The Pocket Measure Quotes

“Do you suppose that either of them imagined the possibility of such a climax to that heavenly ride home from the opera? What an awful fact it is to have to record that there were times in which this husband and wife actually wished that the results which followed that evening’s pleasure had never been. Not that they by any means hated each other, or, indeed, were entirely indifferent to each other; but the realities of married life had been too much for them, as they will be for all who do not start from a rock foundation.”
― Pansy, The Pocket Measure

“I have often thought,” said the elder lady, a touch of sadness in her voice, “how hard it must be for the Great Physician to bear with us in our determination to think of his love and care for us as only a piece of that which he bears for the great multitude, instead of individualizing it as he constantly teaches us to do, and accepting him as caring for us with even more than the exclusive tenderness of love which we give to our own. Of course, it is only a seeming with human physicians, they must exclude us when they go from us to others, and think only of them; but the heart of Christ, you know, is for each, as if each were alone in all the world the object of His care.”
― Pansy, The Pocket Measure

“Why don’t you do without them?” said Mrs. Spafford, coolly. “Little bits of homes like yours and mine are too small and precious for hired hands to touch, if we have strength enough to guard them from it. I just enjoy getting dinner for Warren, and we have the coziest little breakfasts.” Mrs. Evans eyes brightened wistfully. “If I were only you,” she said, and she thought of the three dollars that had to be transferred each week from her purse to that of her tormentor; if it could be saved. “If I were only you! But I don’t know anything about it.”
― Pansy, The Pocket Measure

“Still those girls looked at each other and held back. They were not touched even with the romance of missions yet; it looked like the dullest of all ideas; they saw no possibility of getting any “fun,” out of it; and what do most girls at a certain age live for but fun?”
― Pansy, The Pocket Measure

“You see, Willie, whatever else you may do, however obedient you may be to mamma, and kind to the poor, and good-natured and all that, if you don’t love God, love him so much that you will want to please him all the time, want to find out his will, it all goes for nothing.”
― Pansy, The Pocket Measure

“I am sure of it, my friend. I am not in the least annoyed; but I want to tell you my answer illustrates what we were speaking of a few minutes ago, that has to do with Christ.” “What has?” “Why, the money to give. I am not giving my own money; it is His, and he lets me spend it on his work. If it were mine I might be tempted to spend it on myself; but since it belongs to him, of course, it is a mere act of common honesty to give it back to him.”
― Pansy, The Pocket Measure

“Why not? If, on acquaintance, it seems to me that she would enjoy such a quiet little bit of home life as that, and we would enjoy giving it to her, why should we not? The idea that obtains in some circles of being indebted to this or that one for hospitality, was always a distasteful one to me, making a sort of barter of social life. I want to entertain my friends as often as I can, and as well as I consistently can. If they entertain me oftener and in a better manner, why, I shall enjoy it gratefully, without keeping account of the difference in expense.”
― Pansy, The Pocket Measure

“All right; that relieves me of the awful necessity for encasing my hands in them, to say nothing of the joy of escaping from buying them. But, my dear little woman, this matter had better be looked at from all sides, now that we have it up. What do you think of the propriety of accepting these invitations from various sources, and never being able to return them? We can’t give parties, you know, even such quiet and inexpensive affairs as your friend Mrs. Bacon proposes.” This last with a gleam of mischief in his handsome eyes. “What about enjoying the hospitality of other homes and closing our own?”
― Pansy, The Pocket Measure

“Don’t you see, dear, that you have planned for the daily living, even to the burnt meats and sour bread, and you have left the duty of giving subject to the accident of having something left after all our wants are supplied? Is that really the way?”
― Pansy, The Pocket Measure