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Anne's Life as an Orphan

by Rebekkah

Oh, what an absolutely dreadful place!" Anne Shirley exclaimed. She was only nine years old and already had been in three different orphan asylums and lived with two families in Nova Scotia.

"Anne!" the head of the asylum was shocked, "you shouldn't say such things!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Miss Wellington! But, compared with the other orphan asylums-" Miss Wellington sighed, "oh, Anne. I know how hard your life has been so far, and you, only being nine years. My life was quite similar, Anne, but I eventually found a family who loved me and would take care of me with their whole heart. That will happen to you too, I guarantee it!"

"Thank you, Miss Wellington." Miss Wellington left the small dark room that Anne was in. There were beds lining the walls.

Anne searched the room for a window or somewhere she could see her reflection in. Nowhere! Anne gasped! Katie! Katie! No Katie! Katie was Anne's window friend. Anne would talk to Katie as a person but she was only Anne's reflection.

"At least Miss Wellington is a kindred spirit, but then there's-" Anne's thoughts were interrupted by a whistle. "Miss Raulson!"

Miss Raulson was Miss Wellington's cousin and had to work at the asylum. Miss Raulson was so strict! If she wasn't Miss Wellington's cousin she wouldn't be working here. Miss Raulson always shouted orders and blew a harsh sounding whistle. Miss Wellington hardly ever shouted and never blew a whistle.

Anne ran down a winding staircase into the main room where they had to line up when Miss Raulson's whistle was blown. Anne wondered why the whistle blew. She hoped it was nothing serious but continued running down the winding staircase with her red hair in braids bobbing behind her.

When Anne got downstairs, she realized everyone was lined up, she didn't know where to line up. This was her first meeting in the main room of the asylum.

Miss Wellington was nowhere to be found! Well, at least she wasn't in the main room or in any of the hallways connected to it.

"I can't ask Miss Raulson," Anne thought with determination, "I just can't!"

Anne ran back up the spiral staircase and jumped into her bed and pulled the covers over her head.

"They'll never find me here, and besides, Miss Raulson probably doesn't even know I exist."

Anne started dreaming. She wasn't sleeping, exactly, but she could have been if her mind wasn't so occupied on her dreams.

She dreamed of a little island off Nova Scotia called Prince Edward Island. P.E.I. for short. It was beautiful there! She imagined that there were wonderful trees and flowers and it was like heaven. Of course, Anne had never been there, but she heard of P.E.I and ever since she heard of it, she knew she wanted to live there.

The whistle blew again. Anne was just about to drift off when it was blown.

"Oh, Katie! Katie! Wherever you are, please help me here! I know Miss Wellington is here but I just know I will never be able to endure Miss Raulson!"

Anne heard the other girls in the asylum (it was an all girl's asylum) coming upstairs, and held her breath.

The next morning, Anne was on duty to clear the plates from some of the girls after breakfast. The plates that the asylum used were porcelain, only because Miss Raulson told Miss Wellington that they should be.

They had red carnations in the center and a gold type of pattern on the edges.

There were two other girls that had to clear the plates, Elizabeth who was nine also and had dark black hair and was small for her age and Jane, who made fun of Anne and was ten.

Anne stacked three plates on top of each other and started to walk slowly and carefully towards the kitchen door, Jane stopped her.

"Oh Anne, you can't carry more than three plates! Why, I could carry at least ten, if we had to clear that many!" Jane teased.

"I can carry more, Jane, I just- I just didn't want to take all of the plates because I knew you could carry so many," Anne said helplessly.

"How many plates can you carry?"

"Uhh- I guess ten."

"Well let's see you carry ten," Jane replied with a gleam in her eyes.

Anne carefully stacked two more plates on top of her three.

"Uh, well, I guess that's all of the plates, Jane," Anne was thankful for that. Anne ran towards the kitchen before Jane could tell her to carry some of her plates and ran into Elizabeth who was coming out of the kitchen carrying some plates that had been already washed.

