so much? You know I never use it except for the hired man's



porridge or black fruit cake. Jerry's gone and I've made my cake

long ago. It's not good sugar, either--it's coarse and



dark--William Blair doesn't usually keep sugar like that."

"I--I thought it might come in handy sometime," said Matthew,



making good his escape.

When Matthew came to think the matter over he decided that a



woman was required to cope with the situation. Marilla was out

of the question. Matthew felt sure she would throw cold water on



his project at once. Remained only Mrs. Lynde; for of no other

woman in Avonlea would Matthew have dared to ask advice. To Mrs.



Lynde he went accordingly, and that good lady promptly took the

matter out of the harassed man's hands.



"Pick out a dress for you to give Anne? To be sure I will. I'm

going to Carmody tomorrow and I'll attend to it. Have you



something particular in mind? No? Well, I'll just go by my own

judgment then. I believe a nice rich brown would just suit Anne,



and William Blair has some new gloria in that's real pretty.

Perhaps you'd like me to make it up for her, too, seeing that if



Marilla was to make it Anne would probably get wind of it before

the time and spoil the surprise? Well, I'll do it. No, it isn't



a mite of trouble. I like sewing. I'll make it to fit my niece,

Jenny Gillis, for she and Anne are as like as two peas as far as



figure goes."

"Well now, I'm much obliged," said Matthew, "and--and--I



dunno--but I'd like--I think they make the sleeves different

nowadays to what they used to be. If it wouldn't be asking too



much I--I'd like them made in the new way."

"Puffs? Of course. You needn't worry a speck more about it,



Matthew. I'll make it up in the very latest fashion," said Mrs.

Lynde. To herself she added when Matthew had gone:



"It'll be a real satisfaction to see that poor child wearing

something decent for once. The way Marilla dresses her is



positively ridiculous, that's what, and I've ached to tell her

so plainly a dozen times. I've held my tongue though, for I can



see Marilla doesn't want advice and she thinks she knows more

about bringing children up than I do for all she's an old maid.



But that's always the way. Folks that has brought up children

know that there's no hard and fast method in the world that'll suit



every child. But them as never have think it's all as plain and

easy as Rule of Three--just set your three terms down so fashion,



and the sum'll work out correct. But flesh and blood don't come

under the head of arithmetic and that's where Marilla Cuthbert



makes her mistake. I suppose she's trying to cultivate a spirit

of humility in Anne by dressing her as she does; but it's more



likely to cultivate envy and discontent. I'm sure the child must

feel the difference between her clothes and the other girls'.



But to think of Matthew taking notice of it! That man is waking

up after being asleep for over sixty years."



Marilla knew all the following fortnight that Matthew had

something on his mind, but what it was she could not guess,



until Christmas Eve, when Mrs. Lynde brought up the new dress.

Marilla behaved pretty well on the whole, although it is very



likely she distrusted Mrs. Lynde's diplomaticexplanation that

she had made the dress because Matthew was afraid Anne would find



out about it too soon if Marilla made it.

"So this is what Matthew has been looking so mysterious over and



grinning about to himself for two weeks, is it?" she said a little

stiffly but tolerantly. "I knew he was up to some foolishness.



Well, I must say I don't think Anne needed any more dresses.

I made her three good, warm, serviceable ones this fall, and



anything more is sheer extravagance. There's enough material

in those sleeves alone to make a waist, I declare there is.



You'll just pamper Anne's vanity, Matthew, and she's as vain

as a peacock now. Well, I hope she'll be satisfied at last, for



I know she's been hankering after those silly sleeves ever since

they came in, although she never said a word after the first.



The puffs have been getting bigger and more ridiculous right

along; they're as big as balloons now. Next year anybody who



wears them will have to go through a door sideways."

Christmas morning broke on a beautiful white world. It had been



a very mild December and people had looked forward to a green

Christmas; but just enough snow fell softly in the night to



transfigure Avonlea. Anne peeped out from her frosted gable

window with delighted eyes. The firs in the Haunted Wood were



all feathery and wonderful; the birches and wild cherry trees

• frequent [´fri:kwənt] a.常见的，频繁的 (初中英语单词)


• arrangement [ə´reindʒmənt] n.整理；排列；筹备 (初中英语单词)


• twilight [´twailait] n.黎明；黄昏 (初中英语单词)


• conscious [´kɔnʃəs] a.意识的；自觉的 (初中英语单词)


• delicate [´delikət] a.精美的；微妙的 (初中英语单词)


• haunted [´hɔ:tid] a.常出现鬼的，闹鬼的 (初中英语单词)


• disgust [dis´gʌst] n.厌恶 vt.令(人)作呕 (初中英语单词)


• reflection [ri´flekʃən] n.反射；映象；想法 (初中英语单词)


