But how little we know what would make paradise for our neighbours! We judge from our own desires, and our neighbours themselves are not always open enough even to throw out a hint of theirs.

Every year strips us of at least one vain expectation, and teaches us to reckon some solid good in its stead.

It is hard to believe long together that anything is "worth while," unless there is some eye to kindle in common with our own, some brief word uttered now and then to imply that what is infinitely precious to us is precious alike to another mind.

When you get me a good man made out of arguments, I will get you a good dinner with reading you the cookery book.

Man cannot choose his duties.

In old days there were angels who came and took men by the hand and led them away from the city of destruction. We see no white-winged angels now. But yet men are led away from threatening destruction: a hand is put into theirs, which leads them forth gently towards a calm and bright land, so that they look no more backward; and the hand may be a little child's.

One couldn't carry on life comfortably without a little blindness to the fact that everything has been said better than we can put it ourselves.