If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life.

When a man truly commits, the universe will conspire to assure his success.

He who is only a traveler learns things at second-hand and by the halves, and is poor authority. We are most interested when science reports what those men already know practically or instinctively, for that alone is a true humanity, or account of human experience.

Much is published, but little printed.

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.

We are the subjects of an experiment which is not a little interesting to me.

In the production of the necessaries of life Nature is ready enough to assist man.