“The fact is that in order to do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand shivering on the bank thinking of the cold and the danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can.”

“A man who wishes to make his way in life could do no better than go through the world with a boiling tea-kettle in his hand.”

“Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea! How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea.”

“The main question to a novel is -- did it amuse? were you surprised at dinner coming so soon? did you mistake eleven for ten? were you too late to dress? and did you sit up beyond the usual hour? If a novel produces these effects, it is good; if it does not -- story, language, love, scandal itself cannot save it. It is only meant to please; and it must do that or it does nothing.”

“we know nothing of tomorrow, our business is to be good and happy today”

“Have the courage to be ignorant of a great number of things, in order to avoid the calamity of being ignorant of everything.”

“I am glad you like what I said of Mrs. Elizabeth Fry (prison and mental hospital reformer). She is very unpopular with the clergy; examples of living, active virtue disturb our repose and give one to distressing comparisons; we long to burn her alive.”