Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and Agnes, Kate, Laura, and Margaret sit in their front room, each occupied with her favorite pastime. Agnes writes her novel, Laura paints, Kate plays the violin, and Margaret studies Latin.
They see Aunt Susanna approach the house, and all the girls, except Margaret, hide their projects and pick up some housework. Aunt Susanna disapproves of any occupation other than housework. The girls have wished to please their aunt ever since she hinted at possibly helping Margaret go to college.
When Aunt Susanna comes through the door, Agnes is reading a cookbook, Kate embroiders, Laura works on her lace, and Margaret studies Latin. Aunt Susanna perceives that the girls are simply hiding their previous activities and makes a few hard remarks to each girl.
The ABCs of Life
Agnes and Kate bravely volunteer. Despite Aunt Susanna’s doubts and negative remarks, they set out on Thanksgiving Day to prepare the dinner. They arrive early in the morning to start the fires and warm Aunt Susanna’s house, then they pour all of their energy into preparing the meal.They cook the turkey, prepare the vegetables, heat the minced pies, and set and decorate the table. All goes so well that their fear of Aunt Susanna’s wrath and judgment fades away.
At a certain point, while they have a quiet moment, Agnes and Kate relax a little and look outside the window. They see 8-year-old Tony McGinnis sitting on the well and the McGinnis dog sitting quietly by Aunt Susanna’s back steps.
Suddenly, Tony falls backwards and disappears into the well. Horrified, Agnes and Kate hurry outside to save the little boy. At the well, they find him lying safe on the “blank guard inside the box.”
They return to the house to find the McGinnis dog devouring the turkey, as the turnips and mince pies burn. Aunt Susanna’s dinner is completely ruined.
Yet the girls refuse to be defeated. They’re determined to save the dinner. Therefore, with little time left, they both sprint back home to Laura and Margaret.
Through this story, Montgomery shows the beauty of sacrifice, courage, and a noble spirit in the face of adversity, especially in seemingly impossible situations. She demonstrates, as in the movie “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”: “I just live by the ABC’s: adventurous, brave, creative.”
