Join Host Bree Carlile as she reads the thirty-seventh chapter of Anne's House of Dreams.
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Today we'll be continuing Anne's House of Dreams by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
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Chapter 37 miss Cornelia makes a startling Announcement miss Cornelia sailed down to the little house one drowsy afternoon, when the gulf was the faint bleached blue of the August seas, and the orange lilies at the gate of Anne's garden held up their imperial cups to be filled with the molten gold of August sunshine.
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Not that Miss Cornelia concerned herself with painted oceans or sun thirsty lilies she sat in her favorite rocker and unusual idleness.
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She sowed not.
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Neither did she spin, nor did she say a single derogatory word concerning any portion of mankind.
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In short, Miss Cornelia's conversation was singularly devoid of spice that day, and Gilbert, who had stayed home to listen to her instead of going to fishing as he had intended, felt himself aggrieved.
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Why did come over Miss Cornelia?
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She did not look cast down or worried.
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On the contrary, there was a certain air of nervous exultation about her.
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Where's Leslie?
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She asked, not as if it mattered much either.
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Oh, when in she went raspberrying in the woods back of her farm, answered Anne.
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They won't be back before supper time.
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If then they don't seem to have.
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Any idea that there is such a.
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Thing as a clock, said Gilbert, I.
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Can'T get to the bottom of that affair.
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I'm certain you women pulled strings, but Anne undueiful wife won't tell me.
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Will you, miss Cornelia?
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No, I shall not.
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But, said Miss Cornelia, with the air of one determined to take the plunge.
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And have it over, I will tell you something else.
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I came today on purpose to tell it.
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I'm going to be married.
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Anna and Gilbert were silent.
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If Miss Cornelia had announced her intention of going out to the channel and drowning herself, the thing might have been believable.
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This was not.
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So they waited.
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Of course.
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Miss Cornelia had made a mistake.
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Well, you both look sort of curflummixed.
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Said Miss Cornelia with a twinkle in her eyes.
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Now that the awkward moment of revelation was over, ms.
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Cornelia was her own woman again.
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Do you think I'm too young and inexperienced for matrimony?
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You know, it is rather staggering, said.
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Gilbert, trying to gather his wits together.
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I've heard you say a score of times that you wouldn't marry the best.
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Man in the world.
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I'm not going to marry the best.
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Man in the world, retorted Miss Cornelia.
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Marshall Elliot is a long way from being the best.
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Are you going to marry Marshall Elliott?
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Exclaimed Anne, recovering her power of speech under the second shock.
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Yes, I could have had him any time these 20 years if I'd lifted my finger.
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But do you suppose I was going to walk into church beside a perambulating haystack like that?
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I'm sure we are glad, and we.
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Wish you all possible happiness, said Anne, very flatly and inadequately as she felt she was not prepared for such an occasion, she had never imagined herself offering betrothal felicitations to Miss Cornelia.
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Thanks.
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I knew you would, said Miss Cornelia.
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You're the first of my friends to know it.
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We shall be sorry to lose you, though, dear Miss Cornelia, said Anne, beginning to be a little sad and sentimental.
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Oh, you won't lose me, said Miss Cornelia unsentimentally.
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You don't suppose I would live over harbor without those McAllisters and Elliots and Crawfords, do you?
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From the conceit of the Elliots, the pride of the McAllisters and the vain glory of the Crawfords, good Lord, deliver us.
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Marshall is coming to live at my place.
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I'm sick and tired of hired men.
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That Jim Hastings I've got this summer is positively the worst of the species.
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He would drive anyone to get married.
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What do you think?
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He upset the churn yesterday and spilled.
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A big churning of cream over the.
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Yard, and not one wit concerned about it was he just gave a foolish laugh and said cream was good for the land.
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Wasn't that like a man?
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I told him I wasn't in the habit of fertilizing my backyard with cream.
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Well, I wish you all manner of.
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Happiness, too, Miss Cornelia, said Gilbert solemnly.
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But he added, unable to resist the temptation to tease Ms.
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Cornelia despite Anne's imploring eyes, I fear your day of independence is done.
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As you know, Marshall Elliott is a very determined man.
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I like a man who can stick.
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To a thing, retorted Miss Cornelia.
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Amos Grant, who used to be after me long ago, couldn't.
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You never saw such a weather vein.
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He jumped into the pond to drown himself once and then changed his mind and swam out again.
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Well, then, that like a man.
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Marshall would have stuck to it and drowned.
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And he has a bit of a.
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Temper, they tell me, persisted Gilbert.
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He wouldn't be an Elliot if he hadn't.
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I'm thankful he has.
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It'll be real fun to make him mad.
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And you can generally do something with a temporary man when it comes to repenting time, but you can't do anything with a man who just keeps placid and aggravating.
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You know he's a grit miss Cornelia.
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Yes, he is, admitted Miss Cornelia, rather sadly.
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And of course there's no hope of making a conservative of him.
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But at least he is a Presbyterian, so I suppose I shall have to.
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Be satisfied with that.
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Would you marry him if he were.
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A Methodist, Miss Cornelia?
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No, I would not.
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Politics is for this world, but religion is for both.
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And you may be a relic after all, Miss Cornelia.
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Not I.
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Marshall will live me out.
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The Elliots are long lived and the Bryants are not.
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When are you to be married?
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Asked Anne.
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In about a month's time.
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My wedding dress is to be navy blue silk, and I want to ask you, Anne deary, if you think it would be all right to wear a veil with a navy blue dress.
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I've always thought I'd like to wear a veil if I ever got married.
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Marshall says to have it if I want to.
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Isn't that like a man?
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Why shouldn't you wear it if you want to?
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Asked Anne.
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Well, one doesn't want to be different.
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From other people, said Miss Cornelia, who was not noticeably like anyone else on the face of the earth.
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As I say, I do fancy a veil, but maybe it shouldn't be worn with any dress but a white one.
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Please tell me, Anne deary, what you really think.
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I'll go by your advice.
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I don't think veils are usually worn with any but white dresses, admitted Anne.
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But that is merely a convention, and I am like Mr.
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Elliot.
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Ms.
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Cornelia, I don't see any good reason why you shouldn't have a veil.
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If you want one.
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But Miss Cornelia, who made her calls in Calico rappers, shook her head.
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If it isn't the proper thing, I.
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Won'T wear it, she said with a sigh of regret for a lost dream.
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Since you are determined to be married, Miss Cornelia, said Gilbert solemnly, I shall.
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Give you the excellent rules for the.
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Management of a husband which my grandmother.
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Gave my mother when she married my father.
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Well, I reckon I can manage, Marshall.
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Elliot, said Miss Cornelia placidly, but let.
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Us hear your rules.
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The first one is catch him.
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He's caught.
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Go on.
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The second one is feed him well with enough pie.
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What next?
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The third and fourth are keep your eye on him.
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I believe you, said Miss Cornelia.
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Emphatically.
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Thank you for joining Bite at a.
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Time books today while we read a.
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Bite of one of your favorite classics.
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Again, my name is Brie Carlyle, and I hope you come back tomorrow for the next bite of Anne's House of Dreams.
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