“Every house needs a grandmother in it.”

“She began to see that character is a better possession than money, rank, intellect, or beauty, and to feel that if greatness is what a wise man has defined it to be, 'truth, reverence, and good will,' then her friend Friedrich Bhaer was not only good, but great.”

“I don't pretend to be wise, but I am observing, and I see a great deal more than you'd imagine. I'm interested in other people's experiences and inconsistencies, and, though I can't explain, I remember and use them for my own benefit.”

“The house was still as death, and nothing but the wailing of the wind broke the deep hush.”

“You don’t need scores of suitors. You need only one… if he’s the right one.”

“Such hours are beautiful to live, but hard to describe, so I will leave it to the imagination of my readers, merely saying that the house was full of genuine happiness.”

“If every one agreed, we should never get on.”