Work is and always has been my salvation and I thank the Lord for it.

All is fish that comes to the literary net. Goethe puts his joys and sorrows into poems, I turn my adventures into bread and butter.

We can't any of us do all we would like, but we can do our best for every case that comes to us, and that helps amazingly.

I’m not like the rest of you; I never made any plans about what I’d do when I grew up; I never thought of being married, as you did. I couldn’t seem to imagine myself anything but stupid little Beth, trotting about at home, of no use anywhere but there. I never wanted to go away, and the hard part now is leaving you all. I’m not afraid, but it seems as if I should be homesick for you even in heaven.

The patience and the humility of the face she loved so well was a better lesson to Jo than the wisest lecture, the sharpest reproof.

He who believes is strong; he who doubts is weak. Strong convictions precede great actions.

…Jo loved a few persons very dearly and dreaded to have their affection lost or lessened in any way.