Miss Cornelia and Marilla put all the little love-made garments away , together with the ruffled basket which had been befrilled and belaced for dimpled limbs and downy head . Little Joy was never to sleep there ; she had found a colder , narrower bed . `` This has been an awful disappointment to me , '' sighed Miss Cornelia . `` I 've looked forward to this baby -- and I did want it to be a girl , too . '' `` I can only be thankful that Anne 's life was spared , '' said Marilla , with a shiver , recalling those hours of darkness when the girl she loved was passing through the valley of the shadow . `` Poor , poor lamb ! Her heart is broken , '' said Susan . `` I ENVY Anne , '' said Leslie suddenly and fiercely , `` and I 'd envy her even if she had died ! She was a mother for one beautiful day . I 'd gladly give my life for THAT ! '' `` I would n't talk like that , Leslie , dearie , '' said Miss Cornelia deprecatingly . She was afraid that the dignified Miss Cuthbert would think Leslie quite terrible . Anne 's convalescence was long , and made bitter for her by many things . The bloom and sunshine of the Four Winds world grated harshly on her ; and yet , when the rain fell heavily , she pictured it beating so mercilessly down on that little grave across the harbor ; and when the wind blew around the eaves she heard sad voices in it she had never heard before . Kindly callers hurt her , too , with the well-meant platitudes with which they strove to cover the nakedness of bereavement . A letter from Phil Blake was an added sting . Phil had heard of the baby 's birth , but not of its death , and she wrote Anne a congratulatory letter of sweet mirth which hurt her horribly . `` I would have laughed over it so happily if I had my baby , '' she sobbed to Marilla . `` But when I have n't it just seems like wanton cruelty -- though I know Phil would n't hurt me for the world . Oh , Marilla , I do n't see how I can EVER be happy again -- EVERYTHING will hurt me all the rest of my life . ''
`` Time will help you , '' said XXXXX , who was racked with sympathy but could never learn to express it in other than age-worn formulas .
Anne Blake Cornelia Cuthbert Leslie Marilla Phil Susan day eaves