But it belonged until lately to a very old lady , Miss Elizabeth Russell . She died last spring , and as she had no near relatives she left her property to the Glen St. Mary Church . Her furniture is still in the house , and I bought most of it -- for a mere song you might say , because it was all so old-fashioned that the trustees despaired of selling it . Glen St. Mary folks prefer plush brocade and sideboards with mirrors and ornamentations , I fancy . But Miss Russell 's furniture is very good and I feel sure you 'll like it , Anne . '' `` So far , good , '' said Anne , nodding cautious approval . `` But , Gilbert , people can not live by furniture alone . You have n't yet mentioned one very important thing . Are there TREES about this house ? '' `` Heaps of them , oh , dryad ! There is a big grove of fir trees behind it , two rows of Lombardy poplars down the lane , and a ring of white birches around a very delightful garden . Our front door opens right into the garden , but there is another entrance -- a little gate hung between two firs . The hinges are on one trunk and the catch on the other . Their boughs form an arch overhead . '' `` Oh , I 'm so glad ! I could n't live where there were no trees -- something vital in me would starve . Well , after that , there 's no use asking you if there 's a brook anywhere near . THAT would be expecting too much . '' `` But there IS a brook -- and it actually cuts across one corner of the garden . '' `` Then , '' said Anne , with a long sigh of supreme satisfaction , `` this house you have found IS my house of dreams and none other . ''
CHAPTER 3 THE LAND OF DREAMS AMONG `` Have you made up your mind who you 're going to have to the wedding , XXXXX ? ''
Anne Church Gilbert Mary Russell dryad firs left ornamentations right