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Frank Ross (Mattie’s Father)
A “stock trader” who buys and sells horses. On the day of Frank’s death, Stonehill sells him a group of ponies, letting them go for a low price because he’s having trouble finding buyers. When Mattie comes to Fort Smith in the aftermath of her father’s death, she asks Stonehill to buy back the ponies, since her family no longer needs them. At first, Stonehill refuses, thinking he’ll be able to stand his ground in a negotiation with a little girl. However, he soon sees that Mattie is clever and stubborn, driving a hard bargain and threatening to take him to court if he doesn’t cooperate. And though he doesn’t think she has a good case, he realizes that the courts would most likely favor “a widow and her three small children” over him, so he begrudgingly agrees to buy the ponies.
Stonehill Quotes in True Grit
The True Grit quotes below are all either spoken by Stonehill or refer to Stonehill. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 3 Quotes
I said, “I have hopes that the marshals will get him soon. His name is Tom Chaney. He worked for us. I am trying to get action. I aim to see him shot or hanged.”
“Yes, yes, well might you labor to that end,” said Stonehill. “At the same time I will counsel patience. The brave marshals do their best but they are few in number. The lawbreakers are legion and they range over a vast country that offers many natural hiding places. The marshal travels about friendless and alone in that criminal nation. Every man’s hand is against him there save in large part for that of the Indian who has been cruelly imposed upon by felonious intruders from the States.”
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During this conversation, Stonehill sets the stage for the manhunt that Mattie is about to embark upon (though he doesn’t yet know she herself will be going along on the journey). When Mattie tells him that she has high “hopes” that “the marshals will” chase down Tom Chaney, he gives her sage advice, telling her to embody “patience.” This is because he knows the “vast” nature of Indian Territory, where outlaws like Chaney are “felonious intruders” upon the Native Americans who live there. As he goes on, he frames the area as a “criminal nation,” talking about it as a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accus
“I cannot make an agreement with a child. You are not accountable. You cannot be bound to a contract.”
“Lawyer Daggett will back up any decision I make. You may rest easy on that score. You can confirm any agreement by telegraph.”
“This is a damned nuisance!" he exclaimed. “How am I to get my work done? I have a sale tomorrow.”
“There can be no settlement after I leave this office,” said I. “It will go to law.”
He worried with his eyeglasses for a minute and then said, “I will pay two hundred dollars to your father’s estate when I have in my hand a letter from your lawyer absolving me of all liability from the beginning of the world to date. It must be signed by your lawyer and your mother and it must be notarized.
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This conversation takes place between Mattie and Stonehill as they negotiate over the ponies Frank Ross bought from Stonehill just before dying. Insisting that Stonehill should buy back the ponies, Mattie threatens to take him to court if he doesn’t cooperate. At first, Stonehill finds this threat ridiculous, saying he “cannot make an agreement with a child.” Mattie then once more has to face the fact that she’s often at a disadvantage because of her young age. However, unlike the other times in the novel when adults try to take advantage of her, here she stands up for herself, ultimately Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo.
Chapter 4 Quotes
“I want Chaney to pay for killing my father and not some Texas bird dog.”
“It will not be for the dog, it will be for the senator, and your father too. He will be just as dead that way, you see, and pay for all his crimes at once.”
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This exchange takes place between Mattie and LaBoeuf during their first encounter, when they discuss the fact that they’re both looking for Tom Chaney. At first, Mattie is happy to hear that a Texas ranger is tracking Chaney, since this only makes it more likely that he’ll be brought to justice. However, she soon discovers that LaBoeuf intends to take Chaney back to Texas, since he has been hired to do so by the family of a senator that Chaney killed. Having explained to Mattie that Chaney killed this senator and his dog four months ago, LaBoeuf suggests that he Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hi
Chapter 5 Quotes
Right around 9 o’clock I went to the stock barn and exchanged my release for three hundred and twenty-five dollars in greenbacks. I had held longer amounts in my hand but this money, I fancied, would be pleasing out of proportion to its face value. But no, it was only three hundred and twenty-five dollars in paper and the moment fell short of my expectations. I noted the mild disappointment and made no more of it than that.
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In this passage, Mattie receives $325 from Stonehill, whom she has convinced to buy back the ponies he sold to her father before his death. Because she worked hard to make this deal go through—negotiating with Stonehill despite his initial unwillingness to make an “agreement” with a child—she expects to feel a “pleasing” sense of fulfillment when she finally holds the cash. However, she finds herself disappointed, thinking that the bills are “only three hundred and twenty-five dollars in paper.” This sudden let-down perhaps has something to do with the fact that she has become obsessed with something else, something Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ip
“Yes, a splendid inducement. Well, perhaps it will all work out to your satisfaction. I shall pray that you return safely, your efforts crowned with success. It may prove to be a hard journey.”
“The good Christian does not flinch from difficulties.”
“Neither does he rashly court them. The good Christian is not willful or presumptuous.”
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In this conversation, Stonehill and Mattie talk about her plan to ride into Indian Territory to catch Tom Chaney. When she tells him that she hopes to bring the outlaw to justice, he commends her determination, praising her for pursuing Chaney despite the difficulties she’s sure to face. At the same time, he mentions that it will “prove to be a hard journey,” clearly aware of how difficult and dangerous it is to venture into lawless lands with the intention of finding a violent criminal. Despite this warning, though, Mattie remains unfazed, saying, “The good Christian does not flinch from Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetu
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Stonehill Character Timeline in True Grit
The timeline below shows where the character Stonehill appears in True Grit. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...on horseback to Fort Smith to buy a group of ponies from a man named Stonehill, who was selling the animals for a low price. Intending to train the ponies and...
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...corpse, taking the remainder of his money and his two gold pieces before running to Stonehill’s barn, knocking out the watchman, and stealing Frank’s saddle and horse, Judy. He then set...
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Chapter 3
...pursue before going after Chaney. Because Rooster Cogburn’s trial hasn’t started yet, Mattie goes to Stonehill’s barn, where she finds the group of ponies her father bought. Making her way into...
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Getting to business, Mattie tells Stonehill that she wants to sell back the ponies her father bought, but Stonehill says this...
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...treatment in the courts of this city,” Mattie says. This, in turn, begins to make Stonehill uncomfortable. “You have no case,” he says, but Mattie tells him that Lawyer Daggett will...
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After negotiation with Stonehill, Mattie goes to the telegraph office and sends a message to Daggett, telling him the...
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Chapter 5
...receives the letter from Lawyer Daggett, which includes a “notarized release” outlining the deal with Stonehill. It also includes a note from Daggett, in which he expresses his support but says...
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When Mattie goes to Stonehill, she finds him in bad shape. “My malaria is making its annual visitation,” he tells...
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...morning, planning to cross over into Cherokee Nation on a ferry. Next, Mattie goes to Stonehill’s barn and buys back the best looking pony, whom she names Blackie. During the transaction,...
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...and telling Mrs. Floyd that she’ll be gone for a few days. Going back to Stonehill’s barn, she asks if she can sleep in the back office because she wants to...
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