Chapter 1

17.

“Well, I hope it will turn out all right,” said Mrs. Lynde, only don’t in a tone that plainly indicated her painful doubts. “Only don’t say I didn’t warn you if he burns Green Gables down or puts poison strychnine in the well — I heard of a case (begin subscript)^(end subscript)(begin superscript)over in New Brunswick(end superscript) where an orphan asylum child did that, only it was a and the whole family died in fearful agonies. Only, it was a girl in that instance.

“Well, we’re not getting a girl,” said Marilla. (begin subscript)^(end subscript)(begin superscript)V(end superscript) “I’d never dream of taking a girl to bring up. I wonder at Mrs. Alexander Spencer for doing it. But there, she wouldn’t shrink from adopting a whole orphan asylum if she took it into her head.”

LMM Note V:
as if poisoning wells were a purely feminine accomplishment and not to be dreaded in the case of a boy,

[This is the first time Montgomery has included just a letter, rather than the label "Note V." The transcript above will follow Montgomery's lead, but the label under the maroon heading here will continue to use "Note."]