Sunday, February 20, 2011

Frances Hodgson Burnett

Much more surprising things can happen to anyone who, when a disagreeable or discouraged thought comes into his mind, just has the sense to remember in time and push it out by putting in an agreeable, determinedly courageous one. Two things cannot be in one place. --Where you tend a rose, my lad, A thistle cannot grow.

from The Secret Garden (1911)

 One of the few things people began to find out in the last century was that thoughts --just mere thoughts-- are as powerful as batteries-- as good for one as sunlight is, or as bad for one as poison. To let a sad thought or a bad one get into your mind is as dangerous as letting a scarlet fever germ get into your body. . . .So long as Mistress Mary's mind was full of disagreeable thoughts about her dislikes and sour opinions of people and her determination not to be pleased by or interested in anything, she was a yellow-faced, sickly, bored, and wretched child. . . .When new, beautiful thoughts began to push out the old, hideous ones, life began to come back to her, her blood ran healthily through her veins, and strength poured into her like a flood. Much more surprising things can happen to anyone who, when a disagreeable or discouraged thought comes into his mind, just has the sense to remember in time and push it out by putting in an agreeable, determinedly courageous one. --(i)Where you tend a rose, my lad, A thistle cannot grow.