Marilla has made three new dresses and presents them to Anne, asking for her impressions of them. Anne responds by saying she can “imagine” that she might like them. Marilla asks Anne what is wrong with the garments. Anne admits that they are not very pretty. Marilla tells Anne that she did not make them to be pretty; she made them to be “serviceable.” The dresses are good and sensible with no frills, and they are the only clothes Anne will get for the summer. Marilla reminds Anne that she should be grateful she has received any new clothes at all. She expects Anne to keep them clean and tidy. Anne says she is grateful—but she would be even more grateful if Marilla had made just one of them with puffy sleeves, which is all the fashion for a young girl’s dresses.

Later, when she is in her room, Anne remembers that she had prayed for at least one fancy white dress. However, she expects that God does not have time to listen to the prayers of an orphan girl. She consoles herself by deciding to pretend that one of the dresses is white with puffy sleeves.

The next morning, Marilla awakens with a headache and cannot go to church. She tells Anne to go to church with Mrs. Lynde, who will tell her what to do; this is the first church service Anne will attend. As she walks toward Mrs. Lynde’s house, Anne bemoans the fact that not only is her dress plain but her straw hat is, too. Most girls have ribbons on their hats. To remedy the situation, Anne stops to pick some wildflowers and attaches them to the brim of her hat. By the time she reaches Mrs. Lynde’s house, the woman has already left. So Anne proceeds on her own.

When Anne returns home, Marilla asks about her experience at church. Anne tells her that the preacher was so boring she almost fell asleep. To keep herself awake, she looked out at the fields and the lake and thanked God for all the beauty. She also informs Marilla that when she went to her Sunday school class, she noticed that all the other girls had dresses with puffy sleeves. She then tells Marilla about the teacher, Mrs. Rogerson, who did all the asking even though Anne had many questions of her own. When Mrs. Rogerson asked Anne if she could quote any passage from the Bible, Anne said she could not, but she could recite a poem. The poem was so “sad and melancholy,” Anne told the woman, that it could be considered a religious poem. Mrs. Rogerson declined to hear it.

Then Anne tells Marilla about the long sermon the preacher delivered, which Anne thought demonstrated his lack of imagination. Marilla thinks she should reprimand Anne for being so critical of the minister, but she cannot make herself do it. Anne’s evaluation is the same Marilla has often made, and she cannot punish Anne for being honest.