“Talk of the abuses of slavery! Humbug! The thing itself is the essence of all abuse!”

It is impossible to make anything beautiful or desirable in the best regulated administration of slavery.

If we let our friend become cold and selfish and exacting without a remonstrance, we are no true lover, no true friend.

Eyes that have never wept cannot comprehend sorrow.

If I am to write, I must have a room to myself, which shall be my room.

Your little child is the only true democrat.

True love ennobles and dignifies the material labors of life; and homely services rendered for love’s sake have in them a poetry that is immortal.

The world has been busy for some centuries in shutting and locking every door through which a woman could step into wealth, except the door of marriage.

In the gates of eternity the black hand and the white hand hold each other with equal clasp.

I make no manner of doubt that you threw a very diamond of truth at me, though you see it hit me so directly in the face that it wasn’t exactly appreciated, at first.

The heart has no tears to give,–it drops only blood, bleeding itself away in silence.

Treat ’em like dogs, and you’ll have dogs’ works and dogs’ actions. Treat ’em like men, and you’ll have men’s works.

My vocation to preach on paper.

By what strange law of mind is it that an idea long overlooked, and trodden under foot as a useless stone, suddenly sparkles out in new light, as a discovered diamond?

It’s a matter of taking the side of the weak against the strong, something the best people have always done.

Sweet souls around us watch us still, press nearer to our side; Into our thoughts, into our prayers, with gentle helpings glide.

Dogs can bear more cold than human beings, but they do not like cold any better than we do; and when a dog has his choice, he will very gladly stretch himself on a rug before the fire for his afternoon nap.

Nothing moves more quickly than scandal.

In a free society we will tolerate boorish people, who have abhorrent behavior, but if we’re civilized people we publicly criticize that and don’t belong to those groups or associate with those people.

It is, of course, much easier to shout, abuse, and howl than to attempt to relate, to explain.

I’ve seen my name on marquees and bowed to standing ovations. I’ve also been called a fraud, a mental case, a heretic. People all over the country wait in line to hug me or curse me.

Everybody has a right to be stupid, but some people abuse the privilege.

A bitter truth: some people are comfortable with your acceptance of their abuse.⁣

When you go through all your life processing and abusing your hair so it will look like the hair of another race of people then you are making a statement and the statement is clear.

When someone abuses me I can defend myself, but against praise I am defenceless.