Frances Hodgson Burnett Quotes

1849–1924 England

Frances Hodgson Burnett (24 November 1849 – 29 October 1924) was an English–American playwright and author. She is best known for her children's stories, including The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, and Little Lord Fauntleroy.

England
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Random Frances Hodgson Burnett quote

14 quotes

Ben Weatherstaff says he is so conceited he would rather have stones thrown at him than not be noticed.

The Secret Garden (1911)

Perhaps if her mother had carried her pretty face and her pretty manners oftener into the nursery Mary might have learned some pretty ways too.

The Secret Garden (1911)

Yorkshire’s th’ sunniest place on earth when it is sunny.

The Secret Garden (1911)

Being alive is the Magic—being strong is the Magic.

The Secret Garden (1911)

“You are a selfish thing!” cried Colin.
“What are you?” said Mary. “Selfish people always say that. Any one is selfish who doesn’t do what they want.”

The Secret Garden (1911)

[T]o be able to learn things quickly isn't everything. To be kind is worth a great deal to other people.

A Little Princess (1905)

So she began to feel a slight interest in Dickon, and as she had never before been interested in any one but herself, it was the dawning of a healthy sentiment.

The Secret Garden (1911)

“Do you think he wants him to die?” whispered Mary.
“No, but he wishes he’d never been born. Mother she says that’s th’ worst thing on earth for a child. Them as is not wanted scarce ever thrives.”

The Secret Garden (1911)

If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it.

A Little Princess (1905)

In India she had always felt hot and too languid to care much about anything. The fact was that the fresh wind from the moor had begun to blow the cobwebs out of her young brain and to waken her up a little.

The Secret Garden (1911)

Eh! poor lad! He’s been spoiled till salt won’t save him. Mother says as th’ two worst things as can happen to a child is never to have his own way—or always to have it. She doesn’t know which is th’ worst.

The Secret Garden (1911)

“How many things she knows, doesn’t she?”
“Eh!” said Martha. “It’s like she says: ’A woman as brings up twelve children learns something besides her A B C. Children’s as good as ’rithmetic to set you findin’ out things.’”

The Secret Garden (1911)

Never did she find anything so difficult as to keep herself from losing her temper when she was suddenly disturbed while absorbed in a book. People who are fond of books know the feeling of irritation which sweeps over them at such a moment. The temptation to be unreasonable and snappish is one not easy to manage.

A Little Princess (1905)

Then something began pushing things up out of the soil and making things out of nothing. One day things weren’t there and another they were. I had never watched things before and it made me feel very curious. Scientific people are always curious and I am going to be scientific. I keep saying to myself, ’What is it? What is it?’ It’s something. It can’t be nothing!

The Secret Garden (1911)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Frances Hodgson Burnett (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.