People die of fright and live of confidence.

The only fruit which even much living yields seems to be often only some trivial success,--the ability to do some slight thing better. We make conquest only of husks and shells for the most part,--at least apparently,--but sometimes these are cinnamon and spices, you know.

A modern author would have died in infancy in a ruder age.

In most books, the I, of first person, is omitted; in this it will be retained; that, in respect to egotism, is the main difference.

There is a certain class of unbelievers who sometimes ask me such questions as, if I think that I can live on vegetable food alone; and to strike at the root of the matter at once,--for the root is faith,--I am accustomed to answer such, that I can live on board nails. If they cannot understand that, they cannot understand much that I have to say.

If to chaffer and higgle are bad in trade, they are much worse in Love. It demands directness as of an arrow.

I lingered most about the fireplace, as the most vital part of the house.