All encounters with children are touched with social embarrassment.

... the advantages of being a postman seemed more and more dubious. It is not a congenial profession for anyone who is at all sensitive, for people visit upon the postman all their first annoyance at receiving a couple of bills when they looked for a love-letter, and if a packet is insufficiently stamped they hand over the pennies as though to a despicable bandit, too outrageous to be denied, too groveling to be feared.

Love amazes, but it does not surprise.

I seem to use this word 'kind' very frequently. When one is unhappy or anxious it is a quality one dwells on.

The night was at her disposal. She might walk back to Great Mop and arrive very late; or she might sleep out and not trouble to arrive till to-morrow. Whichever she did Mrs Leak would not mind. That was one of the advantages of dealing with witches; they do not mind if you are a little odd in your ways, frown if you are late for meals, fret if you are out all night, pry and commiserate when at length you return. Lovely to be with people who prefer their thoughts to yours, lovely to live at your own sweet will, lovely to sleep out all night!

when the German propaganda tries to be winsome it is like a clown with homicidal mania - ludicrous and terrifying both at once.

Young people are careless of their virginity; one day they may have it and the next not.