When one has seen something of the world and human nature, one must conclude, after all, that between people in like stations of life there is very little difference the world over.

When we arrived in London, my sadness at leaving Paris was turned into despair. After my long stay in the French capital, huge, ponderous, massive London seemed to me as ugly a thing as man could contrive to make.

And so for a couple of years my life was divided between my music and my school books.

Labor is the fabled magician's wand, the philosophers stone, and the cap of good fortune.

The Southern whites are in many respects a great people. Looked at from a certain point of view, they are picturesque. If one will put oneself in a romantic frame of mind, one can admire their notions of chivalry and bravery and justice.

My appearance was always good and my ability to play on the piano, especially ragtime, which was then at the height of its vogue, made me a welcome guest.

O Black and unknown bards of long ago, How came your lips to touch the sacred fire?