I have no courage to write much unless I am written to. I soon begin to think that there are plenty of other correspondents more interesting - so if you all want to hear from me you know the conditions.

Susceptible persons are more affected by a change of tone that by unexpected words.

... learning to love any one is like an increase of property, -- it increases care, and brings many new fears lest precious things should come to harm.

We could never have loved the earth so well if we had no childhood in it if it were not the earth where the same flowers come up again every spring that we used to gather with our tiny fingers as we sat lisping to ourselves on the grass . . .

... it is one of the gains of advancing age that the good of young creatures becomes a more definite intense joy to us. With that renunciation for ourselves which age inevitably brings, we get more freedom of soul to enter into the life of others; what we can never learn they will know, and the gladness which is a departed sunlight to us is rising with the strength of morning to them.

You must mind and not lower the Church in people's eyes by seeming to be frightened about it for such a little thing.

The fact is, both callers and work thicken - the former sadly interfering with the latter.