Mrs. Tim Carries On Quotes

“All war is awful,” says Guthrie. “It’s a wrong and horrible thing, war is, but we don’t need to worry about the rights and wrongs of war. We tried our best for peace. We tried for peace to the absolute limit of honour . . . but you can’t have peace when a pack of ravening wolves gets loose . . . Let’s talk about Avielochan.”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“Her eyes are full of tears and I realise that she must be comforted, so I proceed to explain my own particular method of “carrying on”. None of us could bear the war if we allowed ourselves to brood upon the wickedness of it and the misery it has entailed, so the only thing to do is not to allow oneself to think about it seriously, but just to skitter about on the surface of life like a water beetle.”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“If you had told me eighteen months ago that German aeroplanes would fly over this house, and that I would not take any notice of them but just go on as usual, I should have thought you were mad!” I ask her what has changed her outlook and she replies, “I think we have got beyond being frightened for ourselves. We don’t matter, Hester. It is Britain that matters now. We are all soldiers now . .”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“But it isn’t well,” cries Tim, more furiously than before. “It’s very ill. You seem to have constituted yourself a sort of Gestapo. You’re exceeding your duties in a ridiculous way.” “If you kneel down . . .” “But I’m not going to kneel down,” declares Tim. “I’ve more respect for the knees of my trousers than to kneel down on a soaking wet path. Nothing will induce me to kneel down. The whole thing is absurd and ridiculous. Do you realise the reasons for the black-out? The black-out is intended to baffle aeroplanes—not worms.”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“for these men have given their bodies to be trained to fight. They are going to fight for freedom and justice; they are going to fight for their country; they are going to fight for me. Yes, it comes to that. They are going to fight—and perhaps die—for me and mine, and I can do nothing to show my gratitude. I cannot do anything at all for them.”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“I’ll gie ye tae the lions for their denners.” This threat has no effect upon the imps at all—for they are inured to empty threats—but its effect upon Betty is remarkable. She seizes my hand and cries in accents of dismay, “Oh Mummy, don’t let her—don’t let her, Mummy!” It takes several minutes to convince Betty that the children’s mother has no intention of feeding her offspring to the lions.”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“If it wasn’t that it was all arranged I’d back down,” declares Annie frankly. I assure Annie that a lot of people feel like that as their wedding day approaches. “Yes,” says Annie. “Mrs. Fraser did too. Mrs. Fraser says it’s like ’aving a tooth out. You’re sorry you ever came when you find yourself in the dentist’s chair, but you’re all the better for it afterwards.”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“Yes,” says Bryan. “If Edgeburton wants some extra dibs he’s only got to write a letter to his grandfather and he gets a postal order for five bob by return . . . he doesn’t ask for it, even.” “I hope not.” “No,” says Bryan. “He doesn’t need to ask. Edgeburton just writes and says ‘How are you?’ and that sort of thing and the money arrives.” “Edgeburton must write a very good letter.”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“Grace says she likes thinking about the future and making plans—even if the plans don’t come off—and perhaps if Jack’s old aunt dies in time they will be able to manage it all right. The old aunt is “over ninety and quite queer”, so Grace does not feel that it is wrong to envisage her end.”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“Grace enquires in a whisper who the girl is, and where I met her and adds that Bill is an extremely eligible young man. His father has a big place in the Midlands and a flat in London and his mother is one of the Winkles of Wersh. Grace is a born matchmaker and is never happy unless she is pairing people off, but I am not so reckless; I explain—also in a whisper—that Pinkie is a mere babe and that I am responsible for her, and add that I do not want any complications to arise while she is in my charge.”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“Have decided not to mention the war in my diary—or at least only to mention it as it affects me. Diary is to be an escape from war (if possible). Domestic affairs much smoother now.”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“Yes,” says Grace nodding. “I should enjoy it, but you think I shouldn’t enjoy it so blatantly. Well, you may be right, but I can’t help it.” She looks thoughtful for a moment and then continues, “Good things come in waves. This is one of the times when everything goes right . . . then there are times when everything goes wrong. That’s my experience of life.”