"I had a dog once. I cared so much for him that when he died I couldn't bear the thought of ever getting another in his place. He was a friend—you understand? The Captain's only a pal. I'm fond of the Captain—all the fonder because of the spice of deviltry there is in all cats. But I loved my dog. There isn't any devil in a good dog. That's why they're more lovable than cats—but I'm darned if they're as interesting." (
Abel and His Great Adventure, by L.M. Montgomery)
She used much the same story for Captain Jim in Anne of--I forget where, the one that takes place during the first year or two of Anne and Gilbert's marriage. Only the cat's name was First Mate, aka Matey.
ReplyDeleteThere are a number of recurring themes in the short stories on the Gutenberg site; but since she wrote these for magazines over a 25year period, in addition to her Anne and Emily books, it's probably not surprising that there's some duplication ;-)
ReplyDeleteOh, and it was "Anne's House of Dreams," which oddly enough was the very first Anne book that I read. I don't think I read "Anne of Green Gables" until I had read "Anne of the Island," and "The Chronicles of Avonlea," as well.
ReplyDeleteHer short stories and many of her books are on Gutenberg, http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/m#a36
thanks for the link! A friend gave me a complete set of the Anne books--she was 3 or 4 years older than I, and I guess felt she'd outgrown them. I've always loved them. I've never read the Emily books, or either of the Rilla books.
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