"The words that a father speaks to his children in the privacy of home are not heard by the world, but, as in whispering galleries, they are clearly heard at the end, and by posterity."

"Music is moonlight in the gloomy night of life."

"Like a morning dream, life becomes more and more bright the longer we live, and the reason of everything appears more clear. What has puzzled us before seems less mysterious, and the crooked paths look straighter as we approach the end."

"As winter strips the leaves from around us, so that we may see the distant regions they formerly concealed, so old age takes away our enjoyments only to enlarge the prospect of the coming eternity."

"To act is to anchor in an imminent future, so imminent it becomes almost tangible to act is to feel you are consubstantial with that future."

"It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous."

"About the time I turned 50, I experienced the profound biological change that often accompanies women at that age. Also, I put two kids in college and lost both of my parents, so I'm no longer somebody's daughter."

"But I do like to have peace and quiet for a good hour."