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Rainbow Valley by L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery
page 225 of 319 (70%)
frank. Jerry began to whistle out of bravado. He meant to let
Mary see he didn't care for HER tirades. Their behaviour was no
business of HERS anyway. What right had SHE to lecture them on
their conduct?

"Doing now! You're doing ALL the time," retorted Mary. "Just as
soon as the talk about one of your didos fades away you do
something else to start it up again. It seems to me you haven't
any idea of how manse children ought to behave!"

"Maybe YOU can tell us," said Jerry, killingly sarcastic.

Sarcasm was quite thrown away on Mary.

"_I_ can tell you what will happen if you don't learn to behave
yourselves. The session will ask your father to resign. There
now, Master Jerry-know-it-all. Mrs. Alec Davis said so to Mrs.
Elliott. I heard her. I always have my ears pricked up when
Mrs. Alec Davis comes to tea. She said you were all going from
bad to worse and that though it was only what was to be expected
when you had nobody to bring you up, still the congregation
couldn't be expected to put up with it much longer, and something
would have to be done. The Methodists just laugh and laugh at
you, and that hurts the Presbyterian feelings. SHE says you all
need a good dose of birch tonic. Lor', if that would make folks
good _I_ oughter be a young saint. I'm not telling you this
because I want to hurt YOUR feelings. I'm sorry for you"--Mary
was past mistress of the gentle art of condescension." _I_
understand that you haven't much chance, the way things are. But
other people don't make as much allowance as _I_ do. Miss Drew
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