Quotes from D.E. Stevenson

But it is no use putting this sane view of the matter before Grace in her present condition – Grace has only been married for a few months, whereas I have been married for twelve years. In twelve years one becomes inured to suggestions of exercise and Kruschen Salts, and even to laughter and talk in the presence of a headache. But what on earth am I to do with Grace? What on earth am I to say to her? I am so fond of them both that I must make things right somehow or other.

There were compensations in poverty—so she discovered. You could talk to your neighbours and take part in their lives, and she found them more interesting than the people she met in the upper circles of society. They were real, and you were real. You could lend a hand when they were in trouble. . . . Another great advantage of being poor was that you had no servant worries, your home was your own and there was no need to bother your head about what the servants would think.

Single beds, she thought, I believe that's what's at the bottom of a lot of trouble nowadays. They had started with single beds and gone on to single rooms, which was even worse; but the single beds had started the trouble.

Nannie loved babies and sometimes she so longed to hold a tiny baby in her arms that she was tempted to give in her notice and look for another post … but on the other hand she loved the Ayrton children and could not make up her mind to leave them.

In most houses nowadays (thought Lady Shaw) there was a feeling of unease. Time marched on and everybody ran madly to keep up with it; even pleasure was taken at a gallop.

I can't remember a thing about it.' 'Och, what a night I've had!' exclaimed poor Maggie. 'There was him lying below and you lying above, and me up and down the stair wondering which of you was the worst and what I ought to do, wondering what kind of queer drug Neil had given you and what like you would be in the morning.

He never wants to know things about me," continued Beryl. " He always wants to tell me about himself." " Yes, he is rather like that, but he's very fond of you." She nodded. " I know—but what's the good? " " What's the good? " I echoed in surprise. " He'll never be anything. He'll never make any money. A man like that isn't any good to a girl." I was dumb with amazement.

The bus is unpleasantly full men sitting and girls standing, which seems the usual thing in this part of the world.

Time was no object in those far-off days." "No . . . besides, it was a labour of love. If you were very fond of someone it must have been nice to be able to do something for them. It would be comforting, wouldn't it? You could spend days—or even weeks—making a really distinctive tombstone.

It is a queer little world that inhabits these quarters – speaking every known dialect of the British Isles – but they get on together marvellously well considering their propinquity, and there is a warm welcome at every door.

After having completed this somewhat curious transaction Sarah was assailed by a qualm of conscience (for the money was to go to charity, was it not) but she soothed it away by telling herself that she would give Barbara thirty shillings for the vases and so make everything right. I can't take them home, of course, she thought with a shudder as she looked at them, tucked under Barbara's arm. I shall have to get rid of them somehow—perhaps I could leave them in the train.

Qué tonto era el público! Era exactamente un rebaño de ovejas —pensó, adormilado—. Van uno detrás de otro como tontos, no reparan en tal libro, pero compran el de al lado solo porque lo compran los demás, aunque no hay manera de saber qué ven en el uno o dejan de ver en el otro. Pero este libro… éste tiene que salir. Hay que publicarlo»

From their earliest days the Lambert children had been brought up in accordance with the book and, as they were quite intelligent enough to realise that they could do exactly as they pleased without reproof, they took full advantage of their license. Most of their friends and acquaintances were of the opinion that the Lambert children were intolerable little nuisances but their parents doted upon them and had no eyes nor ears for anybody else.

same way with the same background, and in outward appearance they were not unlike, but inwardly there was no resemblance at all:

Mr. Silver's letter was rather curt. He merely said that the one pound shares were standing at two and sixpence. The fact was, Mr. Silver was annoyed with Miss Harburn and extremely worried about his own five hundred pounds which, in a moment of madness, he had invested in Coribundas and which he could ill-afford to lose. Julia was not in the least worried, she was excited. It was thrilling, a sort of gamble—like putting money on a horse, but much safer, of course.

It was his choice rather than mine for I found Ned a depressing companion and although I needed a friend badly I knew that I could never be really friendly with Ned. To be friends with a person you must be able to share his interests and he must be able to share yours. Ned's interests were different from mine and he did not care a brass pin what my interests were. In addition, Ned was an inveterate borrower.

It was nothing, really; just a straw in the wind! But a straw in the wind shows which way the wind is blowing

In fact Jerry had done everything to make Mrs. Boles stay at Ganthorne Cottage, everything short of binding the woman hand and foot and locking her in the toolshed, so it really was extremely odd that her conscience should keep on bothering her like this. I suppose it's because I'm glad they're going, thought Jerry. I am glad, of course, but I can't help being glad…

In most gatherings people blend into one another—they are dressed in the same fashion and their faces wear the same sort of "party look"—but these people were so strong and rugged in personality that they always remained themselves no matter where they were or what they were doing. Presently,

but when Gerry and Joan and little Marion were there it was anything but peaceful. They were noisy and argumentative and took pleasure in practical jokes of a very annoying character. And they were so careless and untidy that their belongings were scattered about in every room. The young Lamberts were not welcome visitors at Merlewood.

For, no matter how often or how well a person is described, a verbal description can never convey an accurate picture of the lineaments, and the pigment, and the aura that make up the whole personality of a human being.

She turned and leant upon the wall. She did not want to show him her face. It was the sort of face that expressed its owner's feelings much too openly. If Bel were happy, if she were sad, if she received a sudden shock it was written in her face for all the world to see. She had often wished for a "poker face" but never more than now.

She was thinking how odd it was that children grew up so quickly and grown-up people remained much the same. It was only yesterday (or so it seemed to Dorcas) that she had carried Simon upstairs in her arms. Now he could run up the stairs much faster than she could. Tomorrow, or soon after, he would have grown too big to play bears—he would not need her anymore.

If there's no future in what you're doing you should cut your losses and try another line.