`` You might run across and talk to me once in a while , '' suggested Mr. Harrison when she was leaving . '' 'T is n't far and folks ought to be neighborly . I 'm kind of interested in that society of yours . Seems to me there 'll be some fun in it . Who are you going to tackle first ? '' `` We are not going to meddle with PEOPLE ... it is only PLACES we mean to improve , '' said Anne , in a dignified tone . She rather suspected that Mr. Harrison was making fun of the project . When she had gone Mr. Harrison watched her from the window ... a lithe , girlish shape , tripping lightheartedly across the fields in the sunset afterglow . `` I 'm a crusty , lonesome , crabbed old chap , '' he said aloud , `` but there 's something about that little girl makes me feel young again ... and it 's such a pleasant sensation I 'd like to have it repeated once in a while . '' `` Redheaded snippet , '' croaked Ginger mockingly . Mr. Harrison shook his fist at the parrot . `` You ornery bird , '' he muttered , `` I almost wish I 'd wrung your neck when my brother the sailor brought you home . Will you never be done getting me into trouble ? '' Anne ran home blithely and recounted her adventures to Marilla , who had been not a little alarmed by her long absence and was on the point of starting out to look for her . `` It 's a pretty good world , after all , is n't it , Marilla ? '' concluded Anne happily . `` Mrs. Lynde was complaining the other day that it was n't much of a world . She said whenever you looked forward to anything pleasant you were sure to be more or less disappointed ... perhaps that is true . But there is a good side to it too . The bad things do n't always come up to your expectations either ... they nearly always turn out ever so much better than you think .
I looked forward to a dreadfully unpleasant experience when I went over to Mr. XXXXX 's tonight ; and instead he was quite kind and I had almost a nice time .
Anne Harrison Lynde Marilla Mr. afterglow expectations first snippet society