The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941)

Jane Darwell: Ma Stone

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Quotes 

• [Ma Stone is reading out loud from the book of Job] 

  Mary Stone : Give me the book, Ma. I'm going to read us something cheerful from the book of Ruth. That is, if you don't mind changing the lesson.

  Ma Stone : Land sakes, I don't mind. I never did hold much with Job, even if he is scripture. Took on too much to suit me. Course I don't want to malign the man; but he always sounded to me like he come from Massachusetts.

• Jabez Stone : Money's a funny thing ain't it, Ma?

  Ma Stone : I figure it depends a mite on how you get it and how you spend it.

  Jabez Stone : But I don't spend any.

  Ma Stone : But you should, son. That's all it's good for.

  Jabez Stone : Do you really think that?

  Ma Stone : That's just common sense. Now a man like Daniel Webster: guess they pay him high for what he does, but he's worth it. And he helps others... makes all the difference.

  Jabez Stone : I know. But suppose a man got his money in bad ways?

  Ma Stone : Wouldn't profit him none. You see, son: I'm old and I've lived. When a man gets his money in bad way... when he sees the better course and takes the worse... then the devil's in his heart. And that fixes him.

  Jabez Stone : And yet... a man could change all that couldn't he?

  Ma Stone : A man can always change things. That's what makes him different from the barnyard critters.

• Ma Stone : A man can always change things. That's what makes him different from the barnyard critters.

• Ma Stone : Well, thank the Lord you can always depend on New England for weather. We've got enough for the whole United States.

• Jabez Stone : Money's a funny thing, Ma!

  Ma Stone : I think it depends a lot on how you get it and how you spend it.

• Jabez Stone : Hessian gold!

  Ma Stone : Well, I hope it'll do us more good than the Hessians.

• Ma Stone : It's the Lord's will to feed strangers even if they eat you out of house and home.

• Ma Stone : Now, Jabez Stone, as for what you're calling hard luck, we made New England out of it. That and cod fish.

• Ma Stone : Let me tell you, young woman, if you think you're running this house because Mary hasn't put you in your place - you're mistaken!

  Belle : But, m'Ma.

  Ma Stone : Don't you Ma, me! Let's go, Mary. The sabbath bell's ringing.

  Mary Stone : Coming, Ma.

• Ma Stone : I'll not have the scorn of God in this house with the smell of fish in it!