Brand New Day

The Secret Garden

I recently reread one of my favorite childhood books...

The Secret Garden!

and I can probably say that it's one of the best books of all time.  What beautiful writing, a wonderful story, and lovely characters.  It all seems like a perfectly plausible dreamworld (does that make sense?).

Anyway, during this read, I found so many quotes that I don't want to forget.  Here are some of them below:

"Is the spring coming?"  "It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine, and things pushing up and working under the earth," said Mary.   (p109)

"Eh!" he said.  "I was up long before him.  How could I have stay abed!  Th' world's all fair begun again this mornin', it has.  An' it's workin' an' hummin' an' scratchin' an' pipin' an' nest buildin' an' breathin' out scents, til you've got to be out on it 'stead o' lyin' on your back.  When th' sun did jump up, th' moor went mad for joy, an' I was in the midst of th' heather, an' I run like mad myself, shoutin' an' singin'.  An' I come straight here.  I couldn't have stayed away. Why, th' garden was lyin' here waitin'!"  (p129)

And though the robin did not answer, because his beak was occupied, Mary knew that when he flew away with his twig to his own corner of the garden, the darkness of his dew-bright eye meant that he would not tell their secret for the world.  (p135)

She says:  "Once when I was givin' th' children a bit of a preach after they'd been fightin' I ses [says] to 'em all, 'When I was at school my jography [geography] told as th' world was shaped like a orange an' I found out before I was ten that th' whole orange doesn't belong to nobody.  No one owns more than his bit of a quarter an' there's times it seems like there's not enow quarters to go round.  But don't you - none o' you - think as you own th' whole orange or you'll find out you're mistaken, an' you won't find it out without hard knocks.'  What children learns from children," she says, "is that there's no sense in grabbin' at th' whole orange - peel an' all.  If you do, you'll likely not get even th' pips, an' them's too bitter to eat." (p160-61)

One of the strange things about living in the world is that it is only now and then one is quite sure one is going to live forever and ever and ever and ever.  One knows it sometimes when one gets up at the tender, solemn dawn-time and goes out and stands alone and throws one's head far back and looks up and up and watches the pale sky slowly changing and flushing and marvelous unknown things happening until the East almost makes one cry out and one's heart stands still at the strange, unchanging majesty of the rising of the sun - which has been happening every morning for thousands and thousands and thousands of years.  One knows it then for a moment or so.  And one knows it sometimes when one stands by oneself in a wood at sunset and the mysterious deep gold stillness slanting through and under the branches seems to be saying slowly again and again something one cannot quite hear, however much one tries.  Then sometimes the immense quiet of the dark-blue at night with millions of stars waiting and watching makes one sure;  and sometimes a sound of far-off music makes it true;  and sometimes a look in someone's eyes.  (p175)

"Do you believe in Magic?" asked Colin, after he had explained about Indian fakirs.  "I do hope you do."

"That I do, lad," she answered.  "I never knowed it by that name, but what does th' name matter?    I warrant they call it a different name i' France an' a different one i' Germany.  Th' same thing as set th' seeds swellin' an' th' sun shinin' made thee a well lad an' it's th' Good Thing.  It isn't like us poor fools as think it matters if us is called out of our names.  Th' Big Good Thing doesn't stop to worrit, bless thee.  It goes on makin' worlds by th' million - worlds like us.  Never thee stop believin' in th' Big Good Thing an' knowin' th' world's full of it - an' call it what tha' likes.  Tha' wert singin' to it when I come into th' garden." (p226)

In each century since the beginning of the world wonderful things have been discovered.  In the last century more amazing things were found out than in any century before.  In this new century hundreds of things still more astounding will be brought to light.  At first people refuse to believe that a strange new thing can be done, then they begin to hope it can't be done, then they see it can be done - then it is done and all the world wonders why it was not done centuries ago.  One of the new things people began to find out in the last century was that thoughts - just mere thoughts - are as powerful as electric batteries - as good for one as sunlight is, or as bad for one as poison.  To let a sad thought or a bad one get into your mind is as dangerous as letting a scarlet fever germ get into your body.  If you let it stay there after it has got in you may never get over it as long as you live. (p229)

Much more surprising things can happen to anyone who, when a disagreeable or discouraged thought comes into his mind, just has the sense to remember in time and push it out by putting in an agreeable, determinedly courageous one.  Two things can not be in one place.  

Where you tend a rose, my lad,

A thistle cannot grow.

(p230)]