I do, however, think it would be difficult to write books I don't like to read. Barbara Mertz More Quotes by Barbara Mertz More Quotes From Barbara Mertz Peculiar or not, it is my idea of pleasure. Why, why else do you lead this life you don't enjoy it? Don't talk of duty to me; you men always have some high-sounding excuse for indulging yourselves. You go gallivanting over the earth, climbing mountains, looking for the sources of the Nile; and expect women to sit dully at home embroidering. I embroider very badly. I think I would excavate rather well. Barbara Mertz home men thinking Emerson,' I said, choosing my words with care, 'it is a sheer drop from the cleft down to the base of the cliff. If you are bent on breaking your arm or your leg or your neck or all three, find a place closer to home so we won't have to carry you such a distance. Barbara Mertz distance three home I am so tired of ruggedly handsome heroes. I don't know too many ruggedly handsome people who are necessarily nice people. In fact, the beautiful people have a big handicap because they rely too much on their appearance and don't bother to become interesting. Barbara Mertz nice hero beautiful No woman really wants a man to carry her off; she only wants him to want to do it. Barbara Mertz women want funny Martyrdom is often the result of excessive gullibility. Barbara Mertz martyrdom sacrifice results It's not unsporting to thrash a cowardly cad,' said Simmons. 'Everyone knows you don't fight like a gentleman.' 'That might be called an oxymoron,' Ramses said. 'Oh--sorry. Bad form to use long words. Look it up when you get home.' The poor devil didn't know how to fight, like a gentleman or otherwise. Barbara Mertz fighting sorry home Who are we really? Combinations of common chemicals that perform mechanical actions for a few years before crumbling back into the original components? Fresh new souls, drawn at random for some celestial cupboard where God keeps an unending supply?Or the same soul, immortal and eternal, refurbished and reused through endless lives, by that thrifty Housekeeper? In Her wisdom and benevolence She wipes off the memory slates, as part of the cleaning process, because if we could remember all the things we have experienced in earlier lives, we might object to risking it again. Barbara Mertz soul memories years I knew the answer, and--of course--so did Ramses. He has superb breath control and always gets in ahead of me. Barbara Mertz superb courses answers Noble causes have a deplorable effect on the morals of the persons who espouse them. Barbara Mertz noble politics political When emotion supersedes reason ... gullibility must follow. Barbara Mertz gullibility emotion reason there is nothing like a garden to rest the soul. Barbara Mertz gardening garden soul If you take a man by surprise, and behave with sufficient arrogance, he will generally do what you ask. -Emerson Barbara Mertz surprise arrogance men I had refused Emerson's well-meant offers of assistance, knowing his efforts would be confined to moving the furniture to the wrong places and demanding how much longer the process would take. Barbara Mertz effort knowing moving Is is difficult to be angry with a gentleman who pays you compliments, even impertinent compliments. Especially impertinent compliments. Barbara Mertz gentleman pay men When one is striding bravely into the future one cannot watch one's footing. Barbara Mertz watches There are too many people in the world as it is, but the supply of ancient manuscripts is severely limited. Barbara Mertz ancient people world ..he continues to cling to the forlorn hope that I will turn into one of those swooning females...and fling myself squeeling at him whenever anything happens. Like all men, he clings to his illusions. Barbara Mertz swooning female men I have learned that particularly clever ideas do not always stand up under close scrutiny. Barbara Mertz scrutiny clever ideas Most men are reasonably useful in a crisis. The difficulty lies in convincing them that the situation has reached a critical point Barbara Mertz crisis men lying The way to get on with a cat is to treat it as an equal - or even better, as the superior it knows itself to be. Barbara Mertz treats cat way