Cold Comfort Farm Quotes
"The education bestowed on Flora Poste by her parents had been expensive, athletic and prolonged."
"She realized that neither [a strong will nor a slender ankle] was adequate as an equipment for earning her keep."
"Christian Science is perhaps a larger organization, but seldom so successful."
"I prefer the idea of arrangement to that other statement, that marriages are made in Heaven."
"‘Of course, if you encourage people to think they’re messy, they will be messy,’ was one of Mrs Smiling’s favourite maxims."
"‘Well – first of all, I used to stand quite still and stare at the trees and not think about anything.'"
"‘Ay, dog’s-fennel or beard’s-crow, by their fruits they shall be betrayed,’ muttered Adam."
"‘And I do think you are going to be messy, if you go and live with a lot of obscure relations.’"
"‘Unless everything is tidy and pleasant and comfortable all about one, people cannot even begin to enjoy life. I cannot endure messes.’"
"Another year, and there will be no doing anything with her."
"Personally, I think it’s much easier if a guest wanders around and finds her own ways of passing the time."
"We will never touch a halfpenny of Robert Poste’s money. While you are here, you are here as the guest of Cold Comfort."
"Nature is all very well in her place, but she must not be allowed to make things untidy."
"Ay, ye’ve come. Dozens of ye. Hundreds of ye. Like rats to a granary."
"You see, I believe in utter frankness about these things."
"I mun till the field nearest my hand before I go into the hedges and by-ways."
"Ay, I mun tell the Brethren to prepare in time for torment, when the roarin’ red flames will lick round their feet."
"You had been here a month and you had not seen her. You thought it strange, did you?"
"You saw to that. None of your grandchildren might leave the farm."
"None of them must go out into the great dirty world where there were cowsheds in which nasty things could happen and be seen by little girls."
"You had them all. You curved your old wrinkled hand into a brown shell, and laughed to yourself."
"How like yaks were your drowsy thoughts, slowly winding round in the dim air of your quiet room."
"I was advising Cousin Amos to address his sermons to a wider audience."
"She – she ain’t like other people’s grandmothers. When she was no bigger than a linnet, she saw—"
"We manages wi'out," and the vision of dabbings and chillinesses and inadequacies thus conjured had so repelled Flora.
"It is a good thing that everybody who hasn’t got invitations for things doesn’t have to try and gate-crash."
"Her candid beauty, set off by the snowy-silver folds of her simple dress, refreshed the dancers."
"Flora glowed with content. Her aim was achieved. She felt as though she had shaken her fist in the face of Aunt Ada Doom."
"It was over, however, at last; and the evening set in with more composure to Fanny..."
"I am a dead woman... Look ... the little curtain was dusty."
"I think you will enjoy it, Cousin Judith, when you get there."
"She’s a dear little thing. Rather brainy, but quite a nice little thing."
"Oh, I say, what a sound scheme. But how did you get hold of it?"
"’Tes no choice o’ mine. ’Tes grandmother’s choice. Do as you please, Cousin Flora."
"She will be oll right now... I shall take her to the nursing home, and let her talk to me."
"Well, never mind that now... You mustn’t carry on like this, you know."
"I myself am a waste... I am a used husk... a rind... a skin."
"I am going to take her lunch up to Aunt Ada... It's quite all right, really. Everything’s settled now."
"You need not worry, Reuben; there will be no fuss at the wedding or anything."
"Oh, I’ve just been in to see Aunt Ada... She doesn’t want anything for breakfast except a Hell’s Angel."
"Is the old ’un gone off again? Will she come down and upset everything after all, do ’ee think, Cousin Flora?"
"I don’t suppose ’ee would marry me, Cousin Flora?"
"I got him! I got him! Whaddya say his name is – Seth? Thassa sissy sort of a name, but it’ll do."
"She mustn’t carry on like this, you know. It – er – it depresses us all no end."
"Praise the Lord! I go to spread the Lord’s word among the heathen Americans."
"She bowed her head. She had accomplished a great work; and had much to be thankful for. And today would see her achievements crowned!"
"Really, when she thought what they had all been like, only five months ago…"
"Flora took one cautious glance round the church before she settled down to wait in decorous quietude for the last few minutes."
"The church seemed full of Starkadders. They were all there; and all there by her agency, except the four whom she had helped to escape."
"She realized then that she had been extremely nervous least anything should go wrong. But nothing had; and now she was extremely hungry."
"In fifteen minutes they were all going in at the farm gate, chattering and laughing and experiencing that curious exultation which always follows a wedding or a funeral."
"Adam’s face grew grave. She glanced round the kitchen, and observed with satisfaction that everybody was eating much too hard and talking much too fast to take any notice of anyone else."
"Quiet flowed back into the sunny empty rooms like the returning sea. The only sounds were the tiny ones of a summer’s day that is drawing towards evening."
"Flora put her warm lips close to his cap. ‘I love you,’ she said. He could not hear her very well, but he turned for a second, and, comforted, smiled into her eyes."
"She glanced upwards for a second at the soft blue vault of the midsummer night sky. Not a cloud misted its solemn depths. Tomorrow would be a beautiful day."