Tuesday, May 22, 2012

In Defense of Dora Keith


Dora Keith photoI have heard many things about Dora Keith, from many different sources. And few of them are positive. I don't know what your- yes you, 'gentle reader' (I think that's a Jane Eyre quote?) anyway, what your opinion of little Dora is, but I will do my best to tell you why I like her.  
To begin, I will say that I do understand---wait wait wait... maybe to begin I should explain who Dora is.

"I cannot place you! Please, where do you belong?"

Dora Keith is first seen, or heard from, or whatever you call it, in Anne of Avonlea. She is one half of the set of twins Marilla adopts in the second book of the Anne series. She is meek, quiet, and sometimes seems to be vod of emotion. Okay, okay, I feel like that is a leetle harsh. But it comes very close to the truth. At least the way she seems.
But I've met a few little girls (and boys) like her in all my years (okay, okay. The few years) I've helped in Sunday School, VBS, &tc... And though I used to agree with Anne when she said (Oh, here I hide my face in shame as I horribly mis-quote!) something along the lines of our hearts belonging more to the people who need our help rather then those who don't.
But what about those who give rather then need? I've seen it in these little children. They sit quietly by, and do almost everything they are told. Always without fuss, usually even without a compliant (Yes! these kids really exsist, I promise it isn't just my imagination...). They the kids you point to when the "Davy's" of the world are throwing mud pies at you, and say "See, if you are obedient, it can be fun!" or, sometimes when our pride gets in the way "Why can you obey better like __ ?"
These children are sitting by quietly, often unnoticed, watching for the daredevil kid to scrape his/her knee. They are the first on the scene, there to provide moral support to their friend when ''Teacher'' isn't fast enough with that Band-Aid. They quietly share the toys that they waited so patiently for when someone else won't share, just to keep the peace.

And to top it all of, these shy, quiet kids only want an equally shy, quiet smile to make you their best friend. Once you offer that little gem (for to these kids it is a precious treasure!), you find that there is a magnet in your lap that is opposite the magnet in thier pocket, which leaves them stuck there until Mommy shows up.

I suppose this really had very little to do with Dora, but I hope you at least think a little better of her then you did five, maybe ten minutes ago. Because she has a heart of gold.

Ta! thanks for reading!
Stephanie

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