Anne Shirley was a girl of about fifteen, with a freckled face and beautiful reddish hair that, at the moment, was blowing in the fresh island air. She sat on her front porch steps of a lovely little house known as Green Gables, and she felt there was no other place on earth that could give her such exhilaration and serenity. Anne ended up at Green Gables when the Cuthberts, Marilla and Matthew, were accidentally given a girl orphan (Anne, that is) instead of the boy orphan they requested. They felt a boy could help them on the farm, as Matthew was aging and could not handle some of the tasks he could have before. Marilla almost sent Anne to help Mrs. Blewitt's family, but Marilla knew how harsh Mrs. Blewitt was, and didn't want Anne having to experience her harshness. Instead, Marilla decided to keep Anne and Anne was grateful for her decision, because she had never lived in such an extraordinary place. She never wanted to leave.
It had been about four years now since Anne had first set foot on Prince Edward Island and the quaint little town known as Avonlea. As she sat on the porch steps and enjoyed the ocean breeze whipping through her hair, she pondered on her past. She wondered, What would life have been like if Marilla sent me to live with Mrs. Blewitt? Or what if she received the boy she wanted? Anne could not imagine life without the past four years being spent in Avonlea. She didn't even want to think of not being in such a lovely place. Providence must have had a say in the past four years of her life. She was grateful to Him.
It was a gorgeous August day, and the summer had been going splendidly for Anne. She finished school at the Avonlea schoolhouse and would be going to Queens in September. Anne was quite excited, except for the fact that her dear friend Diana would not be accompanying her. Diana's mother wouldn't let her continue her education because she felt she needed to learn to run a household instead of pursuing an education. Anne was upset over it, but she knew she would be able to write Diana from Queens, and she would be able to see her once the year was over.
While sitting on the porch lost in thought, Anne began to overhear Marilla talking to Matthew in the kitchen. Marilla sounded distressed, and Anne became worried. She slowly walked across the porch and crouched under the open window so she could discreetly listen to them talk. Marilla shouted at Matthew in an angry tone.
"Matthew Cuthbert, you're my brother and I love you, but we cannot move! This house has been in our family for a long time, and Anne can't move if she wants to pursue her education at Queens. She'll want to come home on holidays, and see her friends. You can't do this to her and to me!"
Matthew's eyes looked down on the floor as he felt ashamed and miserable.
"Marilla, I don't want to move anymore than you do, but I'm not making the money I was, and the doctor says I need to rest in order to keep my health. Halifax has some of the best doctors, and some of the best jobs. We would be able to live a much more financial and healthier life. And I can't afford to send Anne to school. I hate to do this to her, but I just don't have the money to keep the house or keep her at school. I don't know what to do…."
"I can find a job," Marilla said. "I can go into town today and look for one."
Matthew sighed and said, "Marilla, I don't want you to work with your weakened eyesight and your age. See, we're both getting old, and I don't want to have both of us becoming weak and tired."
"But Matthew, we simply can't do this to Anne. I want what is best for her."
Marilla became teary.
"But we can't stay here if we don't have the money," Matthew said, still looking down at the floor. "Oh, I just don't know what to do!"
Matthew's head fell down on the kitchen table into his arms as he sighed deeply. There was a long silence as Marilla became teary and Matthew was lost in thought.
Anne was shocked as could be. As she sat crouched under the window on the porch, she found herself silently sobbing. We have to move!, she thought. We can't do that! I was so happy here. My happiness is shattered.
Anne continued to cry quietly under the window and felt the world was crumbling to pieces and falling at her feet