Christmas with Anne of Green Gables: and Other Stories

By L. M. Montgomery

Come celebrate Christmas with Anne of Green Gables and many of your other beloved friends from Prince Edward Island. Collected here are twelve wonderful holiday stories from a better, simpler time. Each story provides plenty of scope for imagination. L. M. Montgomery's writing is witty and wonderful. Spend the holiday season with her and her delightful characters.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wilder Publications, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781515402275

L. M. Montgomery

L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery (1874-1942) was a Canadian author who published 20 novels and hundreds of short stories, poems, and essays. She is best known for the Anne of Green Gables series. Montgomery was born in Clifton (now New London) on Prince Edward Island on November 30, 1874. Raised by her maternal grandparents, she grew up in relative isolation and loneliness, developing her creativity with imaginary friends and dreaming of becoming a published writer. Her first book, Anne of Green Gables, was published in 1908 and was an immediate success, establishing Montgomery's career as a writer, which she continued for the remainder of her life.

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Christmas with Anne of Green Gables

and Other Stories

by L. M. Montgomery

Wilder Publications, Inc.

PO Box 632

Floyd VA 24091

ISBN 13: 978-1-5154-0227-5

First Edition

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Table of Contents

Christmas with Anne of Green Gables

Christmas at Four Winds

The Josephs’ Christmas

Aunt Cyrilla’s Christmas Basket

A Christmas Mistake

A Christmas Inspiration

The Christmas Surprise at Enderly Road

The Falsoms’ Christmas Dinner

Christmas at Red Butte

Clorinda’s Gifts

The Brother Who Failed

The End of the Young Family Feud

Christmas with Anne of Green Gables

Matthew was having a bad ten minutes of it. He had come into the kitchen, in the twilight of a cold, gray December evening, and had sat down in the woodbox corner to take off his heavy boots, unconscious of the fact that Anne and a bevy of her schoolmates were having a practice of The Fairy Queen in the sitting room. Presently they came trooping through the hall and out into the kitchen, laughing and chattering gaily. They did not see Matthew, who shrank bashfully back into the shadows beyond the woodbox with a boot in one hand and a bootjack in the other, and he watched them shyly for the aforesaid ten minutes as they put on caps and jackets and talked about the dialogue and the concert. Anne stood among them, bright eyed and animated as they; but Matthew suddenly became conscious that there was something about her different from her mates. And what worried Matthew was that the difference impressed him as being something that should not exist. Anne had a brighter face, and bigger, starrier eyes, and more delicate features than the other; even shy, unobservant Matthew had learned to take note of these things; but the difference that disturbed him did not consist in any of these respects. Then in what did it consist?

Matthew was haunted by this question long after the girls had gone, arm in arm, down the long, hard-frozen lane and Anne had betaken herself to her books. He could not refer it to Marilla, who, he felt, would be quite sure to sniff scornfully and remark that the only difference she saw between Anne and the other girls was that they sometimes kept their tongues quiet while Anne never did. This, Matthew felt, would be no great help.

He had recourse to his pipe that evening to help him study it out, much to Marilla’s disgust. After two hours of smoking and hard reflection Matthew arrived at a solution of his problem. Anne was not dressed like the other girls!

The more Matthew thought about the matter the more he was convinced that Anne never had been dressed like the other girls—never since she had come to Green Gables. Marilla kept her clothed in plain, dark dresses, all made after the same unvarying pattern. If Matthew knew there was such a thing as fashion in dress it was as much as he did; but he was quite sure that Anne’s sleeves did not look at all like the sleeves the other girls wore. He recalled the cluster of little girls he had seen around her that evening—all gay in waists of red and blue and pink and white—and he wondered why Marilla always kept her so plainly and soberly gowned.

Of course, it must be all right. Marilla knew best and Marilla was bringing her up. Probably some wise, inscrutable motive was to be served thereby. But surely it would do no harm to let the child have one pretty dress—something like Diana Barry always wore. Matthew decided that he would give her one; that surely could not be objected to as an unwarranted putting in of his oar. Christmas was only a fortnight off. A nice new dress would be the very thing for a present. Matthew, with a sigh of satisfaction, put away his pipe and went to bed, while Marilla opened all the doors and aired the house.

