the plates and I forgot andlet it burn; and then when we set it out on the platform to cool the catwalked over one plate and that had to be thrown away. But the making ofit was splendid fun. Then when I came home Mrs. Barry asked me to comeover as often as I could and Diana stood at the window and threw kissesto me all the way down to Lover's Lane. I assure you, Marilla, that Ifeel like praying tonight and I'm going to think out a special brand-newprayer in honor of the occasion."