Anne of Green Gables
同志社国際中学校

１年

井澤円

花

white and lacy, make you think of?” she asked.
“Well now, I dunno,” said Matthew.
“Why, a bride, of course-a bride all in white with a lovely misty veil. I’ve
never seen one, but I can imagine what she would look like. I don’t everexpect to be a bride myself. I’m so homely nobody will ever want to marryme-unless it might be a foreign missionary. I suppose a foreign missionary
mightn’t be very particular. But I do hope that some day I shall have a whitedress. That is my highest ideal of earthly bliss. I just love pretty clothes. AndI’ve never had a pretty in my life that I can remember-but of course it’s all
the more to look forward to, isn’t it? And then I can imagine that I’m dressedgorgeously. This morning when I left the asylum I felt so ashamed because I
had to wear this horrid old wincey dress. All the orphans had to wear them,
you know. A merchant in Hopeton last winter donated tree hundred yards ofwincey to the asylum. Some people said it was because he couldn’t sell it, but I’drather believe that it was out of the kindness of his heart, wouldn’t you?
When we got on the train I felt as if everybody must be looking at me andpitying me. But I just went to work and imagined that I had on the mostbeautiful pale blue silk dress-because when you are imagining you might aswell imagine something worth while-and a big hat all flowers and nodding
plumes, and a gold watch, and kid gloves and boots. I felt cheered up rightaway and I enjoyed my trip to the Island with all my might. I wasn’t a bit
sick coming over in the boat. Neither was Mrs. Spencer, although she
generally is. She said she hadn’t time to get sick, watching to see that I didn’t
fall overboard. She said she never saw the beat of me for prowling about. But
if it kept her from being seasick it’s a mercy I did prowl, isn’t it? And I
wanted to see everything that was to be seen on that boat, because I didn’tknow whether I’d ever have another opportunity. Oh, there are a lot more23

中学生―Ｉ部門“Isn’t that beautiful? What did that tree, leaning out from the bank, allcherry trees all in bloom! This Island is the bloomiest place. I just love italready, and I’m so glad I’m going to live here. I’ve always heard that Prince
Edward Island was the prettiest place in the world, and I used to imagine I
was living here, but I never really expected I would. It’s delightful when your中学生―Ｉ部門

imaginations come true, isn’t it? But those red roads are so funny. When wegot into the train at Charlettetown and the red roads began to flash past Iasked Mrs. Spencer what made them red and she said she didn’t know andfor pity’s sake not to ask her any more questions. She said I must have asked
her a thousand already. I suppose I had, too, but how are you going to findout about things if you don’t ask questions? And what does make the roads
red?”“Well now, I dunno,” said Matthew.
“Well, that is one of the things to find out sometime. Isn’t it splendid tothink of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad
to be alive-it’s such an interesting world. It wouldn’t be half so interesting if
we knew all about everything, would it? There’d be no scope for imagination
then, would there? But am I talking too much? People are always telling me I
do. Would you rather I didn’t talk? If you say so I’ll stop. I can stop when I
make up my mind to it, although it’s difficult.”

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