Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but — I… - Charles Dickens

Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be.

No one is useless in this world,' retorted the Secretary, 'who lightens the burden of it for any one else.

[W]e talk about the tyranny of words, but we like to tyrannise over them too; we are fond of having a large superfluous establishment of words to wait upon us on great occasions; we think it looks important, and sounds well. As we are not particular about the meaning of our liveries on state occassions, if they be but fine and numerous enough, so, the meaning or necessity of our words is a secondary consideration, if there be but a great parade of them. And as individuals get into trouble by making too great a show of liveries, or as slaves when they are too numerous rise against their masters, so I think I could mention a nation that has got into many great difficulties, and will get into many greater, from maintaining too large a retinue of words.

I used to sit, think, think, thinking, till I felt as lonesome as a kitten in a wash–house copper with the lid on.