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You're built to win it. Welcome to Snewscast, the is designed to help you fall asleep. Find us at snoozecast.com and if you enjoy our show, please share us with a friend. This episode is brought to you by the Lake of Sh waters. Tonight we'll read the 13th chapter to Anne of Green Gables, the classic 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This chapter is titled, The Lights of Anticipation. In the last episode, a solemn vow and a promise, Marilla is dismayed to hear about the wild flowers on Anne's Sunday school hat. And of course, she lectures Anne about them. Though Anne points out, many girls at church had bouquets pinned to their dresses, and many had artificial flowers on their hats. Marilla is worried about the bad impression Anne must have made. Marilla may have been more anxious than usual because she is about to bring Anne with her to meet Diana Berry, who lives close by and is Anne's age. As she has done in the past, she warns Anne of the importance of impressing Diana's strict mother. Out in the garden, the two girls stare bashfully at each other until Anne breaks the silence by asking, do you think you can like me a little enough to be my bosom friend? It's an odd and startling question for someone Anne has just met, but Diane laughs and agrees. Diana says in response that, I heard that you were strange, but I believe I'm going to like you really well. Let's get cozy. Close your eyes. Relax your body into the softness of your bed. Now, take a few deep breaths. Its time, Anne, was in to do her sewing. Said Marilla, glancing at the clock, and then out into the yellow August afternoon, where everything drowsed in the heat. She stayed playing with Diana more than half an hour more, and I gave her a leave too. And now she's perched out there on the wood pile talking to Matthew, 19 to the dozen. when she knows perfectly well she ought to be at her work. And of course, he's listening to her like a perfect nanny. I never saw such an infatuated man. The more she talks, and the utter the thing And she says, the more he's delighted evidently. And surely you come right in here this minute. Do you hear me? A series of staccato taps on the west window brought Anne flying in from the yard, eyes shining cheeks faintly flushed with pink, unbrated hair streaming behind her, in a torrent of brightness. Oh, Marilla, she exclaimed breathlessly, there's going to be a Sunday school picnic next week.

In Mr. Harmon Andrews Field,

right near the lake of shining waters,

and Mrs. Superintendent Bell and Mrs. Rachel Lind

are going to make ice cream.

Think of it, Marilla.

Ice cream.

And oh, Marilla, can I go to it? Just look at the clock if you please, Anne. What time did I tell you to come in? Two o'clock, but isn't it splendid about the picnic, Marilla? Please, can I go? Oh, I've never been to a picnic. I've dreamed of picnics, but I've never, yes, I told you to come at 2 o'clock. and it's a quarter to three. I'd like to know why you didn't obey me, Anne. Why, I meant to Marilla as much as could be. you have have no idea how fascinating idle while this. And then, of course, I have to tell Matthew about the picnic. Matthew is such a sympathetic listener. Please, can I go? You'll have to learn to resist the fascination of idle or whatever you call it. When I tell you to come in at a certain time, I mean that time and not half an hour later. And you needn't stop to discourse with sympathetic listeners on your way either. As for the picnic, of course you can go. Here is Sunday School scholar. And it's not likely I'd refuse to let you go when all the other little girls are going.

But, but, faltered Anne, Diana says that everybody must take a basket of things to eat. I can't cook as you know, Mervilla, and I don't mind going to a picnic without puffed sleeve so much, but I'd feel terribly humiliated if I had to go without a basket. It's been praying on my mind ever since Diana told me. Well, it needn't pray any longer. I'll bake you a basket. Oh, you dear good Marilla. Oh, you are so kind to me.

Oh, I'm so, so much obliged to you.

Getting through with her, O's, and cast herself into Marilla's arms, and kissed her cheek.

