Chapter 25 - A Waiting Game

Summary

Miss Polly prepares for the arrival of a specialist from New York to treat Pollyanna's spinal injury, firmly rejecting Pollyanna's request to summon Dr. Chilton due to personal reservations. While the specialist is delayed by sudden illness, Miss Polly becomes increasingly attentive and solicitous toward Pollyanna, adopting fashions and habits previously discouraged by the child in a desperate attempt to please her. In the garden, Nancy and Old Tom discuss Miss Polly's softening demeanor and the long-hidden history of her past romance, realizing that the 'just being glad' game is now the emotional anchor for both the injured girl and the household during the anxious wait for medical news.

Characters

• Miss Polly / Aunt Polly (the mistress) — Miss Polly announces the decision to consult a famous New York specialist and sternly refuses Pollyanna's request to call Dr. Chilton. She spends the following days becoming excessively attentive to Pollyanna's comfort, adopting curls and lace shawls to please the child, while growing visibly thin and pale from worry during the delay of the specialist.
• Pollyanna (dear, the little gal) — Pollyanna reacts with joy to the news of another doctor but is disappointed when Miss Polly rejects Dr. Chilton. She continues to apply her 'just being glad' game to her current state, expressing future gladness about returning to school and visiting friends, while growing pale and thin due to her immobilized condition.
• Nancy — Nancy gushes to Old Tom about Miss Polly's transformed behavior and devotion to Pollyanna, noting the aunt's new fashion choices and constant attentiveness. She later cries alone, overwhelmed by the reality of Pollyanna's stillness and the severity of the situation beneath the cheerfulness.
• Old Tom / Mr. Tom (the old man) — Old Tom listens to Nancy's report of Miss Polly's changes and dryly notes that the mistress is not looking worse for the new style. He shares a memory of Pollyanna finding joy in his bent posture and reveals that the family's bitterness toward Pollyanna's father explains the tension with Miss Polly, before solemnly asking after the child's condition.
• Miss — The nurse enters the room and later sits before Pollyanna's bed to do her hair. She attempts to maintain a cheerful demeanor despite her troubled eyes, while Pollyanna watches and directs the process from her bed.