God pardons like a mother, who kisses the offense into everlasting forgiveness. Greatness lies, not in being strong, but in the right using of strength; and strength is not used rightly when it serves only to carry a man above his fellows for his own solitary glory. He is the greatest whose strength carries up the most hearts by the Fear secretes acids; but love and trust are sweet juices. A book is good company. It is full of conversation without loquacity. It comes to your longing with full instruction, but pursues you never. Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven. It is one of the severest tests of friendship to tell your friend his faults. So to love a man that you cannot bear to see a stain upon him, and to speak painful truth through loving words, that is friendship. Young love is a flame; very pretty, often very hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. The love of the older and disciplined heart is as coals, deep burning, unquenchable. I never knew how to worship until I knew how to love. I never knew an early-rising, hard-working, prudent man, careful of his earnings, and strictly honest who complained of bad luck. It is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich. | 
