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There's to be no more of such praying as I heard last night."

"I suppose I was very awkward," said Anne apologetically, "but then, you see, I'd never had any practice.

You couldn't really expect a person to pray very well the first time she tried, could you? I thought out a splendid prayer after I went to bed, just as I promised you I would.

It was nearly as long as a minister's and so poetical.

But would you believe it? I couldn't remember one word when I woke up this morning.

And I'm afraid I'll never be able to think out another one as good.

Somehow, things never are so good when they're thought out a second time.

Have you ever noticed that?"

"Here is something for you to notice, Anne. When I tell you to do a thing I want you to obey me at once and not stand stock-still and discourse about it. Just you go and do as I bid you."

Anne promptly departed for the sitting-room across the hall; she failed to return; after waiting ten minutes Marilla laid down her knitting and marched after her with a grim expression.

She found Anne standing motionless before a picture hanging on the wall between the two windows, with her eyes astar with dreams.

The white and green light strained through apple trees and clustering vines outside fell over the rapt little figure with a half-unearthly radiance.

"Anne, whatever are you thinking of?" demanded Marilla sharply.

Anne came back to earth with a start.

"That," she said, pointing to the picture-a rather vivid chromo entitled, "Christ Blessing Little Children"-"and I was just imagining I was one of them-that I was the little girl in the blue dress, standing off by herself in the corner as if she didn't belong to anybody, like me.

She looks lonely and sad, don't you think? I guess she hadn't any father or mother of her own.

But she wanted to be blessed, too, so she just crept shyly up on the outside of the crowd, hoping nobody would notice her-except Him.

I'm sure I know just how she felt.

Her heart must have beat and her hands must have got cold, like mine did when I asked you if I could stay.

She was afraid He mightn't notice her.

But it's likely He did, don't you think? I've been trying to imagine it all out-her edging a little nearer all the time until she was quite close to Him; and then He would look at her and put His hand on her hair and oh, such a thrill of joy as would run over her! But I wish the artist hadn't painted Him so sorrowful looking.

All His pictures are like that, if you've noticed.

But I don't believe He could really have looked so sad or the children would have been afraid of Him."

"Anne," said Marilla, wondering why she had not broken into this speech long before, "you shouldn't talk that way. It's irreverent-positively irreverent."

Anne's eyes marveled.

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