Quotes from D.E. Stevenson

Someday, she was convinced, somebody would find out that she was an imposter in the adult world.

Wherever Paula went she made friends and gathered information—she was interested in everything and everybody, and her interest drew people toward her and opened their hearts. Her manner was always natural and sincere, and it rarely failed to evoke a natural and sincere response—she was never patronizing, never gushing, never subservient, she was always herself.

Life was like that, thought Liz. You drifted on for years and years—then, suddenly, everything happened at once and all the things that had seemed so stable dissolved and disintegrated before your eyes…and life was new.

Sir Walter Scott in his diary gives a description of his own feelings in times of stress. He says, "Nature has given me a kind of buoyancy . . . that mingles even with my deepest afflictions and most gloomy hours. I have a secret pride . . . which impels me to mix with my distresses strange fragments of mirth.

They walked on and, as they walked, they discussed the affair in the same disjointed uncomfortable way. "Oh hell!" exclaimed Roy at last. "This has bust up our whole trip—I wish Hitler was dead." "You can't wish it more than I do," replied Frank.

She should know all there was to know - all that I knew, and, what was more important still, she should know that there was no more to know. Knowledge is less hard to bear than ignorance if you possess an imagination like Clementina's.

These walls have sheltered joys, and sorrows, and hopes and fears innumerable; they have rung with the noise of revelry and the sound of grief; children have been born, and grown to manhood and died within their shelter – and now they are crumbling to ruin, fit only for the owl and the jackdaw to live in and build their nests.

Were you really at school with Mums?' she inquired, fixing Zilla with wide-open eyes. 'Mums said you were—but you look much too old.' Zilla was displeased and showed it; she was not inured to home-truths delivered by the young and innocent

She was a little frightened in anticipation and a little frightened when the test came, but fortunately she was in control of her fear. She pushed it into a corner of her mind and barricaded it in. This left her mind perfectly clear and free to function properly. Of course, one had to keep an eye on the barricade, though Frances, smiling to herself at the absurd simile; one had to see that it was holding firm and keeping the fear-beast from bursting out and making a nuisance of itself . . .

gratitude is such an uncomfortable thing——don't you think so, Charlotte? It takes God to receive gratitude graciously.

I find pleasure in cynicism, the habit is growing. Let it grow, it is a fine protection against the world.

It would be much easier to entertain the Queen Mother, who is really grand, than a woman like Lady Fotheringay Massington who only thinks she's grand . . . and it would much more pleasant.

Of course I know that you have forgotten me long ago, you are not lonely like I am. You have a husband to share your life, a house to care for, a garden to enjoy, perhaps you have children. You would think it crazy that a woman you met three years ago for ten minutes should think of you as her greatest friend, but you would not grudge me the consolation of your shadowy presence if you knew what it meant to me.

It's turned out all right after all," she said contentedly. "Things usually do, somehow. You worry and fuss and try to make things go the way you think they should, and then you find that the other way was best. I'm going to try not to worry about things anymore.

She realized, for the first time, how very important fire was. We lost sight of the meaning of fire when it was easy to produce. Fire was one of Heaven's best gifts to man. Fire was life.

It was a busy day, washing and ironing and packing, but although I had so much to do I was happy (I felt like a woman who has just been released from prison).

The door's locked," Dorcas told him. "Oh dear!" she lamented. "Oh dear, oh dear—I thought she'd got over it. We were all so happy and peaceful—" "Don't be absurd, Dorcas," said Mr. Abbott, quite sharply. It really was absurd—anybody would think that Barbara had taken to drink, at least, by the way Dorcas was going on.

don't like the term," said Rhoda frankly. "It's too loosely used nowadays when everybody who has the smallest talent or is out of the ordinary in any way is immediately hailed as a genius;

We are airborne," said Roger trying to smile. "Airborne," repeated Aunt Beatrice, savouring the word. "It is a very pleasant sensation. When I get home I shall write to Elsie Cannan and tell her about it. She has never been airborne." It was encouraging to discover that although she looked like death his charge had plenty of spirit. There was nothing yellow about Aunt Beatrice except her face.

Next year when I take my holiday I shall certainly fly——" "But not to Rome," said Roger hastily. "No, not to Rome," agreed Aunt Beatrice. "I have a feeling I should like to visit Copenhagen. It is a very beautiful city I am told." Roger could not help smiling. He wondered whether he should begin to study Danish—just in case.

James thought he might learn from Daniel how to be alone and yet not lonely, how to be self-sufficient. One must not become selfish of course (Daniel was not selfish), but it would be a useful lesson

gaze at him in despair, for I have not been listening to a word, and have no idea what I think about it. I have been caught out in the reprehensible act of listening to other people's conversation, and neglecting my own.

It does not require an economist to realise that a nation's wealth lies in the wealth of her citizens. Moneyed people are an asset to a nation, paupers are a liability. Take a man with an income of ten thousand a year, he is a valuable asset. The State can depend upon him for a definite yearly income. Then the man dies and the property—instead of passing to his son and continuing to yield the same yearly income to the State—has to be broken up and sold to pay death duties.

I don't suppose this gate's been opened for years." "Why hasn't somebody bought it?" Barbara wanted to know. "Ghosts," replied Mr. Pinthorpe tersely. "At least, that's what I heard. Shouldn't have told you that, I don't suppose." "I'm not frightened of ghosts," said Barbara stoutly.