He had recourse to his pipe that evening to help him study it out , much to Marilla 's disgust . After two hours of smoking and hard reflection Matthew arrived at a solution of his problem . Anne was not dressed like the other girls ! The more Matthew thought about the matter the more he was convinced that Anne never had been dressed like the other girls -- never since she had come to Green Gables . Marilla kept her clothed in plain , dark dresses , all made after the same unvarying pattern . If Matthew knew there was such a thing as fashion in dress it is as much as he did ; but he was quite sure that Anne 's sleeves did not look at all like the sleeves the other girls wore . He recalled the cluster of little girls he had seen around her that evening -- all gay in waists of red and blue and pink and white -- and he wondered why Marilla always kept her so plainly and soberly gowned . Of course , it must be all right . Marilla knew best and Marilla was bringing her up . Probably some wise , inscrutable motive was to be served thereby . But surely it would do no harm to let the child have one pretty dress -- something like Diana Barry always wore . Matthew decided that he would give her one ; that surely could not be objected to as an unwarranted putting in of his oar . Christmas was only a fortnight off . A nice new dress would be the very thing for a present . Matthew , with a sigh of satisfaction , put away his pipe and went to bed , while Marilla opened all the doors and aired the house . The very next evening Matthew betook himself to Carmody to buy the dress , determined to get the worst over and have done with it . It would be , he felt assured , no trifling ordeal . There were some things Matthew could buy and prove himself no mean bargainer ; but he knew he would be at the mercy of shopkeepers when it came to buying a girl 's dress . After much cogitation Matthew resolved to go to Samuel Lawson 's store instead of William Blair 's . To be sure , the Cuthberts always had gone to William Blair 's ; it was almost as much a matter of conscience with them as to attend the Presbyterian church and vote Conservative .
But William Blair 's two daughters frequently waited on customers there and Matthew held them XXXXX absolute dread .
After If about for in like that to while with