It's an epitome of life. The first half of it consists of the capacity to enjoy without the chance; the last half consists of the chance without the capacity.

Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot. BY ORDER OF THE AUTHOR per G.G., CHIEF OF ORDNANCE

Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.

Barring that natural expression of villainy which we all have, the man looked honest enough.

Truth is mighty and will prevail. There is nothing wrong with this, except that it ain't so.

Crowds stand around all day long and criticise that bridge, and find fault with it, and tell with unlimited frankness how it ought to have been planned, and how they would have built it had the city granted them the $14,000 it cost. It is really refreshing to hang around these and listen to them. A foreigner would come to the conclusion that all America was composed of inspired professional bridge builders.

Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.