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Tonight, we'll read the 24th chapter of Anne of Green Gables, the classic 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This chapter is titled Mistacy and Her Pupils Get Up a Concert. In the previous chapter, Anne's impulsive nature leads her to accept dangerous stare, resulting in a fall that leaves her with a broken ankle and a wigs of confinement. Despite her initial despair, Anne's vivid imagination and the kindness of friends help her endure the tedious recovery, during which she discovers the depth of her connections in Avanley. The episode showcases Anne's resilience and marillas growing affection for her, as well All is Anne's enduring ability to find joy and lessons in even the most challenging situations. Let's get cozy. Close your eyes.

Relax your body into the softness of your bed. Now take a few deep breaths. It was October again when Anne was ready to go back to school. A glorious October, all red and gold with mellow mornings, when the valleys were filled with delicate mists as if the spirit of autumn had poured them in for the sun to drain. Amethyst, Pearl, Silver, Rose and Smoke Blue. The doos were so heavy that the fields glistened like cloth of silver, and there were such heaps of rustling leaves in the hollows of many stemmed woods to run crisply through. The birch path was a canopy of yellow, and the ferns were sear and brown all along it. There was a tang in the very air that inspired the hearts of small maidens tripping, unlike snails, swiftly and willingly to school. And it was jolly to be back again, at the little brown desk beside Diana, with rupee-gilless nodding across the aisle, and carry Sloan sending up notes. Julia Bell passing a chew of gum down from the back seat. Andrew a long breath of happiness as she sharpened her pencil and arranged her picture cards in her desk. Life was certainly very interesting. In the new teacher, she found another true and helpful friend. Miss Stacy was a bright, sympathetic young woman, with the happy gift of winning and holding the affections of her pupils, and bringing out the best that was in the mentally and morally.

Anne expanded like a flower under this wholesome influence and carried home to the admiring Matthew and the critical Marilla glowing accounts of schoolwork and aims. I love Miss Stacy with my whole heart, Marilla. She is so lady-like, and she has such a sweet voice. When she pronounces my name, I feel instinctively that she's spelling it with an E. We had recitations this afternoon. I just wish you could have been there to hear me recite Mary Queen of Scots. I just put my whole soul into it. Ruby Gillis told me coming home that the way I said the line, now for my father's arm, she said, my woman's heart fare well, just made her plot run cold. Well, now you might recite it for me some of these days out in the barn. Suggested Matthew. Of course I will," said Anne, meditatively. But I won't be able to do it so well, I know. It won't be so exciting as it is when you have a whole schoolful before you, hanging breathless on your words. I know I won't be able to make

your blood run cold." Mrs. Lynn says it made her blood run cold to see the boys climbing to the very tops of those big trees on Bell's hill after Crow's nests last Friday. Senarella. I wonder at Miss Stacy for encouraging it. But we wanted a crow's nest for nature study, explained Anne. That was on our field afternoon. Field afternoons are splendid, Marilla, and Miss Stacy explains everything so beautifully. We have to write compositions on our field afternoons, and I write the best ones. It's very vain of you to say so, then. You'd better let your teacher say it. But she did say it, Marilla. And indeed, I'm not vain about it. How can I be when I'm such a done-set geometry? Although I'm really beginning to see through it a little too. Mistacy makes it so clear. Still, I'll never be good at it, and I assure you it is a humbling reflection. But I love writing compositions. Mostly Mistacy lets us choose our own subjects. But next week we are to write a composition on some remarkable person. It's hard to choose among so many remarkable people who have lived. mustn't it be splendid to be remarkable and have compositions written about you after your dead? Oh, I would dearly love to be remarkable. I think when I grow up, I'll be a trained nurse and go with the red crosses to the field of battle as a messenger of mercy. That is, if I don't go out as a foreign missionary, that would be very romantic, but one would have to be very good to be a missionary, and

that would be a stumbling block. We have physical culture exercises every day, too. They make you graceful. They end to promote digestion. Promote fiddle sticks," said Marilla, who honestly thought it was all nonsense.

But all the field afternoons and Fridays and physical culture contortions paled before a project which Miss Stacy brought forward in November. This was that the scholars of this school should get up a concert and hold it in the hall on Christmas night, for the laudable purpose of helping to pay for a schoolhouse flag. The pupils won and all, taking graciously to this plan, the preparations for a program were begun at once, and of all the excited performers elect. None was so excited as Anne Shirley, who threw herself into the undertaking heart and soul, hampered as she was by Marilla's disapproval. Marilla thought it all, rank foolishness. It's just filling your heads up with nonsense, and taking time that ought

to be put on your lessons," she grumbled.

I don't approve of children's getting up concerts and racing about to practices. It makes them vain and forward and fond of gating. But think of the worthy object, pleaded in, a flag will cultivate a spirit of patriotism

Marilla. Fudge. There is precious little patriotism in the thoughts of any of you. All you want is a good time. Well, when you can combine patriotism and fun, isn't it all right? Of course it's real nice to be getting up a concert. We're going to have six choruses and Diana is to sing a solo. I'm in two dialogues, the society for the suppression of gossip and the fairy queen. The boys are going to have a dialogue too. And I'm to have two recitations, Merla. I just tremble when I think of it, but it's a nice, really kind of tremble. And we're to have a tablo at the last, faith, hope, and charity. Diane and Ruby, and I are to be in it. All draped in white with flowing hair. And I'm to be hope with my hands clasped so, and my eyes uplifted. I'm going to practice my recitations in the garret. Don't be alarmed if you hear me groaning. I have to groan heart-rendingly in one of them, and it's really hard to get up a good artistic groan, Marilla. Josie Pie is so cute because she didn't get the part she wanted in the dialogue. She wanted to be the fairy queen. That would have been ridiculous. Jane Andrews is to be the queen and I'm to be one of her needs of honor. Josie says she thinks a red-headed fairy is just as ridiculous. But I do not let myself mind what Josie says. I'm to have a wreath of white roses on my hair and rubigilus is going to lend me her slippers, because I haven't had any of my own. It's necessary for fairies to have slippers, you know. You couldn't imagine a fairy wearing boots, could you? Especially with copper toes. We are going to decorate the hall with creeping spruce and fur mottos with pink tissue paper roses in them, and we are all to march in two by two after the audience is seated, while Emma White plays a march on the organ. Oh Marilla, I know you are not so enthusiastic about it as I am, but don't you hope your little Anne will distinguish herself? Oh, I hope is that you'll behave yourself. I'll be heartily glad when all this fuss is over and you'll be able to settle down. You are simply good for nothing just now with your head stuffed full of dialogues and groans and tabloes. As for your tongue, it's a marvel it's not clean worn out. And side and but took herself in the backyard. which a young new moon was shining through the leafless popular bows from an apple-green western sky, and where Matthew was splitting wood. And perched herself on a block and talked to the concert over with him, sure of an appreciative and sympathetic listener in this instance at least. Well, now, I reckon it's going to be a pretty good concert. And I expect you'll do your part fine," he said, smiling down into her eager, vivacious face, and smiled back at him. Those two were the best of friends, and Matthew thanked his stars many a time and oft that he had nothing to do with bringing her up. That was Marilla's exclusive duty. If it had been his, he would have been worried over frequent conflicts between inclination and said duty. As it was, he was free to spoil Anne. Marilla's phrasing, as much as he liked. But it was not such a bad arrangement after all.

A little appreciation sometimes does quite as much good as all the conscientious bringing

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