All of the plates fell on the floor and broke into little red, white and gold pieces.

The whistle blew.

"Miss Raulson!" Elizabeth and Anne gasped at the same time.

Anne didn't know what to do. Elizabeth had been at this asylum since she was five, and Anne followed her.

When all of the girls were lined up, Anne really looked out of place.

"You there!" Miss Raulson yelled. "Where are you supposed to be?"

"I am new here, Miss Raulson."

"Ahh... yes, you are the new girl. Why weren't you here this morning?"

"I wasn't here, I was talking to Miss Wellington," Anne thought that would be okay, but she didn't want Miss Wellington to get in trouble.

"I do not accept your apology."

"But I didn't-"

"Go to the back of the line." When Miss Raulson seemed satisfied with herself, she asked strictly, "whoever broke the plates purposely, set forward!"

Elizabeth didn't step forward.

"Oh, I'm glad," Anne thought. Anne stepped forward.

"You?!"

"Yes, Ma'am. But I didn't do it purposely. Jane," she pointed at Jane, "told me to and I listened to her."

"Do you always listen to everybody?"

"But she is older than me and everyone always says, 'respect your elders'."

"Go into Miss Wellington's office, now!" Anne ran into Miss Wellington's office with tears on her red face.

"What's wrong, Anne?" Miss Wellington asked.

Anne told her.

"We'll take care of Miss Raulson," Miss Wellington responded. "Pack your bag, not the one we gave you, your carpet bag with the handle that falls off. Come into my office at sunrise with your carpet bag."

"Yes, Miss Wellington," Anne responded and ran up to her room to pack her carpet bag, although she didn't have a lot to pack.

Anne awaited dawn with such excitement, she couldn't hold back. She was afraid Jane would see her, so she made sure to stay to herself. Anne couldn't understand how someone could be so mean. She often wondered how you get that mean. She asked Miss Wellington, and Miss Wellington told her that she would have to face a lot of other mean people for the rest of her life. (And Miss Wellington sure was right!)

Right at sunrise, Anne was in Miss Wellington's office. Miss Wellington had her coat on and a carpet bag (although it was much larger than Anne's) of her's packed. She motioned for Anne to put her coat on. Anne quickly slipped her coat on that Miss Wellington had on top of her desk waiting for her and followed Miss Wellington out of the door of the asylum.

When they got outside, Anne was astonished!

"Miss Wellington, won't-"

"Listen, Anne. You would never be able to survive with my cousin and I would never be able to survive either. I needed to go, and you too. You would probably get w-wh-whipped by her if you stayed longer. But don't worry, Anne. Everything will be alright. I know an orphan asylum that my friend owns. She will let me get a job and let you stay there. We will be there in about a half an hour."

They walked and walked. Finally, they reached a tall building. It was at least 6 stories, and that was very tall for an orphan asylum.

Miss Wellington pressed the doorbell.

A rather small woman with a dark blue dress and crisp white apron on opened the door with a straight face. She didn't say anything as if she were waiting for Miss Wellington to talk. Anne was afraid of this lady. She could be a gypsy! Or even worse, a robber or a murderer!!! Anne's eyes grew wide and she gasped.

"Ah-hem," Miss Wellington cleared her throat. "I am here to see Miss Charlotte Bryer."

"For what reason?" she woman demanded?

" I am her personal friend."

"For what reason?" she repeated.

"I would like a job and a room for this orphan that-"

"Your name?"

"Miss Cordelia Wellington." And with that, the woman closed the door in Miss Wellington's face.

"Cordelia?" Anne thought. "That's such a lovely name! It's so much better than Anne. At least Anne has an E on the end. But Cordelia! Such a lovely name for such a lovely person!" Anne fell in love with the name Cordelia at once.

The woman arrived at the door again after fifteen minutes.

