Quotes from Elizabeth Enright

In Nina Kimbereley's garden the scabiosa flowers were dark as garnet brooches; the nicotiana a veil of tossing crimson stars. Nothing was usual, or a dull color. All was exceptional, designed to be exceptional since it had been planned as the background for a beauty by the beauty.

Bake in a slow oven—" she continued. "Until the color and texture of grated charcoal," said Rush. "Garnish with nuts, bolts, and old washers, and serve one month later.

Gradually people began to speak of the place as Amberside, though there were a few diehards who never stopped calling it Villa Caprice, or, as in the case of Eli Scaynes, the Villa Cay-priss. But Julian and Joe and Tom and Lucy and Davey never called it anything but the Blake's house; and Portia and Foster never called it anything but home. All their lives they knew that one of the best things that ever happened to them was to be able to call it that.

I loved the flash of jewels and the luster of satin. In those days women dressed.

Oh yes Mrs. Cheever laughed a little and shook her head. In those days it was thought elegant to give names to houses. Mr. Tuckertown, for instance, being southern and romantic, named his house Bellemere, and he nearly died when it was brought to his attention that that name--pronounced a little differently--means 'mother-in-law' in the French language, particularly as his mother-in-law did live with them and was a very strong-minded lady and a close friend of Mrs. Brace-Gideon.

Yes, except that nothing sleeps inside but furniture, and that's probably gone to pieces by now. Time gets into anything; yes, indeed it does; and weather helps it.

Things are always happening to my socks. One's always going off someplace. I don't know why.

Mrs. Cheever's kitchen was calm and cool. Mr. Payton, in a chair by the window, was reading a very old newspaper. Old news is more soothing to read about, he said. You know that you have lived through it alright.

When we found this nice green swamp, these nice green millions of reeds instead, why, they were so much better than the mud that we thought it was all just beautiful. And it is beautiful in an odd way, but you have to learn how to see it.

the man next to Rush shouted a "Bravo!" that smelled of garlic.

Mrs. Schultz believed in beer the way his grandmother believed in the Republican party.

And for heaven's sake don't play Bach," ordered Randy. "It's so jumpy for today." Rush

she saw an old lady and some chickens

she flew over the handlebars head on into the license plate.

The Carthage traffic cop has an alligator in his bathtub!

The second exploded like a bomb, all by itself.

The candy bars in their paper wrappers also had interesting names such as "Nummy Bar

The whole house is impeakable.

Oh, I got this the time I ran into the back of the bus.

Keep hib oud of here. Keep hib oud!

Portia was affected differently. She felt very quiet with happiness Oh, I just hope and pray, she said. And Mrs. Cheever walking lightly beside her, said: Well, I have a feeling, Portia, I have a feeling in my bones that your wish is going to come true. Do you, Aunt Minnehaha? Honestly? Cross your heart? I cross my heart, said Mrs. Cheever. Yes, indeed I do.

Now isn't that nice!' said the old lady. 'If cousins are the right kind, they're best of all: kinder than sisters and brothers, and closer than friends.

Grownups! Everyone remembers them. How strange and even sad it is that we never became what they were: beings noble, infallible, and free. We never became them . One of the things we discover as we live is that we never become anything different from what we are. We are no less ourselves at forty than we were at four, and because of this we know grownups as Grownups only once in life: during our own childhood. We never meet them in our lives again, and we will miss them always.

He couldn't stop smelling the air in great, deep, loud sniffs. It was so delicious. It smelled of water, and mud, and maple trees, and autumn.