There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.

His heart was like a sensitive plant, that opens for a moment in the sunshine, but curls up and shrinks into itself at the slightest touch of the finger, or the lightest breath of wind.

You cannot expect stone to be as pliable as clay.

What the world stigmatizes as romantic is often more nearly allied to the truth than is commonly supposed.

I began this book with the intention of concealing nothing, that those who liked might have the benefit of perusing a fellow creature's heart: but we have some thoughts that all the angels in heaven are welcome to behold -- but not our brother-men -- not even the best and kindest amongst them.

Yet, should thy darkest fears be true, If Heaven be so severe, That such a soul as thine is lost, Oh! how shall I appear?

If the generous ideas of youth are too often over- clouded by the sordid views of after-life, that scarcely proves them to be false