"I'm sorry," she said with such an air which made her sound like she wasn't sorry, "there isn't a job for you and there isn't any room for your ugly red-haired and freckled orphan. Wherever did you find her?" The woman chuckled at her own joke.

Anne started breathing fast and deep. She hated when anyone made fun of her hair and freckles. Miss Wellington grabbed Anne's hand and walked away.

"Miss Wellington, your first name is so beautiful!! Why did that mean lady not let us stay there? I don't take up much room!"

Miss Wellington chuckled.

"You're right, Anne. You don't take up much room." She looked at Anne's thin body. "But we will take care of that, and don't worry. We have all day to find someplace to stay." Even though Miss Wellington said that, she wasn't sure if she actually meant that. Miss Wellington was starting to give up.

They walked and walked. Anne envied the people in carriages. The looked at her with disgust. Anne knew that this wasn't where normal people lived. It was where millionaires lived.

"Why do we have to walk on this street?" Anne asked.

"Anne, we want to find an orphan asylum so that.."

"Yes, Miss Wellington."

"Anne, my friend, Mrs. Hammond-"

"No, Miss Wellington! Anyone with such a name as that could not be a kindred spirit!"

"Well, I guess she wasn't really the nicest person I ever knew." Anne sighed. She knew that she couldn't carry her carpet bag in that certain way for much longer. Anne wanted to talk, but was unusually quiet. Miss Wellington got scared that she wasn't okay.

Finally, Anne decided it would be better if she talked.

"Oh, Miss Wellington! It's so beautiful! The morning is so wonderful!"

"I'm glad that you are back to your regular self, Anne."

"I'm really sorry about the plates, Miss Wellington, it was all my fault. Jane told me that she could carry at least ten and then I picked up five and ran to the kitchen door but Elizabeth was coming out and we knocked into each other. But it was my fault because I was running and I was holding too many plates but if Jane didn't brag about how many plates she could hold then it probably wouldn't have happened but I don't know because it did."

"Everything's alright now, Anne."

"Miss Wellington, may we please stay somewhere with a window or mirror. I need to talk to my window friend, Katie. She lives in another country that's far away and I always wish that she would take me into her wonderful country but she never can but she talks to me about her country and last night, since there weren't any windows in the orphan asylum I couldn't talk to Katie. She always comforts me when I'm in the depths of despair." Miss Wellington chuckled.

"We'll try, Anne."

"Oh, I'm so glad, because I know I just wouldn't be able to live if I had the survive a few more nights without Katie." Anne paused for a moment. "Miss Wellington, you're a true kindred spirit."

"Thank you, Anne. You are too."

"If only-"

"If only what?"

"Oh, nothing, Miss Wellington." Anne paused again.

"If we have to, we can go to Mrs. Hammond's," Anne stuttered.

"Oh, Anne. I know your opinion on that. That's a true sacrifice and someone would only do that if they were a true kindred spirit. We don't have to go to Mrs. Hammond's yet. Look, here is an orphan asylum. Look at the engraving on the building!" Miss Wellington's eyes glittered.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miss Wellington rang the doorbell. A smiling woman opened the door. She was tall and beautiful.

"Hello, how may I help you?"

"I am looking for a job and somewhere for this orphan to stay," Miss Wellington answered politely.

"Your name please, Miss?"

"Miss Cordelia Wellington."

"Please come in, Miss Wellington." The woman ushered Miss Wellington and Anne into the room.

Anne wasn't paying any attention because Miss Wellington just mentioned her name, Cordelia. Once she felt the warmth of the room tingle her face, she woke up. There was a crystal chandelier in the middle of the room and a dome ceiling. A chill ran down Anne's back and Anne prayed that she would be able to stay here.

"Miss Wellington, please make yourself at home." Miss Wellington sat down and Anne did too.

