“Our admiration of fine writing will always be in proportion to its real difficulty and its apparent ease.”

“To write what is worth publishing, to find honest people to publish it, and get sensible people to read it, are the three great difficulties in being an author.”

“Some read to think, these are rare; some to write, these are common; and some read to talk, and these form the great majority. ”

“Most of our misfortunes are more supportable than the comments of our friends upon them.”

“Our income are like our shoes; if too small, they gall and pinch us; but if too large, they cause us to stumble and trip.”

“Suicide sometimes proceeds from cowardice, but not always; for cowardice sometimes prevents it; since as many live because they are afraid to die, as die because they are afraid to live”

“Men spend their lives in anticipations,—in determining to be vastly happy at some period when they have time. But the present time has one advantage over every other—it is our own. Past opportunities are gone, future have not come. We may lay in a stock of pleasures, as we would lay in a stock of wine; but if we defer the tasting of them too long, we shall find that both are soured by age.”