The very next evening Matthew betook himself to Carmody to buy the dress, determined to get the worst over and have done with it. It would be, he felt assured, no trifling ordeal. There were some things Matthew could buy and prove himself no mean bargainer; but he knew he would be at the mercy of shopkeepers when it came to buying a girl’s dress.

After much cogitation Matthew resolved to go to Samuel Lawson’s store instead of William Blair’s. To be sure, the Cuthberts always had gone to William Blair’s; it was almost as much a matter of conscience with them as to attend the Presbyterian church and vote Conservative. But William Blair’s two daughters frequently waited on customers there and Matthew held them in absolute dread. He could contrive to deal with them when he knew exactly what he wanted and could point it out; but in such a matter as this, requiring explanation and consultation, Matthew felt that he must be sure of a man behind the counter. So he would go to Lawson’s, where Samuel or his son would wait on him.

Alas! Matthew did not know that Samuel, in the recent expansion of his business, had set up a lady clerk also; she was a niece of his wife’s and a very dashing young person indeed, with a huge, drooping pompadour, big, rolling brown eyes, and a most extensive and bewildering smile. She was dressed with exceeding smartness and wore several bangle bracelets that glittered and rattled and tinkled with every movement of her hands. Matthew was covered with confusion at finding her there at all; and those bangles completely wrecked his wits at one fell swoop.

What can I do for you this evening, Mr. Cuthbert? Miss Lucilla Harris inquired, briskly and ingratiatingly, tapping the counter with both hands.

Have you any—any—any—well now, say any garden rakes? stammered Matthew.

Miss Harris looked somewhat surprised, as well she might, to hear a man inquiring for garden rakes in the middle of December.

I believe we have one or two left over, she said, but they’re upstairs in the lumber room. I’ll go and see. During her absence Matthew collected his scattered senses for another effort.

When Miss Harris returned with the rake and cheerfully inquired: Anything else tonight, Mr. Cuthbert? Matthew took his courage in both hands and replied: Well now, since you suggest it, I might as well—take—that is—look at—buy some—some hayseed.

Miss Harris had heard Matthew Cuthbert called odd. She now concluded that he was entirely crazy.

We only keep hayseed in the spring, she explained loftily. We’ve none on hand just now.

Oh, certainly—certainly—just as you say, stammered unhappy Matthew, seizing the rake and making for the door. At the threshold he recollected that he had not paid for it and he turned miserably back. While Miss Harris was counting out his change he rallied his powers for a final desperate attempt.

Well now—if it isn’t too much trouble—I might as well—that is—I’d like to look at—at—some sugar.

White or brown? queried Miss Harris patiently.

Oh—well now—brown, said Matthew feebly.

There’s a barrel of it over there, said Miss Harris, shaking her bangles at it. It’s the only kind we have.

I’ll—I’ll take twenty pounds of it, said Matthew, with beads of perspiration standing on his forehead.

Matthew had driven halfway home before he was his own man again. It had been a gruesome experience, but it served him right, he thought, for committing the heresy of going to a strange store. When he reached home he hid the rake in the tool house, but the sugar he carried in to Marilla.

Brown sugar! exclaimed Marilla. Whatever possessed you to get so much? You know I never use it except for the hired man’s porridge or black fruit cake. Jerry’s gone and I’ve made my cake long ago. It’s not good sugar, either—it’s coarse and dark—William Blair doesn’t usually keep sugar like that.

I—I thought it might come in handy sometime, said Matthew, making good his escape.

When Matthew came to think the matter over he decided that a woman was required to cope with the situation. Marilla was out of the question. Matthew felt sure she would throw cold water on his project at once. Remained only Mrs. Lynde; for of no other woman in Avonlea would Matthew have dared to ask advice. To Mrs. Lynde he went accordingly, and that good lady promptly took the matter out of the harassed man’s hands.

Pick out a dress for you to give Anne? To be sure I will. I’m going to Carmody tomorrow and I’ll attend to it. Have you something particular in mind? No? Well, I’ll just go by my own judgment then. I believe a nice rich brown would just suit Anne, and William Blair has some new gloria in that’s real pretty. Perhaps you’d like me to make it up for her, too, seeing that if Marilla was to make it Anne would probably get wind of it before the time and spoil the surprise? Well, I’ll do it. No, it isn’t a mite of trouble. I like sewing. I’ll make it to fit my niece, Jenny Gillis, for she and Anne are as like as two peas as far as figure goes.

