"When I was as you are now, towering in the confidence of twenty-one, little did I suspect that I should be at forty-nine, what I now am"

In this quote, Sarah Orne Jewett reviews her younger self and the confidence she had at the age of twenty-one. She acknowledges that at that time, she could not have imagined the individual she would end up being at forty-nine. This declaration highlights the unpredictability of life and how our perspectives and experiences can change over time. It also serves as a pointer to not take our present state for approved, as we never know what the future holds. Jewett's words communicate a sense of wisdom and humility, as she reflects on her development and change throughout the years.