With ruin staring you in the face, there is nothing worse to live through than a siege of waiting and hoping. If you manage to live through it, nothing can ever jar your nerves after that.

It's really amazing what a money reputation will do for your social standing.

When a doctor refuses money, even the most ethical ones, you usually start driving a good bargain with the undertaker.

Nothing succeeds like reports of success.

...when we are going through the aftereffects of a bad jolt in loss of money or pride--and both are closely connected--we should get off to ourselves, make an honest appraisal of our shortcomings, and try to find our weak spots and bolster them up before starting in again. First on the program we should figure out a plan to eat. The money we have lost is a small matter; if we can keep our pride and strong faith in ourselves the battle ahead is half won before we start.

In one way an oil boom is a mighty bad thing, because it gets into your blood and almost becomes an obsession. Booms are filled with excitement, adventure, and drama, but sometimes the exit from the scene must be made between suns on a pair of mighty weary feet.

...the hard work and poverty of my childhoodturned out to be my greatest asset in later years. Nothing could ever seem too hard after that.