Continuing our reading…

 

Chapter 12

I just loved so much when Marilla finds out about the flowers on Anne’s hat.

“Marilla was not to be drawn from the safe concrete into dubious paths of the abstract.” p.84 🙂

Marilla wishes Anne would behave like “other little girls and not make yourself ridiculous”.  I love Anne’s originality, don’t try to reform her in everything, Marilla! Of course, Anne’s a little rough around the edges and learns and grows with Marilla’s guidance. I think the biggest thing for me to think on as a mother is how Anne’s sweet, imaginative spirit actually really softens and benefits Marilla. Oh that I may humble myself and become like a child!

Anne is so terrified and excited about meeting her potential bosom friend, Diana Barry.

I love this part, where she is answering Mrs. Barry’s inquiry,

“I am well in body although considerable rumpled up in spirit, thank you, ma’am,” said Anne gravely. Then aside to Marilla in an audible whisper, “There wasn’t anything startling in that, was there, Marilla?” p. 86

Mrs. Barry, there is no such thing as reading too much! Well, ok, I guess it’s good for Diana to go out into the garden for a break with Anne.

The Barry’s garden…wow! “The Barry garden was a bowery wilderness of flowers which would have delighted Anne’s heart at any time less fraught with destiny. It was encircled by huge old willows and tall firs, beneath which flourished flowers that loved the shade. Prim, right-angled paths, neatly bordered with clamshells, intersected it like moist red ribbons and in the beds between old-fashioned flowers ran riot. There were rosy bleeding-hearts and great splendid crimson peonies; white, fragrant narcissi and thorny, sweet Scotch roses; pink and blue and white columbines and lilac-tinted Bouncing Bets; clumps of southernwood and ribbon grass and mint; purple Adam-and-Eve, daffodils, and masses of sweet clover white and its delicate, fragrant, feathery sprays; scarlet lightning that shot its fiery lances over prim white musk-flowers; a garden it was where sunshine lingered and bees hummed, and winds, beguiled into loitering, purred and rustled.” p. 87 (that last line, my emphasis – swoon!)

This is how I imagine the garden!

Jessie Wilcox Smith

I chuckled and Diana’s shock over Anne asking her to swear to be her friend for ever and ever!

“There really is another (kind of swearing). Oh it isn’t wicked at all. It’s just means vowing and promising solemnly.” p.87

I love that Anne wanted to do the vow over running water, but in lieu of that, she just imagines the path is running water. Sigh, what would we do without imagination? Not make any vows, I guess.

I love “as long as the sun and moon shall endure.”

“Well, did you find Diana a kindred spirt?” asked Marilla as they went up through the garden of Green Gables. “Oh,yes,” sighed Anne, blissfully unconscious of any sarcasm on Marilla’s part. p. 88

The place names! I love them, Lucy! You are just SO good at them. Dyrad’s Bubble. Orchard Slope. Green Gables.

Matthew brings Anne chocolates much to Marilla’s chagrin, but she wants to save some for Diana.

I love this last bit,

“Dear me, it’s only three weeks since she came, and it seems as if she’d been here always. I can’t imagine the place without her. Now, don’t be looking I-told-you-so, Matthew. That’s bad enough in a woman, but it isn’t to be endured in a man. I’m perfectly willing to own up that I’m glad I consented to keep the child and that I’m getting fond of her, but don’t you rub it in, Matthew Cuthbert.” p. 89

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