anne of the island-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



weep　bitter　tears。　　What　a　comfort　one　familiar　face　is　in　a

howling　wilderness　of　strangers！〃



〃Is　that　Gilbert　Blythe　over　there；　Anne？　　How　he　has　grown　up

this　past　year！　　He　was　only　a　schoolboy　when　I　taught　in　Carmody。

And　of　course　that's　Charlie　Sloane。　　HE　hasn't　changed　　couldn't！

He　looked　just　like　that　when　he　was　born；　and　he'll　look　like　that

when　he's　eighty。　　This　way；　dear。　　We'll　be　home　in　twenty　minutes。〃



〃Home！〃　groaned　Anne。　　〃You　mean　we'll　be　in　some　horrible　boardinghouse；

in　a　still　more　horrible　hall　bedroom；　looking　out　on　a　dingy　back　yard。〃



〃It　isn't　a　horrible　boardinghouse；　Anne…girl。　　Here's　our　cab。

Hop　in　　the　driver　will　get　your　trunk。　　Oh；　yes；　the　boardinghouse

　it's　really　a　very　nice　place　of　its　kind；　as　you'll　admit　tomorrow

morning　when　a　good　night's　sleep　has　turned　your　blues　rosy　pink。

It's　a　big；　old…fashioned；　gray　stone　house　on　St。　John　Street；

just　a　nice　little　constitutional　from　Redmond。　　It　used　to　be　the

‘residence'　of　great　folk；　but　fashion　has　deserted　St。　John　Street

and　its　houses　only　dream　now　of　better　days。　　They're　so　big　that

people　living　in　them　have　to　take　boarders　just　to　fill　up。　　At　least；

that　is　the　reason　our　landladies　are　very　anxious　to　impress　on　us。

They're　delicious；　Anne　　our　landladies；　I　mean。〃



〃How　many　are　there？〃



〃Two。　　Miss　Hannah　Harvey　and　Miss　Ada　Harvey。　　They　were　born　twins

about　fifty　years　ago。〃



〃I　can't　get　away　from　twins；　it　seems；〃　smiled　Anne。　　〃Wherever　I

go　they　confront　me。〃



〃Oh；　they're　not　twins　now；　dear。　　After　they　reached　the　age　of

thirty　they　never　were　twins　again。　　Miss　Hannah　has　grown　old；

not　too　gracefully；　and　Miss　Ada　has　stayed　thirty；　less

gracefully　still。　　I　don't　know　whether　Miss　Hannah　can　smile　or

not；　I've　never　caught　her　at　it　so　far；　but　Miss　Ada　smiles　all

the　time　and　that's　worse。　　However；　they're　nice；　kind　souls；

and　they　take　two　boarders　every　year　because　Miss　Hannah's

economical　soul　cannot　bear　to　‘waste　room　space'　　not　because

they　need　to　or　have　to；　as　Miss　Ada　has　told　me　seven　times

since　Saturday　night。　　As　for　our　rooms；　I　admit　they　are　hall

bedrooms；　and　mine　does　look　out　on　the　back　yard。　　Your　room　is

a　front　one　and　looks　out　on　Old　St。　John's　graveyard；　which　is

just　across　the　street。〃



〃That　sounds　gruesome；〃　shivered　Anne。　　〃I　think　I'd　rather　have

the　back　yard　view。〃



〃Oh；　no；　you　wouldn't。　　Wait　and　see。　　Old　St。　John's　is　a

darling　place。　　It's　been　a　graveyard　so　long　that　it's　ceased　to

be　one　and　has　become　one　of　the　sights　of　Kingsport。　　I　was　all

through　it　yesterday　for　a　pleasure　exertion。　　There's　a　big

stone　wall　and　a　row　of　enormous　trees　all　around　it；　and　rows　of

trees　all　through　it；　and　the　queerest　old　tombstones；　with　the

queerest　and　quaintest　inscriptions。　　You'll　go　there　to　study；　Anne；

see　if　you　don't。　　Of　course；　nobody　is　ever　buried　there　now。

But　a　few　years　ago　they　put　up　a　beautiful　monument　to　the

memory　of　Nova　Scotian　soldiers　who　fell　in　the　Crimean　War。

It　is　just　opposite　the　entrance　gates　and　there's　‘scope　for

imagination'　in　it；　as　you　used　to　say。　　Here's　your　trunk　at

last　　and　the　boys　coming　to　say　good　night。　　Must　I　really

shake　hands　with　Charlie　Sloane；　Anne？　　His　hands　are　always　so

cold　and　fishy…feeling。　　We　must　ask　them　to　call　occasionally。

Miss　Hannah　gravely　told　me　we　could　have　‘young　gentlemen

callers'　two　evenings　in　the　week；　if　they　went　away　at　a

reasonable　hour；　and　Miss　Ada　asked　me；　smiling；　please　to　be

sure　they　didn't　sit　on　her　beautiful　cushions。　　I　promised　to

see　to　it；　but　goodness　knows　where　else　they　CAN　sit；　unless

they　sit　on　the　floor；　for　there　are　cushions　on　EVERYTHING。

Miss　Ada　even　has　an　elaborate　Battenburg　one　on　top　of　the　piano。〃



Anne　was　laughing　by　this　time。　　Priscilla's　gay　chatter　had　the

intended　effect　of　cheering　her　up；　homesickness　vanished　for　the

