As soon as a child has left the room his strewn toys become affecting.

Some eyes threaten like a loaded and levelled pistol, and others are as insulting as hissing or kicking; some have no more expression than blueberries, while others are as deep as a well which you can fall into.

Who looks upon a river in a meditative hour and is not reminded of the flux of all things?

A fact is the end or last issue of spirit. The visible creation is the terminus or the circumference of the invisible world.

I am thankful for small mercies. I compared notes with one of my friends who expect everything of the universe, and is disappointed when anything is less than the best, and I found that I begin at the other extreme, expecting nothing, and am always full of thanks for moderate good. . . . If we will take the good we find, . . . we shall have heaping measures. . . .

There is a persuasion in the soul of man that he is here for cause, that he was put down in this place by the Creator to do the work for which he inspires him, that thus he is an overmatch for all antagonists that could combine against him.

Every man is actually weak, and apparently strong. To himself, he seems weak; to others, formidable.