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fringe of things during their first college year。
To Anne and Priscilla； with their more serious views of life；
Phil remained the amusing； lovable baby she had seemed on their
first meeting。 Yet； as she said herself； she had 〃heaps〃 of
brains。 When or where she found time to study was a mystery； for
she seemed always in demand for some kind of 〃fun；〃 and her home
evenings were crowded with callers。 She had all the 〃beaux〃 that
heart could desire； for nine…tenths of the Freshmen and a big
fraction of all the other classes were rivals for her smiles。
She was naively delighted over this； and gleefully recounted each
new conquest to Anne and Priscilla； with comments that might have
made the unlucky lover's ears burn fiercely。
〃Alec and Alonzo don't seem to have any serious rival yet；〃
remarked Anne； teasingly。
〃Not one；〃 agreed Philippa。 〃I write them both every week and
tell them all about my young men here。 I'm sure it must amuse them。
But； of course； the one I like best I can't get。 Gilbert Blythe
won't take any notice of me； except to look at me as if I were a
nice little kitten he'd like to pat。 Too well I know the reason。
I owe you a grudge； Queen Anne。 I really ought to hate you and
instead I love you madly； and I'm miserable if I don't see you
every day。 You're different from any girl I ever knew before。
When you look at me in a certain way I feel what an
insignificant； frivolous little beast I am； and I long to
be better and wiser and stronger。 And then I make good
resolutions； but the first nice…looking mannie who comes my way
knocks them all out of my head。 Isn't college life magnificent？
It's so funny to think I hated it that first day。 But if I hadn't
I might never got really acquainted with you。 Anne； please tell me
over again that you like me a little bit。 I yearn to hear it。〃
〃I like you a big bit and I think you're a dear； sweet；
adorable； velvety； clawless； little kitten；〃 laughed Anne；
〃but I don't see when you ever get time to learn your lessons。〃
Phil must have found time for she held her own in every class of
her year。 Even the grumpy old professor of Mathematics； who
detested coeds； and had bitterly opposed their admission to
Redmond； couldn't floor her。 She led the freshettes everywhere；
except in English； where Anne Shirley left her far behind。 Anne
herself found the studies of her Freshman year very easy； thanks
in great part to the steady work she and Gilbert had put in
during those two past years in Avonlea。 This left her more time
for a social life which she thoroughly enjoyed。 But never for a
moment did she forget Avonlea and the friends there。 To her； the
happiest moments in each week were those in which letters came
from home。 It was not until she had got her first letters that
she began to think she could ever like Kingsport or feel at home
there。 Before they came； Avonlea had seemed thousands of miles
away； those letters brought it near and linked the old life to
the new so closely that they began to seem one and the same；
instead of two hopelessly segregated existences。 The first batch
contained six letters； from Jane Andrews； Ruby Gillis； Diana
Barry； Marilla； Mrs。 Lynde and Davy。 Jane's was a copperplate
production； with every 〃t〃 nicely crossed and every 〃i〃 precisely
dotted； and not an interesting sentence in it。 She never
mentioned the school； concerning which Anne was avid to hear； she
never answered one of the questions Anne had asked in her letter。
But she told Anne how many yards of lace she had recently
crocheted； and the kind of weather they were having in Avonlea；
and how she intended to have her new dress made； and the way she
felt when her head ached。 Ruby Gillis wrote a gushing epistle
deploring Anne's absence； assuring her she was horribly missed in
everything； asking what the Redmond 〃fellows〃 were like； and
filling the rest with accounts of her own harrowing experiences
with her numerous admirers。 It was a silly； harmless letter； and
Anne would have laughed over it had it not been for the postscript。
〃Gilbert seems to be enjoying Redmond； judging from his letters；〃
wrote Ruby。 〃I don't think Charlie is so stuck on it。〃
So Gilbert was writing to Ruby！ Very well。 He had a perfect
right to； of course。 Only ！！ Anne did not know that Ruby had
written the first letter and that Gilbert had answered it from
