Read without ads and support Scribd by becoming a Scribd Premium Reader.
See Premium Plans
 
Chapter 16
The Substance of Things Hoped For 
"Anne," said Davy appealingly, scrambling up on the shiny,leather-covered sofa in the Green Gables kitchen, whereAnne sat, reading a letter, "Anne, I'm
awful 
hungry. You'veno idea.""I'll get you a piece of bread and butter in a minute," saidAnne absently. Her letter evidently contained some excitingnews, for her cheeks were as pink as the roses on the bigbush outside, and her eyes were as starry as only Anne'seyes could be."But I ain't bread and butter hungry, " said Davy in adisgusted tone. "I'm plum cake hungry.""Oh," laughed Anne, laying down her letter and putting her arm about Davy to give him a squeeze, "that's a kind of hunger that can be endured very comfortably, Davy-boy.You know it's one of Marilla's rules that you can't haveanything but bread and butter between meals.""Well, gimme a piece then. . .please."Davy had been at last taught to say "please," but hegenerally tacked it on as an afterthought. He looked withapproval at the generous slice Anne presently brought tohim. "You always put such a nice lot of butter on it, Anne.Marilla spreads it pretty thin. It slips down a lot easier whenthere's plenty of butter."The slice "slipped down" with tolerable ease, judging fromits rapid disappearance. Davy slid head first off the sofa,
 
turned a double somersault on the rug, and then sat up andannounced decidedly,"Anne, I've made up my mind about heaven. I don't want togo there.""Why not?" asked Anne gravely."Cause heaven is in Simon Fletcher's garret, and I don't likeSimon Fletcher.""Heaven in. . .Simon Fletcher's garret!" gasped Anne, tooamazed even to laugh. "Davy Keith, whatever put such anextraordinary idea into your head?""Milty Boulter says that's where it is. It was last Sunday inSunday School. The lesson was about Elijah and Elisha,and I up and asked Miss Rogerson where heaven was.Miss Rogerson looked awful offended. She was crossanyhow, because when she'd asked us what Elijah leftElisha when he went to heaven Milty Boulter said, `His oldclo'es,' and us fellows all laughed before we thought. I wishyou could think first and do things afterwards, 'cause thenyou wouldn't do them. But Milty didn't mean to bedisrespeckful. He just couldn't think of the name of thething. Miss Rogerson said heaven was where God was andI wasn't to ask questions like that. Milty nudged me andsaid in a whisper, `Heaven's in Uncle Simon's garret and I'llesplain about it on the road home.' So when we wascoming home he esplained. Milty's a great hand atesplaining things. Even if he don't know anything about athing he'll make up a lot of stuff and so you get it esplainedall the same. His mother is Mrs. Simon's sister and he wentwith her to the funeral when his cousin, Jane Ellen, died.The minister said she'd gone to heaven, though Milty saysshe was lying right before them in the coffin. But he s'posedthey carried the coffin to the garret afterwards. Well, whenMilty and his mother went upstairs after it was all over toget her bonnet he asked her where heaven was that Jane
 
Ellen had gone to, and she pointed right to the ceiling andsaid, `Up there.' Milty knew there wasn't anything but thegarret over the ceiling, so that's how HE found out. Andhe's been awful scared to go to his Uncle Simon's ever since."Anne took Davy on her knee and did her best to straightenout this theological tangle also. She was much better fittedfor the task than Marilla, for she remembered her ownchildhood and had an instinctive understanding of thecurious ideas that seven-year-olds sometimes get aboutmatters that are, of course, very plain and simple to grownup people. She had just succeeded in convincing Davy thatheaven was NOT in Simon Fletcher's garret when Marillacame in from the garden, where she and Dora had beenpicking peas. Dora was an industrious little soul and never happier than when "helping" in various small tasks suited toher chubby fingers. She fed chickens, picked up chips,wiped dishes, and ran errands galore. She was neat,faithful and observant; she never had to be told how to do athing twice and never forgot any of her little duties. Davy,on the other hand, was rather heedless and forgetful; buthe had the born knack of winning love, and even yet Anneand Marilla liked him the better.While Dora proudly shelled the peas and Davy made boatsof the pods, with masts of matches and sails of paper, Annetold Marilla about the wonderful contents of her letter."Oh, Marilla, what do you think? I've had a letter fromPriscilla and she says that Mrs. Morgan is on the Island,and that if it is fine Thursday they are going to drive up toAvonlea and will reach here about twelve. They will spendthe afternoon with us and go to the hotel at White Sands inthe evening, because some of Mrs. Morgan's Americanfriends are staying there. Oh, Marilla, isn't it wonderful? Ican hardly believe I'm not dreaming."
Search
Search History:
Searching...
Result 00 of 00
00 results for result for
  • p.
    • Notes
    Load more