--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The thing that got me about the Orphan…" description: "\"The thing that got me about the Orphan Trains was that the experiences were so varied. Some of the kids went from neglect and hunger in New York to lov..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/laura-moriarty-17531_adopted_the-thing-that-got-me-about-the-orphan-t_2083040.png" --- # The thing that got me about the Orphan Trains was that the… ![“The thing that got me about the Orphan Trains was that the experiences were so varied. Some of the kids went from neglect and hunger in New York to loving farm families who couldn't wait to fatten them up, who gave them medical care, an education, affection. And some of the kids became the victims…” quote by Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/laura-moriarty-17531_adopted_the-thing-that-got-me-about-the-orphan-t_2083040.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/laura-moriarty-17531_adopted_the-thing-that-got-me-about-the-orphan-t_2083040.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/laura-moriarty-17531_adopted_the-thing-that-got-me-about-the-orphan-t_2083040.png) > “The thing that got me about the Orphan Trains was that the experiences were so varied. Some of the kids went from neglect and hunger in New York to loving farm families who couldn't wait to fatten them up, who gave them medical care, an education, affection. And some of the kids became the victims of terrible cruelty, and more hunger, and more neglect - it all depended on who adopted them off of the train.” [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The outcomes for orphaned children varied widely depending on the families that adopted them, ranging from caring homes to abusive ones. **In simple terms:** Orphan outcomes depended on adoptive families. Key Takeaway Recognize how environment shapes lives. Themes history child welfare social policy Mood reflective somber Type historical analytical When to use this quote - genealogy research - social work - policy analysis - education reform Key Concepts adoption social inequality child development Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure better protections for vulnerable children? - What lessons apply to modern foster care? A Different Perspective Not all adoptions guarantee safety; systemic oversight needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affection/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruelty/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Farms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farms/) [Hunger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunger/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Medical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medical/) [Medical care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medical-care/) [Neglect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neglect/) [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [Orphan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orphan/) [Train](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/train/) [Victim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victim/) ## Related quotes > [“ORPHAN TRAIN is a specifically American story of mobility and rootlessness, highlighting a little-known but historically significant moment in our country’s past. Between 1854…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-baker-kline/orphan-train-is-a-specifically-american-story-of-mobility-and/) [Christina Baker Kline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-baker-kline/) > [“Kiddo—here's a problem. We've got witches, we've got Evil, we've got an orphan, and we've got a kidnapping. What's the deal?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivian-french/kiddo-here-s-a-problem-we-ve-got-witches-we-ve-got-evil-we-ve-got-an/) [Vivian French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivian-french/) > [“From 2002 to 2008, the United States was fighting bloody wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; among active military personnel, there were an average 1,643…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/from-2002-to-2008-the-united-states-was-fighting-bloody-wars-in/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [My dream is that every child has enough food to eat, good medical care, and the chance to go to school and even attend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/my-dream-is-that-every-child-has-enough-food-to-eat-good-medical-care/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [In Canada the cancer death rate is 16% higher than in the U.S. because of rationing of medical care. It takes an eight week…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/in-canada-the-cancer-death-rate-is-16-higher-than-in-the-u-s-because/) [Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/) > [In the future, it's going to become more and more impossible for the economy to support how expensive medical care is and the number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-fuhrman/in-the-future-it-s-going-to-become-more-and-more-impossible-for-the/) [Joel Fuhrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-fuhrman/) > [“records in any form I request under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act within thirty days and for a reasonable handling and processing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-rosenthal/records-in-any-form-i-request-under-the-health-insurance-portability/) Elisabeth Rosenthal > [ We got a commitment that 3 million nurses are going to be trained to better identify these signs \[of PTSD\], because, you know, when… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-got-a-commitment-that-3-million-nurses-are-going-to-be-trained-to/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [It is very expensive to give bad medical care to poor people in a rich country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/it-is-very-expensive-to-give-bad-medical-care-to-poor-people-in-a/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [Medical care for the entire country seems to me a basic right. If every other country in the West can do