She waits for me, my lady Earth, Smiles and waits and sighs; I'll say her nay, and hide away, Then take her by surprise.

[On The Netherlands:] ... the entire country is a kind of saturated sponge.

What a dreadful thing it must be to have a dull father.

Life is a mystery as deep as ever death can be.

She waits for me, my lady Earth, Smiles and waits and sighs; I'll say her nay, and hide away, Then take her by surprise.

Grandma told me all about it, Told me so I couldn't doubt it, How she danced, my grandma danced; long ago.

Ten years dropped from a man's life are no small loss; ten years of manhood, of household happiness and care; ten years of honest labor, of conscious enjoyment of sunshine and outdoor beauty; ten years of grateful life--one day looking forward to all this; the next, waking to find them passed, and a blank.