“A perfect writer would make words sing, dance, kiss, do the male and female act, bear children, weep, bleed, rage, stab, steal, fire cannon, steer ships, sack cities, charge with cavalry or infantry, or do anything that man or woman or the natural powers can do.”

“A female ship should slowly go to dock when she sees a male harbour, for this is the most natural thing to do!”

“If the communication is perfect, the words have life, and that is all there is to good writing, putting down on the paper words which dance and weep and make love and fight and kiss and perform miracles.”

“Honey, that man would do anything to keep you. Lie, steal, cheat, kill, clean up after himself, and do laundry.”

“The children of the mountains are too free and independent to bear with any patience the restraints of civilization. But the Sikh is always the same ; in peace^ in war, in barracks or in the field, ever genial, good-tempered and uncomplaining: a fair horseman, a stubborn infantry soldier, as steady under fire as he is eager for a charge.”

“It all sounds rather naive and sentimental to be talking about children laughing and dancing and singing together when we all know perfectly well that what children do in real life is snarl and take drugs.”