The Hired Boy |Ruby Gillis & Jerry Baynard|

Three | the assignment

There was more murmuring.

"I'm so excited, I think I might faint," Josie whispered sarcastically to Ruby.

Anne cast Josie a reproachful look over her shoulder.

"I will assign to each of you a certain type of person — be they titled by their background, occupation or life-style — I want you to do research on the topic of person, and write me an essay," explained Miss. Stacey.

Anne's hand rose into the air. "What kind of research?"

"Any kind," said Miss. Stacey. "You can read upon the subject, or even use your imagination." Miss. Stacey smiled at Anne. "But what I would love for you, my students, to do is go out in the world and really experience what that person goes through. Talk to them! Spend the day with them! Find out what their life is really like. For instance; if I gave Josie a doctor to write about as her subject, I want her to go visit the Avonlea doctor. She could maybe even watch him cleaning a wound, or doing a small surgery."

Josie wrinkled her nose up in disgust.

"Or if I give Moody a seamstress, he could go to the nearest dress shop, and maybe have the seamstress there teach him some simple stitches."

Moody turned red as the other boys laughed at him.

"I really want you to delve into the lives of those around you. Write in detail about the struggles these people face each and every day. Struggles entirely different than those yourself face. Yet they are human just like you. I want you to see how every part of life is so different from your own, yet so similar at the same time. And to best see this, you will need to experience what these people go through on a daily basis. Do you understand?" asked Miss.Stacey.

There was a general mumbling from the class as they nodded.

"Of course it is not necessary for you to go to these measures and I understand if you do not have the time or means. But if you do, I guarantee your essay will be more thorough and accurate. Not to mention you will be learning much more," said Miss. Stacey. "Keep in mind that we will be presenting these essays to the whole class."

"Is she done talking yet?" grumbled Josie Pye under her breath.

It appeared not as Miss. Stacey called, "When I call your name, please make your way up to the front of the classroom. I will give you one of these envelopes—" Miss. Stacey patted a stack on her desk "— which holds the title of your study assignment. They are completely random and I haven't the slightest clue which topic is in which envelope. Diana Barry, if you would come up first, dear."

Miss. Stacey proceeded to call them in alphabetical order. Gilbert Blythe went after the Diana and the Bell children.

Ruby watched as Gilbert sat back in his seat and opened the envelope.

"What'd you get?" asked Charlie, peeking over Gilbert's shoulder.

Gilbert's eyes scanned the page, then he looked up and said with excitement, "A doctor!"

Ruby smiled to herself, happy for the boy. Miss. Stacey had said the envelopes were random, but it seemed like a strange coincidence that Gilbert would get a doctor when that was the very thing he aspired to be.

Ruby wondered what hers would be. Though she planned to go to Queens with Anne, Gilbert, Moody, Josie and Jane the following year, she didn't have many aspirations in life.

In such a small school, it did not take long at all for Miss. Stacey to call Ruby's name.

After retrieving her envelope, Ruby felt rather apprehensive towards opening it and finding out what her assignment was. What if it was something awful?

"Are you going to read it?" demanded Josie, after Ruby had sat down again.

"I'll wait for you," said Ruby.

She sat there with the envelope clutched in her hand while the other students went up to get their own.

Josie didn't hesitate when she'd got hers. She tore open the envelope, tossed it aside, then read the contents.

Clearly it wasn't what Josie had been wishing for because her face wrinkled up in disgust.

"A widow? I don't want to talk to any bitter old widow!" said Josie.

"It could be worse," said Ruby bracingly. "It could be a —"

"Imprisoned murderer?" suggested Anne, turning around in her seat.

"Oh," said Ruby in alarm while Josie rolled her eyes.

Once all the envelopes had been passed out, Miss. Stacey dismissed class. As they made a break for the door their teacher called after them, "Don't forget, the assignment are due Monday after next!"

Ruby hurried out the door alongside Anne, Diana, Josie, Tillie Boulter and Jane Andrews. They were all chatting loudly about their assignments.

"What did you get, Ruby?" asked Diana.

"I don't know," said Ruby. "I haven't opened it yet."

"What are you waiting for?" asked Jane.

"I'm scared," said Ruby, her blue eyes wide.

"I'm sure it can't be that bad," said Anne comfortingly.

The attention was taken off Ruby and her envelope by Gilbert calling, "Goodbye, Anne."

Anne looked split between wanting to call back and wanting to snub him. She seemed to decide a wave was a safe in-between.

"When are you and Gilbert going to start courting?" asked Tillie tactlessly.

"Never!" cried Anne, blushing dark red behind her freckles. She quickly changed the subject. "So, Jane, which farmer in Avonlea do you think you will interview?"

"Well, I happen to know one pretty well," said Jane. "His name is Harmon Andrews and he has a daughter, I think her name is Jane, who would gladly tell me everything I need to know about farm life."

As the girls discussed Jane's assignment, Ruby hung back to open her own.

She did so carefully, slicing the top open with her fingernail. Then she pulled out the parchment inside and and read the fateful words written by Miss. Stacey.

"Oh no!" wailed Ruby.

The other five girls looked around in alarm.

"Whatever is the matter, Ruby?" asked Diana in concern.

"I just read what my assignment is," said Ruby.

"And?" prompted Josie.

Ruby said, in a tone of deepest distress, "a hired hand!"