Will Christian
Will Christian
moon clouds merit
Merit is never so conspicuous as when coupled with an obscure origin, just as the moon never appears so lustrous as when it emerges from a cloud.
justice majority should
Justice, not the majority, should rule.
choices battle half
The selection of a subject is to the author what choice of position is to the general,--once skilfully determined, the battle is already half won. Of a few writers it may be said that they are popular in despite of their subjects--but of a great many more it may be observed that they are popular because of them.
book eye soul
The lively and mercurial are as open books, with the leaves turned down at the notable passages. Their souls sit at the windows of their eyes, seeing and to be seen.
exercise mind digestion
Difficulties, by bracing the mind to overcome them, assist cheerfulness, as exercise assists digestion.
dishes wit seasoning
Wit is better as a seasoning than as a whole dish by itself.
brother long easy
There is a German proverb which says that Take-it-Easy and Live-Long are brothers.
perfect results motive
Pure motives do not insure perfect results.
men evil action
Motives are better than actions. Men drift into crime. Of evil they do more than they contemplate, and of good they contemplate more than they do.
ideas slavery
Adhesion to one idea is monomania; to few, slavery.
men faces portraits
A man cannot paint portraits till he has seen faces.
passion fire long
There are seaons when our passions have slept so long that we know not whether they still exist in us. So does flax forget that it is combustible when the fire is away from it.
passion character fire
It is difficult to say which is the greatest evil--to have too violent passions, or to be wholly devoid of them. Controlled with firmness, guided by discretion, and hallowed by the imagination, the passions are the vivifiers and quickeners of our being. Without passion there can be no energy of character. Indeed, the passions are like fire, useful in a thousand ways, and dangerous only in one--through their excess.
tired thinking pleasure
When we get tired of enjoying all the pleasures within our reach, we have still a resource in thinking of others that are not.