Picture Dictionary & Books : Free for English Learner!

"I don't call it much hope," said Marilla bitterly.

"What am I to live for if I can't read or sew or do anything like that? I might as well be blind-or dead.

And as for crying, I can't help that when I get lonesome.

But there, it's no good talking about it.

If you'll get me a cup of tea I'll be thankful.

I'm about done out.

Don't say anything about this to any one for a spell yet, anyway.

I can't bear that folks should come here to question and sympathize and talk about it."

When Marilla had eaten her lunch Anne persuaded her to go to bed.

Then Anne went herself to the east gable and sat down by her window in the darkness alone with her tears and her heaviness of heart.

How sadly things had changed since she had sat there the night after coming home! Then she had been full of hope and joy and the future had looked rosy with promise.

Anne felt as if she had lived years since then, but before she went to bed there was a smile on her lips and peace in her heart.

She had looked her duty courageously in the face and found it a friend-as duty ever is when we meet it frankly.

One afternoon a few days later Marilla came slowly in from the front yard where she had been talking to a caller-a man whom Anne knew by sight as Sadler from Carmody. Anne wondered what he could have been saying to bring that look to Marilla's face.

"What did Mr. Sadler want, Marilla?"

Marilla sat down by the window and looked at Anne. There were tears in her eyes in defiance of the oculist's prohibition and her voice broke as she said:

"He heard that I was going to sell Green Gables and he wants to buy it."

"Buy it! Buy Green Gables?" Anne wondered if she had heard aright. "Oh, Marilla, you don't mean to sell Green Gables!"

"Anne, I don't know what else is to be done.

I've thought it all over.

If my eyes were strong I could stay here and make out to look after things and manage, with a good hired man.

But as it is I can't.

I may lose my sight altogether; and anyway I'll not be fit to run things.

Oh, I never thought I'd live to see the day when I'd have to sell my home.

But things would only go behind worse and worse all the time, till nobody would want to buy it.

Table of Contents