Quotes from The Railway Children

“Also she had the power of silent sympathy. That sounds rather dull, I know, but it's not so dull as it sounds. It just means that a person is able to know that you are unhappy, and to love you extra on that account, without bothering you by telling you all the time how sorry she is for you.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“Don't you think it's rather nice to think that we're in a book that God's writing? If I were writing the book, I might make mistakes. But God knows how to make the story end just right—in the way that's best for us.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“I think everyone in the world is friends if you can only get them to see you don't want to be un-friends.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“everything has an end, and you get to it if you only keep all on.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“Daddy dear, I'm only four
And I'd rather not be more.
Four's the nicest age to be,
Two and two and one and three.
What I love is two and two,
Mother, Peter, Phil, and you.
What you love is one and three,
Mother, Peter, Phil, and me.
Give your little girl a kiss
Because she learned and told you this.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“It's an odd thing- the softer and more easily hurt a woman is the better she can screw herself up to do what has to be done.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“Girls are just as clever as boys, and don't you forget it!”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“There was a pleasant party of barge people round the fire. You might not have thought it pleasant, but they did; for they were all friends or acquaintances, and they liked the same sort of things, and talked the same sort of talk. This is the real secret of pleasant society.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“Our darling Roberta,
No sorrow shall hurt her
If we can prevent it
Her whole life long.
Her birthday's our fete day,
We'll make it our great day,
And give her our presents
And sing her our song.
May pleasures attend her
And may the Fates send her
The happiest journey
Along her life's way.
With skies bright above her
And dear ones to love her!
Dear Bob! Many happy
Returns of the day!”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“So you see it was all right in the end. But if one does that sort of thing, one has to be careful to do it in the right way. For, as Mr. Perks said, when he had time to think it over, it's not so much what you do, as what you mean.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“I'd like to marry a lady who had trances, and only woke up once or twice a year”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“I can't think what made him so horrid. Perhaps it was because he had been so very nice and kind all the earlier part of the day, and now he had to have a change. This is called reaction. One notices it now and then in oneself. Sometimes when one has been extra good for a longer time than usual, one is suddenly attacked by a violent fit of not being good at all.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“Boys and girls are only little men and women. And WE are much harder and hardier than they are--" (Peter liked the "we." Perhaps the Doctor had known he would.)--"and much stronger, and things that hurt THEM don't hurt US. You know you mustn't hit a girl--"

"I should think not, indeed," muttered Peter, indignantly.

"Not even if she's your own sister. That's because girls are so much softer and weaker than we are; they have to be, you know," he added, "because if they weren't, it wouldn't be nice for the babies. And that's why all the animals are so good to the mother animals. They never fight them, you know."

"I know," said Peter, interested; "two buck rabbits will fight all day if you let them, but they won't hurt a doe."

"No; and quite wild beasts--lions and elephants--they're immensely gentle with the female beasts. And we've got to be, too."

"I see," said Peter.

"And their hearts are soft, too," the Doctor went on, "and things that we shouldn't think anything of hurt them dreadfully. So that a man has to be very careful, not only of his fists, but of his words. They're awfully brave, you know," he went on. "Think of Bobbie waiting alone in the tunnel with that poor chap. It's an odd thing- -the softer and more easily hurt a woman is the better she can screw herself up to do what HAS to be done. I've seen some brave women-- your Mother's one," he ended abruptly.

"Yes," said Peter.

"Well, that's all. Excuse my mentioning it. But nobody knows everything without being told. And you see what I mean, don't you?”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“Mother did not spend all her time in paying dull calls to dull ladies, and sitting dully at home waiting for dull ladies to pay calls to her. She was almost always there, ready to play with the children, and read to them, and help them to do their home-lessons. Besides this she used to write stories for them while they were at school, and read them aloud after tea, and she always made up funny pieces of poetry for their birthdays and for other great occasions, such as the christening of the new kittens, or the refurnishing of the doll's house, or the time when they were getting over the mumps.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“Presently she said, "Dears, when you say your prayers, I think you might ask God to show His pity upon all prisoners and captives." "To show His pity," Bobbie repeated slowly, "upon all prisoners and captives. Is that right, Mother?" "Yes," said Mother, "upon all prisoners and captives. All prisoners and captives." Chapter”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“I see. Certainly. It would be nice to put his name on the buns with pink sugar, wouldn't it?" "Perks," said Peter, "it's not a pretty name." "His other name's Albert," said Phyllis; "I asked him once." "We might put A. P.," said Mother; "I'll show you how when the day comes." This”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“No, it's not French," said Peter. "Try him with French if you know so much about it," said the farmer-man. "Parlay voo Frongsay?" began Peter, boldly, and the next moment the crowd recoiled again, for the man with the wild eyes had left leaning against the wall, and had sprung forward and caught Peter's hands, and begun to pour forth a flood of words which, though he could not understand a word of them, Peter knew the sound of.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“He said that his eyes were red because he had a cold.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“Oh!" said Roberta, drawing a long breath; "it was like a great dragon tearing by. Did you feel it fan us with its hot wings?" "I suppose a dragon's lair might look very like that tunnel from the outside," said Phyllis.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“With gloomy face he picked it up And took it to his Mother, Though even he could not suppose That she could make another; For those who perished on the line He did not seem to care, His engine being more to him Than all the people there. And now you see the reason why Our Peter has been ill: He soothes his soul with pigeon-pie His gnawing grief to kill. He wraps himself in blankets warm And sleeps in bed till late, Determined thus to overcome His miserable fate. And if his eyes are rather red, His cold must just excuse it: Offer him pie; you may be sure He never will refuse it.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“And there's 'Three Chimneys' done in the purple primroses," said Phyllis. "And that little tiny rose-bud is Mother looking out for us when we're late for tea. Peter invented it all, and we got all the flowers from the station. We thought you'd like it better.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“(The Gentle Reader may perhaps have suffered from this difficulty.)”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“The 9.15 up was called the Green Dragon. The 10.7 down was the Worm of Wantley. The midnight town express, whose shrieking rush they sometimes woke from their dreams to hear, was the Fearsome Fly-by-night.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“It was by the Green Dragon that the old gentleman travelled. He was a very nice-looking old gentleman, and he looked as if he were nice, too, which is not at all the same thing. He had a fresh-coloured, clean-shaven face and white hair, and he wore rather odd-shaped collars and a top-hat that wasn't exactly the same kind as other people's.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“All three had been TAUGHT French at school. How deeply they now wished that they had LEARNED it!”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“I say," Phyllis suggested, "let's all wave to the Green Dragon as it goes by. If it's a magic dragon, it'll understand and take our loves to Father. And if it isn't, three waves aren't much. We shall never miss them.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“And out of a first-class carriage a hand waved back. A quite clean hand. It held a newspaper. It was the old gentleman's hand. After this it became the custom for waves to be exchanged between the children and the 9.15.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

“He had an engine that he loved With all his heart and soul, And if he had a wish on earth It was to keep it whole. One day—my friends, prepare your minds; I'm coming to the worst— Quite suddenly a screw went mad, And then the boiler burst! With gloomy face he picked it up And took it to his Mother, Though even he could not suppose That she could make another; For those who perished on the line He did not seem to care, His engine being more to him Than all the people there. And now you see the reason why Our Peter has been ill: He soothes his soul with pigeon-pie His gnawing grief to kill. He wraps himself in blankets warm And sleeps in bed till late, Determined thus to overcome His miserable fate. And if his eyes are rather red, His cold must just excuse it: Offer him pie; you may be sure He never will refuse it.”
― E. Nesbit, quote from The Railway Children

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