The common eye sees only the outside of things, and judges by that, but the seeing eye pierces through and reads the heart and the soul, finding there capacities which the outside didn't indicate or promise, and which the other kind of eye couldn't detect.

No man has an appreciation so various that his judgment is good upon all varieties of literary work.

The writing begins when you’ve finished. Only then do you know what you’re trying to say.

That is a society editor, sitting there elegantly dressed, with his legs crossed in that indolent way, observing the clothes the ladies wear, so that he can describe them for his paper and make them out finer than they are and get bribes for it and become wealthy.

To succeed in the other trades, capacity must be shown; in the law, concealment of it will do.

Always tell the truth. That way you don't have to remember what you said.

The worst thing you can do to a man is to tell him he can have what he wants.