Children Quote by Charles Dickens
““. . . such a rush immediately ensued that she with laughing face and plundered dress was borne towards it the centre of a flushed and boisterous group, just in time to greet the father, who came home attended by a man laden with Christmas toys and presents. Then the shouting and the struggling, and the onslaught that was made on the defenceless porter! Then scaling him, with chairs for ladders, to dive into his pockets, despoil him of brown-paper parcels, hold on tight by his cravat, hug him round the neck, pommel his back and kick his legs in irrepressible affection! The shouts of wonder and delight with wich the development of every package was received! The terrible announcement that the baby had been taken in the act of putting a doll's frying-pan into his mouth, and was more than suspected of having swallowed a fictitious turkey, glued on a wooden platter! The immense relief of finding this false alarm! The joy, and gratitude, and ecstasy! They are indescribable alike. It is enough that by degrees the children and their emotions got out of the parlor, and by one stair at a time up to the top of the house; where they went to bed, and so subsided.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens, 1840
A chaotic, joyous scene of children celebrating a false alarm about a baby, showing how excitement and relief can turn fear into exuberant gratitude.
In simple terms: Children celebrate a false alarm, turning fear into joy.
Embrace relief and joy after panic.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- holiday gatherings
- family crises
- children’s play
- unexpected emergencies
- relief after panic
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does collective joy transform fear?
- What role does relief play in family dynamics?
The exaggerated chaos may romanticize child endangerment.