It is very difficult to be wholly joyous or wholly sad on this earth. The comic, when it is human, soon takes upon itself a face of pain; and some of our griefs (some only, not all, for it is the capacity for suffering which makes man August in the eyes of men) have their source in weaknesses which must be recognized with smiling com passion as the common inheritance of us all.

The vilest scramble for loot that ever disfigured the history of human conscience.

... it was written I should be loyal to the nightmare of my choice.

Being a woman is a terribly difficult task, since it consists principally in dealing with men.

This magnificent butterfly finds a little heap of dirt and sits still on it; but man will never on his heap of mud keep still.

It is a maudlin and indecent verity that comes out through the strength of wine.

Ah! These commercial interests -- spoiling the finest life under the sun. Why must the sea be used for trade -- and for war as well?...It would have been so much nicer just to sail about, with here and there a port and a bit of land to stretch one's legs on, buy a few books and get a change of cooking for a while.