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November evening； 〃and there are the loveliest little stars and
crosses all over the garden walk。 I never noticed before what
exquisite things snowflakes really are。 One has time to notice
things like that in the simple life。 Bless you all for permitting
me to live it。 It's really delightful to feel worried because
butter has gone up five cents a pound。〃
〃Has it？〃 demanded Stella； who kept the household accounts。
〃It has and here's your butter。 I'm getting quite expert at marketing。
It's better fun than flirting；〃 concluded Phil gravely。
〃Everything is going up scandalously；〃 sighed Stella。
〃Never mind。 Thank goodness air and salvation are still free；〃
said Aunt Jamesina。
〃And so is laughter；〃 added Anne。 〃There's no tax on it yet
and that is well； because you're all going to laugh presently。
I'm going to read you Davy's letter。 His spelling has improved
immensely this past year； though he is not strong on apostrophes；
and he certainly possesses the gift of writing an interesting letter。
Listen and laugh； before we settle down to the evening's study…grind。〃
〃Dear Anne；〃 ran Davy's letter； 〃I take my pen to tell you that
we are all pretty well and hope this will find you the same。
It's snowing some today and Marilla says the old woman in the sky
is shaking her feather beds。 Is the old woman in the sky God's
wife； Anne？ I want to know。
〃Mrs。 Lynde has been real sick but she is better now。 She fell
down the cellar stairs last week。 When she fell she grabbed hold
of the shelf with all the milk pails and stewpans on it； and it
gave way and went down with her and made a splendid crash。
Marilla thought it was an earthquake at first。
One of the stewpans was all dinged up and Mrs。 Lynde straned her ribs。
The doctor came and gave her medicine to rub on her ribs but
she didn't under stand him and took it all inside instead。
The doctor said it was a wonder it dident kill her but it dident
and it cured her ribs and Mrs。 Lynde says doctors dont know much
anyhow。 But we couldent fix up the stewpan。 Marilla had to
throw it out。 Thanksgiving was last week。 There was no school
and we had a great dinner。 I et mince pie and rost turkey and
frut cake and donuts and cheese and jam and choklut cake。
Marilla said I'd die but I dident。 Dora had earake after it；
only it wasent in her ears it was in her stummick。 I dident
have earake anywhere。
〃Our new teacher is a man。 He does things for jokes。 Last week
he made all us third…class boys write a composishun on what kind
of a wife we'd like to have and the girls on what kind of a
husband。 He laughed fit to kill when he read them。 This was
mine。 I thought youd like to see it。
〃‘The kind of a wife I'd like to Have。
〃‘She must have good manners and get my meals on time and do
what I tell her and always be very polite to me。 She must be
fifteen yers old。 She must be good to the poor and keep her
house tidy and be good tempered and go to church regularly。
She must be very handsome and have curly hair。 If I get a wife
that is just what I like Ill be an awful good husband to her。
I think a woman ought to be awful good to her husband。 Some poor
women havent any husbands。
‘THE END。'〃
〃I was at Mrs。 Isaac Wrights funeral at White Sands last week。
The husband of the corpse felt real sorry。 Mrs。 Lynde says
Mrs。 Wrights grandfather stole a sheep but Marilla says we mustent
speak ill of the dead。 Why mustent we； Anne？ I want to know。
It's pretty safe； ain't it？
〃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。
Anne