Warning: If you have a visual impairment, use the manuscript transcript version including the Lucy Maud Montgomery’s foot notes and contextual annotation references.

Chapter 29 - (VERSO)

446 520

Chapter 29.
An Epoch in Anne’s Life.

Anne was bringing the cows home from the back pasture by way of Lover’s’ [sic] Lane. (begin subscript)^(end subscript)(begin superscript)M16¶(end superscript)

The cows swung placidly down the lane and Anne followed them dreamily, repeating aloud the battle canto from Marmion—which had also been part of their English course the preceding winter and which Miss Stacy had made them learn off by heart—and exulting in its rushing lines and the clash of spears in its imagery. When she came to the lines,

“The stubborn spearsmen still made good
Their dark impenetrable wood,”

she stopped in ecstasy to shut her eyes that she might the better fancy herself one of that heroic ring. When

 

LMM Notes

LMM Note M16
It was a September evening and all the gaps and clearings in the woods were brimmed up with ruby (begin subscript)^(end subscript)(begin superscript)sunset(end superscript) light. Here and there the lane was splashed with it, but for the most part it was already quite shadowy beneath the maples, and the spaces under the firs were filled with a clear violet dusk (begin subscript)^(end subscript)(begin superscript)like airy wine.(end superscript) The winds were out in their tops and there is no sweeter music on earth than that which the wind makes in the fir trees at evening.

[The Notes in this chapter range from M16-Z16;Notes pages 115-118.]


TEXT ANNOTATION

"446 520: Another chapter of re-numbered pages. Clearly, Montgomery had done some rearranging or moving.

AUDIO ANNOTATION

REFERENCE
 Anne Woster, photographer at Anne Victoria photography, reads the title of the chapter "An Epoch in Anne's Life."

TEXT ANNOTATION

"An Epoch in Anne's Life": Anne of Green Gables was finally published in April of 1908, but Montgomery did not receive her copy until June 20, writing in her journal that

"Today has been, as Anne herself would say 'an epoch in my life.' My book came today, fresh from the publishers. I candidly confess that it was for me a proud, wonderful, thrilling moment! There in my hand lay the material realization of all the dreams and hopes and ambitions and struggles of my whole conscious existence—my first book! Not a great book at all—but mine, mine, mine,—something to which I had given birth—something which, but for me, would never have existed.

As far as appearance goes the book is all I could desire—lovely cover design, well bound, well printed. Anne will not fail for lack of suitable garbing at all events.

On the dedication page was the inscription 'To the memory of my Father and Mother.' Oh, if they were but living to be glad and proud. When I think of how my father's eyes would have shone!"

TEXT ANNOTATION

"battle canto from Marmion": Sir Walter Scott’s long poem about the defeat of Scottish forces; the sixth canto, 34(begin superscript)th(end superscript) stanza, has the quoted lines (12–13).