“She loved books. She loved them with her senses and her intellect. They way they looked and smelled; the way they felt… — Betty Smith Book Copy Share Image
“It was one of the links between the ground-down poor and the wasteful rich. The girl felt that even if she had… — Betty Smith Money Copy Share Image
“Ghosts are not always those who pass through closed doors,” said Mary Rommely. “Katie has told how her husband used to talk… — Betty Smith Closed door Copy Share Image
And you must tell the child the legends I told you--as my mother told them to me and her mother to her.… — Betty Smith Children Copy Share Image
It was a good thing that she got herself into this other school. It showed her that there were other worlds beside… — Betty Smith Born Copy Share Image
People looking up at her--at her smooth pretty vivacious face--had no way of knowing about the painfully articulated resolves formulating in her… — Betty Smith Faces Copy Share Image
“Then I've been drunk, too," admitted Francie. "On beer?" "No. Last spring, in McCarren's Park, I saw a tulip for the first… — Betty Smith First time Copy Share Image
“engaged," he said bitterly. "Everybody's engaged. Everybody in a small town is engaged or married or in trouble. There's nothing else to… — Betty Smith Children Copy Share Image
Let me be something every minute of every hour of my life...And when I sleep, let me dream all the time so… — Betty Smith Dream Copy Share Image
As she read, at peace with the world and happy as only a little girl could be with a fine book and… — Betty Smith Afternoon Copy Share Image
“Obscenity and profanity had no meaning as such among those people. They were emotional expressions of inarticulate people with small vocabularies.” — Betty Smith Emotional expression Copy Share Image
“Because," explained Mary Rommely simply, "the child must have a valuable thing which is called imagination. The child must have a secret… — Betty Smith Believe Copy Share Image
“Mother! Katie remembered. She had called her own mother "mama" until the day she had told her that she was going to… — Betty Smith Mother Copy Share Image
Katie had a fierce desire for survival which made her a fighter. Johnny had a hankering after immortality which made him a… — Betty Smith Desire Copy Share Image
“Oh, and you must not forget the Kris Kringle. The child must believe in him until she reaches the age of six."… — Betty Smith Believing Copy Share Image
It's a beautiful religion and I wish I understood it more. No, I don't want to understand it all. It's beautiful because… — Betty Smith Beautiful Copy Share Image
“On a rainy day, she wouldn’t give a lesson. She’d take a block of paper and a stick of charcoal and sketch… — Betty Smith Rainy day Copy Share Image
The difference between rich and poor", said Francie, "is that the poor do everything with thier own hands and the rich hire… — Betty Smith Differences Copy Share Image
“That’s not the point. It was a shrewd move. Teachers are educating future voters. This teacher, for instance, will always say a… — Betty Smith Copy Share Image
“They had grown out of childhood in the last few days. Christmas as Christmas had passed unnoticed since their father had died… — Betty Smith Children Copy Share Image
“If what Granma Mary Rommely said is true, then it must be that no one ever dies, really. Papa is gone, but… — Betty Smith Copy Share Image
People always think that happiness is a faraway thing," thought Francie, "something complicated and hard to get. Yet, what little things can… — Betty Smith Blue Copy Share Image
A lie was something you told because you were mean or a coward. A story was something you made up out of… — Betty Smith Coward Copy Share Image
