01x11 - I'd Like to Add Some Beauty to Life

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Three months have gone by since

we said farewell to Matthew.

Mr. Barry is tending to the fields.

Thanks to everybody's help,

Marilla and I are living here in

Green Gables, the same as ever.

And tomorrow, I start teaching

at the Avonlea school!

There you are!

I'm glad to see Marilla looking well.

Her headaches have relented recently.

She must feel easier in her mind.

We owe it to you, Gilbert.

That apple tart tasted heavenly!

You must teach me the recipe

sometime, Marilla.

Of course. Come visit any time you like.

I'll take you all as far as the road.

When did they all get so tall?

They've become good friends these

past three months, haven't they?

They seem so well-matched.

I wonder what they're saying.

How I'd like to improve the old

Avonlea hall and that empty house.

I want to make Avonlea the

best village it can be.

I think it's high time we took action.

How very romantic.

We'll see each other next Friday.

Gilbert's in White Sands,

and Jane is in Newbridge.

It must be hard teaching in a strange town.

Oh, but they both have

an advantage over me.

How so?

Imagine my struggles teaching in

a place that knows my history.

That does sound worse!

Well, it is work.

Surely you ought to suffer

something for your salary?

That's our Jane.

But I don't want to be a cross

teacher if I can help it.

I hope to foster my pupils' talents

and be an influence for good.

How like our Anne!

What do you think, Gilbert?

What sort of teacher do you want to be?

Oh, well

I want to face my pupils with an

eye to their futures. Only

Only?

Only what?

Nothing.

Well, you'll all do fine.

By the way, what happened in that

business with Mr. Harrison?

What?!

Oh

Anne sold her neighbor's cow by

mistake! Can you believe it?

What?!

How many times must I get into the worst

scrape of my life before I'm through?

Mr. Harrison had just snapped at me

the other day, so I lost my head.

I felt certain that your old cow Dolly

had broken the fence and gotten

into Mr. Harrison's oats!

Mr. Shearer came by that very minute,

so I sold her to him for twenty dollars.

Then I went home to Green Gables,

and there was Dolly!

I had sold the neighbor's cow!

It gave Marilla headaches and

caused an awful bother.

Oh really, Matthew!

I know you're laughing at me!

Chapter 11

I'd Like to Add

Some Beauty to Life

What now?

I can't remember a word of the

speech I stayed up composing!

My name is Anne Shirley.

I hope we will all have great

fun learning together!

My pupils! Heroes and literary

giants of the future!

Anthony?

Mrs. George Pye has taken her

husband's orphan nephew.

And he'll be going to school with Anne?

That makes him a relation

of Josie's, I suppose.

You may expect trouble, that's what.

I am being put to the test.

Isn't the weather lovely, Anthony?

Perfect for the first day of school.

You all have such shining morning

faces, and bright, inquisitive eyes.

Miss Shirley.

I'm Paul Irving, ma'am.

Irving?

Didn't you came from the

United States with your father?

And now you live with your

grandmother in the village?

Yes. My dad went back

to the States to work.

Did he, now?

Teacher, about your name

You spell "Anne" with

an e on the end of it!

Yes, I do! Well spotted!

Your teacher's name is Anne with an e!

Now, it is time to begin our lesson!

Open your readers, please!

"Here am I, little jumping Joan."

"Here am I, little jumping Joan."

"When nobody's with me, I'm always alone."

"When nobody's with me—"

I want all my boys to be gentlemen.

Do you know what a gentleman is, Anthony?

Gentlemen don't pour water

down ladies' necks.

I hear they made you stand in

school all the time, ma'am.

And that you hit a boy over

the head with your slate.

W-Well, I

May I go now?

Y-Yes.

I want to go, too.

Teacher!

Paul?

What's wrong? Did you forget something?

I found these in Mr. Wright's field.

My, how pretty.

For you, ma'am.

What, me?

Well, I'll see you tomorrow!

Paul?

Goodbye!

Thank you!

Paul's father used to live in Avonlea.

According to Rachel

That Paul is Stephen Irving's boy.

You remember. Him that jilted

Lavendar Lewis over at Grafton?

I don't think he jilted her.

There was a quarrel.

I suppose there was blame on both sides.

Well, anyway, she never married.

A common enough story, I guess.

Stephen went off to the States,

married, and had Paul.

So that's it.

Now, how did you get along?

Ask me that a month later and

I may be able to tell you.

My thoughts feel as if they

had been all stirred up.

I see Miss Shirley had a tiring day.

The only thing I accomplished is that

I taught unlettered children that A is A.

Isn't it something to have

started souls along a path

that may end in Shakespeare

and Paradise Lost?

I made too much again.

Matthew always was fond of stew.

No matter, Marilla.

I'm feeling ravenous today.

I could wolf down the lot!

If you can muster an appetite like

that, I guess I needn't worry.

Oh, do smell that.

Bliss is it on such a day to be alive!

Don't drive so fast, Anne!

This summer, we young people

who hope to better Avonlea

formed the Village Improvement Society.

Gilbert was elected president,

Diana was treasurer, and I was secretary.

We had just convened our second meeting.

I'd like to discuss the costs

of improving the Avonlea hall.

We should start a subscription.

Seconded!

Do you know what people are

calling this society?

The Courting Club.

What?!

Marilla told me that "people

don't like being improved."

I explained that we are going to improve

the village, not the people in it.

Someone asked me if we could induce old

Josiah Sloane to keep his whiskers trimmed.

I've been asked if we mean to

plow up all the roadsides

and set them out with geraniums.

Try, "I will not hang lace curtains

in the cow stall windows."

Everybody has us all wrong.

