There is only one failure in life possible, and that is not to be true to the best one knows.

The human soul is hospitable, and will entertain conflicting sentiments and contradictory opinions with much impartiality.

Better a false belief than no belief at all.

Men can do nothing without the make-believe of a beginning.

To the receptive soul the river of life pauseth not, nor is diminished.

One has to spend so many years in learning how to be happy. I am just beginning to make some progress in the science, and I hope to disprove Young's theory that "as soon as we have found the key of life it opes the gates of death." Every year strips us of at least one vain expectation, and teaches us to reckon some solid good in its stead. I never will believe that our youngest days are our happiest. What a miserable augury for the progress of the race and the destination of the individual if the more matured and enlightened state is the less happy one!

We are on a perilous margin when we begin to look passively at our future selves, and see our own figures led with dull consent into insipid misdoing and shabby achievement.