She said we couldn't be too careful what habits we formed and what ideals we acquired in our teens, because by the time we were twenty our characters would be developed and the foundation laid for our whole future life.

And she said if the foundation was shaky we could never build anything really worth while on it.

Diana and I talked the matter over coming home from school.

We felt extremely solemn, Marilla.

And we decided that we would try to be very careful indeed and form respectable habits and learn all we could and be as sensible as possible, so that by the time we were twenty our characters would be properly developed.