Mr. Boulter has been warning

people against "Improvers."

We'll have to canvass from house to house,

to clear our names as much as anything.

I guess we will.

Why on earth did you offer to

canvass the Newbridge road, Anne?

I've been dreading it all morning.

Almost all the cranks in

Avonlea live along it.

I feel myself responsible for the A.V.I.S.,

since I was the first to suggest it,

and it seems to me that I ought to

do the most disagreeable things.

I'm sorry on your account; but you

needn't say a word at the cranky places. 

I'll do all the talking.

I just know they'll treat us

like swindlers or peddlers.

If Catherine is alone we may get something.

And if her sister Eliza is in?

We won't.

Good day!

Oh, you must be from the

Improvement Society.

Who is it, Catherine?

It's the Improvement Society.

If I had money to waste, I'd burn it up and

have the fun of seeing a blaze maybe.

The hall is just a place for

young folks to meet and carry on.

Oh, Eliza, young folks must

have some amusement.

We didn't when we were young.

This world is getting worse every day.

Well, I always like to

look on the bright side.

There isn't any bright side.

Oh, indeed there is!

Why, there are ever so many

bright sides, Miss Andrews.

Anne.

It's really a beautiful world.

You won't have such a high opinion of it

when you've lived as long in it as I have.

How is your mother, Diana?

She looks terrible run down of late.

Oh, I don't

And how long is it before Marilla

expects to be stone blind, Anne?

Eliza!

The doctor thinks her eyes will not get

any worse if she is very careful.

Doctors always talk like that

just to keep people cheered up.

I wouldn't have much hope if I was her.

No!

I don't have much hope for

your society, either.

I want to go home.

Wait!

Catherine?!

I'm so sorry. Take this for the hall.

I can't give more now, but I'm

real interested in your society.

Oh, Catherine!

Thank you!

And don't be cast down

over what Eliza said.

The world is getting better

it certainly is.

Yes!

If his wife is home, we won't get a cent.

Dan Blair doesn't dare have his

hair cut without asking her permission.

Everyone says so.

What's with this blasted thing?!

You'll have to excuse me, ladies.

I can't get the durned thing untied.

P-Pardon the intrusion.

We've come from the Improvement Society.

My wife's gone to the train to

meet her sister from Montreal

and left orders for me

to make a cake for tea.

But I've clean forgot half

the directions already.

And it says "season with

vanilla according to taste,"

but what if my taste doesn't

happen to be other people's taste?

Oh, it's perfect!

I was afraid I was going

to laugh myself to death!

Did you see his apron fluttering

behind him like a tail?!

He must not have wanted

to disappoint his wife.

He was desperate.

And he gave four dollars!

The Whites' place is next.

I've never met them,

but I hear she likes things neat.

Will you please wipe your feet carefully on

the grass and then walk on these papers?

Pardon us.

No! Don't come in!

Out! Out you you fly!

Don't you dare laugh, Diana.

Don't you look at my face.

The next place is the last.

Yes.

Oh?

There's Mr. and Mrs. Dickson

with old Mrs. White.

Good day!

Oh, good day to you girls.

Have you heard the news?

Mrs. White's son has just had the

baby boy he's been hoping for.

Goodness!

Congratulations, Mrs. White!

Lorenzo's known for being mean,

but he's the most generous

man in Avonlea this minute.

What?! We're going straight

to Lorenzo White's?

Gilbert and Fred won't canvass

him until next week,

and he won't be so generous by then!

Certain, certain!

Just put me down for a dollar more than

the highest subscription you've got!

You mean it?!

Mr. Daniel Blair put down four dollars.

Then put me down for five.

Now, I want you to come into the house.

There's something in there worth seeing!

What will we say if the

baby isn't pretty?

Oh, there will certainly be something

else nice to say about it.

It is pretty!

Like a little angel!

We'll slip over to Mr. Harrison's last.

It's on our way home.

What?! But Jane and Josie

took the Carmody road!

They're too afraid to go near him.

And he's really such a nice person.

They're only afraid because they've

heard you sold his cow by mistake.

Isn't that all the more reason

why I should be the one to go?

I brought him a cake with my apology,

and he gladly forgave me in

exchange for our Jersey cow.

So you see, Mr. Harrison

and I get on famously!

No.

You mean you won't subscribe?

Not a cent.

But why?

Someone led me to expect otherwise.

But I thought you approved of

our society, Mr. Harrison.

So I do, but my approval doesn't

go as deep as my pocket.

Redheaded snippet! Redheaded snippet!

S-Stop that, you!

My!

Et tu, Ginger?!

A few more experiences

such as I have had today

would make me as much of a

pessimist as Miss Eliza Andrews.

It's no laughing matter!

But have you ever known a day where

so many things went against you?

True enough. And we muddled

through somehow.

Yes. It was a good day.

You think so?

I feel as though my world has

grown a little broader!

So do I!

Here is the total of the subscriptions.

I don't believe it.

We can get to work on the hall

before the year is out.

Teaching isn't easy, is it?

No. I've wondered if I can face up to

forty more years of unruly pupils.

I've heard all the children like you.

I'm glad, but several of

them might not respect me.

Although some encourage me, too.

My father has gotten well

and come to live with us,

but illness and circumstance keep more than

a few of my pupils from their parents.

Oh.

I want to be a doctor.

I want to fight disease

and pain and ignorance.

The folks who lived before me have done so

much for me that I want to show my gratitude

by doing something for

the folks who will live after me.

I see.

I'd like to add some beauty to life.

I'd love to make people have a

pleasanter time because of me!

I think you're fulfilling

that ambition every day.

Next Time

Perhaps We Always

Love Best the

People Who Need Us