--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Would Edith ever be like that, a mere…" description: "\"“Would Edith ever be like that, a mere custodian of the past? If she did, he thought, she would be false to the very traditions she tried to preserve. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/594/ernest-poole-48167_new-adventure_would-edith-ever-be-like-that-a-mere-cus_1374187.jpg" --- # Would Edith ever be like that, a mere custodian of the… ![“Would Edith ever be like that, a mere custodian of the past? If she did, he thought, she would be false to the very traditions she tried to preserve. For her forefathers had never been mere guardians of things gone by. Always they had been pioneers. That house had not been old to them, but a…” quote by Ernest Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/594/ernest-poole-48167_new-adventure_would-edith-ever-be-like-that-a-mere-cus_1374187.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/594/ernest-poole-48167_new-adventure_would-edith-ever-be-like-that-a-mere-cus_1374187.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/594/ernest-poole-48167_new-adventure_would-edith-ever-be-like-that-a-mere-cus_1374187.jpg) > ““Would Edith ever be like that, a mere custodian of the past? If she did, he thought, she would be false to the very traditions she tried to preserve. For her forefathers had never been mere guardians of things gone by. Always they had been pioneers. That house had not been old to them, but a thrilling new adventure.”” [Ernest Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-poole/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that merely preserving history without innovation betrays the pioneering spirit of ancestors. **In simple terms:** Preserving without progress is betrayal of tradition. Key Takeaway Embrace change while honoring heritage. Themes tradition innovation heritage identity progress Mood reflective inspirational cautious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - museum curation - family heritage projects - urban redevelopment - cultural preservation initiatives Key Concepts historical consciousness cultural continuity legacy pioneering spirit Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance respect for the past with forward‑thinking action? - What risks arise when we cling to nostalgia? A Different Perspective If tradition is rigid, it may stifle necessary evolution. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Custodian Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/custodian-past-4740572/) [Edith Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edith-like-4740567/) [Forefathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forefathers/) [Forefathers Mere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forefathers-mere-4740568/) [New adventure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-adventure/) [Preserve Forefathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preserve-forefathers-4740570/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Every crucial experience can be regarded either as a setback, or the start of a wonderful new adventure, it depends on your perspective!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/every-crucial-experience-can-be-regarded-either-as-a-setback-or-the/) [Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/) > [Passion--it's the driving force that you just can't ignore. 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It feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/some-people-are-happy-when-they-are-at-the-sea-i-m-happy-when-i-m/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I loved Julia Louis-Dreyfus's show 'The New Adventures of Old Christine.' That made me laugh out loud. She's like Lucille Ball. She's brilliant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt/i-loved-julia-louis-dreyfus-s-show-the-new-adventures-of-old/) [Helen Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt/) > [Life is too short to keep taking trips to the past, so I closed the door on mine now all I can do is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/life-is-too-short-to-keep-taking-trips-to-the-past-so-i-closed-the/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [It is confidence in our bodies, minds and spirits that allows us to keep looking for new adventures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/it-is-confidence-in-our-bodies-minds-and-spirits-that-allows-us-to/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Acting in movies? Why not. It would be a new adventure for me. 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"Cut it out right now or I swear I'm going to pull over and knock your heads together. Oh,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/cut-it-out-phillip-exploded-cut-it-out-right-now-or-i-swear-i-m-going/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [Astronomy may be revolutionized more than any other field of science by observations from above the atmosphere. Study of the planets, the Sun, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyman-spitzer/astronomy-may-be-revolutionized-more-than-any-other-field-of-science/) [Lyman Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyman-spitzer/) > [Each day is a start of a new adventure, and I eagerly look forward to today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/each-day-is-a-start-of-a-new-adventure-and-i-eagerly-look-forward-to/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [“When we experience a new adventure, it changes us; thus, adventure is the link between who we were, and who we are destined to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anella-wetter/when-we-experience-a-new-adventure-it-changes-us-thus-adventure-is/) [Anella Wetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anella-wetter/) ## More by Ernest Poole > [“Yes, read about jobs and your hours and wages. Yes, you must strike, you must have better lives. But you must read also about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-poole/yes-read-about-jobs-and-your-hours-and-wages-yes-you-must-strike-you/) [Ernest Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-poole/) > [Here we grow the flax and grain; here we raise the meat they eat, and the wool to keep them warm; we cut trees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-poole/here-we-grow-the-flax-and-grain-here-we-raise-the-meat-they-eat-and/) [Ernest Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-poole/) > [The trouble with those people is that they think all the best things are made in the cities. 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Louis Armstrong - go to the forefathers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/the-musicians-duke-ellington-his-thing-was-not-about-separating/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [Democracies have been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and in general been as short in their lives as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/democracies-have-been-found-incompatible-with-personal-security-or/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) [Browse all 179 Forefathers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forefathers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Would Edith ever be like that, a mere custodian of the past? If she did, he thought, she would be false to the very traditions she tried to preserve. For her forefathers had never been mere guardians of things gone by. Always they had been pioneers. 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