Thread by @lainasparetime

Okay, are you ready to slam and welcome to the jam?

No, for real, are you ready for chapter twenty-seven of Avonlea for today's #LainaReadsAnne thread? We're nearing the end!!

#LainaReadsAnne This is a chapter featuring a Davy moment where I actually find him kind of hilarious. That might actually be a miracle.

#LainaReadsAnne Anne comes "down to dinner in a new dress of pale green muslin" and it says this is "the first color she had worn since Matthew's death".

The book had only previously mentioned that one "black lawn" dress and then white dresses.

#LainaReadsAnne I probably should have, but I didn't actually realize she was still only wearing black.

She also, apparently, looks VERY nice - it suits her hair and skin. Davy compliments her quite sweetly and asks where she's going.

#LainaReadsAnne She's going to spend the afternoon at Echo Lodge and says it's too far for him to walk and Paul is coming anyways.

Davy says he likes Paul a lot more now since he's "got pretty good" himself.

#LainaReadsAnne Plus Paul, bless his heart, is very kind to all the younger boys and teaches them new games and such.

Since Anne will be at Echo Lodge, Davy decides to go visit Mrs Harrison, of whom he has become a big fan.

#LainaReadsAnne He likes that she always keeps cookies in the pantry and observes she's made Mr Harrison twice as happy as he ever was.

#LainaReadsAnne He says, "I guess getting married makes folks nicer. Why don’t YOU get married, Marilla? I want to know.”

And this next part is really funny to me.

#LainaReadsAnne "Marilla’s state of single blessedness had never been a sore point with her, so she answered amiably, with an exchange of significant looks with Anne, that she supposed it was because nobody would have her."

#LainaReadsAnne Then Davy says, "But maybe you never asked anybody to have you" shocking Dora into saying men are supposed to "do the asking".

Davy thinks this is deeply unfair and men shouldn't have to everything.

Surprise feminist Davy!

#LainaReadsAnne He asks for more pudding (using the British English definition) and Marilla says he's had plenty but then gives him a second helping anyways.

She got so soft XD

#LainaReadsAnne He wonders if people could live on pudding alone, but say "it's better to have pudding only on fish and company days than none at all" like, apparently, at Milty Boulter's house.

#LainaReadsAnne He says, "Milty says when company comes, his mother gives them cheese and cuts it herself" and only one small piece each.

Marilla says Milty shouldn't talk about his mother like that, and even if he does, Davy shouldn't repeat it.

#LainaReadsAnne Davy innocently says Milty said it as a compliment. "He's awful proud of his mother, 'cause folks say she could scratch a living on a rock."

Then: ""I... I suppose them pesky hens are in my pansy bed again," said Marilla, rising and going out hurriedly."

#LainaReadsAnne They're not - she sits on the cellar hatch and bursts out laughing "until she was ashamed of herself".

Honesly that's adorable!

And short - that's all the Davy in this chapter, and it was only a couple pages.

#LainaReadsAnne Miss Lavendar is very excited to see Anne and Paul.

Paul is really hoping to hear the echoes today, as it was too windy on his first visit.

I'm gonna skim a little here as the next bit is just them talking about food and Paul's grandmother's rules about snacking

#LainaReadsAnne And porridge. Again. They spend a lot of time talking about porridge.

There's some interesting stuff comparing Anne's view of religion verus Mrs Irving's, though.

#LainaReadsAnne Paul says, "Grandma says we should never think anything but religious thought on Sundays."

Meanwhile Anne's opinion is "every really beautiful thought" is religious. And I actually really respect that?

#LainaReadsAnne Like I'm not religious, but Anne is, and I think it's cool for her to talk about how she finds meaning in the beauty of the world and how she sees like, God's work or whatever you want to see it, in everything.

#LainaReadsAnne I think it's cool to see Anne find meaning in religion, and what it means to her, and WHY she's drawn towards it, versus just going along with it because it's expected of her.

#LainaReadsAnne Paul agrees with Anne, but points out his grandma did raise his father, who turned out pretty good, while Anne has only helped with the twins, and they're not grown yet, so they can't tell how raising a kid her way will turn out.

#LainaReadsAnne Anne is very diplomatic, saying she thinks at the base of things, she and Mrs Irving really mean "much the same thing" and just express it differently.

#LainaReadsAnne They have "lunch" which at this point I have no idea what meal that is. Anne has had dinner already and then they still have tea later. I guess lunch is like a between meals snack for them????

I don't even know.

#LainaReadsAnne Poor Miss Lavendar tries to be happy for Anne, but she's sad to hear of her leaving for college. More, even though Anne reassures her she'll write and visit on vacations, Miss Lavendar says she's "just tired of everything".

#LainaReadsAnne She says, "Perhaps all I need is a course of blue pills."

I'll tell you, googling "blue pills" is a risky game. But the general consensus after very careful searching seem to be a prepared mercury pill, also known as "blue mass".

#LainaReadsAnne Mercury was commonly prescribed for "melancholy". That's apparently the theorized cause of Lincoln's anger issues.

So there's that.

#LainaReadsAnne Charlotta the Fourth announces a nearby field is thick with early strawberries and asks if Anne would like to go with her to pick some, cheering Miss Lavendar up.

Mood, though. I love strawberries.

#LainaReadsAnne Charlotta the Fourth is awed by Anne and tries to adopt her way of talking and moving.

There's a line here about "the trick of that dainty uplift of the chin" that I love because in the 1985 mini-series Megan Follows does that CONSTANTLY.

#LainaReadsAnne Charlotta the Fourth thinks Diana is more traditionally pretty, but says, "I'd rather look like you than be pretty." LOL what a compliment.

"Anne laughed, sipped the honey from the tribute, and cast away the sting. She was used to taking her compliments mixed."

#LainaReadsAnne The book says, "Public opinion never agreed on Anne’s looks. People who had heard her called handsome met her and were disappointed. People who had heard her called plain saw her and wondered where other people’s eyes were."

#LainaReadsAnne It basically say if she wasn't Anne, she wouldn't be seen as so pretty - her personality and basically her "self" makes her pretty.

And that, really, is lovely.

#LainaReadsAnne Charlotta confesses she's been quite worried about Miss Lavendar, that she thinks Miss Lavendar "isn't well" and she's been tired and lonely unless Anne is visiting.

#LainaReadsAnne Anne declares as soon as school is over, she'll come and stay a whole week, which delights Charlotta the Fourth.

When Miss Lavendar hears this, she says, "If you come for a week, I'll keep you for two."

Poor Miss Lavendar. I feel bad for her.

#LainaReadsAnne And that's our thread for the day!! If you enjoyed it, pls RT something you liked, and if you wanna support me buying more Anne books, my tip jar is open ko-fi.com/A0602GN