I had always felt life first as a story: and if there is a story there is a story-teller

Agnostic is the Greek word, for the Latin word, for ignorant

Destiny is but a phrase of the weak human heart - the dark apology for every error. The strong and virtuous admit no destiny. On earth conscience guides; in heaven God watches. And destiny is but the phantom we invoke to silence the one and dethrone the other.

There is nothing the matter with Americans except their ideals. The real American is all right; it is the ideal American who is all wrong.

Properly speaking, of course, there is no such thing as a return to nature, because there is no such thing as a departure from it. The phrase reminds one of the slightly intoxicated gentleman who gets up in his own dining room and declares firmly that he must be getting home.

Misers get up early in the morning; and burglars, I am informed, get up the night before.

The beautification of the world is not a work of nature, but a work of art, then it involves an artist.