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. . . .

Prayer that craves a particular commodity, anything less than all good, is vicious.

The rich mind lies in the sun and sleeps, and is Nature.

The Soul rules over matter. Matter may pass away like a mote in the sunbeam, may be absorbed into the immensity of God, as a mistis absorbed into the heat of the Sun--but the soul is the kingdom of God, the abode of love, of truth, of virtue.

The charm of fine manners is music and sculpture and picture to many who do not pretend to appreciation of these arts.

The two terrors that discourage creativity and creative living are fear of public opinion and undue reverence for one's own consistency.

A beautiful behavior is better than a beautiful form; it gives a higher pleasure than statues or pictures; it is the finest of fine arts.