Anne's House of Dreams - L. M. Montgomery [91]
‘How long did it take you to get over your disappointment?’ asked Anne, amid her laughter.
‘Well, I had a spite at Providence for a good spell, and for weeks I wouldn’t even look at the baby. Nobody knew why, for I never told. Then he began to get real cute, and held out his wee hands to me, and I began to get fond of him. But I didn’t get really reconciled to him until one day a school chum came to see him and said she thought he was awful small for his age. I just got boiling mad, and I sailed right into her, and told her she didn’t know a nice baby when she saw one, and ours was the nicest baby in the world. And after that I just worshipped him. Mother died before he was three years old and I was sister and mother to him both. Poor little lad, he was never strong, and he died when he wasn’t much over twenty. Seems to me I’d have given anything on earth, Anne, dearie, if he’d only lived.’
Miss Cornelia sighed. Gilbert had gone down and Leslie, who had been crooning over the small James Matthew in the dormer window, laid him asleep in his basket and went her way. As soon as she was safely out of earshot Miss Cornelia bent forward and said in a conspirator’s whisper:
‘Anne, dearie, I’d a letter from Owen Ford yesterday. He’s in Vancouver just now, but he wants to know if I can board him for a month later on. You know what that means. Well, I hope we’re doing right.’
‘We’ve nothing to do with it – we couldn’t prevent him from coming to Four Winds if he wanted to,’ said Anne quickly. She did not like the feeling of match making Miss Cornelia’s whispers gave her; and then she weakly succumbed herself.
‘Don’t let Leslie know he is coming until he is here,’ she said. ‘If she found out I feel sure she would go away at once. She intends to go in the fall anyhow – she told me so the other day. She is going to Montreal to take up nursing and make what she can of her life.’
‘Oh, well, Anne, dearie,’ said Miss Cornelia, nodding sagely, ‘that is all as it may be. You and I have done our part and we must leave the rest to Higher Hands.’
35
POLITICS AT FOUR WINDS
When Anne came downstairs again the Island, as well as all Canada, was in the throes of a campaign preceding a general election. Gilbert, who was an ardent Conservative, found himself caught in the vortex, being much in demand for speech-making at the various county rallies. Miss Cornelia did not approve of his mixing up in politics and told Anne so.
‘Dr Dave never did it. Dr Blythe will find he is making a mistake, believe me. Politics is something no decent man should meddle with.’
‘Is the government of the country to be left solely to the rogues then?’ asked Anne.
‘Yes – so long as it’s Conservative rogues,’ said Miss Cornelia, marching off with the honours of war. ‘Men and politicians are all tarred with the same brush. The Grits have it laid on thicker than the Conservatives, that’s all – considerably thicker. But Grit or Tory, my advice to Dr Blythe is to steer clear of politics. First thing you know, he’ll be running an election himself, and going off to Ottawa for half the year and leaving his practice to go to the dogs.’
‘Ah, well, let’s not borrow trouble,’ said Anne. ‘The rate of interest is too high. Instead, let’s look at Little Jem. It should be spelled with a G. Isn’t he perfectly beautiful? Just see the dimples in his elbows. We’ll bring him up to be a good Conservative, you and I, Miss Cornelia.’
‘Bring him up to be a good man,’ said Miss Cornelia. ‘They’re scarce and valuable; though, mind you, I wouldn’t like to see him a Grit. As for the election, you and I may be thankful we don’t live over harbour. The air there is blue these days. Every Elliott and Crawford and MacAllister is on the war-path, loaded for bear. This side is peaceful and calm, seeing there’s so few men. Captain Jim’s a Grit, but it’s my opinion he’s ashamed of it, for he never talks politics. There isn’t any earthly doubt that the Conservatives will be returned with a big majority again.’
Miss Cornelia was mistaken. On the morning after the election Captain Jim dropped