Полліанна

           Therehadbeenamanofwealthwhohadwantedher—andthefamilyhadmuchpreferredhimtotheminister; butJenniehadnot. Themanofwealthhadmoreyears,aswellasmoremoney,tohiscredit,whiletheministerhadonlyayoungheadfullofyouth’sidealsandenthusiasm,andaheartfulloflove. Jenniehadpreferredthese—quitenaturally,perhaps; soshehadmarriedtheminister,andhadgonesouthwithhimasahomemissionary’swife. 

           Thebreakhadcomethen. MissPollyremembereditwell,thoughshehadbeenbutagirloffifteen,theyoungest,atthetime. Thefamilyhadhadlittlemoretodowiththemissionary’swife. Tobesure,Jennieherselfhadwritten,foratime,andhadnamedherlastbaby"Pollyanna"forhertwosisters,PollyandAnna—theotherbabieshadalldied. ThishadbeenthelasttimethatJenniehadwritten; andinafewyearstherehadcomethenewsofherdeath,toldinashort,butheart-brokenlittlenotefromtheministerhimself,datedatalittletownintheWest. 

           Meanwhile,timehadnotstoodstillfortheoccupantsofthegreathouseonthehill. MissPolly,lookingoutatthefar-reachingvalleybelow,thoughtofthechangesthosetwenty-fiveyearshadbroughttoher. 

           Shewasfortynow,andquitealoneintheworld. Father,mother,sisters—allweredead. Foryears,now,shehadbeensolemistressofthehouseandofthethousandsleftherbyherfather. Therewerepeoplewhohadopenlypitiedherlonelylife,andwhohadurgedhertohavesomefriendorcompaniontolivewithher; butshehadnotwelcomedeithertheirsympathyortheiradvice. Shewasnotlonely,shesaid. Shelikedbeingbyherself. Shepreferredquiet. Butnow—