Anne laughed and sighed. She felt very old and mature and wise — which showed how young she was.

It is when my umbrella turns inside out that I am convinced of the total depravity of inanimate things.

Since you are determined to be married, Miss Cornelia," said Gilbert solemnly, "I shall give you the excellent rules for the management of a husband which my grandmother gave my mother when she married my father." "Well, I reckon I can manage Marshall Elliott," said Miss Cornelia placidly. "But let us hear your rules." "The first one is, catch him." "He's caught. Go on." "The second one is, feed him well." "With enough pie. What next?" "The third and fourth are-- keep your eye on him.

Mrs. Spencer said it was wicked of me to talk like that, but I didn’t mean to be wicked. It’s so easy to be wicked without knowing it, isn’t it?

There are so many unpleasant things in the world already that there is no use in imagining any more.

Blessings be the inventor of the alphabet, pen and printing press! Life would be -- to me in all events -- a terrible thing without books.

I was very much provoked. Of course, I knew there are no fairies; but that needn't prevent my thinking there is.