I shall weave a suit of leaves. At once. With acorns for buttons. Shirley Jackson More Quotes by Shirley Jackson More Quotes From Shirley Jackson You will be wondering about that sugar bowl, I imagine, is it still in use? You are wondering, has it been cleaned? You may very well ask, was it thoroughly washed? Shirley Jackson sugar use may All our land was enriched with my treasures buried in it, thickly inhabited just below the surface with my marbles and my teeth and my colored stones, all perhaps turned to jewels by now, held together under the ground in a powerful taut web which never loosened, but held fast to guard us. Shirley Jackson powerful land jewels Oh Constance, we are so happy. Shirley Jackson Let him be wise, or let me be blind; don't let me, she hoped concretely, don't let me know too surely what he thinks of me. Shirley Jackson blind wise thinking We were going to the long field which today looked like an ocean, although I had never seen an ocean; the grass was moving in the breeze and the cloud shadows passed back and forth and the trees in the distance moved. Shirley Jackson distance ocean moving Hill House, she thought, You're as hard to get into as heaven. Shirley Jackson hills house heaven Don't do it, Eleanor told the little girl; insist on your cup of stars; once they have trapped you into being like everyone else you will never see your cup of stars again; don't do it; and the little girl glanced at her, and smiled a little subtle, dimpling, wholly comprehending smile, and shook her head stubbornly at the glass. Brave girl, Eleanor thought; wise, brave girl. Shirley Jackson girl stars wise I wonder if I could eat a child if I had the chance.' 'I doubt if I could cook one,' said Constance. Shirley Jackson chance doubt children It watches," he added suddenly. "The house. It watches every move you make. Shirley Jackson house watches moving On the moon we have everything. Lettuce, and pumpkin pie and Amanita phalloides. We have cat-furred plants and horses dancing with their wings. All the locks are solid and tight, and there are no ghosts. Shirley Jackson horse cat moon All cat stories start with this statement: "My mother, who was the first cat, told me this... Shirley Jackson cat mother stories He is altogether selfish, she thought in some surprise, the only man I have ever sat and talked to alone, and I am impatient; he is simply not very interesting. Shirley Jackson selfish men interesting It was a house without kindness, never meant to be lived in, not a fit place for people or for love or for hope. Exorcism cannot alter the countenance of a house ; Hill House would stay as it was until it was destroyed. Shirley Jackson house kindness people I really think I shall commence chapter forty-four," he said, patting his hands together. "I shall commence, I think, with a slight exaggeration and go on from there into an outright lie. Constance, my dear?" "Yes, Uncle Julian?" "I am going to say that my wife was a beautiful woman. Shirley Jackson uncles beautiful lying God! Whose hand was I holding? Shirley Jackson hands It was one of those winter days that suddenly dream of spring, when the sky is blue and soft and clear, and the wind has dropped its voice and whispers instead of screaming, and the sun is out and the trees look surprised, and over everything there is the faintest, palest tint of green. Shirley Jackson dream winter spring I was already doing a lot of splendid research reading all the books about ghosts I could get hold of, and particularly true ghost stories - so much so that it became necessary for me to read a chapter of _Little Women_ every night before I turned out the light - and at the same time I was collecting pictures of houses, particularly odd houses, to see what I could find to make into a suitable haunted house. Shirley Jackson reading night book