Treść książki
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3
"Well,Idon'tknow."Annelookedthoughtful."Ireadinabookoncethatarosebyanyother
namewouldsmellassweet,butI'veneverbeenabletobelieveit.Idon'tbelievearose
WOULDbeasniceifitwascalledathistleoraskunkcabbage.Isupposemyfathercould
havebeenagoodmanevenifhehadbeencalledJedediah;butI'msureitwouldhave
beenacross.Well,mymotherwasateacherintheHighschool,too,butwhenshemarried
fathershegaveupteaching,ofcourse.Ahusbandwasenoughresponsibility.Mrs.Thomas
saidthattheywereapairofbabiesandaspooraschurchmice.Theywenttoliveina
weeny-teenylittleyellowhouseinBolingbroke.I'veneverseenthathouse,butI've
imagineditthousandsoftimes.Ithinkitmusthavehadhoneysuckleovertheparlour
windowandlilacsinthefrontyardandliliesofthevalleyjustinsidethegate.Yes,and
muslincurtainsinallthewindows.Muslincurtainsgiveahousesuchanair.Iwasbornin
thathouse.Mrs.ThomassaidIwasthehomeliestbabysheeversaw,Iwassoweakand
tinyandnothingbuteyes,butthatmotherthoughtIwasperfectlybeautiful.Ishouldthink
amotherwouldbeabetterjudgethanapoorwomanwhocameintoscrub,wouldn'tyou?
I'mgladshewassatisfiedwithmeanyhow,IwouldfeelsosadifIthoughtIwas
adisappointmenttoherbecauseshedidn'tliveverylongafterthat,yousee.Shediedof
feverwhenIwasjustthreemonthsold.Idowishshe'dlivedlongenoughformeto
remembercallinghermother.Ithinkitwouldbesosweettosay`mother,'don'tyou?
Andfatherdiedfourdaysafterwardsfromfevertoo.Thatleftmeanorphanandfolkswere
attheirwits'end,soMrs.Thomassaid,whattodowithme.Yousee,nobodywantedme
eventhen.Itseemstobemyfate.Fatherandmotherhadbothcomefromplacesfaraway
anditwaswellknowntheyhadn'tanyrelativesliving.FinallyMrs.Thomassaidshe'dtake
me,thoughshewaspoorandhadadrunkenhusband.Shebroughtmeupbyhand.
Doyouknowifthereisanythinginbeingbroughtupbyhandthatoughttomakepeople
whoarebroughtupthatwaybetterthanotherpeople?BecausewheneverIwasnaughty
Mrs.ThomaswouldaskmehowIcouldbesuchabadgirlwhenshehadbroughtmeup
byhand-reproachful-like.
(AdaptedfromAnneofGreenGablesbyLucyMaudMontgomery)
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