The greatest happiness is to sneeze when you want to.

The little things of life, sweet and excellent in their place, must not be the things lived for; the highest must be sought and followed; the life of heaven must be begun here on earth.

But was anything in life, Anne asked herself wearily, like one's imagination of it?

Gilbert darling, don't let's ever be afraid of things. It's such dreadful slavery. Let's be daring and adventurous and expectant. Let's dance to meet life and all it can bring to us, even if it brings scads of trouble and typhoid and twins!" (Anne to Gilbert)

My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes.

But just think what a dull world it would be if everyone was sensible,' pleaded Anne.

Gilbert put his arm about them. 'Oh, you mothers!' he said. 'You mothers! God knew what He was about when He made you.