Cannot you conceive that another man may wish well to the world and struggle for its good on some other plan than precisely that which you have laid … - Nathaniel Hawthorne

He knew that the world, and Annie as the representative of the world, whatever praise might be bestowed, could never say the fitting word nor feel the fitting sentiment which should be the perfect recompense of an artist who, symbolizing a lofty moral by a material trifle,—converting what was earthly to spiritual gold,—had won the beautiful into his handiwork. Not at this latest moment was he to learn that the reward of all high performance must be sought within itself, or sought in vain.

A dead man sits on all our judgment seats; and living judges do but search out and repeat his decisions. We read in dead men's books! We laugh a dead men's jokes, and cry at dead men's pathos!

A stale article, if you did it in a good, warm, sunny smile will go off better than a fresh one that you've scowled upon.