'Life would be sorry without ideals'

 

“Youhave the itch for writing born in you. It's quite incurable. What are you goingto do?  You might as well use it?”– L.M. Montgomery

 

The marvelous Lucy Maud Montgomery, born in 1874,rocketed to worldwide acclaim with her very first book, Anne of Green Gables and really never looked back.  The book has sold more than 50 million copiesin 20 languages worldwide.    Over a 45-year writing career,Montgomery authored 20 novels, many featuring her lead character AnneShirley.  And she wrote a remarkable 530short stories.

 

Anne Shirley made Montgomery famousin her lifetime and gave her an international following even from fellowauthors.   Mark Twain calledAnne, “the dearest and most moving and delightful child since the immortalAlice.”  (I believe he was referring tothat one who made that visit to Wonderland). 

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Montgomery – who died in 1942 – alsowrote some 500 poems and 30 essays and been honored as the first female inCanada to be named a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in England.  In 1935 she was invested into the Order ofthe British Empire, one of the highest British honors. 

 

“Wemust have ideals and try to live up to them, even if we never quite succeed,”Montgomery noted.   “Life would be asorry business without them. With them it's grand and great.” 

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