Life is a mirror: if you frown at it, it frowns back; if you smile, it returns the greeting. William Makepeace Thackeray More Quotes by William Makepeace Thackeray More Quotes From William Makepeace Thackeray He first selected the smallest one...and then bowed his head as though he were saying grace. Opening his mouth very wide, he struggled for a moment, after which all was over. I shall never forget the comic look of despair he cast upon the other five over-occupied shells. I asked him how he felt. 'Profoundly grateful,' he said, 'as if I had swallowed a small baby.' William Makepeace Thackeray gratefulgracebaby To endure is greater than to dare; to tire out hostile fortune; to be daunted my no difficulty; to keep heart when all have lost it; to go through intrigue spotless; to forgo even ambition when the end is gained - who can say this is not greatness? William Makepeace Thackeray wisdomheartpatience If you will fling yourself under the wheels, Juggernaut will go over you; depend upon it. William Makepeace Thackeray juggernautwheelsover-you The death of a child occasions a passion of grief and frantic tears, such as your end, brother reader, will never inspire. William Makepeace Thackeray griefbrotherchildren Who feels injustice, who shrinks before a slight, who has a sense of wrong so acute, and so glowing a gratitude for kindness, as a generous boy? William Makepeace Thackeray gratitudekindnesschildren I want a sofa, as I want a friend, upon which I can repose familiarly. If you can't have intimate terms and freedom with one and the other, they are of no good. William Makepeace Thackeray intimatecomfortwant The ladies--Heaven bless them!--are, as a general rule, coquettes from babyhood upwards. William Makepeace Thackeray coquetteblessheaven it is the ordinary lot of people to have no friends if they themselves care for nobody William Makepeace Thackeray no-friendsordinarypeople There is no good in living in a society where you are merely the equal of everybody else. The true pleasure of life is to live with your inferiors. William Makepeace Thackeray pleasurelife-isfame Business first; pleasure afterwards. William Makepeace Thackeray business-firstpleasurefirsts If dying, I yet live in a tender heart or two; nor am I lost and hopeless living, if a sainted departed soul still loves and prays for me. William Makepeace Thackeray heartlovetwo The world is full of love and pity, I say. Had there been less suffering, there would have been less kindness. William Makepeace Thackeray sufferingkindnessworld Only to two or three persons in all the world are the reminiscences of a man's early youth interesting: to the parent who nursed him; to the fond wife or child mayhap afterwards who loves him; to himself always and supremely--whatever may be his actual prosperity or ill fortune, his present age, illness, difficulties, renown, or disappointments--the dawn of his life still shines brightly for him, the early griefs and delights and attachments remain with him ever faithful and dear. William Makepeace Thackeray griefdisappointmentchildren There is a certain sort of man whose doom in the world is disappointment, who excels in it, and whose luckless triumphs in his meek career of life, I have often thought, must be regarded by the kind eyes above with as much favor as the splendid successes and achievements of coarser and more prosperous men. William Makepeace Thackeray careerseyedisappointment How do men feel whose whole lives (and many men's lives are) are lies, schemes, and subterfuges? What sort of company do they keep when they are alone? Daily in life I watch men whose every smile is an artifice, and every wink is an hypocrisy. Doth such a fellow where a mask in his own privacy, and to his own conscience? William Makepeace Thackeray hypocrisymenlying Forgotten tones of love recur to us, and kind glances shine out of the past--oh so bright and clear!--oh so longed after!--because they are out of reach; as holiday music from within a prison wall--or sunshine seen through the bars; more prized because unattainable--more bright because of the contrast of present darkness and solitude, whence there is no escape. William Makepeace Thackeray holidaywalllove We love being in love, that's the truth on't. If we had not met Joan, we should have met Kate, and adored her. We know our mistresses are no better than many other women, nor no prettier, nor no wiser, nor no wittier. 'Tis not for these reasons we love a woman, or for any special quality or charm I know of; we might as well demand that a lady should be the tallest woman in the world, like the Shropshire giantess, as that she should be a paragon in any other character, before we began to love her. William Makepeace Thackeray should-havelovecharacter Happiest time of youth and life, when love is first spoken and returned; when the dearest eyes are daily shining welcome, and the fondest lips never tire of whispering their sweet secrets; when the parting look that accompanies "Good night!" gives delightful warning of tomorrow. William Makepeace Thackeray good-nightsweetlove Love seems to survive life, and to reach beyond it. I think we take it with us past the grave. Do we not still give it to those who have left us? May we not hope that they feel it for us, and that we shall leave it here in one or two fond bosoms, when we also are gone? William Makepeace Thackeray lovepastthinking Charming Alnaschar visions! it is the happy privilege of youth to construct you. William Makepeace Thackeray privilegeyouthvision
