With her old instinctive quickness to discern kindred spirits she knew she was going to like Miss Cornelia , in spite of uncertain oddities of opinion , and certain oddities of attire . Nobody but Miss Cornelia would have come to make a call arrayed in a striped blue-and-white apron and a wrapper of chocolate print , with a design of huge , pink roses scattered over it . And nobody but Miss Cornelia could have looked dignified and suitably garbed in it . Had Miss Cornelia been entering a palace to call on a prince 's bride , she would have been just as dignified and just as wholly mistress of the situation . She would have trailed her rose-spattered flounce over the marble floors just as unconcernedly , and she would have proceeded just as calmly to disabuse the mind of the princess of any idea that the possession of a mere man , be he prince or peasant , was anything to brag of . `` I 've brought my work , Mrs. Blythe , dearie , '' she remarked , unrolling some dainty material . `` I 'm in a hurry to get this done , and there is n't any time to lose . '' Anne looked in some surprise at the white garment spread over Miss Cornelia 's ample lap . It was certainly a baby 's dress , and it was most beautifully made , with tiny frills and tucks . Miss Cornelia adjusted her glasses and fell to embroidering with exquisite stitches . `` This is for Mrs. Fred Proctor up at the Glen , '' she announced . `` She 's expecting her eighth baby any day now , and not a stitch has she ready for it . The other seven have wore out all she made for the first , and she 's never had time or strength or spirit to make any more . That woman is a martyr , Mrs. Blythe , believe ME . When she married Fred Proctor I knew how it would turn out . He was one of your wicked , fascinating men . After he got married he left off being fascinating and just kept on being wicked . He drinks and he neglects his family . Is n't that like a man ? I do n't know how Mrs. Proctor would ever keep her children decently clothed if her neighbors did n't help her out . ''
As Anne was afterwards to learn , Miss XXXXX was the only neighbor who troubled herself much about the decency of the young Proctors .
Anne Blythe Cornelia Glen day eighth first flounce left tucks