it, why can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/medical-care-for-the-entire-country-seems-to-me-a-basic-right-if/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [Health coverage for regular citizens isn't mandated by the Constitution, but we're obligated to provide adequate medical care for prisoners, whatever the cost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-riley/health-coverage-for-regular-citizens-isn-t-mandated-by-the/) Jim Riley > [Having spent years ruining the housing markets with their interference, leading to a housing meltdown that has taken the whole economy down with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/having-spent-years-ruining-the-housing-markets-with-their/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Many of us are alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of medical care, including patients, who are the consumers. However, medical malpractice is not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-baca/many-of-us-are-alarmed-at-the-skyrocketing-cost-of-medical-care/) [Joe Baca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-baca/) > [“Medical care is a small contributor to health.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-mcneill/medical-care-is-a-small-contributor-to-health/) [Dwight McNeill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-mcneill/) > [“Our schools will not improve if we continue to focus only on reading and mathematics while ignoring the other studies that are essential elements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/our-schools-will-not-improve-if-we-continue-to-focus-only-on-reading/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) ## More by Laura Moriarty > [I know that sometimes when you are really worried about something, it ends up not being nearly as bad as you think it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/i-know-that-sometimes-when-you-are-really-worried-about-something-it/) [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) > [I don't think I've ever tried on a corset, though a certain bridesmaid's dress did require a torturous bustier that will stay forever burned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-tried-on-a-corset-though-a-certain-bridesmaid/) [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) > [“They were still out on the sidewalk of West Eighty-sixth Street, the taxi pulling way, when Louise put down her travel bag, raised both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/they-were-still-out-on-the-sidewalk-of-west-eighty-sixth-street-the/) [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) > [“She wondered when her daughter would realise that for the most part, people weren't that different. Young and old, male or female, pretty much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/she-wondered-when-her-daughter-would-realise-that-for-the-most-part/) [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) > [You could push people away, past their limits, even accidentally, and then it was just too late to get them back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/you-could-push-people-away-past-their-limits-even-accidentally-and/) [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) > [“Eileen says what they should really do, if they want to be fair about it, is offer a Bible study class for credit, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/eileen-says-what-they-should-really-do-if-they-want-to-be-fair-about/) [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) > [Yes, Louise Brooks was beautiful and intelligent, and she could be very funny, but obviously there was a deep insecurity there, a real destructive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/yes-louise-brooks-was-beautiful-and-intelligent-and-she-could-be-very/) [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) > [This is how it is now. This is my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/this-is-how-it-is-now-this-is-my-life/) [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) > [“Schopenhauer writes about marriage. He says getting married is like grasping blind into a sack of snakes and hoping to find an eel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/schopenhauer-writes-about-marriage-he-says-getting-married-is-like/) [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) > [“You don't belong here if you are unhappy," she continued. "Your mother makes you hateful, and you make her hateful. It doesn't matter if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/you-don-t-belong-here-if-you-are-unhappy-she-continued-your-mother/) [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) > [My mother says that when Mrs. Rowley is mean, which is generally the case, it is really because she is just unhappy, and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/my-mother-says-that-when-mrs-rowley-is-mean-which-is-generally-the/) [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) > [“Men don’t want candy that’s been unwrapped. Maybe for a lark, but not when it comes to marriage. It may still be perfectly clean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/men-don-t-want-candy-that-s-been-unwrapped-maybe-for-a-lark-but-not/) [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) > [I am supposed to be where I go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/i-am-supposed-to-be-where-i-go/) [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) > [“She was every Cora she'd ever been: Cora X, Cora Kaufmann, Cora Carlisle. She was an orphan on a roof, a lucky girl on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/she-was-every-cora-she-d-ever-been-cora-x-cora-kaufmann-cora-carlisle/) [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) > [“Well,” Leigh said, because there was nothing else. She looked back at the picture of herself and Pam in the blue dresses. “We did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/well-leigh-said-because-there-was-nothing-else-she-looked-back-at-the/) [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) [Explore all 37 Laura Moriarty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) ## More Adopted quotes > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Somehow destiny comes into play. These children end up with you and you end up with them. It's something quite magical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-kidman/somehow-destiny-comes-into-play-these-children-end-up-with-you-and/) [Nicole Kidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-kidman/) > [Azerbaijan unleashed the war, and was defeated in that war; Azerbaijan asked for truce (including from the Commander of Karabakh's forces) and later started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serzh-sargsyan/azerbaijan-unleashed-the-war-and-was-defeated-in-that-war-azerbaijan/) [Serzh Sargsyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serzh-sargsyan/) > [I'm not at all against white people adopting black children, because we're all human beings who need to give love and be nurtured in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kola-boof/i-m-not-at-all-against-white-people-adopting-black-children-because/) [Kola Boof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kola-boof/) > [Susan, an only child who never had any roots, and I, a lone wolf who got married 20 years to late, were adopted by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harpo-marx/susan-an-only-child-who-never-had-any-roots-and-i-a-lone-wolf-who-got/) [Harpo Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harpo-marx/) > [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [A son or daughter in any human family is either born to or adopted by the parents. By definition, a child can't be both.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-bridges/a-son-or-daughter-in-any-human-family-is-either-born-to-or-adopted-by/) [Jerry Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-bridges/) > [. . . by natural selection our mind has adapted itself to the conditions of the external world. It has adopted the geometry most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/by-natural-selection-our-mind-has-adapted-itself-to-the-conditions-of/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [I was adopted my black Americans, I feel that I'm a 'Hybrid'. When I'm around Africans'I suddenly feel very black American. And when I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kola-boof/i-was-adopted-my-black-americans-i-feel-that-i-m-a-hybrid-when-i-m/) [Kola Boof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kola-boof/) > [I did this one movie with a great director named Wayne Kramer. It was 'Crossing Over,' and Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd and Ray Liotta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chon/i-did-this-one-movie-with-a-great-director-named-wayne-kramer-it-was/) [Justin Chon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chon/) > [I had severed relations with the Romanian exiles who had become politically conservative and even extremely right wing; I was giving chess lessons to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/i-had-severed-relations-with-the-romanian-exiles-who-had-become/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [People, the common people, can genuinely see what I'm doing. Moreover, people know that I have adopted four principles in living my life: simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-sattar-edhi/people-the-common-people-can-genuinely-see-what-i-m-doing-moreover/) [Abdul Sattar Edhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdul-sattar-edhi/) > [To a large extent, the American church has become merged with the world. It has adopted so many of the world's ideals and standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/to-a-large-extent-the-american-church-has-become-merged-with-the/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [When you're adopted, no matter what, you've got issues with unconditional love. And you find out you're the product of the worst situation for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-atkins/when-you-re-adopted-no-matter-what-you-ve-got-issues-with/) [Rodney Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-atkins/) > [Capitalism justified itself and was adopted as an economic principle on the express ground that it provides selfish motives for doing good, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/capitalism-justified-itself-and-was-adopted-as-an-economic-principle/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) Browse all 735 Adopted quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The thing that got me about the Orphan Trains was that the experiences were so varied. Some of the kids went from neglect and hunger in New York to loving farm families who couldn't wait to fatten them up, who gave them medical care, an education, affection. And some of the kids became the victims of terrible cruelty, and more hunger, and more neglect - it all depended on who adopted them off of the train.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Laura Moriarty" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/the-thing-that-got-me-about-the-orphan-trains-was-that-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adopted" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/the-thing-that-got-me-about-the-orphan-trains-was-that-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/laura-moriarty-17531_adopted_the-thing-that-got-me-about-the-orphan-t_2083040.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/laura-moriarty-17531_adopted_the-thing-that-got-me-about-the-orphan-t_2083040.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/laura-moriarty-17531_adopted_the-thing-that-got-me-about-the-orphan-t_2083040.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The thing that got me about the Orphan Trains was that the experiences were so varied. Some of the kids went…” — Laura Moriarty", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Laura Moriarty", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The thing that got me about...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/the-thing-that-got-me-about-the-orphan-trains-was-that-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/the-thing-that-got-me-about-the-orphan-trains-was-that-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```