The prayer of the farmer kneeling in his field to weed it, the prayer of the rower kneeling with the stroke of his oar, are true prayers heard throughout nature.

Another sort of false prayers are our regrets. Discontent is the way of self-reliance: it is infirmity of will. Regret calamities, if you can thereby help the sufferer; if not, attend your own work, and already the evil begins to be repaired.

The proof of a high education is the ability to speak about complex matters as simply as possible.

To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs.

The force of character is cumulative.

Nature does not cocker us: we are children, not pets: she is not fond: everything is dealt to us without fear or favor, after severe universal laws.

It takes a good deal of character to judge a person by his future instead of his past