Top 250 Frances Hodgson Burnett Quotes (2026 Update)
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201. “She is hungrier than I am,” she said to herself. “She’s starving.” But her hand trembled when she put down the fourth bun. “I’m not starving,” she said – and she put down the fifth.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

202. “Six months before Mistress Mary would not have seen how the world was waking up, but now she missed nothing.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

203. “She had no one to talk to; and when she was sent out on errands and walked through the streets, a forlorn little figure carrying a basket or a parcel, trying to hold her hat on when the wind was blowing, and feeling the water soak through her shoes when it was raining, she felt as if the crowds hurrying past her made her loneliness greater.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

204. “Medlock said I was to carry tha’ breakfast an’ tea an’ dinner into th’ room next to this. It’s been made into a nursery for thee. I’ll help thee on with thy clothes if tha’ll get out o’ bed. If th’ buttons are at th’ back tha’ cannot button them up tha’self.” When Mary at last decided to get up, the clothes Martha took from the wardrobe were not the ones she had worn when she arrived the night before.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

205. “Shut in and morbid as his life had been, Colin had more imagination than she had and at least he had spent a good deal of time looking at wonderful books and pictures.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

206. “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. When.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

207. “To hear this pretty childish voice speaking his own language so simply and charmingly made him feel almost as if he were in his native land – which on dark, foggy days in London sometimes seemed worlds away.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

208. “Mistress Mary got up from the log at once. She knew she felt contrary again, and obstinate, and she did not care at all. She was imperious and Indian, and at the same time hot and sorrowful.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

209. “You don’t know that you are saying these things to a princess, and that if I chose I could wave my hand and order you to execution. I only spare you because I am a princess, and you are a poor, stupid, old, vulgar thing, and don’t know any better.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

210. “You see, if people knew that dolls could do things, they would make them work. So, perhaps, they have promised each other to keep it a secret.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

211. “Dickon, and Dickon brought his tame animals, and, if you’ll credit it, sir, out of doors he.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

212. “Fresh air won’t tire me,” said the young Rajah.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

213. “Mrs. Medlock, knowing Ben had come from the gardens, hoped that he might have caught sight of his master and even by chance of his meeting with Master Colin. “Did you see either of them, Weatherstaff?” she asked.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

214. “I like you! I like you!” she cried out, pattering down the walk; and she chirped and tried to whistle, which last she did not know how to do in the least. But the robin seemed to be quite satisfied and chirped and whistled back at her.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

215. “Now you are a great deal fatter and better looking.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

216. “It was really a very simple thing, after all, – it was only that he had lived near a kind and gentle heart, and had been taught to think kind thoughts always and to care for others. It is a very little thing, perhaps, but it is the best thing of all. He knew nothing of earls and castles; he was quite ignorant of all grand and splendid things; but he was always lovable because he was simple and loving. To be so is like being born a king.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

217. “And, somehow, Sara felt as if she understood her, though she said so little, and only stood still and looked and looked after her as she went out of the shop with the Indian gentleman, and they got into the carriage and drove away.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

218. “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.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

219. “You can’t help being a doll,” she said with a resigned sigh, “any more than Lavinia and Jessie can help not having any sense. We are not all made alike. Perhaps you do your sawdust best.” And she kissed her and shook her clothes straight, and put her back upon her chair.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

220. “She went from place to place, and dug and weeded, and enjoyed herself so immensely that she was led on from bed to bed and into the grass under the trees. The exercise made her so warm that she first threw her coat off, and then her hat, and without knowing it she was smiling down on to the grass and the pale green points all the time.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

221. “Scientific people are always curious and I am going to be scientific.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

222. “Don’t let us talk about dying; I don’t like it. Let us talk about living.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

223. “I don’t know how to do it but I think that if you keep thinking about it and calling it perhaps it will come.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

224. “We trifle with France and labour with Germany, we sentimentalize over Italy and ecstacise over Spain- but England we love.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

225. “That’s almost like telling lies,” she said. “And lies – well, you see, they are not only wicked – they’re VULGAR. Sometimes” – reflectively – “I’ve thought perhaps I might do something wicked – I might suddenly fly into a rage and kill Miss Minchin, you know, when she was ill-treating me – but I COULDN’T be vulgar.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

226. “It won’t be enough for either of us. But it will be better than nothing.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

227. “It really was a very strange feeling she had about Emily. It arose from her being so desolate. She did not like to own to herself that her only friend, her only companion, could feel and hear nothing. She wanted to believe, or to pretend to believe, that Emily understood and sympathized with her, that she heard her even though she did not speak in answer.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

228. “She had not expected him to remember her at all and her hard little heart grew quite warm.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

229. “But Dickon did not feel the least shy or awkward. He had not felt embarrassed because the crow had not known his language and had only stared and had not spoken to him the first time they met. Creatures were always like that until they found out about you.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

230. “Lo considero un amigo, a veces sucede que se puede estimar a una persona aunque nunca se haya hablado con ella. Se las observa y se piensa en ellas, y se comparten sus preocupaciones.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

231. “Somehow the sight of the dear little sixpence was good for both of them. It made them laugh a little, though they both had tears in their eyes.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

232. “I was thinking,” she said. “Beg my pardon immediately,” said Miss Minchin. “I will beg your pardon for laughing, if it was rude,” said Sara; “but I won’t beg your pardon for thinking.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

233. “Just as that moment her torn heart swelled within her.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

234. “I don’t want you to give me anything,” said Sara. “I want your books- I want them!” And her eyes grew big and her chest heaved.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

235. “If you lie through the night upon the battlements and think only of the stillness and the stars you will forget your anger and its poison will die away. If you put into your mind a beautiful thought it will take the place of the evil one. There is no room for darkness in the mind of him who thinks only of the stars.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

236. “They never sat up all night with Trouble, Peter Piper used to say. And I told him they were quite right. If you make a fuss over trouble and put it to bed and nurse it and give it beef.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

237. “She just flew at him like a little cat last night, and stamped her feet and ordered him to stop screaming, and somehow she startled him so that he actually did stop, and this afternoon – well just come up and see, sir. It’s past crediting.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

238. “The branches are quite gray and there’s not a single leaf anywhere,” Colin went on. “It’s quite dead, isn’t it?” “Aye,” admitted Dickon. “But them roses as has climbed all over it will near hide every bit o’ th’ dead wood when they’re full o’ leaves an’ flowers. It won’t look dead then. It’ll be th’ prettiest of all.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

239. “And kissed her trembling honest mouth almost as if he had been a man – not quite – but almost.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

240. “It was so new and big and wonderful and such a heavenly color.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

241. “I dare say it’s because there’s such a lot o’ blacks there instead o’ respectable white people. When I heard you was.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

242. “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. You’re more selfish than I am. You’re the most selfish boy I ever saw.” “I’m not!” snapped Colin. “I’m not as selfish as your fine Dickon is! He keeps you playing in the dirt when he knows I am all by myself. He’s selfish, if you like!”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

243. “And they put their arms round each other and kissed as if they would never let each other go.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

244. “I am going to,” answered.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

245. “And the sun fell warm upon his face like a hand with a lovely touch.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

246. “A lot of nice accidents have happened to me.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

247. “One of her favorite fancies was that on “the outside”, as she called it, thoughts were waiting for people to call them.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

248. “It is clear to me that magic works best when you try hard at something.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

249. “But after a few days spent almost entirely out of doors she wakened.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett

250. “Yes, miss, you are,” she cried, and her words were all broken. “Whats’ever ‘appens to you – whats’ever – you’d be a princess all the same – an’ nothin’ couldn’t make you nothin’ different.”

— Frances Hodgson Burnett