Cyrilla's Inspiration Page #2

"Cyrilla's Inspiration" is a short story by Lucy Maud Montgomery that centers around Cyrilla, a young woman with dreams of becoming an artist. Set against the backdrop of rural Canada, the narrative explores themes of creativity, inspiration, and the search for self-identity. As Cyrilla navigates her relationships and the expectations placed upon her, she discovers the profound impact of love and the beauty of embracing one's passions. Montgomery's lyrical prose captures both the struggles and triumphs of her protagonist, making it a poignant reflection on the artist's journey and the significance of finding one's voice.

• Short story

								

envelope in amazement. Who could have written it? The postman came
only in the morning. Was it some joke, perhaps? Those giggling girls?
Miss Marshall's face grew harder as she lighted her lamp and opened
the letter suspiciously.

"Dear Miss Marshall," it ran in Cyrilla's pretty girlish writing, "we
girls are so lonesome and dull that we have decided to write rainy-day
letters to everybody in the house just to cheer ourselves up. So I'm
going to write to you just a letter of friendly nonsense."

Pages of "nonsense" followed, and very delightful nonsense it was, for
Cyrilla possessed the happy gift of bright and easy letter-writing.
She commented wittily on all the amusing episodes of the
boarding-house life for the past month; she described a cat-fight she
had witnessed from her window that morning and illustrated it by a
pen-and-ink sketch of the belligerent felines; she described a lovely
new dress her mother had sent her from home and told all about the
class party to which she had worn it; she gave an account of her
vacation camping trip to the mountains and pasted on one page a number
of small snapshots taken during the outing; she copied a joke she had
read in the paper that morning and discussed the serial story in the
boarding-house magazine which all the boarders were reading; she wrote
out the directions for a new crocheted tidy her sister had made--Miss
Marshall had a mania for crocheting; and she finally wound up with
"all the good will and good wishes that Nora Jane will consent to
carry from your friend, Cyrilla Blair."

Before Miss Marshall had finished reading that letter she had cried
three times and laughed times past counting. More tears came at the
end--happy, tender tears such as Miss Marshall had not shed for years.
Something warm and sweet and gentle seemed to thrill to life within
her heart. So those girls were not such selfish, heedless young
creatures as she had supposed! How kind it had been in Cyrilla Blair
to think of her and write so to her. She no longer felt lonely and
neglected. Her whole sombre world had been brightened to sunshine by
that merry friendly letter.

Mrs. Plunkett's table was surrounded by a ring of smiling faces that
night. Everybody seemed in good spirits in spite of the weather. The
pale little dressmaker, who had hardly uttered a word since her
arrival a week before, talked and laughed quite merrily and girlishly,
thanking Cyrilla unreservedly for her "jolly letter." Old Mr. Grant
did not grumble once about the rain or the food or his rheumatism and
he told Carol that she might be a good letter writer in time if she
looked after her grammar more carefully--which, from Mr. Grant, was
high praise. All the others declared that they were delighted with
their letters--all except Miss Marshall. She said nothing but later
on, when Cyrilla was going upstairs, she met Miss Marshall in the
shadows of the second landing.

"My dear," said Miss Marshall gently, "I want to thank you for your
letter, I don't think you can realize just what it has meant to me. I
was so--so lonely and tired and discouraged. It heartened me right up.
I--I know you have thought me a cross and disagreeable person. I'm
afraid I have been, too. But--but--I shall try to be less so in
future. If I can't succeed all at once don't mind me because, under it
all, I shall always be your friend. And I mean to keep your letter and
read it over every time I feel myself getting bitter and hard again."
"Dear Miss Marshall, I'm so glad you liked it," said Cyrilla frankly.
"We're all your friends and would be glad to be chummy with you. Only
we thought perhaps we bothered you with our nonsense."

"Come and see me sometimes," said Miss Marshall with a smile. "I'll
try to be 'chummy'--perhaps I'm not yet too old to learn the secret of
friendliness. Your letter has made me think that I have missed much in
shutting all young life out from mine as I have done. I want to reform
in this respect if I can."

When Cyrilla reached the front room she found Mrs. Plunkett there.

"I've just dropped in, Miss Blair," said that worthy woman, "to say
that I dunno as I mind your making candy once in a while if you want
to. Only do be careful not to set the place on fire. Please be
particularly careful not to set it on fire."

"We'll try," promised Cyrilla with dancing eyes. When the door closed
behind Mrs. Plunkett the three girls looked at each other.

"Cyrilla, that idea of yours was a really truly inspiration," said
Carol solemnly.

"I believe it was," said Cyrilla, thinking of Miss Marshall.
								Rate this book:0.0 / 0 votes