Well now, I’m much obliged, said Matthew, and—and—I dunno—but I’d like—I think they make the sleeves different nowadays to what they used to be. If it wouldn’t be asking too much I—I’d like them made in the new way.

"Puffs? Of course. You needn’t worry a speck more about it, Matthew. I’ll make it

Reviews for Christmas with Anne of Green Gables

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Best known for her beloved children's classic, Anne of Green Gables, and the seven sequels which followed upon it, Canadian author L.M. Montgomery was also a prolific short-story writer, selling her creations to religious and secular magazines and journals beginning in the late 1800s. These stories, numbering over 500, had largely disappeared from the public eye, until Montgomery scholar Rea Wilmshurst began collecting them in themed anthologies, beginning with the 1988 publication of Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans. This collection of sixteen holiday stories is the eighth such anthology created by Wilmshurst, and contains both original stories and excerpts from the "Anne" novels, all of which are sure to please the Montgomery aficionado.Christmas with Anne opens, appropriately enough, with Matthew Insists on Puffed Sleeves, the twenty-fifth chapter of Anne of Green Gables. This story of shy Matthew Cuthbert, who decides that Anne must have a fashionable dress with puffed sleeves for Christmas, was as charming as ever. Matthew's appreciation of the fact that sometimes "frivolous" things are necessary, is a nice counter-balance to Marilla's more Puritanical sensibilities.Christmas at Red Butte struck me as a fairly unremarkable morality tale - Theodora is rewarded for her self-sacrifice in giving up her beloved locket, by the safe return of her brother. I did find it interesting that through the virtue of selflessness, the image is exchanged for the reality...The End of the Young Family Feud was vintage Montgomery, and such a pleasure! The theme of estrangement being conquered through "accident" (or providence, as the case may be), is a common one in Montgomery's work, and I thought this story really anticipated some of her later, more accomplished tales.Aunt Cyrilla's Christmas Basket, with its good-hearted message that generosity and kindness are the true spirit of Christmas, which has no room for false pride, was pleasant and satisfying. I did feel that there was so much going on - the orphaned shop girl finds a home, the two older women connect over the death of their children, the young relative learns to see the value of her elder's customs - that it almost felt like an over-stuffed buffet of Montgomery themes.The Osbornes' Christmas, in which the well-to-do Osborne children gain a better appreciation of the holiday spirit when they decide to "give" Christmas to those less fortunate than themselves, was a little too treacly for my taste, and had a rather pedantic, moralistic tone. Montgomery's work is usually so character-driven that the requisite moral seems a natural part of the narrative, but the brevity of this tale prevents her from developing her characters enough to compensate for the preachiness. I'm also always a little irritated when Montgomery includes any French Canadian characters, as her throw-away remarks reveal a regrettable condescension. The Unforgotten One was probably the most sentimental of all the tales in Christmas with Anne, but despite being perfectly aware of Montgomery's deliberate tugging on my heartstrings, I still found myself tearing up while reading it. The saintly Miss Avis, remembered with love and devotion by all her relatives one Christmas, is the classic virtuous "homebody," so often encountered in sentimental Victorian literature of this type.Clorinda's Gifts was another selection (like The Osbornes' Christmas) in which the tale is overwhelmed by its didactic purpose. Aunt Emmy's point, that the gifts which can be bought are rarely the most precious, is well taken. But as the reader has little opportunity to enter into Clorinda's thoughts and feelings, as she comes to understand what this means for herself, it is impossible to really feel strongly about her eventual decisions. This would have been a much stronger story, if Montgomery had allowed the reader to share more of Clorinda's internal struggle.Katherine Brooke Comes to Green Gables, excerpted from Anne of Windy Poplars, is one of my favorite stories in this collection. The tale of an unfriendly, and very unhappy young woman, who unfolds in the right environment, it has that sense of hope and potential - of the possibility of change for the better - that I find so appealing in Montgomery's work. The reader will probably have a deeper appreciation of it, if they have already read Anne of Windy Poplars, and know more of Katherine's behavior prior to this episode.A Christmas Mistake was another tale of a long estrangement, this time between two stubborn cousins, which is healed when an invitation to Christmas dinner is accidentally given to the wrong family. Sentimental and sweet, it will appeal to Montgomery lovers, who will instantly recognize the theme of "accident/providence" having a hand in healing old disputes.The Christmas Surprise at Enderly Road was probably the least impressive selection here. The story of two young men who decorate a neighboring village's schoolhouse for Christmas, in an effort to be kind, it sometimes seemed a little smug and patronizing to me. More to the point, it also felt very "flat," with little conflict or struggle (internal or otherwise) to give it any interest.The Falsom's Christmas Dinner is yet another tale in which a quarrel is resolved at Christmas, when brother and sister Stephen and Alexina Falsom are reconciled to their close friends and neighbors, Duncan and Josie Tracy. Naturally, their orphaned poverty is also resolved...A Christmas Inspiration concerns a group of girls at a boarding house who, unable to go home for the holidays, are determined to have a good time. When inspiration strikes Jean Lawrence, the other girls fall in with her idea of putting together a holiday surprise for Miss Allen, the unfriendly older woman who lives in the same house. The idea of befriending, or doing a kindness for, someone who seems unfriendly and/or unreceptive, is another common theme in Montgomery's work, and plays out with satisfactory results in this story.In The Josephs' Christmas, a prairie family who "keep Christmas in their hearts," despite their poverty, are the beneficiaries of a most unexpected pair of Santa Clauses. I particularly enjoyed Montgomery's description of the little Josephs, and the air of mystery that pervaded their home in the month of December, as they all contrived to make gifts for one another.In Uncle Richard's New Year's Dinner, Prissy Baker hears her estranged Uncle Richard telling a shopkeeper that he will have a cold meal on New Year's, and decides to cook a meal for him in secret. This was the first of three stories devoted to the New Year's celebration, rather than Christmas, and (once again!) concerned the healing of an old breach, this time between two brothers.When one of her mother's delicious fruit cakes is misdirected to the "other" Ida Mitchell, in Ida's Near Year Cake, heroine Ida decides to let her "namesake" enjoy it, rather than ruin her belief that someone has remembered her at the holidays.And finally, in Bertie's New Year, a poor young delivery boy finds some new friends and a much-needed new position, through his kindness in loaning his mittens to his sick young cousin.All in all, this was an enjoyable collection of stories, and makes excellent reading material for the Christmas season. While I certainly wouldn't describe it as one of Montgomery's more inspired works, I think that her many fans will appreciate it. Many of the themes I have come to associate with Motgomery are present, as is the sense of warmth and home.

