Аня из Авонлеи
XIV. A Danger Averted
Shethoughtaministerwassucha‘spectablethingtohaveinafamily.Chestersayshedoesn’tmindmuch...thoughhe’dratherbeablacksmith...buthe’sboundtohaveallthefunhecanbeforehebeginstobeaminister,‘causehedoesn’texpecttohavemuchafterwards.Iain’tgoingtobeaminister.I’mgoingtobeastorekeeper,likeMr.Blair,andkeepheapsofcandyandbananas.ButI’dratherlikegoingtoyourkindofaheavenifthey’dletmeplayamouthorganinsteadofaharp.Doyous’posetheywould?”
“Yes,Ithinktheywouldifyouwantedit,”wasallAnnecouldtrustherselftosay.
TheA.V.I.S.metatMr.HarmonAndrews’thateveningandafullattendancehadbeenrequested,sinceimportantbusinesswastobediscussed.TheA.V.I.S.wasinaflourishingcondition,andhadalreadyaccomplishedwonders.EarlyinthespringMr.MajorSpencerhadredeemedhispromiseandhadstumped,graded,andseededdownalltheroadfrontofhisfarm.Adozenothermen,somepromptedbyadeterminationnottoletaSpencergetaheadofthem,othersgoadedintoactionbyImproversintheirownhouseholds,hadfollowedhisexample.Theresultwasthattherewerelongstripsofsmoothvelvetturfwhereoncehadbeenunsightlyundergrowthorbrush.Thefarmfrontsthathadnotbeendonelookedsobadlybycontrastthattheirownersweresecretlyshamedintoresolvingtoseewhattheycoulddoanotherspring.Thetriangleofgroundatthecrossroadshadalsobeenclearedandseededdown,andAnne’sbedofgeraniums,unharmedbyanymaraudingcow,wasalreadysetoutinthecenter.
