Great Throughts Treasury

"Sneering springs out of the wish to deny; and wretched must that state of mind be that wishes to take refuge in doubt."

"So much to win, so much to lose, no marvel that I fear to choose."

"Social life is filled with doubts and vain aspirings; solitude, when the imagination is dethroned, is turned to weariness and ennui."

"Society is like a large piece of frozen water; and skating well is the great art of social life."

"The apple blossoms' shower of pearl, though blent with rosier hue, as beautiful as woman's blush, as evanescent too."

"The dream on the pillow, that flits with the day, the leaf of the willow a breath wears away; the dust on the blossom, the spray on the sea; Ay,--ask thine own bosom-- are emblems of thee."

"The heart's hushed secret in the soft dark eye."

"The rich know not how hard it is to be of needful rest and needful food debarred."

"The stars are so far, far away!"

"The wind has a language, I would I could learn! Sometimes 'tis soothing, and sometimes 'tis stern, sometimes it comes like a low sweet song, and all things grow calm, as the sound floats along, and the forest is lull'd by the dreamy strain, and slumber sinks down on the wandering main, and its crystal arms are folded in rest, and the tall ship sleeps on its heaving breast."

"There is a large stock on hand; but somehow or other, nobody's experience ever suits us but our own."

"These are the spiders of society; they weave their petty webs of lies and sneers, and lie themselves in ambush for the spoil, the web seems fair, and glitters in the sun, and the poor victim winds him in the toil before he dreams of danger or of death."

"Thou know'st how fearless is my trust in thee."

"Thy voice is sweet as if it took its music form thy face."

"Violets!--deep-blue violets! April's loveliest coronets! There are no flowers grow in the vale, kiss'd by the dew, woo'd by the gale,-- None by the dew of the twilight wet, so sweet as the deep-blue violet."

"We might have been - these are but common words, and yet they make the sum of life's bewailing."

"Were it not better to forget than to remember and regret?"