Published originally more than 100 years ago in 1906, The Railway Children, the children’s classic from the English author and poet Edith Nesbit has never been out of print and still remains one of the best-selling children’s book. This beautiful story from Edith Nesbit, who wrote more than 50 books for children under the name of E. Nesbit, has been adapted for films, television series and radio dramatizations several times.
The story of The Railway Children revolves around three children, whose lives take a dramatic transition from the comforts of middle-class existence to that of difficulties and despair when their father has to go away suddenly from their life. From the comfortable London city life, Roberta, Peter and Phyllis are forced to move to a small country cottage named “The Three Chimneys” with their mother, which sets the stage for this charming story of adventure. The children who find themselves in an extremely different atmosphere, take comfort in the railway that traverse through the country side, and soon the railway itself and the many characters with whom they meet through the railway becomes an integral part of their daily life.
This wonderful story can delight both young and adult readers with descriptions of exciting adventures, glimpses of rural Edwardian era daily life and heartwarming moments from the family life of the three children.
Here is a selection of thought provoking quotes from The Railway Children that can be inspiring for the reader.
1. “I think everyone in the world is friends if you can only get them to see you don’t want to be UN-friends.”
This quote from Roberta in reply to her mother’s comment about the children making a lot of friends in the country through their kind and caring deeds and attitude tells us the important message of being humans; we can be friends with everybody by being kind and by having the patience in understanding them.
2. “Don’t you think it’s rather nice to think that we’re in a book that God’s writing? If I were writing the book, I might make mistakes. But God knows how to make the story end just right—in the way that’s best for us.”
This quote tells the reader about the importance of why things happen in our life, and how we can make the best of all situations by having the courage and confidence that things can always end right.
3. ”She had the power of silent sympathy. That sounds rather dull, I know, but it’s not so dull as it sounds. It just means that a person is able to know that you are unhappy, and to love you extra on that account, without bothering you by telling you all the time how sorry she is for you.”
Sometimes there is no need to speak about something, or some emotions; At times, silence can be a powerful tool. You can support someone who is suffering by loving them more and through silent support.
4. “So you see it was all right in the end. But if one does that sort of thing, one has to be careful to do it in the right way. For, as Mr. Perks said, when he had time to think it over, it’s not so much what you do, as what you mean.”
This quote portrays the message that the reason behind an act is much more important than the act itself.
5. “Everything has an end, and you get to it if you only keep all on.”
While walking endlessly through the railway tunnel, an exhausted Phyllis complains that there is no end to the tunnel to which Peter replies “Stick to it,” said Peter; “everything has an end, and you get to it if you only keep all on.”. This quote tells us the importance of persistence in life and about having the hope and confidence that bad things when they happen cannot last forever. Everything will turnout alright if we persist and keep going even when things are quite adverse.
