"It's very discouraging to find
that when you are straining every
nerve to tell the truth, that people
do not believe you, and fancy that you
are exaggerating. It makes you
feel inclined to go and exaggerate on
purpose, just to show them the
difference."
"I'm explaining to B. the difficulty I experience in
writing on account of
it for my diary. I tell him that I really do not know
what to say about it.
He smokes a while in silence and then taking from his
lips he says:
"Does it matter very much what you say about it?"
I find much relief in that thought. It at once lifts
from my shoulders the
oppressive feeling of responsibility that was weighing
me down. After all,
what does it matter what I say? What does it matter what
any of us says
about anything? Nobody takes much notice of it, luckily
for everybody"
"It was Providence", she said
"I wish Providence would mind its own business and not
interfere in my affairs: it does not understand them"
"When men have nothing else to occupy their minds they
take to thinking".
"Especially as the victuals being well within reach, language
was a matter of secondary importance".
"I do not describe it to you. To do justice to the theme, I should have to be even more brilliant and powerful writer than I am."
"Talk about Durer. Criticize his style. Say it's flat.
(If possible , find out it is flat)".
"So much better for you. Having previously heard precisely
the same story from half dozen other sources, the public would be tempted
to believe you when you repeat the account".
"At all events, this is my opinion, and as I know nothing
about art, I speak without prejudice".
"Our first thoughts are the thoughts that are given to
us; our second thoughts are the thoughts that we make for ourselves. I
prefer to trust the former."
There are two kinds of clocks. There is the clock that is always wrong , and that knows it is wrong and glories in it; and there is clock that is always right - except when you rely upon it.