But it 's a burning shame and that hall certainly does look awful . '' The luckless Improvers expected that Avonlea would be more prejudiced than ever against them ; but instead , public sympathy veered around in their favor . People thought the eager , enthusiastic little band who had worked so hard for their object had been badly used . Mrs. Lynde told them to keep on and show the Pyes that there really were people in the world who could do things without making a muddle of them . Mr. Major Spencer sent them word that he would clean out all the stumps along the road front of his farm and seed it down with grass at his own expense ; and Mrs. Hiram Sloane called at the school one day and beckoned Anne mysteriously out into the porch to tell her that if the `` Sassiety '' wanted to make a geranium bed at the crossroads in the spring they need n't be afraid of her cow , for she would see that the marauding animal was kept within safe bounds . Even Mr. Harrison chuckled , if he chuckled at all , in private , and was all sympathy outwardly . `` Never mind , Anne . Most paints fade uglier every year but that blue is as ugly as it can be to begin with , so it 's bound to fade prettier . And the roof is shingled and painted all right . Folks will be able to sit in the hall after this without being leaked on . You 've accomplished so much anyhow . '' `` But Avonlea 's blue hall will be a byword in all the neighboring settlements from this time out , '' said Anne bitterly . And it must be confessed that it was . X Davy in Search of a Sensation Anne , walking home from school through the Birch Path one November afternoon , felt convinced afresh that life was a very wonderful thing . The day had been a good day ; all had gone well in her little kingdom . St. Clair Donnell had not fought any of the other boys over the question of his name ; Prillie Rogerson 's face had been so puffed up from the effects of toothache that she did not once try to coquette with the boys in her vicinity . Barbara Shaw had met with only ONE accident ... spilling a dipper of water over the floor ... and Anthony Pye had not been in school at all . `` What a nice month this November has been ! '' said Anne , who had never quite got over her childish habit of talking to herself . `` November is usually such a disagreeable month ... as if the year had suddenly found out that she was growing old and could do nothing but weep and fret over it .
This year is growing old gracefully ... just like a stately old lady who knows she can be charming even XXXXX gray hair and wrinkles .
against along as at for from of over than with