believe it? I couldn t remember one word when I woke up this morning.
And I m afraid I ll never be able to think out another one as good.
Somehow, things never are so good when they re thought out a second
time. Have you ever noticed that?
Here is something for you to notice, Anne. When I tell you to do
a thing I want you to obey me at once and not stand stock-still and
discourse about it. Just you go and do as I bid you.
Anne promptly departed for the sitting-room across the hall; she
failed to return; after waiting ten minutes Marilla laid down her
knitting and marched after her with a grim expression. She found Anne
standing motionless before a picture hanging on the wall between the
two windows, with her eyes astar with dreams. The white and green light
strained through apple-trees and clustering vines outside fell over the
rapt little figure with a half-unearthly radiance.
Anne, whatever are you thinking of? demanded Marilla sharply.
Anne came back to earth with a start.
That, she said, pointing to the picture--a rather vivid chromo
entitled, Christ Blessing Little Children -- and I was just imagining I
was one of them--that I was the little girl in the blue dress, standing
off by herself in the corner as if she didn t belong to anybody, like
me. She looks lonely and sad, don t you think? I guess she hadn t any
father or mother of her own. But she wanted to be blessed, too, so she
just crept shyly up on the outside of the crowd, hoping nobody would
notice her--except Him. I m sure I know just how she felt. Her heart
must have beat and her hands must have got cold, like mine did when I
asked you if I could stay. She was afraid He mightn t notice her. But
it s likely He did, don t you think? I ve been trying to imagine it all
out--her edging a little nearer all the time until she was quite close
to Him; and then He would look at her and put His hand on her hair and
oh, such a thrill of joy as would run over her! But I wish the artist
hadn t painted Him so sorrowful-looking. All His pictures are like that,
if you ve noticed. But I don t believe He could really have looked so
sad or the children would have been afraid of Him.
Anne, said Marilla, wondering why she had not broken into this speech
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