Emily Climbs

by L.M. Montgomery

Fear is a confession of weakness. What you fear is stronger than you, or you think it is, else you wouldn’t be afraid of it. Remember your Emerson—‘always do what you are afraid to do.’”

It was not, of course, a proper thing to do. But then I have never pretended, nor ever will pretend, that Emily was a proper child. Books are not written about proper children. They would be so dull nobody would read them.

Be merciful to the failures, Emily. Satirize wickedness if you must—but pity weakness.”

My pen shall heal, not hurt.

She heard him through a prayer, and thought, “Giving God good advice, and abusing the devil isn’t praying.”

Well, it all comes to this, there’s no use trying to live in other people’s opinions. The only thing to do is to live in your own.

“Wait a while—just wait a while. If we don’t chase things—sometimes the things following us can catch up.

I read a story tonight. It ended unhappily. I was wretched until I had invented a happy ending for it. I shall always end my stories happily. I don’t care whether it’s “true to life” or not. It’s true to life as it should be and that’s a better truth than the other.