Now he found out a new thing — namely, that to promise not to do a thing is the surest way in the world to make a body want to go and do that very th… - Mark Twain

To promise not to do a thing is the surest way in the world to make a body want to go and do that very thing.

Human pride is not worthwhile; there is always something lying in wait to take the wind out of it.

I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English — it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don't let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them — then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart. An adjective habit, or a wordy, diffuse, flowery habit, once fastened upon a person, is as hard to get rid of as any other vice.

It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.