By L.M. Montgomery
First published in 1908
Matthew Insists on Puffed Sleeves
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The story of the imaginative Anne Shirley and her journey
from lonely orphan to loved and adored member of the Cuthbert household is
funny, touching, and magical. Marilla is
the disciplinarian in charge of bringing Anne up as a moral member of
society. Matthew, quiet and shy, is
usually in the background. He so
obviously loves his Anne-girl, but allows Marilla to make the decisions.
In the chapter in which Matthew insists on puffed sleeves,
though, he sees something that Marilla is too busy to notice. Anne does not quite fit in with her
friends. At first he’s not sure
why. Anne is the most animated of the
group, talking and laughing, yet something doesn’t seem right. He comes to the conclusion that Anne is not
dressed like the other girls. Marilla has
always dressed Anne in plain, dark, serviceable dresses.
Christmas is coming and Matthew remembers
that Anne has longed for the beautiful new puffed sleeves that are so in
fashion. Although Matthew is painfully
shy, he really wants to get a new dress for Anne as a Christmas gift. After an awkward trip to the store in town in
which Matthew is too embarrassed to ask for a girl’s dress, he finally goes to
Mrs. Lynde who agrees to make a dress with puffed sleeves.
When Anne receives the beautiful gift on Christmas morning,
she overflows with emotion and delight.
To Matthew, making his Anne-girl happy is of utmost
importance. His love for her gives him
strength to stand up to Marilla and overcome his shyness enough to seek help
from Mrs. Lynde. He has opened his heart
to a child, and it has transformed him.
What a beautiful message for the Christmas season!
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