01x19 - I'll Walk the Path to Heaven from Here and Now

[bunniefuu]

The summer of my first year at Redmond,

after receiving letters that my

parents wrote in days gone by,

I returned to Avonlea with a full heart.

I have been wondering if I could write a

short story good enough to be published.

Why, of course you could!

You used to write perfectly thrilling

stories years ago in our old Story Club.

One of the junior girls at Redmond

wrote a story last winter,

and it was published in the Canadian Woman.

I really do think I could

write one at least as good.

I'm subscribed to that magazine!

I might try one of the

bigger magazines first.

It all depends on what

kind of a story I write.

Say, where is old Mr. Sloane?

I can't seem to spot Mr. Cotton, either.

Well, as to that

You don't mean they've passed on?

Old Sloane had his whiskers

trimmed neat as anything.

I thought at first it was

somebody else in his casket.

Say, why do grown-ups get to talk

when it's wrong for children to do it?

I want to know.

Well, I don't suppose age

has anything to do with it.

Oh, here comes the bride.

Billy Andrews,

the coward who got his

sister to propose for him.

I'm glad to see he's made a good match.

Anne, there's the minister who rode the pig!

Is that

Ruby?

Has Ruby injured herself?

She won't live to see fall.

Everybody knows it except

herself and her family.

And her so young.

She's been telling Diana how she'd like

to talk with you when you got back.

I couldn't believe it.

Brilliant, merry Ruby!

How could the flame of her life

be guttering out?

Chapter 18

I'll Walk the Road

to Heaven

From Here

I've been dying to see you, Anne.

Yes, Ruby, so have I.

We're having a little get-together

here tomorrow.

I do so want you to come, Anne.

You must tell me about Redmond.

Of course. I'll be certain to come.

You must come!

I will.

Ruby's been wanting to see

you for a long while.

I really couldn't bring

myself to go see her alone.

They've a bitter time in store for them.

We can do nothing now but watch.

Look!

It's like an island

floating in a golden sea.

If we could sail to it in the moonshine,

how nice it would be.

Do you think we could find

all our yesterdays there?

Anne, you make me feel as if we were old

women with everything in life behind us.

What is your story to be about?

I don't know yet.

The only thing I've settled

on is the heroine's name.

It is to be Averil Lester.

Averil?

I'd like it to end unhappily, because

that would be so much more romantic.

But I understand editors have a

prejudice against sad endings.

"Nobody but a genius should try

to write an unhappy ending."

And I'm anything but a genius.

I like happy endings best.

But you like to cry over stories?

Oh, yes, in the middle of them.

But I like everything to come right at last.

I don't know anyone here.

Where can Ruby be?

Here I am!

Oh, Diana. You've come, too.

Go on.

What will you do?

I'll go get something to drink.

I'm going to teach in White Sands

in the fall, you know.

There's so much to prepare!

I've a blue silk to make up yet.

How do you like my hat?

Too bright, do you think?

It suits you wonderfully.

I'm so glad you came today.

I'll be away Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

There's a concert at Carmody

and a party at White Sands.

Herb Spencer's going to take me.

Herb?

Did you think I was engaged to

the Spencervale schoolmaster?

That was only a rumor.

I don't care a bit about

the boys downstairs, either.

They just work themselves up.

Herb is Mr. Right..

I see.

You know, Ruby, I heard that

you've been poorly lately.

Why, I'm perfectly well!

That congestion last winter

pulled me down a little.

But just see my color.

I see. That's good, then.

Now, I'd really better be going.

What? Already?

Thank you for today.

I wanted to have a nice good talk with you.

You and I were always

good chums, weren't we?

Yes, we were.

Come alone next time.

When can I expect you?

Anne!

Anne, wait!

Anne!

Ruby's arms were so thin that I

I felt I couldn't breathe.

Anne

What shall I do, Diana?

I wondered who it could be at this hour.

Mr. Harrison, it's been far too long.

Home for the summer, are you?

Yes. Mrs. Lynde is baking pies

tomorrow. I'll bring you one.

No pie will convince me

to give to the church.

Goodness!

He wouldn't give to the A.V.I.S.,

and he won't come to church.

When did you make friends

with this odd fellow, Anne?

So I do, but my approval doesn't

go as deep as my pocket.

Redheaded snippet! Redheaded snippet!

S-Stop that, you!

I know I was incensed at the time,

but look how painting the hall turned out.

I've come to think that maybe

Mr. Harrison had the right of it.

That was only a coincidence.

I suppose.

But he doesn't lie or flatter,

so when I finish my story, I'll want

you and Mr. Harrison to read it.

What does Mr. Harrison know about stories?

How was Ruby?

She seemed better than I'd feared.

What, done already?

Yes. College students have so much to do.

I'll bring you tea and cookies later.

Thank you.

Mrs. Lynde may be bossy, but at least

she's not stingy with her cookies.

I can hear you.

When can I expect you?

I like happy endings best.

Averil Lester,

let me write your story.

I had made up my mind to write a story,

and although I hadn't planned it to,

that summer's goal sustained me.

I visited Ruby nearly every day

and spent the evenings with her.

My father thinks it better that

I shouldn't teach till New Year's.

I agree with him.

Really!

I'll wear my new dress

to some party or other.

The boys will fuss again, and they're

dreadfully jealous of Herb already.

When I got home from visiting Ruby,

I threw myself into the world of stories.

Averil is descended from a noble

family fallen on hard times.

