Anne Says Her Prayers (Anne of Green Gables)

01CHAPTER VII.

02ANNE SAYS HER PRAYERS.

03When Marilla took Anne up to bed that night, she said stiffly, "'Now, Anne, I noticed last night that you threw your clothes all about the floor when you took them off.

04That is a very untidy habit, and I can't allow it at all.

05As soon as you take off any article of clothing, fold it neatly and place it on the chair.

06I haven't any use at all for little girls who aren't neat.' "'I was so harrowed up in my mind last night that I didn't think about my clothes at all,' said Anne.

07"'I'll fold them nicely to-night.

08They always made us do that at the asylum.

09Half the time, though, I'd forget.

10I'd be in such a hurry to get into bed nice and quiet and imagine things.' "'You'll have to remember a little better if you stay here,' admonished Marilla.

11"'There.

12That looks something like.

13Say your prayers now and get into bed.' "'I never say any prayers,' announced Anne." Marilla looked horrified astonishment.

14"'Why, Anne, what do you mean?' "'Were you never taught to say your prayers?

15God always wants little girls to say their prayers.

16Don't you know who God is, Anne?' "'God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth,' responded Anne promptly and glibly.

17Marilla looked rather relieved.

18"'So you do know something, then, thank goodness.

19You're not quite a heathen.

20Where did you learn that?' "'Oh, at the asylum Sunday-school.

21They made us learn the whole catechism.

22I liked it pretty well.

23There's something splendid about some of the words—infinite, eternal, and unchangeable.

24Isn't that grand?

25It has such a role to it, just like a big organ playing.

26You couldn't quite call it poetry, I suppose, but it sounds a lot like it, doesn't it?' "'We're not talking about poetry, Anne.

27We are talking about saying your prayers.

28Don't you know it's a terrible, wicked thing not to say your prayers every night?

29I'm afraid you are a very bad little girl.' "'You'd find it easier to be bad than good if you had red hair,' said Anne reproachfully.

30"'People who haven't red hair don't know what trouble is.

31Mrs.

32Thomas told me that God made my hair red on purpose, and I've never cared about him since.

33And, anyhow, I'd always be too tired at night to bother saying prayers.

34People who have to look after twins can't be expected to say their prayers.

35Now, do you honestly think they can?' Marilla decided that Anne's religious training must be begun at once.

36Plainly, there was no time to be lost.

37"'You must say your prayers while you are under my roof, Anne.' "'Why, of course, if you want me to,' assented Anne, cheerfully, "'I'd do anything to oblige you.

38But you'll have to tell me what to say for this once.

39After I get into bed I'll imagine out a real nice prayer to say always.

40I believe that it will be quite interesting now that I come to think of it.' "'You must kneel down,' said Marilla in embarrassment.

41Anne knelt at Marilla's knee and looked up gravely.

42"'Why must people kneel down to pray?

43If I really wanted to pray, I'll tell you what I'd do.

44I'd go out into a great big field all alone, or into the deep, deep woods, and I'd look up into the sky—up, up, up into that lovely blue sky that looks as if there was no end to its blueness, and then I'd just feel a prayer.

45Well, I'm ready.

46What am I to say?' Marilla felt more embarrassed than ever.

47She had intended to teach Anne the childish classic Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.

48But she had, as I have told you, the glimmerings of a sense of humour, which is simply another name for a sense of fitness of things.

49And it suddenly occurred to her that the simple little prayer, sacred to white-robed childhood lisping at motherly knees, was entirely unsuited to this freckled witch of a girl who knew and cared nothing about God's love, since she had never had it translated to her through the medium of human love.

50"'You're old enough to pray for yourself, Anne,' she said finally.

51"'Just thank God for your blessings, and ask Him humbly for the things you want.' "'Well, I'll do my best,' promised Anne, burying her face in Marilla's lap.

52"'Gracious Heavenly Father—that's the way ministers say it in church, so I suppose it's all right in private prayer, isn't it?' she interjected, lifting her head for a moment.

53"'Gracious Heavenly Father, I thank thee for the White Way of Delight, and the Lake of Shining Waters, and Bonnie and the Snow Queen.

54I'm really extremely grateful for them.

55And that's all the blessings I can think of just now to thank thee for.

56As for the things I want—they're so numerous that it would take a great deal of time to name them all, so I will only mention the two most important.

57Please let me stay at Green Gables, and please let me be good-looking when I grow up.

58I remain yours respectfully, Anne Shirley.' "'There.

59Did I do all right?' she asked, eagerly, getting up.

60I could have made it much more flowery if I'd had a little more time to think it over." Poor Marilla was only preserved from a complete collapse by remembering that it was not irreverence, but simply spiritual ignorance on the part of Anne that was responsible for this extraordinary petition.

61She tucked the child up in bed, mentally vowing that she should be taught a prayer the very next day, and was leaving the room with the light when Anne called her back.

62"'I've just thought of it now.

63I should have said Amen in place of yours respectfully, shouldn't I?

64The way the ministers do.

65I'd forgotten it.

66But I felt a prayer should be finished off in some way, so I put in the other.

67Do you suppose it will make any difference?' "'I—I don't suppose it will,' said Marilla.

68Go to sleep now like a good child.

69Good night.' "'I can say good night tonight with a clear conscience,' said Anne, cuddling luxuriously down among her pillows.

70Marilla retreated to the kitchen, set the candle firmly on the table, and glared at Matthew.

71"'Matthew Cuthbert.

72It's about time somebody adopted that child and taught her something.

73She's next door to a perfect heathen.

74Will you believe that she never said a prayer in her life till tonight?

75I'll send her to the manse to-morrow and borrow the Peep of the Day series.

76That's what I'll do.

77And she shall go to Sunday school just as soon as I can get some suitable clothes made for her.

78I foresee that I shall have my hands full.

79Well, well, we can't get through this world without our share of trouble.

80I've had a pretty easy life of it so far, but my time has come at last, and I suppose I'll just have to make the best of it.'" End of chapter 7