• solution [sə´lu:ʃən] n.解答；解决；溶解 (初中英语单词)


• cluster [´klʌstə] n.一串 v.群集；丛生 (初中英语单词)


• plainly [´pleinli] ad.平坦地；简单地 (初中英语单词)


• motive [´məutiv] n.动机；主题 a.运动的 (初中英语单词)


• thereby [´ðeəbai] ad.因此，由此 (初中英语单词)


• trifling [´traifliŋ] a.微小的；轻浮的 (初中英语单词)


• conscience [´kɔnʃəns] n.良心；道德心 (初中英语单词)


• explanation [,eksplə´neiʃən] n.解释；说明；辩解 (初中英语单词)


• movement [´mu:vmənt] n.活动；运动；动作 (初中英语单词)


• confusion [kən´fju:ʒən] n.混乱(状态)；骚乱 (初中英语单词)


• lumber [´lʌmbə] v.伐木 n.木材 (初中英语单词)


• desperate [´despərit] a.拼死的；绝望的 (初中英语单词)


• barrel [´bærəl] n.(琵琶)桶；圆筒 (初中英语单词)


• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)


• driven [´driv(ə)n] drive 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• coarse [kɔ:s] a.粗(糙)的；粗鲁的 (初中英语单词)


• project [prə´dʒekt, ´prɔdʒekt] v.设计；投掷 n.计划 (初中英语单词)


• accordingly [ə´kɔ:diŋli] ad.因此；从而；依照 (初中英语单词)


• promptly [´prɔmptli] ad.敏捷地；即时地 (初中英语单词)


• satisfaction [,sætis´fækʃən] n.满意；满足 (初中英语单词)


• cultivate [´kʌltiveit] vt.耕作；培植；培养 (初中英语单词)


• mysterious [mi´stiəriəs] a.神秘的；难以理解的 (初中英语单词)


• vanity [´væniti] n.虚荣；自负；空虚 (初中英语单词)


• softly [´sɔftli] ad.软化地；柔和地 (初中英语单词)


• exclusive [ik´sklu:siv] a.独有的；集中的 (高中英语单词)


• learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)


• decided [di´saidid] a.明显的；决定的 (高中英语单词)


• fortnight [´fɔ:tnait] n.两星期 (高中英语单词)


• conservative [kən´sə:vətiv] a.保守的 n.保守者 (高中英语单词)


• contrive [kən´traiv] v.发明；设计；图谋 (高中英语单词)


• counter [´kauntə] n.计算者；柜台；计算机 (高中英语单词)


• finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)


• cheerfully [´tʃiəfuli] ad.高兴地，愉快地 (高中英语单词)


• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)


• sewing [´səuiŋ] n.缝纫；(书的)装订 (高中英语单词)


• decent [´di:sənt] a.体面的，正派的 (高中英语单词)


• ridiculous [ri´dikjuləs] a.荒谬的；可笑的 (高中英语单词)


• discontent [´diskən´tent] n.&a.不满(平)(的) (高中英语单词)


• peacock [´pi:kɔk] n.(雄)孔雀 vi.炫耀 (高中英语单词)


• cherry [´tʃeri] n.樱桃(树) (高中英语单词)


• soberly [´səubəli] ad.严肃地；清醒地 (英语四级单词)


• resolved [ri´zɔlvd] a.决心的；坚定的 (英语四级单词)


• consultation [,kɔnsəl´teiʃən] n.商量；会诊；查阅 (英语四级单词)


• exceeding [ik´si:diŋ] a.超越的，非常的 (英语四级单词)


• briskly [´briskli] ad.轻快地；活泼地 (英语四级单词)


• arithmetic [ə´riθmətik] n.算术 (英语四级单词)


• trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)


• humility [hju:´militi] n.谦逊，谦让 (英语四级单词)


• diplomatic [,diplə´mætik] a.外交的 (英语四级单词)


• extravagance [iks´trævigəns] n.奢侈；极端 (英语四级单词)


• delighted [di´laitid] a.高兴的；喜欢的 (英语四级单词)


• shrank [ʃræŋk] shrink的过去式 (英语六级单词)


• animated [´ænimeitid] a.栩栩如生的；活跃的 (英语六级单词)


• recourse [ri´kɔ:s] n.求助；依靠 (英语六级单词)


• assured [ə´ʃuəd] a.确实的 n.被保险人 (英语六级单词)


• ordeal [ɔ:´di:l] n.严峻考验；折磨 (英语六级单词)


• dashing [´dæʃiŋ] a.勇猛的；生气勃勃的 (英语六级单词)


• miserably [´mizərəbli] ad.悲惨地；糟糕地 (英语六级单词)


• heresy [´herisi] n.异教，异端，邪说 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)