“Why are a man's words bound to be true, when half his deeds at least are sure to be false?”

Questioning the easy assumption that speech reveals character more faithfully than action · Gathered Leaves, letters and diaries, 1888

• Truth

“The quiet, solemn feeling of gladness sweeps over one like a great wave. It buries all the restlessness, all the anxiousness, all the vanity.”

Describing the cleansing calm brought by landscape and sunset · Gathered Leaves, letters and diaries, 1897–1907

• Joy
• Nature

“It was delightful to hear of your looking out at the stars for sympathy when you felt low, and getting better directly; they have so often comforted me.”

On the quiet consolation she found in the stars · Gathered Leaves, letters and diaries, 1886

• Hope
• Nature