The hero, Perceval, is the heir to

a newly minted business empire.

And Maurice, who persecutes

Averil at every opportunity,

is a parvenu buoyed by

political instability.

At Christmas, I thought the Spencervale

schoolmaster was the man for me.

But I was wrong.

He nearly went insane

when I turned him down—

Ruby?!

I'll get you some water.

Don't go!

I'm fine. So stay here.

I'll be all right in a moment.

Ruby hasn't got much longer.

We should have more important

things to talk about.

The meaning of life, her goals

words to remember her by.

But that's Ruby all over.

She never did talk about

anything except boys.

As long as she's boasting about her

beaus, there's nothing to fear.

Herb Spencer is the only one I like.

I've come to see that we're

meant for each other.

I've gotten engaged to him.

We're to be married in the new year.

You must come to the wedding.

O-Of course.

I'll have so much to do.

Look, Anne.

They hardly ever come into the yard.

Are they brothers, do you think?

Or maybe

Anne.

Have you been getting enough sleep?

Yes.

Every time you go to see Ruby,

you come home looking tired out.

I don't see why you can't stop.

I feel as if she's struggling

with an invisible foe,

trying to push it back with such

feeble resistance as she has.

I can only watch her,

but even so, someone must.

It's so lovely how Averil and

Perceval marry in the end.

You mean it?!

Only

O-Only what?

Why did you k*ll Maurice?

He was the villain.

If I had let him live, he'd have

gone on persecuting Perceval.

But that's what I like about him.

Well, anyway, it's a perfectly

elegant story, Anne,

and will make you famous,

of that I'm sure.

It's shaped up some.

I did as you said and cut all the flowery

passages with no bearing on the plot.

Still

Still what?

I don't see why Maurice didn't get her.

Maurice was the villain. I don't see why

everyone likes him better than Perceval.

Perceval is too good. He's aggravating.

Listen, stories are all make-believe.

So you've got to make your readers

believe that they could really happen.

But your folks ain't like

real folks anywhere.

What will you do?

Fix it up like Mr. Harrison said?

Of course not. It is your story, Anne.

I just know it will be a success.

I sent "Averil's Atonement" to the

biggest of the "big" Yankee magazines.

But two weeks later

I never thought much of

that magazine, anyway!

Don't be discouraged, Anne.

Send it to the Canadian Woman.

Remember how Mrs. Morgan's

stories came back.

They can't have read it at all!

See if I ever read the Canadian Woman again!

It was just a silly idea anyhow.

I'll focus my energies on teaching

after I graduate from Redmond.

This is the end of my literary ambitions.

Anne, could you see your way to copying

part of "Averil's Atonement" for me?

Certainly, if you like.

Anne, would you lend me a hand?

I want to send invitations to my next party,

but they won't go into the envelopes right.

You'd better rest!

Come on.

I won't go with you.

Ruby?

Go away.

Leave me be.

Leave me be!

Ruby?

Ruby! Ruby!

The fever has confused her, I'm afraid.

My daughter is fine.

There's nothing the matter with her.

Anne!

Promise me you won't go again!

What if you catch consumption

and end up like poor Ruby?

I can't bear the thought!

You needn't worry, Marilla.

I won't be seeing Ruby anymore.

Hello, Mr. Harrison.

Is that so?

I've given it up completely.

I feel refreshed, if anything.

To think that writing stories

was such a weight on my mind!

I wouldn't give up altogether.

I'd write a story once in a while, Anne.

I don't think I will.

Excuse me.

How can he say that when he

came down so hard on it?

I've had enough. I've suffered enough hurt.

"Hurt"?

What does it matter?

Ruby

Ruby is

Ruby, I

Look.

How ghostly it looks.

It won't be long now before

I'll be lying over there.

Ruby? What are you saying?

You know it's so, don't you?

I know it—I've known it all summer,

though I wouldn't give in.

I'm just afraid.

I'm not afraid but that I'll go to heaven.

Heaven must be very beautiful,

of course, the Bible says so.

But, Anne, it won't be

what I've been used to.

And I'll have to go there all alone.

Oh, please, give me

Give me the words to help

Ruby, even a little,

wise people and elders of Avonlea,

of Prince Edward Island, of heaven!

I think perhaps life in heaven

can't be so different from here.

I believe we'll just go on living,

a good deal as we live here—

and be ourselves just the same.

Only it will be easier to be good

and to—follow the highest.

Don't be afraid, Ruby.

I can't help it.

I just can't.

Even if what you say about heaven is true,

I've never been. I've never seen it.

It may be only that imagination of yours!

It won't be just the same! It can't be!

I want to live.

I want to live like other girls.

To be married and have little children.

And then poor Herb.

He loves me,

and I I love him.

I'm glad I've told you this, Anne.

I've wanted to all summer.

But I couldn't.

It seemed as if it would make death

so sure if I said I was going to die.

I'll try.

I'll think over what you have said,

and try to believe it.

Good. I know you can.

Thank you. For all you've ever done for me.

I've always liked you best of all my friends.

You'll come up soon again.

Y-Yes, very soon.

I promise.

It's all right.

Nothing seems quite so dreadful now.

Ruby Gillis was a great girl to laugh.

Will she laugh as much in heaven?

I hope heaven is like Avonlea.

Yes, so do I.

I think she will laugh.

I think

she's laughing now.

Next Time

My World Has

Tumbled Into Pieces