"The highest manifestation of life consists in this: that a being governs its own actions. A thing which is always subject to the direction of another is somewhat of a dead thing."

"I think every woman is entitled to a middle husband she can forget."

"Painting in watercolor is like walking a tight-rope; one must achieve a perfect balance between what the paint wants to do and what the artist wants to do, or all is lost."

"Passion is the source of our finest moments, the joy of love, the clarity of hatred, and the ectasy of grief."

"Honesty is a question of right or wrong, not a matter of policy."

"A man does not sin by commission only, but often by omission."

"Being an old maid is like death by drowning, a really delightful sensation after you cease to struggle."

"No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned."

"Avarice is the sphincter of the heart."

"Anything that can be done chemically can be done by other means."

"If people did not prefer reaping to sowing, there would not be a hungry person in the land."

"'But' is a fence over which few leap."