The necessity of labor and conversation with many men and things to the scholar is rarely well remembered.

None can be an impartial or wise observer of human life but from the vantage ground of what we should call voluntary poverty.

There must be the... generating force of Love behind every effort destined to be successful.

There is a sort of homely truth and naturalness in some books which is very rare to find, and yet looks cheap enough. There may benothing lofty in the sentiment, or fine in the expression, but it is careless country talk. Homeliness is almost as great a merit in a book as in a house, if the reader would abide there. It is next to beauty, and a very high art. Some have this merit only.

Since you are my readers, and I have not been much of a traveler, I will not talk about people a thousand miles off, but come as near home as I can. As the time is short, I will leave out all the flattery, and retain all the criticism.

My spirits infallibly rise in proportion to the outward dreariness. Give me the ocean, the desert, or the wilderness!

Fresh curls spring from the baldest brow. There is nothing inorganic.