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Booth Tarkington Quotes - Page 2

This is a boy's lot: anything he does, anything whatever, may afterward turn out to have been a crime - he never knows. And punishment and clemency are alike inexplicable.

This is a boy's lot: anything he does, anything whatever, may afterward turn out to have been a crime - he never knows. And punishment and clemency are alike inexplicable.

Booth Tarkington
Boys, Punishment, Doe
Booth Tarkington (2013). “The Essential Booth Tarkington Collection”, p.2564, eBookIt.com

The only safe male rebuke to a scornful female is to stay away from her - especially if that is what she desires.

Booth Tarkington
Desire, Males, Female
Newton Booth Tarkington (2015). “Penrod”, p.58, Booklassic

Superciliousness is not safe after all, because a person who forms the habit of wearing it may some day find his lower lip grown permanently projected beyond the upper, so that he can't get it back, and must go through life looking like the King of Spain.

Booth Tarkington
Kings, Book, Spain
Newton Booth Tarkington (2015). “Gentle Julia”, p.2, Booklassic

Christmas day is the children's, but the holidays are youth's dancing-time.

Booth Tarkington
Christmas, Children, Holiday
Newton Booth Tarkington (2015). “The Magnificent Ambersons”, p.82, Booklassic

I'm not sure he's wrong about automobiles," he said. "With all their speed forward they may be a step backward in civilization -- that is, in spiritual civilization. It may be that they will not add to the beauty of the world, nor to the life of men's souls.

Booth Tarkington
Spiritual, Men, Civilization
Newton Booth Tarkington (2015). “The Magnificent Ambersons”, p.161, Booklassic

Mothers see the angel in us because the angel is there. If it's shown to the mother, the son has got an angel to show, hasn't he? When a son cuts somebody's throat the mother only sees it's possible for a misguided angel to act like a devil - and she's entirely right about that!

Booth Tarkington
Mother, Angel, Son
Newton Booth Tarkington (2015). “The Magnificent Ambersons”, p.56, Booklassic

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