Children demand that their heroes should be freckle less, and easily believe them so: perhaps a first discovery to the contrary is less revolutionary shock to a passionate child than the threatened downfall of habitual beliefs which makes the world seem to totter for us in maturer life.

Of a truth, Knowledge is power, but it is a power reined by scruple, having a conscience of what must be and what may be. . . .

It is never too late to be who you want to be.

I take a dose of mathematics every day to prevent my brain from becoming quite soft.

I don't feel sure about doing good in any way now; everything seems like going on a mission to a people whose language I don't know.

Our instructed vagrancy, which has hardly time to linger by the hedgerows, but runs away early to the tropics, and is at home with palms and banyans - which is nourished on books of travel, and stretches the theatre of its imagination to the Zambesi.

Life is like our game at whist ... I don't enjoy the game much, but I like to play my cards well, and see what will be the end of it.