The woman came over to Anne. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Anne," she responded with a smile on her face. "I'm an orphan and I'm nine years old but Miss Wellington and I had to leave the old orphan asylum because Miss Raulson was too mean and now we are here because we didn't want to go to mean Mrs. Hammond's house to live. The name Hammond sounds mean, doesn't it? You must have a beautiful name, just like Miss Wellington's, because you are beautiful and wonderful and kind! I'm sure you are a kindred spirit, there is a loss of them these days. But it's all my fault because I tried to carry five of the carnation plates and ran into Elizabeth because Jane said she could carry more than ten." The woman chuckled. There was something Anne really liked about this woman. She was a kindred spirit, but it was something more than that. Anne thought and thought. That's it! She has red hair too and freckles!!

"If you excuse me, ladies, I'll get Miss Bay and tell her that you are here." The woman swiftly turned on her heel and in a few minutes, came out with another woman and Anne didn't know what to think of her.

"Good morning, ladies." Miss Bay shook hands politely with Miss Wellington. "Well, Katie, please show her to her room while I talk to Miss Wellington."

"Come with me, Anne," Katie said and they held hands and walked up a steep flight of stairs.

"Oh! Your name's Katie! Just like my window friend! But I haven't seen her in a while because there wasn't a window in the old orphan asylum!" Anne paused to gasp. This asylum wasn't like the ones at home! It was so beautiful and elaborately decorated!

"Oh, Katie! I cannot believe that I am going to stay here!" Anne's face just then flashed a worried look, "I am going to stay here, aren't I?"

"Oh yes, Anne. If you would like to. And Miss Wellington is going to stay here too!"

"That would be marvelous!" Anne exclaimed, but she still had most of her attention on the hallways they were going through. "I love this place already! What do you call it?"

"We call it, the orphan asylum," Katie laughed.

"Oh, but Katie, it needs a real name, not just a title, a name! Like, like," Anne stopped to think, "oh, well. I can't think of a name right now, but it sure deserves a name because it's so elaborate!" Katie couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was the talkativeness of a young child, but using the word elaborate correctly? Why, Anne couldn't be more than nine, Katie thought.

"How old are you, Anne?"

"I'm nine." Anne said nine with a shake of her head.

"That's what I thought." Katie sighed. "Well, here we are." Katie stopped in front of a medium sized room that had three beds in it.

Anne gasped. "This, this is my room?!" she exclaimed and asked at the same time.

"Well, you will share it with two other girls," Katie explained.

Anne didn't pay any attention to what Katie said, "this is my room? With the huge crystal chandelier in the middle of the room and that big doll house and look at those dolls and look! A window! I can talk to Katie Maurice!" Anne ran over to the window. She gasped again, "oh! Look at that beautiful view! It is right over that lovely garden! And those rose bushes in the garden! And look at that beautiful apple tree!" Katie smiled a smile of satisfaction and sat down on Anne's bed, because she knew that she would be there a while listening to Anne point out everything!
Just then, Katie and Anne heard Miss Bay call, "girls!" In her sweet voice. Katie ushered Anne into a large, beautiful room with a dark, shining piano in it.

"Oh! Katie! This room looks like it could be a room in a castle! I can just imagine all of the knights and kings and queens and fair maidens walking about your "orphan asylum"! Especially in this room!"

Katie smiled, "I agree with you Anne."

"Girls!" Miss Bay called again. Everyone quieted down, and Miss Bay proceeded.

"Today, we have a new addition to our staff, Miss Wellington." Miss Bay flourished her hand in the direction of Miss Wellington.

Then, as if all of the girls in the room (about 30) became one and their voices unison, saying "Good morning, Miss Wellington." Anne was shocked! This was where she wanted to be; she wanted to stay here. There was discipline, but not rough discipline, and you could use your imagination, Miss Bay and Katie were wonderful, and most of all, the place was beautiful!

Anne sighed, she loved this place. She could learn to live here, and she knew, that her life might be wonderful after all, especially since this beautiful place, was her new home!

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