Rilla of Ingleside | Page 6

do, Mrs. Marshall Elliott," said Susan significantly,
"but I think it is a shame to talk about children making matches."
"Children! Jem is twenty-one and Faith is nineteen," retorted Miss
Cornelia. "You must not forget, Susan, that we old folks are not the
only grown-up people in the world." Outraged Susan, who detested any
reference to her age--not from vanity but from a haunting dread that
people might come to think her too old to work--returned to her
"Notes." "'Carl Meredith and Shirley Blythe came home last Friday
evening from Queen's Academy. We understand that Carl will be in
charge of the school at Harbour Head next year and we are sure he will
be a popular and successful teacher.'" "He will teach the children all
there is to know about bugs, anyhow," said Miss Cornelia. "He is
through with Queen's now and Mr. Meredith and Rosemary wanted
him to go right on to Redmond in the fall, but Carl has a very
independent streak in him and means to earn part of his own way
through college. He'll be all the better for it." "'Walter Blythe, who has
been teaching for the past two years at Lowbridge, has resigned,'" read
Susan. "'He intends going to Redmond this fall.'" "Is Walter quite
strong enough for Redmond yet?" queried Miss Cornelia anxiously.
"We hope that he will be by the fall," said Mrs. Blythe. "An idle
summer in the open air and sunshine will do a great deal for him."
"Typhoid is a hard thing to get over," said Miss Cornelia emphatically,
"especially when one has had such a close shave as Walter had. I think
he'd do well to stay out of college another year. But then he's so
ambitious. Are Di and Nan going too?"
"Yes. They both wanted to teach another year but Gilbert thinks they
had better go to Redmond this fall." "I'm glad of that. They'll keep an
eye on Walter and see that he doesn't study too hard. I suppose,"
continued Miss Cornelia, with a side glance at Susan, "that after the
snub I got a few minutes ago it will not be safe for me to suggest that

Jerry Meredith is making sheep's eyes at Nan." Susan ignored this and
Mrs. Blythe laughed again. "Dear Miss Cornelia, I have my hands full,
haven't I?--with all these boys and girls sweethearting around me? If I
took it seriously it would quite crush me. But I don't--it is too hard yet
to realize that they're grown up. When I look at those two tall sons of
mine I wonder if they can possibly be the fat, sweet, dimpled babies I
kissed and cuddled and sang to slumber the other day--only the other
day, Miss Cornelia. Wasn't Jem the dearest baby in the old House of
Dreams? and now he's a B.A. and accused of courting." "We're all
growing older," sighed Miss Cornelia.
"The only part of me that feels old," said Mrs. Blythe, "is the ankle I
broke when Josie Pye dared me to walk the Barry ridge-pole in the
Green Gables days. I have an ache in it when the wind is east. I won't
admit that it is rheumatism, but it does ache. As for the children, they
and the Merediths are planning a gay summer before they have to go
back to studies in the fall. They are such a fun-loving little crowd. They
keep this house in a perpetual whirl of merriment." "Is Rilla going to
Queen's when Shirley goes back?" "It isn't decided yet. I rather fancy
not. Her father thinks she is not quite strong enough--she has rather
outgrown her strength--she's really absurdly tall for a girl not yet fifteen.
I am not anxious to have her go--why, it would be terrible not to have a
single one of my babies home with me next winter. Susan and I would
fall to fighting with each other to break the monotony." Susan smiled at
this pleasantry. The idea of her fighting with "Mrs. Dr. dear!" "Does
Rilla herself want to go?" asked Miss Cornelia.
"No. The truth is, Rilla is the only one of my flock who isn't ambitious.
I really wish she had a little more ambition. She has no serious ideals at
all--her sole aspiration seems to be to have a good time." "And why
should she not have it, Mrs. Dr. dear?" cried Susan, who could not bear
to hear a single word against anyone of the Ingleside folk, even from
one of themselves. "A young girl should have a good time, and that I
will maintain. There will be time enough for her to think of Latin and
Greek." "I should like to see a little sense of responsibility in her, Susan.
And you know yourself that she