Lydia M. Child Quotes

Belief in oneself is one of the most important bricks in building any successful venture.

The eye of genius has always a plaintive expression, and its natural language is pathos.

An effort made for the happiness of others lifts above ourselves.

Misfortune is never mournful to the soul that accepts it; for such do always see that every cloud is an angel's face.

Every human being has, like Socrates, an attendant spirit; and wise are they who obey its signals. If it does not always tell us what to do, it always cautions us what not to do.

Make people happy and there will not be half the quarreling, or a tenth part of the wickedness there now is.

Over the river and through the wood, To grandfather's house we go; The horse knows the way To carry the sleigh, Through the white and drifted snow.

Love is the divine quality that everywhere produces and restores life. To each and every one of us, it gives the power of working miracles if we will.

We first crush people to the earth, and then claim the right of trampling on them forever, because they are prostrate.

The cure for all the ills and wrongs, the cares, the sorrows, and the crimes of humanity, all lie in the one word 'love'. It is the divine vitality that everywhere produces and restores life.

The boughs of no two trees ever have the same arrangement. Nature always produces individuals; She never produces classes.

I was gravely warned by some of my female acquaintances that no woman could expect to be regarded as a lady after she had written a book.

The United States is a warning rather than an example to the world.

Home - that blessed word, which opens to the human heart the most perfect glimpse of Heaven, and helps to carry it thither, as on an angel's wings.

Prejudices of all kinds have their strongest holds in the minds of the vulgar and the ignorant.

I will work in my own way, according to the light that is in me.

Happiness consists not in having much, but in wanting no more than you have.

Genius hath electric power which earth can never tame.

Genius hath electric power; Which earth can never tame; Bright suns may scorch and dark clouds lower; Its flash is still the same.

It is right noble to fight with wickedness and wrong; the mistake is in supposing that spiritual evil can be overcome by physical means.

That a majority of women do not wish for any important change in their social and civil condition, merely proves that they are the unreflecting slaves of custom.

Law is not law, if it violates the principles of eternal justice.

Childhood itself is scarcely more lovely than a cheerful, kindly, sunshiny old age.

But men never violate the laws of God without suffering the consequences, sooner or later.

No music is so pleasant to my ears as that word-father.

We must not forget that all great revolutions and reformations would look mean and meagre if examined in detail as they occurred at the time.

Thy treasures of gold Are dim with the blood of the hearts thou hast sold; Thy home may be lovely, but round it I hear The crack of the whip, and the footsteps of fear.

So easy it is to see the errors of past ages, so difficult to acknowledge our own!

Woman stock is rising in the market. I shall not live to see women vote, but I'll come and rap on the ballot box.

Work! work! that is my unfailing cure for all troubles.

a great mind can attend to little things, but a little mind cannot attend to great things.

It is impossible to exaggerate the evil work theology has done in the world.

Whoso does not see that genuine life is a battle and a march has poorly read his origin and his destiny.

[U]sefulness is happiness, and... all other things are but incidental.

Ah, my friend, that is the only true church organization, when heads and hearts unite in working for the welfare of the human race!

Even if nothing worse than wasted mental effort could be laid to the charge of theology, that alone ought to be sufficient to banish it from the earth, as one of the worst enemies of mankind.

Philosophy and the arts are but a manifestation of the intelligible ideas that move the public mind; and thus they become visible images of the nations whence they emanate.

I think we have reason to thank God for Abraham Lincoln. With all his deficiencies, it must be admitted that he has grown continually.

Not in vain is Ireland pouring itself all over the earth. The Irish, with their glowing hearts and reverent credulity, are needed in this cold age of intellect and skepticism.

Birds and beasts have in fact our own nature, flattened a semi-tone.

the excess of all good things is mischievous.

I keep working because I am quite sure that no particle of goodness or truth is ever really lost, however appearances may be to the contrary.

Yours for the unshackled exercise of every faculty by every human being.

There have always been a large class of thinkers who deny that the world makes any progress. They say we move in a circle; that evils are never conquered, but only change their forms.

A human heart can never grow old if it takes a lively interest in the pairing of birds, the reproduction of flowers, and the changing tints of autumn leaves.

The rarest attainment is to grow old happily and gracefully.

Pillars are fallen at thy feet Fanes quiver in the air A prostrate city is thy seat And thou alone art there.

A comfortable old age is the reward of a well-spent youth. Instead of its bringing sad and melancholy prospects of decay it would give us hopes of eternal youth in a better world.

Every human being has like Socrates an attendant spirit and wise are they who obey its signals. If it does not always tell us what to do it always cautions us what not to do.

An effort made for the happiness of others lifts us above ourselves.