mere courtesy。 She tossed Ruby's letter aside contemptuously。
But it took all Diana's breezy； newsy； delightful epistle to
banish the sting of Ruby's postscript。 Diana's letter contained
a little too much Fred； but was otherwise crowded and crossed
with items of interest； and Anne almost felt herself back in
Avonlea while reading it。 Marilla's was a rather prim and
colorless epistle； severely innocent of gossip or emotion。
Yet somehow it conveyed to Anne a whiff of the wholesome； simple
life at Green Gables； with its savor of ancient peace； and the
steadfast abiding love that was there for her。 Mrs。 Lynde's
letter was full of church news。 Having broken up housekeeping；
Mrs。 Lynde had more time than ever to devote to church affairs
and had flung herself into them heart and soul。 She was at
present much worked up over the poor 〃supplies〃 they were having
in the vacant Avonlea pulpit。
〃I don't believe any but fools enter the ministry nowadays；〃 she
wrote bitterly。 〃Such candidates as they have sent us； and such
stuff as they preach！ Half of it ain't true； and； what's worse；
it ain't sound doctrine。 The one we have now is the worst of the
lot。 He mostly takes a text and preaches about something else。
And he says he doesn't believe all the heathen will be eternally
lost。 The idea！ If they won't all the money we've been giving
to Foreign Missions will be clean wasted； that's what！ Last
Sunday night he announced that next Sunday he'd preach on the
axe…head that swam。 I think he'd better confine himself to the
Bible and leave sensational subjects alone。 Things have come to
a pretty pass if a minister can't find enough in Holy Writ to
preach about； that's what。 What church do you attend； Anne？ I
hope you go regularly。 People are apt to get so careless about
church…going away from home； and I understand college students
are great sinners in this respect。 I'm told many of them actually
study their lessons on Sunday。 I hope you'll never sink that low；
Anne。 Remember how you were brought up。 And be very careful what
friends you make。 You never know what sort of creatures are in
them colleges。 Outwardly they may be as whited sepulchers and
inwardly as ravening wolves； that's what。 You'd better not have
anything to say to any young man who isn't from the Island。
〃I forgot to tell you what happened the day the minister called
here。 It was the funniest thing I ever saw。 I said to Marilla；
‘If Anne had been here wouldn't she have had a laugh？' Even
Marilla laughed。 You know he's a very short； fat little man with
bow legs。 Well； that old pig of Mr。 Harrison's the big； tall
one had wandered over here that day again and broke into the
yard； and it got into the back porch； unbeknowns to us； and it
was there when the minister appeared in the doorway。 It made one
wild bolt to get out； but there was nowhere to bolt to except
between them bow legs。 So there it went； and； being as it was so
big and the minister so little； it took him clean off his feet
and carried him away。 His hat went one way and his cane another；
just as Marilla and I got to the door。 I'll never forget the
look of him。 And that poor pig was near scared to death。 I'll
never be able to read that account in the Bible of the swine that
rushed madly down the steep place into the sea without seeing
Mr。 Harrison's pig careering down the hill with that minister。
I guess the pig thought he had the Old Boy on his back instead
of inside of him。 I was thankful the twins weren't about。
It wouldn't have been the right thing for them to have seen
a minister in such an undignified predicament。 Just before
they got to the brook the minister jumped off or fell off。
The pig rushed through the brook like mad and up through the woods。
Marilla and I run down and helped the minister get up and brush
his coat。 He wasn't hurt； but he was mad。 He seemed to hold
Marilla and me responsible for it all； though we told him the pig
didn't belong to us； and had been pestering us all summer。
Besides； what did he come to the back door for？ You'd never have
caught Mr。 Allan doing that。 It'll be a long time before we get
a man like Mr。 Allan。 But it's an ill wind that blows no good。
We've never seen hoof or hair of that pig since； and it's my
belief we never will。
〃Things is pretty quiet in Avonlea。 I don't find Green Gables
as lonesome as I expected。 I think I'll start another cotton
warp quilt this winter。 Mrs。 Silas Sloane has a handsome new
apple…l