“Mrs. Lynde was awful mad the other day because I asked her if she was alive in Noah’s time.  I dident mean to hurt her feelings.  I just wanted to know.  Was she, Anne?

“Mr. Harrison wanted to get rid of his dog.  So he hunged him once but he come to life and scooted for the barn while Mr. Harrison was digging the grave, so he hunged him again and he stayed dead that time.  Mr. Harrison has a new man working for him.  He’s awful okward.  Mr. Harrison says he is left handed in both his feet.  Mr. Barry’s hired man is lazy.  Mrs. Barry says that but Mr. Barry says he aint lazy exactly only he thinks it easier to pray for things than to work for them.

“Mrs. Harmon Andrews prize pig that she talked so much of died in a fit.  Mrs. Lynde says it was a judgment on her for pride.  But I think it was hard on the pig.  Milty Boulter has been sick.  The doctor gave him medicine and it tasted horrid.  I offered to take it for him for a quarter but the Boulters are so mean.  Milty says he’d rather take it himself and save his money.  I asked Mrs. Boulter how a person would go about catching a man and she got awful mad and said she dident know, shed never chased men.

“The A.V.I.S. is going to paint the hall again.  They’re tired of having it blue.

“The new minister was here to tea last night.  He took three pieces of pie.  If I did that Mrs. Lynde would call me piggy.  And he et fast and took big bites and Marilla is always telling me not to do that.  Why can ministers do what boys can’t?  I want to know.

“I haven’t any more news.  Here are six kisses. xxxxxx.  Dora sends one.  Heres hers. x.

“Your loving friend David Keith”

“P.S.  Anne, who was the devils father?  I want to know.”

Chapter XVIII

Miss Josepine Remembers the Anne-girl

When Christmas holidays came the girls of Patty’s Place scattered to their respective homes, but Aunt Jamesina elected to stay where she was.

“I couldn’t go to any of the places I’ve been invited and take those three cats,” she said.  “And I’m not going to leave the poor creatures here alone for nearly three weeks.  If we had any decent neighbors who would feed them I might, but there’s nothing except millionaires on this street.  So I’ll stay here and keep Patty’s Place warm for you.”

Anne went home with the usual joyous anticipations—­which were not wholly fulfilled.  She found Avonlea in the grip of such an early, cold, and stormy winter as even the “oldest inhabitant” could not recall.  Green Gables was literally hemmed in by huge drifts.  Almost every day of that ill-starred vacation it stormed fiercely; and even on fine days it drifted unceasingly.  No sooner were the roads broken than they filled in again.  It was almost impossible to stir out.  The A.V.I.S. tried, on three evenings, to have a party in honor of the college students, and on each evening the storm was so wild that nobody could go, so they gave up the attempt in despair.  Anne, despite her love of and loyalty to Green Gables, could not help thinking longingly of Patty’s Place, its cosy open fire, Aunt Jamesina’s mirthful eyes, the three cats, the merry chatter of the girls, the pleasantness of Friday evenings when college friends dropped in to talk of grave and gay.