[empress8411 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As with all Montgomery's work, this is a warm, sweet, pleasant collection of stories. Good always triumphs, family is united, and all ends well. It's perfect for Christmas. I highly recommend.

[mialro_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A collection of holiday short stories and chapters from L.M. Montgomery's books, this is a heartwarming, cute little book to read for Christmas and New Year's. All the sweetness helps the morals go down, so don't worry about that. :) Recommended for fans of Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, and sentimental Christmas stories.

[callmejacx · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the perfect book to get you in the right mood for Christmas. It leaves you with a warm heart and a longing for a back home traditional Christmas when presents really did come from the heart. It's the little things what make Christmas. Christmas is about giving from the heart, not so much from your wallet. It's the joy and magic the season brings.This would be a perfect book to read as a family during the holidays. I highly recommend it.

[cassiewinters-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My in-depth review is live on my blog, but my overall rating is that this is a great Christmas collection to read once, but I personally cannot see someone wanting to read this every single Christmas. It lacks a depth, but there are great stories contained within that make it a worthwhile one-time read.

[rainbowdarling · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was pleasantly surprised to find that this set of Christmas stories was a pure delight. Each of them is in typical Montgomery style, with the addition of the traits that we most value at the Christmas season: good will, giving and merriment. Her character's learn the value of a gift from the heart, and how much fellowship can mean more than any tangible gift could. It's a very charming set of stories, and it's a perfect book to inspire the holiday mood.