Christian Nestell Bovee Quotes

The Breath becomes a stone; the stone, a plant; the plant, an animal; the animal, a man; the man, a spirit; and the spirit, a god.

To cultivate a garden is. . . to go hand in hand with Nature in some of her most beautiful processes.

The selection of a subject is to the author what choice of position is to the general,--once skilfully determined, the battle is already half won. Of a few writers it may be said that they are popular in despite of their subjects--but of a great many more it may be observed that they are popular because of them.

A mother's love is indeed the golden link that binds youth to age; and he is still but a child, however time may have furrowed his cheek, or silvered his brow, who can yet recall, with a softened heart, the fond devotion, or the gentle chidings, of the best friend that God gives us.

There will always be romance in the world so long as there are young hearts in it.

There are some weaknesses that are peculiar and distinctive to generous characters, as freckles are to a fair skin.

Weakness ineffectually seeks to disguise itself,--like a drunken man trying to show how sober he is.

Every trait of beauty may be referred to some virtue, as to innocence, candor, generosity, modesty, or heroism. St. Pierre To cultivate the sense of the beautiful, is one of the most effectual ways of cultivating an appreciation of the divine goodness.

Ideas are like matter, infinitely divisible. It is not given to us to get down so to speak to their final atoms, but to their molecular groupings-the way is never ending and the progress infinitely delightful and profitable.

Example has more followers than reason. We unconsciously imitate what pleases us, and approximate to the characters we most admire.

It is of very little use in trying to be dignified, if dignity is no part of your character.

The method of the enterprising is to plan with audacity and execute with vigor.

It is with charity as with money--the more we stand in need of it, the less we have to give away.

God, we are told, looked upon the world after he had created it and pronounced it good; but ascetic pietists, in their wisdom, cast their eyes over it, and substantially pronounce it a dead failure, a miserable production, a poor concern.

The heart contracts as the pocket expands.

We should round every day of stirring action with an evening of thought. We learn nothing of our experience except we muse upon it.

Wit must be without effort. Wit is play, not work; a nimbleness of the fancy, not a laborious effort of the will; a license, a holiday, a carnival of thought and feeling, not a trifling with speech, a constraint upon language, a duress upon words.

We may learn from children how large a part of our grievances is imaginary. But the pain is just as real.