It is a great thing if you can persuade people that they are somehow or other partakers in a mystery. It makes them feel bigger.

When I say writing, O believe me, it is rewriting that I have chiefly in mind.

Do not write merely to be understood. Write so you cannot possibly be misunderstood.

Books are good enough in their own way, but they are a poor substitute for life.

Restfulness is a quality for cattle; the virtues are all active, life is alert.

Talk is by far the most accessible of pleasures. It costs nothing in money, it is all profit, it completes our education, founds and fosters our friendships, and can be enjoyed at any age and in almost any state of health.

To love playthings well as a child, to lead an adventurous and honorable youth, and to settle when the time arrives, into a green and smiling age, is to be a good artis en life and deserve well of yourself and your neighbor.