This is the entry with all my favourite quotes/parts of the 'Anne Shirley series', as I call it, written and belonging to the very capable L. M. Montgomery.

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Anne of Green Gables

"There are plenty of people ... who can attend closely to their neighbour's affairs by dint of neglecting their own."

"No commonplace soul inhabited the body of this stray woman-child." - on Anne Shirley

"My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes." - Anne Shirley to Marilla Cuthbert

"Do you never imagine things different from what they really are?" asked Anne wide-eyed
"No."
"Oh!" Anne drew a long breath. "Oh, Miss - Marilla, how much you miss!"

"Anne, whatever are you thinking of?" demanded Marilla sharply.
Anne came back to earth with a start.
"That," she said, pointing to the picture - a rather vivid chromo entitled, "Christ Blessing Little Children" - "and I was just imagining I was one of them - that I was the little girl in the blue dress, standing off by herself in the corner as if she didn't belong to anybody, like me. She looks lonely and sad, don't you think? I guess she hadn't any father or mother of her own. But she wanted to be blessed too, so she just crept shyly up on the outside of the crowd, hoping nobody would notice her - except Him. I'm sure I know just how she felt. HEr heart must have beat and her hands must have got cold, like mine did when I asked you if I could stay. She was afraid He mightn't notice. But it's likely He did, don't you think? I've been trying to imagine it all out - her edging a little nearer all the time until she was quite close to Him; hand then He would look at her and put His hang on her hair and oh, such a thrill of joy as would run over her!"

"Bedrooms were made to sleep in."
"Oh, and dream in too!" - Anne Shirley to Marilla Cuthbert

"Marilla... saw Mr. Barry coming over the log bridge and up the slope... In his arms he carried Anne, whose head lay limply against his shoulder.
At that moment Marilla had a revelation. In the sudden stab of fear that pierced to her very heart she realised what Anne had come to mean to her. She would have admitted that she liked Anne - nay, that she was very fond of Anne. But now she knew as she hurried wildly down the slope that Anne was dearer to her than anything on earth." - When Anne broke her ankle.

"I'm very much obliged to you," (Anne) said haughtily as she turned away. But Gilbert had also sprung from the boat and now laid a detaining hand on her arm."
"Anne," he said hurriedly, "look here. Can't we be good friends? I'm awfully sorry I made fun of your hair that time. I didn't mean to vex you and I only meant it as a joke. Besides, it's so long ago. I think your hair is awfully pretty now - honest I do. Let's be friends."
For a moment Anne hesitated. She had an odd, newly awakened consciousness under all her outraged dignity that the half-shy, half-eager expression in Gilbert's hazel eyes was something that was very good to see. Her heart gave a quick, queer little beat. But the bitterness of her old grievance promptly stiffened up her wavering determination. The scene of two years before flashed back into her recollection as vividly as if it had taken place yesterday. Gilbert had called her 'carrots' and had brought about her disgrace before the whole school. Her resentment, which to other and older people might be as laughable as its cause, was in no white allayed and softened by time seemingly. She hated Gilbert Bltyhe! She would never forgive him!
"No," she said coldly. "I shall never be friends with you, Gilbert Bltyhe; and I don't want to be!"
"All right! Gilbert sprang into his skiff with an angry colour in his cheeks. "I'll never ask you to be friends again, Anne Shirley. And Idon't care either!"
He pulled away with swift defiant strokes, and Anne went up the steep, ferny little path under the maples. She held her head very high, but she was conscious of an odd feeling of regret.She almost wished she had answered Gilbert differently."

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More to come.

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- - 2006-05-29
- - 2006-05-01
on The Ineffable - 2006-03-27
on being a matyr - 2006-03-23
- - 2006-03-17