Olive Higgins Prouty

“ It was your own grandfather who broke away from this everlasting New England holding-back and going-easy, and had the courage of his convictions to defy a whole family's advice, borrow huge sums of money, run risks, something awful, I'm told, all by himself, and simply hack his way through to success. Don't let your grandfather Jerome be ashamed of you, Reba, in his grave, as he was, before he died, of his son. Show him you can defy too. Show him you can ride over obstacles, and get what you want as well as himself. ”

“ How much you can grin and bear is of more importance than what you're grinning and bearing it for. Here, if you do chance to be born with some big passion that interferes with your meekly bearing your infirmities, then the sooner you pluck it out, and crush it, and submit yourself to your fate, the better for your soul. Humph!" she gave a shrug of impatience. "That's all wrong, Reba," she declared. "Dead wrong!"
Reba had never heard any one talk such heresy as this. It struck at the very foundation of her lifelong belief in resignation.
"Come here," abruptly Cousin Pattie ordered. ”

“ Reba looked down at her folded hands abashed, and was silent. Cousin Pattie shook her head and sighed audibly, as much as to say, "I give you up." Then, "You're like a pool of water," she broke out afresh. "Stuck up here all alone on your New England hill-top—no inlet, no outlet, and if you don't do something about it you'll dry up, as sure as preaching. There won't be anything left of you but the shallow impression of your shape and size." ”