Picture Dictionary & Books : Free for English Learner!

A bright fire was glowing in the old-fashioned Waterloo stove and blue-white frost crystals were shining on the windowpanes.

Matthew nodded over a FARMERS' ADVOCATE on the sofa and Anne at the table studied her lessons with grim determination, despite sundry wistful glances at the clock shelf, where lay a new book that Jane Andrews had lent her that day.

Jane had assured her that it was warranted to produce any number of thrills, or words to that effect, and Anne's fingers tingled to reach out for it.

But that would mean Gilbert Blythe's triumph on the morrow.

Anne turned her back on the clock shelf and 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 a start.

"I wish you had," sighed Anne, "because then you'd be able to sympathize with me. You can't sympathize properly if you've never studied it. It is casting 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 right at anything.

Mr. Phillips told me last week in Blair's store at Carmody that you was the smartest scholar in school and was making rapid progress.

Rapid progress' was his very words.

There's them as runs down Teddy Phillips and says he ain't much of a teacher, but I guess he's all right."

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 change the letters," complained Anne.

"I learn the proposition off by heart and then he draws it on the blackboard and puts different letters from what are in the book and I get all mixed up.

I don't think a teacher should take such a mean advantage, do you? We're studying agriculture now and I'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. Lynde says Canada is going to the dogs the way things are being run at Ottawa and that it's an awful warning to the electors.

She says if women were allowed to vote we would soon see a blessed change.

What way do you vote, Matthew?"

"Conservative," said Matthew promptly. To vote Conservative was part of Matthew's religion.

"Then I'm Conservative too," said Anne decidedly.

"I'm glad because Gil-because some of the boys in school are Grits.

Table of Contents