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The mind that becomes soiled in youth can never again be washed clean. I know this by my own experience, & to this day I cherish an unappeased bittern...more

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Now he found out a new thing--namely, that to promise not to do a thing is the surest way in the world to make a body want to go and do that very thin...more

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He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it, namely, that, in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary t...more

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I am only human, although I regret it.

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Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.

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In statesmanship get formalities right never mind about the moralities.

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Customs do not concern themselves with right or wrong or reason. But they have to be obeyed; one reasons all around them until he is tired, but he mus...more

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Work is a necessary evil to be avoided.

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The joy of killing! the joy of seeing killing done - these are traits of the human race at large.

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You cannot surprise an individual more than twice with the same marvel

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One ought always to lie, when one can do good by it;

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Right is right, and wrong is wrong, and a body ain’t got no business doing wrong when he ain’t ignorant and knows better.

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That’s just the way: a person does a low-down thing, and then he don’t want to take no consequences of it. Thinks as long as he can hide it, it ain’t ...more

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he would now have comprehended that work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that play consists of whaterver a body is not obliged to do...more

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I wish I could make him understand that a loving good heart is riches enough, and that without it intellect is poverty.