Chapter XXVI - Page 2

lightly down it, keeping eyes and ears alert amid all
their chatter, for Miss Stacy had told them that they must soon
write a composition on "A Winter's Walk in the Woods," and it
behooved them to be observant.

"Just think, Diana, I'm thirteen years old today," remarked Anne
in an awed voice. "I can scarcely realize that I'm in my teens.
When I woke this morning it seemed to me that everything must be
different. You've been thirteen for a month, so I suppose it
doesn't seem such a novelty to you as it does to me. It makes
life seem so much more interesting. In two more years I'll be
really grown up. It's a great comfort to think that I'll be able
to use big words then without being laughed at."

"Ruby Gillis says she means to have a beau as soon as she's fifteen,"
said Diana.

"Ruby Gillis thinks of nothing but beaus," said Anne disdainfully.
"She's actually delighted when anyone writes her name up in a
take-notice for all she pretends to be so mad. But I'm afraid that
is an uncharitable speech. Mrs. Allan says we should never make
uncharitable speeches; but they do slip out so often before you
think, don't they? I simply can't talk about Josie Pye without
making an uncharitable speech, so I never mention her at all.
You may have noticed that. I'm trying to be as much like
Mrs. Allan as I possibly can, for I think she's perfect.
Mr. Allan thinks so too. Mrs. Lynde says he just worships
the ground she treads on and she doesn't really think it
right for a minister to set his affections so much on a mortal
being. But then, Diana, even ministers are human and have their
besetting sins just like everybody else. I had such an
interesting talk with Mrs. Allan about besetting sins last
Sunday afternoon. There are just a few things it's proper to
talk about on Sundays and that is one of them. My besetting sin
is imagining too much and forgetting my duties. I'm striving
very hard to overcome it and now that I'm really thirteen perhaps
I'll get on better."

"In four more years we'll be able to put our hair up," said Diana.
"Alice Bell is only sixteen and she is wearing hers up, but I think
that's ridiculous. I shall wait until I'm seventeen."

"If I had Alice Bell's crooked nose," said Anne decidedly,
"I wouldn't--but there! I won't say what I was going to because
it was extremely uncharitable. Besides, I was comparing it with
my own nose and that's vanity. I'm afraid I think too much about
my nose ever since I heard that compliment about it long ago.
It really is a great comfort to me. Oh, Diana, look, there's a
rabbit. That's something to remember for our woods composition.
I really think the woods are just as lovely in winter as in
summer. They're so white and still,