Поллианна
Miss Polly
Therehadbeenamanofwealthwhohadwantedher—andthefamilyhadmuchpreferredhimtotheminister; butJenniehadnot. Themanofwealthhadmoreyears,aswellasmoremoney,tohiscredit,whiletheministerhadonlyayoungheadfullofyouth’sidealsandenthusiasm,andaheartfulloflove. Jenniehadpreferredthese—quitenaturally,perhaps; soshehadmarriedtheminister,andhadgonesouthwithhimasahomemissionary’swife.
Thebreakhadcomethen. MissPollyremembereditwell,thoughshehadbeenbutagirloffifteen,theyoungest,atthetime. Thefamilyhadhadlittlemoretodowiththemissionary’swife. Tobesure,Jennieherselfhadwritten,foratime,andhadnamedherlastbaby"Pollyanna"forhertwosisters,PollyandAnna—theotherbabieshadalldied. ThishadbeenthelasttimethatJenniehadwritten; andinafewyearstherehadcomethenewsofherdeath,toldinashort,butheart-brokenlittlenotefromtheministerhimself,datedatalittletownintheWest.
Meanwhile,timehadnotstoodstillfortheoccupantsofthegreathouseonthehill. MissPolly,lookingoutatthefar-reachingvalleybelow,thoughtofthechangesthosetwenty-fiveyearshadbroughttoher.
Shewasfortynow,andquitealoneintheworld. Father,mother,sisters—allweredead. Foryears,now,shehadbeensolemistressofthehouseandofthethousandsleftherbyherfather. Therewerepeoplewhohadopenlypitiedherlonelylife,andwhohadurgedhertohavesomefriendorcompaniontolivewithher; butshehadnotwelcomedeithertheirsympathyortheiradvice. Shewasnotlonely,shesaid. Shelikedbeingbyherself. Shepreferredquiet. Butnow—