time　being；　and　did　not　even　return　in　full　force　when　she

finally　found　herself　alone　in　her　little　bedroom。　　She　went　to

her　window　and　looked　out。　　The　street　below　was　dim　and　quiet。

Across　it　the　moon　was　shining　above　the　trees　in　Old　St。　John's；

just　behind　the　great　dark　head　of　the　lion　on　the　monument。

Anne　wondered　if　it　could　have　been　only　that　morning　that

she　had　left　Green　Gables。　　She　had　the　sense　of　a　long

passage　of　time　which　one　day　of　change　and　travel　gives。



〃I　suppose　that　very　moon　is　looking　down　on　Green　Gables　now；〃

she　mused。　　〃But　I　won't　think　about　it　　that　way　homesickness

lies。　　I'm　not　even　going　to　have　my　good　cry。　　I'll　put　that　off

to　a　more　convenient　season；　and　just　now　I'll　go　calmly　and

sensibly　to　bed　and　to　sleep。〃









Chapter　IV



April's　Lady





Kingsport　is　a　quaint　old　town；　hearking　back　to　early　Colonial

days；　and　wrapped　in　its　ancient　atmosphere；　as　some　fine　old　dame

in　garments　fashioned　like　those　of　her　youth。　　Here　and　there

it　sprouts　out　into　modernity；　but　at　heart　it　is　still　unspoiled；

it　is　full　of　curious　relics；　and　haloed　by　the　romance　of　many

legends　of　the　past。　　Once　it　was　a　mere　frontier　station　on　the

fringe　of　the　wilderness；　and　those　were　the　days　when　Indians

kept　life　from　being　monotonous　to　the　settlers。　　Then　it　grew

to　be　a　bone　of　contention　between　the　British　and　the　French；

being　occupied　now　by　the　one　and　now　by　the　other；　emerging　from

each　occupation　with　some　fresh　scar　of　battling　nations　branded　on　it。



It　has　in　its　park　a　martello　tower；　autographed　all　over

by　tourists；　a　dismantled　old　French　fort　on　the　hills　beyond

the　town；　and　several　antiquated　cannon　in　its　public　squares。

It　has　other　historic　spots　also；　which　may　be　hunted　out　by　the

curious；　and　none　is　more　quaint　and　delightful　than　Old　St。　John's

Cemetery　at　the　very　core　of　the　town；　with　streets　of　quiet；

old…time　houses　on　two　sides；　and　busy；　bustling；　modern

thoroughfares　on　the　others。　　Every　citizen　of　Kingsport　feels　a

thrill　of　possessive　pride　in　Old　St。　John's；　for；　if　he　be　of

any　pretensions　at　all；　he　has　an　ancestor　buried　there；　with　a

queer；　crooked　slab　at　his　head；　or　else　sprawling　protectively

over　the　grave；　on　which　all　the　main　facts　of　his　history　are

recorded。　　For　the　most　part　no　great　art　or　skill　was　lavished

on　those　old　tombstones。　　The　larger　number　are　of　roughly

chiselled　brown　or　gray　native　stone；　and　only　in　a　few　cases　is

there　any　attempt　at　ornamentation。　　Some　are　adorned　with　skull

and　cross…bones；　and　this　grizzly　decoration　is　frequently

coupled　with　a　cherub's　head。　　Many　are　prostrate　and　in　ruins。

Into　almost　all　Time's　tooth　has　been　gnawing；　until　some

inscriptions　have　been　completely　effaced；　and　others　can　only　be

deciphered　with　difficulty。　　The　graveyard　is　very　full　and　very

bowery；　for　it　is　surrounded　and　intersected　by　rows　of　elms　and

willows；　beneath　whose　shade　the　sleepers　must　lie　very　dreamlessly；

forever　crooned　to　by　the　winds　and　leaves　over　them；　and　quite

undisturbed　by　the　clamor　of　traffic　just　beyond。



Anne　took　the　first　of　many　rambles　in　Old　St。　John's　the　next　afternoon。

She　and　Priscilla　had　gone　to　Redmond　in　the　forenoon　and　registered　as

students；　after　which　there　was　nothing　more　to　do　that　day。　　The　girls

gladly　made　their　escape；　for　it　was　not　exhilarating　to　be　surrounded

by　crowds　of　strangers；　most　of　whom　had　a　rather　alien　appearance；

as　if　not　quite　sure　where　they　belonged。



The　〃freshettes〃　stood　about　in　detached　groups　of　two　or　three；

looking　askance　at　each　other；　the　〃freshies；〃　wiser　in　their　day

and　generation；　had　banded　themselves　together　on　the　big

staircase　of　the　entrance　hall；　where　they　were　shouting　out

glees　with　all　the　vigor　of　youthful　lungs；　as　a　species　of

defiance　to　their　traditional　enemies；　the　Sophomores；　a　few　of

whom　were　prowling　loftily　about；　looking　properly　disdainful　of

the　〃unlicked　cubs〃