Who is this Renaissance? Where did he come from? Who gave him permission to cram the Republic with his execrable daubs?

The true and lasting genius of humour does not drag you thus to boxes labelled 'pathos,' 'humour,' and show you all the mechanism of the inimitable puppets that are going to perform. How I used to laugh at Simon Tapperwit, and the Wellers, and a host more! But I can't do it now somehow; and time, it seems to me, is the true test of humour. It must be antiseptic.

The difference between a Miracle and a Fact is exactly the difference between a mermaid and a seal.

Prediction is difficult- particularly when it involves the future.

Every generalization is dangerous, especially this one.

There are two times in a man's life when he should not speculate: when he can't afford it, and when he can.

It was a splendid population - for all the slow, sleepy, sluggish-brained sloths stayed at home - you never find that sort of people among pioneers - you cannot build pioneers out of that sort of material. It was that population that gave to California a name for getting up astounding enterprises and rushing them through with a magnificent dash and daring and a recklessness of cost or consequences, which she bears unto this day - and when she projects a new surprise the grave world smiles as usual and says, "Well, that is California all over.