Every roof is agreeable to the eye, until it is lifted; then we find tragedy and moaning women, and hard-eyed husbands.

All the great speakers were bad speakers at first.

When the man is at home, his standing in society is well known and quietly taken; but when he is abroad, it is problematical, and is dependent on the success of his manners.

A weed is a plant we've found no use for yet.

Nature is no spendthrift, but takes the shortest way to her ends.

Heaven always bears some proportion to earth. The god of the cannibal will be a cannibal, of the crusades a crusader, and of the merchants a merchant.

Genius is power, talent is applicability.