The birds I heard today, which, fortunately, did not come within the scope of my science, sang as freshly as if it had been the first morning of creation.

Many an object is not seen, though it falls within the range of our visual ray, because it does not come within the range of our intellectual ray.

When any real progress is made, we unlearned and learn anew what we thought we knew before.

I delight to come to my bearings,... not to live in this restless, nervous, bustling, trivial Nineteenth Century, but stand or sitthoughtfully while it goes by.

One can hardly imagine a more healthful employment, or one more favorable to contemplation and the observation of nature.

He enjoys true leisure who has time to improve his soul's estate.

Every sunset which I witness inspires me with the desire to go to a west as distant and as fair as that into which the Sun goes down. He appears to migrate westward daily and tempt us to follow him. He is the Great Western Pioneer whom the nations follow. We dream all night of those mountain ridges in the horizon, though they may be of vapor only, which were last gilded by his rays.