...this great grey pile of stone has been a house, never a home. It takes a woman's hand and heart, or a… — Eleanor H. Porter

Mrs. Snow had lived forty years, and for fifteen of those years she had been too busy wishing things were different to find much time to enjoy things as they were.

It's funny how dogs and cats know the insides of folks better than other folks do, isn't it?

Well, maybe 'tis natural. Of course things you don't know about are always nicer'n things you do, same as the pertater on 'tother side of the plate is always the biggest. But I wish I looked that way ter somebody 'way off. Wouldn't it be jest great, now, if only somebody over in India wanted ME?