Manners are the shadows of virtues; the momentary display of those qualities which our fellow creatures love, and respect..

No furniture is so charming as books..

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

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 dr….

Never try to reason the prejudice out of a man. It was not reasoned into him, and cannot be reasoned out..

Whatever you are by nature, keep to it; never desert your line of talent. Be what nature intended you for, and you will succeed..

He who drinks a tumbler of London water has literally in his stomach more animated beings than there are men, women, and children on the face of the ….

Politeness is good nature regulated by good sense..

Among the smaller duties of life I hardly know any one more important than that of not praising where praise is not due..

People who love only once in their lives are shallow people. What they call their loyalty, and their fidelity, I call either the lethargy of custom, ….

Marriage resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they cannot be separated; often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing anyone who co….

Find fault, when you must find fault, in private, if possible; and some time after the offense, rather than at the time..

If you want to improve your understanding, drink coffee..

The thing about performance, even if it's only an illusion, is that it is a celebration of the fact that we do contain within ourselves infinite poss….

Life is to be fortified by many friendships. To love and to be loved is the greatest happiness of existence..

A great deal of talent is lost to the world for the want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves a number of obscure men who have only r….

Human beings cling to their delicious tyrannies and to their exquisite nonsense, till death stares them in the face..

Take short views, hope for the best and trust in God..

A comfortable house is a great source of happiness. It ranks immediately after health and a good conscience..

Hope is the belief, more or less strong, that joy will come..

Resolve to make at least one person happy every day, and then in ten years you may have made three thousand, six hundred and fifty persons happy, or ….