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“I reply, with all the firmness at my command, that I have certain duties to perform. They may not be spectacular, but they are my small contribution to our war effort . . . and Betty must be educated. . . . Guthrie says, “Why must she be educated? I hate well-educated women, they are always boring.”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“Gosh, it was the most exciting thing that ever happened.” “Were you frightened?” I enquire—for Guthrie and I are old and well-tried friends, and I can ask him anything— “No-o,” says Guthrie thoughtfully. “No, Hester, I wasn’t exactly frightened . . . but I tell you this: it was a most awfully queer feeling when I gave the order to open fire. Somehow it seemed all wrong to fire at a real live ship with men aboard. It seemed a perfectly frightful thing to do. I’m sure the gun crews felt the same. I was standing on the deck and they looked round at me . . . I just said ‘Carry on’. Once we began to get some of their stuff dropping round us, the chaps settled down to it and did simply splendidly. There was no trouble, you know. It was just a feeling we had . . .”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“she says she is delighted to have twins because they will be such nice companions for each other. They will do everything together, of course. The only thing that worries her is that she does not see how she and Jack can possibly afford to send them both to Eton . . . and it would never do to send one and not the other. I suggest that she should leave the future to look after itself.”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“Jack says, “Are you still there, Hester? Oh, I thought perhaps they had cut us off. You heard the bombs, of course . . . yes, that was the beginning of it. You had better come round here and stay with Grace. I’ve got to go to the Barracks at once.” This is impossible, of course, for my first duty is to my own children, and their safety is my paramount concern. I point this out to Jack and add that if only I could get Betty to a place of safety I am prepared to remain with Grace and sell my life as dearly as possible. I have two shot guns and a small revolver and ammunition for a prolonged siege. . . . Jack says, “I don’t know what on earth you are talking about.” I reply, “The Germans of course. You said they had landed.” Jack says, “Good Lord, it isn’t the Germans; it’s twins.” “Twins!” I echo incredulously. “Yes,” says Jack, “Yes, twins. I thought Grace was going to die. I was terrified. It’s been the most ghastly night. I don’t know why people ever have children, it’s wicked—positively wicked.”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“As I have lived all my married life in furnished houses, amongst other people’s belongings, I am neither surprised nor abashed to hear of this strange deficiency,”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“Annie has been with me for years and is a tremendous talker. She starts immediately and discusses the war news. Annie says that the war will be over quite soon now and the major will be back before I know where I am. . . . Cannot help feeling that Annie is a trifle too optimistic, but am comforted all the same, and repair to the kitchen in a cheerful frame of mind.”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“As usual, when I slip the strap of the gas-mask container over my small daughter’s shoulder, I experience a horrible sinking sensation and utter a fervent prayer that this precaution, insisted upon by the Government, may be unnecessary. My own gas mask does not trouble me in the very least and I can look it in the face without a tremor; it is only Betty’s small but hideous protection which makes me feel sick.”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“This leads us to discuss the strange anomaly of marriage—why is it that selfish wives nearly always have saintly husbands, and how is it that selfish husbands are usually provided with door-mat wives?”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On

“Grace says, that’s all right then. She was afraid I might be, and Jack said she was to tell me that he knows where the 1st Battalion is and it’s miles away from the front, and that, as a matter of fact, Tim will be much safer there than he would be at home. When asked to explain how this is possible, Grace replies that there are more people killed in the streets by buses and things than have been killed in France in the war, and Jack says that once Hitler starts bombing in earnest he’s certain to drop some on the barracks. He knows exactly where the barracks are. Grace thinks that we really ought to move further away from the barracks in case a bomb, intended for the barracks, falls upon us by mistake.”
― D.E. Stevenson, Mrs. Tim Carries On