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“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.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett The Secret Garden (1911)

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More quotes by Frances Hodgson Burnett

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)

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Frances Hodgson Burnett (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.