The Throwaway Children Quotes
"She tried to calm her breathing so that it matched Rosie's, the peaceful breathing of undisturbed sleep, but her heart was pounding."
"Jimmy Randall paused on the landing, listening. All was quiet in the girls’ room."
"Don’t know why Mavis gives it houseroom, dirty stray. If it was my house…"
"Gran gave her a hug. ‘Never mind, love,’ she said. ‘Perhaps he won’t be around for long.’"
"She loved his face, his smile making crinkles round his eyes and his curly fair hair."
"‘It’s been my home for nigh on thirty years,’ Lily told Mavis."
"‘What about me?’ complained Mavis. ‘I need someone. Now Don’s gone, have I got to stay on my own for the rest of my life?’"
"‘But they’re not orphans,’ pointed out Miss Hopkins."
"They will learn their place in life. They will not slide into a life of crime like their parents."
"‘No!’ Rita snapped. ‘We don’t want a brother or sister who looks like him. He’s fat and ugly.’"
"Life is tough here and the sooner these kids learn that the better."
"Do as you’re told, and you’ll do very well here. Disobey, and you will be punished."
"It wasn’t my fault, officer, she simply stepped right out in front of me."
"Teach these poor, weak girls a due sense of gratitude for all Your mercies to them."
"She’s as all right as you can be with your leg in plaster, and a cracked head."
"If she don’t come home quick, she might be too late."
"I’ll deal with you in the morning! The Hawk’s words echoed in her brain."
"You’re all behind in here. Hurry up and go down for prayers."
"She’s wet her bed. That’s all. Matron will make her stand there until after breakfast."
"You will remain in this room while everyone goes to breakfast. I will send for you when I want you."
"I’m glad you bit that Sheila, an’ I’m not the only one!"
"It’s my daddy, but I’ve nowhere else to put him."
"It’s horrible there. When Rosie wet her bed, they wrapped her in the wet sheet."
"Rita, almost mesmerized by the superintendent’s glare, nodded."
"I hope you find them, but even if you do, I doubt if you’ll get them back."
"I’ve some very exciting news for you all. You’ve all been chosen to have the adventure of a lifetime."
"Remember, wherever you are you are my best girls."
"Books are meant to be fun, so if you’re enjoying one, keep reading it."
"You must be bruised all over. Have you been to the doctor?"
"Sea-legs just means getting used to the ship moving."
"You could’ve been killed, falling down them stairs."
"You could open it easily enough, but she had no way of resealing it."
"If you want to go into the pool and you can’t swim, you must come down to the shallow end and walk in."
"You’re much more likely to be allowed to visit her if you don’t make a fuss about her going."
"They walked round us all like we was animals at some market."
"I will not be party to such treatment, Mrs Manton."
"The woman was dead drunk on the floor when you went to find her."
"Rita had been nothing but trouble from the moment she arrived."
"She was going to lose Rosie and there was nothing, absolutely nothing, she could do about it."
"For Christ's sake, Edna, shut that child up."
"You must see that I can't continue to employ you."
"I see. Well, I'm afraid if you can't give me some idea of your business, I'll simply have to make you an appointment for some time next week."
"She probably don't know they've been sent to Australia, Lily reasoned. She’s probably been told that they was adopted, same as me."
"I’m sorry, but I’m afraid it is," Miss Hopkins assured her.
"And so I do," Miss Hopkins was tired of Mrs Sharples.
"You can rely on me, Miss Vanstone," purred Miss Hopkins.
"Mavis, you knew you wasn't ever going to have them back. You chose Jimmy ahead of your own kids."
"I didn’t know what they said, did I?" Mavis protested feebly.
"You have to face it, Mavis, he didn’t mean them girls to come back."
"I don’t know! I just signed, OK? I just signed what Jimmy told me to sign."
"I’ll advance what you need. I’m sure you can get emergency coupons in the circumstances."
"You’re all I have left of Mavis, but I won’t forget your sisters."
"It’s got to be better than whatever Old Dawes has got lined up."
"I can’t afford to get rid of her just now, it being school holidays and all."
"Don’t be obtuse, Joe. If I do that, they certainly won’t give us the property."
"For the first time since she had climbed out of her bedroom window, she felt safe."
"You make it sound like a dentist’s appointment."
"‘Sleeping pills,’ he said, and turning to his companion he barked, ‘Ambulance, Andrews! Sharpish!’"
"‘Where did you find her?’ Rita asked. ‘How…?’"
"‘Poor Rosie, poor darling Rosie,’ Rita wept, holding her sister’s cold hand between her own."
"‘Do you want a boy or a girl?’ Rita asked him."
"How do you feel about being a grandmother?"
"I’m so sorry I didn’t look after you better, but you’re safe now. Nobody can’t hurt you any more."
"‘She was always frightened of him, Uncle Jimmy, we all were,’ she said."
"I think I love you even more when you’re cross, that stern expression makes you even more beautiful."
"‘Thank you, Andrew,’ she whispered, tears shining in her eyes, ‘thank you so very much.’"