"How fascinating is death, the extinction of..." - Quote by Henry Van Dyke

“For real company and friendship, there is nothing outside the animal kingdom that is comparable to a river.”

“Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.”

“The lintel low enough to keep out pomp and pride; The threshold high enough to turn deceit aside; The doorband strong enough from robbers to defend; This door will open at a touch to welcome every friend.”

“And my poor fool is hanged! No, no, no life! Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, And thou no breath at all? Thou'lt come no more, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never! Pray you, undo this button.”

“Some men make a womanish complaint that it is a great misfortune to die before our time. I would ask what time? Is it that of Nature? But she, indeed, has lent us life, as we do a sum of money, only no certain day is fixed for payment. What reason then to complain if she demands it at pleasure, since it was on this condition that you received it.”

“Misunderstanding may arise by confusing the Buddhist and scientific definitions of death. Within the scientific system you spoke quite validly of the death of the brain and the death of heart. Different parts of the body can die separately. However, in the Buddhist system, the word death is not used in that way. You'd never speak of the death of a particular part of the body, but rather of the death of an entire person. When people say that a certain person died, we don't ask, "Well, which part died?"”

“Your life is constantly nourished by your thoughts. Whatever the direction your life is moving, your thoughts have led you there.”

“The older we grow, the greater become the ordeals.”

“Every man is a borrower and a mimic, life is theatrical and literature a quotation.”