friendship of three years was broken up. Josie Pye and Julia Bell did
not speak for three months, because Josie Pye had told Bessie Wright
that Julia Bell s bow when she got up to recite made her think of a
chicken jerking its head, and Bessie told Julia. None of the Sloanes
would have any dealings with the Bells, because the Bells had declared
that the Sloanes had too much to do in the program, and the Sloanes had
retorted that the Bells were not capable of doing the little they had to
do properly. Finally, Charlie Sloane fought Moody Spurgeon MacPherson,
because Moody Spurgeon had said that Anne Shirley put on airs about
her recitations, and Moody Spurgeon was licked ; consequently Moody
Spurgeon s sister, Ella May, would not speak to Anne Shirley all the
rest of the winter. With the exception of these trifling frictions, work
in Miss Stacy s little kingdom went on with regularity and smoothness.
The winter weeks slipped by. It was an unusually mild winter, with so
little snow that Anne and Diana could go to school nearly every day by
way of the Birch Path. On Anne s birthday they were tripping lightly
down it, keeping eyes and ears alert amid all their chatter, for Miss
Stacy had told them that they must soon write a composition on A
Winter s Walk in the Woods, and it behooved them to be observant.
Just think, Diana, I m thirteen years old today, remarked Anne in an
awed voice. I can scarcely realize that I m in my teens. When I woke
this morning it seemed to me that everything must be different. You ve
been thirteen for a month, so I suppose it doesn t seem such a novelty
to you as it does to me. It makes life seem so much more interesting.
In two more years I ll be really grown up. It s a great comfort to think
that I ll be able to use big words then without being laughed at.
Ruby Gillis says she means to have a beau as soon as she s fifteen,
said Diana.
Ruby Gillis thinks of nothing but beaus, said Anne disdainfully.
She s actually delighted when anyone writes her name up in a
take-notice for all she pretends to be so mad. But I m afraid that is an
uncharitable speech. Mrs. Allan says we should never make uncharitable
speeches; but they do slip out so often before you think, don t they? I
simply can t talk about Josie Pye without making an uncharitable speech,
so I never mention her at all. You may have noticed that. I m trying to
be as much like Mrs. Allan as I possibly can, for I think she s perfect.
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