It was the first time in her whole life that childish lips had voluntarily touched Meryl's face. Again, that sudden sensation of startling sweetness thrilled her. She was secretly vastly pleased at Anne's impulsive caress, which was probably the reason why she said brusquely. There, there, never mind your kissing nonsense. I'd sooner see you doing strictly as you're told. for cooking, I mean to begin giving you lessons in that some of these days. But you're so feather-brained, I've been waiting to see if you'd sober down a little and learn to be steady before I begin. You've got to keep your wits about you in cooking, and not stop in the middle of things to let your thoughts rove all over creation. Now get out your patchwork and have your square done before t-time. I do not like patchwork. Set in. Dolefully. Hunting out her basket, and sitting down before a little heap of red and white diamonds with a sigh. I think some kinds of sewing would be nice, but there's no scope for imagination and patchwork. It's just one little seam after another, and you never seem to be getting anywhere. But of course I'd rather be an of green gables, sewing patchwork than an of any other place, with nothing to do but play. I wish time went as quick sewing patches as it does when I'm playing with Diana though. Oh, we do have such elegant times, Marilla. I have to furnish most of the imagination. But I'm well able to do that. Diana is simply perfect in every other way. You know that little piece of land across the Brook that runs up between our farms and Mr. Berries. It belongs to Mr. William Bell. right in the corner there is a little ring of white birch trees, the most romantic spot Marilla. Diana and I have our playhouse there. We call it idle wild. Isn't that a poetical name? I assure you it took me some time to think it out. I stayed awake nearly a whole night before I invented it. Then, just as I was dropping off to sleep, it came like an inspiration. Diana was enraptured when she heard it. We have got our house fixed up elegantly. You must come and see it. Won't you? We have great big stones, all covered with moss for seeds, and boards from tree to tree for shelves. And we have all our dishes on them. Of course they're all broken, but it's the easiest thing in the world to imagine that they are whole. There's a piece of a plate with a spray of red and yellow ivy on it. That is especially beautiful. keep it in the parlor, and we have the fairy

glass there too. The fairy glass is as lovely as a dream. Diana found it out in the woods behind their chicken house. It's all full of rainbows. Just little young rainbows that haven't grown big yet. And Diana's mother told her it was broken off a hanging lamp they once had. But it's nice to imagine the fairies lost it one night when they had a ball. So we call it the fairy glass. Matthew is going to make us a table. or we have named that little round pool over in Mr. Barry's field.

Willowmere. I got that name out of the book, Diana lent me. That was a thrilling book, Marilla. The heroine had five lovers. I'd be satisfied with one, wouldn't you? She was very handsome, and she went through great tribulations. She could faint as easy as anything.

I'd love to be able to faint. Wouldn't you, Marilla? It's so romantic. But I'm really very healthy for all I'm so thin. I believe I'm getting fatter though. Don't you think I am? I look at my elbows every morning when I get up to see if any dimples are coming. Diana is having a new dress made with elbow sleeves. She is going to wear it to the picnic. Ah, I do hope it will be fine next Wednesday. I don't feel that I could endure the disappointment if anything happened to prevent me from getting to the picnic. I suppose I'd live through it, but I'm certain it would be a lifelong sorrow. It wouldn't matter if I got to 100 picnics in after years. They wouldn't make up for missing this one. They're going to have boats on the lake of shining waters and ice cream as I told you. I have never tasted ice cream. Diana tried to explain what it was like. I guess I scream is one of those things that are beyond imagination. And you have talked even on for ten minutes by the clock," said Marilla. Now, just for curiosity's sake, see if you can hold your tongue for the same length of time. and held her tongue as desired.

But for the rest of the week, she talked picnic and thought picnic and dreamed picnic. On Saturday it rained and she worked herself up into such a frantic state, lest it should keep on raining until and over Wednesday, that Marilla made her so an extra patchwork square by way of steadying her nerves. Sunday and confided to Marilla on the way home from church that she grew actually cold all over with excitement when the minister announced the picnic from the pulpit. a thrill as went up and down my back, Marilla, I don't think I'd ever really believed until then that there was honestly going to be a picnic. I couldn't help fearing I'd only imagined it. But when a minister says a thing in the pulpit, you just have to believe

it.

You sent your heart too much on things, Anne," said Marilla, with a sigh. I'm afraid there'll be a great many disappointments in store for you through life.

Oh, Marrella, looking forward to things as half the pleasure of them. Exclaimed Anne, you may not get the things themselves, but nothing can prevent you from having the fun of looking forward to them. Mrs. Lind says, Blessed are they who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed. But I think it would be worse to expect nothing than to be disappointed. Marilla wore her Amethyst brooch to church that day as usual. Marilla always wore her Amethyst brooch to church. She would have thought it rather sacrilegious to leave it off, as bad as forgetting her

Bible or her collection dime. That Amethyst brooch was Marilla's most treasured possession. A seafaring uncle had given it to her mother, who in turn had bequeathed to Marilla. It was an old-fashioned oval, containing a braid of her mother's hair, surrounded by a border of very fine amethysts, Marilla knew too little about precious stones to realize how fine the amethysts actually were. But she thought them very beautiful and was always pleasantly conscious of their violet shimmer at her throat. Above her good brown satin dress, even though she could not see it. A hand had been smitten with delighted admiration when she first saw that approach.

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