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

“She looks like a very young old person, or a very old young person; but then, she's looked that way ever since she was two.”

“She felt that it was only her body that was getting old. Inside she had always been the same young girl.”

“At that moment Marilla had a revelation. In the sudden stab of fear that pierced her very heart she realized what Anne had come to mean to her. She would have admitted that she liked Anne--nay, that she was very fond of Anne. But now she knew as she hurried wildly down the slope that Anne was dearer to her than anything else on earth”

“She was so young how could she understand… Exactly how young was she Matthew’s mouth went dry. “Dearest how old are you ” “Almost twenty.” Damnation. He was a bloody cradle robber.”

“...of the few young men and boys at the fort, now that she was too old for racing and climbing trees with them, she felt both shy and critical...”