“I kind of think she’s one of the sort you could do anything with if you only get her to love you.”
p. 59
For an “old bachelor” Matthew knows more than Marilla thinks. And getting Anne to love something is really no great feat. She has a natural affection toward kindness and acceptance. And however firm Marilla might have been, she was kind. And the acceptance part came from letting her stay. She had a home.
Anne received no abuse nor anything overly harsh, despite Marilla being overly staid. And so much was done with Anne and thus, by extension, much was done elsewhere. And the beauty of kindness is that it begets malleability. The recipient of the kindness needs less and less direction as time goes on for the kindness is absorbed and bears a fruit of its own, fuller than mere kindness.
Lingering Over Leaves 