Sara's Way Page #3

"Sara's Way" by Lucy Maud Montgomery is a poignant tale that follows the journey of Sara, a spirited and imaginative young girl navigating the challenges of growing up. Set against the backdrop of rural Canada, the story delves into themes of identity, independence, and the complexities of family relationships. Through Sara's experiences, Montgomery explores the struggle between societal expectations and personal desires, ultimately celebrating the resilience of the human spirit. With Montgomery's signature lyrical prose, "Sara's Way" captures the beauty and trials of adolescence, making it a timeless coming-of-age narrative.

• Short story

								

baited creatures.

On and on she went heedlessly, intent only on walking away her
pain, over gray, brooding fields and winding slopes, and along
the skirts of ruinous, dusky pine woods, curtained with fine spun
purple gloom.  Her dress brushed against the brittle grasses and
sere ferns, and the moist night wind, loosed from wild places far
away, blew her hair about her face.

At last she came to a little rustic gate, leading into a shadowy
wood-lane.  The gate was bound with willow withes, and, as Sara
fumbled vainly at them with her chilled hands, a man's firm step
came up behind her, and Lige Baxter's hand closed over her's.

"Oh, Lige!" she said, with something like a sob.

He opened the gate and drew her through.  She left her hand in
his, as they walked through the lane where lissome boughs of
young saplings flicked against their heads, and the air was
wildly sweet with the woodsy odors.

"It's a long while since I've seen you, Lige," Sara said at last.

Lige looked wistfully down at her through the gloom.

"Yes, it seems very long to me, Sara.  But I didn't think you'd
care to see me, after what you said last spring.  And you know
things have been going against me.  People have said hard things.
I've been unfortunate, Sara, and may be too easy-going, but I've
been honest.  Don't believe folks if they tell you I wasn't."

"Indeed, I never did--not for a minute!" fired Sara.

"I'm glad of that.  I'm going away, later on.  I felt bad enough
when you refused to marry me, Sara; but it's well that you
didn't.  I'm man enough to be thankful my troubles don't fall on
you."

Sara stopped and turned to him.  Beyond them the lane opened into
a field and a clear lake of crocus sky cast a dim light into the
shadow where they stood.  Above it was a new moon, like a
gleaming silver scimitar.  Sara saw it was over her left
shoulder, and she saw Lige's face above her, tender and troubled.

"Lige," she said softly, "do you love me still?"

"You know I do," said Lige sadly.

That was all Sara wanted.  With a quick movement she nestled into
his arms, and laid her warm, tear-wet cheek against his cold one.

When the amazing rumor that Sara was going to marry Lige Baxter,
and go out West with him, circulated through the Andrews clan,
hands were lifted and heads were shaken.  Mrs. Jonas puffed and
panted up the hill to learn if it were true.  She found Mrs. Eben
stitching for dear life on an "Irish Chain" quilt, while Sara was
sewing the diamonds on another "Rising Star" with a martyr-like
expression on her face.  Sara hated patchwork above everything
else, but Mrs. Eben was mistress up to a certain point.

"You'll have to make that quilt, Sara Andrews.  If you're going
to live out on those prairies, you'll need piles of quilts, and
you shall have them if I sew my fingers to the bone.  But you'll
have to help make them."

And Sara had to.

When Mrs. Jonas came, Mrs. Eben sent Sara off to the post-office
to get her out of the way.

"I suppose it's true, this time?" said Mrs. Jonas.

"Yes, indeed," said Mrs. Eben briskly.  "Sara is set on it. There
is no use trying to move her--you know that--so I've just
concluded to make the best of it.  I'm no turn-coat.  Lige Baxter
is Lige Baxter still, neither more nor less.  I've always said
he's a fine young man, and I say so still.  After all, he and
Sara won't be any poorer than Eben and I were when we started
out."

Mrs. Jonas heaved a sigh of relief.

"I'm real glad you take that view of it, Louisa.  I'm not
displeased, either, although Mrs. Harmon would take my head off
if she heard me say so.  I always liked Lige.  But I must say I'm
amazed, too, after the way Sara used to rail at him."

"Well, we might have expected it," said Mrs. Eben sagely.  "It
was always Sara's way.  When any creature got sick or unfortunate
she seemed to take it right into her heart.  So you may say Lige
Baxter's failure was a success after all."
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