Summary—Chapter 21: A New Departure in Flavorings
On the last day of June, Anne returns from school with
red eyes and a soaked handkerchief in her hand. The universally
disliked schoolteacher, Mr. Phillips, is leaving his job, and his
farewell speech made all the girls cry. The old minister, Mr. Bentley,
has also given up his post, and the Avonlea congregation chooses
a young man named Mr. Allan as Mr. Bentley’s successor. The congregation
welcomes Mr. Allan and his pretty young wife into the community.
Anne admires Mrs. Allan, who teaches Anne’s Sunday school class, because
unlike the previous teacher she encourages the students to ask many
questions.
Marilla invites Mr. and Mrs. Allan to tea, and works
for days preparing a generous spread of food for the young couple.
Marilla allows Anne to bake a layer cake. Even though Anne has baked many
cakes, she is nervous nonetheless. The cake comes out of the oven
looking beautiful, and Anne is proud to serve it to her new hero,
Mrs. Allan. Mrs. Allan can hardly swallow the cake, but she eats
it to spare Anne’s feelings. When Marilla tastes the cake herself, she
asks Anne what ingredients she used. Marilla discovers that Anne
accidentally used anodyne liniment instead of vanilla, making the
cake taste awful. Anne is mortified and runs upstairs, throws herself
on the bed, and weeps. Mrs. Allan cheers Anne up, and Anne begins
to see some good in the embarrassing situation, saying at least
she never makes the same mistake twice. She is relieved to think that
once she has made all possible mistakes, she will be done making
mistakes for good.
Summary—Chapter 22: Anne Is Invited Out to Tea
Returning from the post office, Anne is filled with excitement because
Mrs. Allan has invited her to tea. Marilla explains that Mrs. Allan
has invited all the children in her Sunday school class, but this news
does not diminish Anne’s excitement. As usual, Marilla is troubled
by Anne’s enthusiasm, believing it will cause Anne pain when reality
does not live up to her expectations. Anne is nervous that she will
forget her manners and offend Mrs. Allan. Marilla gives her etiquette
advice and tells her not to think about how she should behave but
to imagine what sorts of behavior would please Mrs. Allan. After
tea, Anne describes her time at Mrs. Allan’s home. She admires Mrs.
Allan so much that she says she wants to become a minister’s wife.
She tells Marilla that, according to Mrs. Rachel, the school is
getting a new teacher named Miss Muriel Stacy.
Summary—Chapter 23: Anne Comes to Grief in an Affair
of Honor
At the end of summer, Diana Barry invites all the girls
in the Sunday school class to her house for a party. Tired of their
usual songs and games, the girls decide to embark on more adventurous
activities. They dare each other to hop around the yard on one foot
or climb a tree. Josie Pye, a sly girl whom Diana and Anne dislike,
dares Anne to walk the ridgepole of the Barry’s kitchen roof. Diana
tries to dissuade Anne from performing such a difficult dare, but
Anne feels her honor is at stake, so she climbs to the top of the
roof. She manages to walk a few steps before losing her balance,
falling to the ground, and breaking her ankle. All the girls rush
to her side, shrieking and crying.
When Marilla sees Mr. Barry carrying Anne back to Green Gables,
she is terrified that something serious has happened. She realizes
for the first time how much Anne means to her. Anne rests in bed
for seven weeks and is pleased to find that many people in Avonlea
care enough about her to visit. From her friends she hears all about
the new teacher, Miss Stacy, who dresses beautifully and organizes
recitations, nature walks, and physical exercises for her class.
Anne thinks her new teacher will be a kindred spirit.
Summary—Chapter 24: Miss Stacy and Her Pupils Get
Up a Concert
Anne enjoys her return to school in October. She especially
adores her new teacher, and flourishes academically and personally
in Miss Stacy’s innovative schoolhouse. Both Mrs. Rachel and Marilla
disapprove of Miss Stacy’s novel teaching methods, which include sending
boys to retrieve birds’ nests from the tops of trees to use as teaching
tools and leading the children in daily exercises. In November,
Miss Stacy announces that the school will put on a Christmas concert
to raise money to buy a Canadian flag for the schoolhouse. Anne
is even more excited than the rest of the students and anxiously
awaits the performance of her two recitations. Marilla declares
the concert “foolishness,” so Anne talks to Matthew about the concert.
He reflects that he is glad that he has no part in bringing up Anne,
since his lack of involvement allows him to spoil her.
