A person who chooses to die or to risk death demonstrates that there are values, principles, maxims, that are more valuable to him than is life itself. In short, he places his immortal self above his mortal self. Nothing goes by luck in composition. It allows of no tricks. The best you can write will be the best you are.

When I hear a grown man or woman say, "Once I had faith in men, now I have not," I am inclined to ask, "Who are you whom the world has disappointed? Have not you rather disappointed the world?"

The imagination, give it the least license, dives deeper and soars higher than Nature goes.

Those undeserved joys which come uncalled and make us more pleased than grateful are they that sing.

Nature is as well adapted to our weakness as to our strength.

The most stupendous scenery ceases to be sublime when it becomes distinct, or in other words limited, and the imagination is no longer encouraged to exaggerate it. The actual height and breadth of a mountain or a waterfall are always ridiculously small; they are the imagined only that content us.

Men profess to be lovers of music, but for the most part they give no evidence in their opinions and lives that they have heard it.