You start a question, and it's like starting a stone. You sit quietly on the top of a hill; and away the stone goes, starting others. Robert Louis Stevenson More Quotes by Robert Louis Stevenson More Quotes From Robert Louis Stevenson It is better to emit a scream in the shape of a theory than to be entirely insensible to the jars and incongruities of life and take everything as it comes in a forlorn stupidity. Robert Louis Stevenson stupidity shapes jars It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive. Robert Louis Stevenson disenchanted tourism travel We advance in years somewhat in the manner of an invading army in a barren land; the age that we have reached, as the saying goes, we but hold with an outpost, and still keep open communications with the extreme rear and first beginnings of the march. Robert Louis Stevenson happy-birthday army communication Restfulness is a quality for cattle; the virtues are all active, life is alert. Robert Louis Stevenson quality vices life-is To avoid an occasion for our virtues is a worse degree of failure than to push forward pluckily and make a fall. Robert Louis Stevenson failure inspirational fall To be honest, to be kind-to earn a little and to spend a little less, to make upon the whole a family happier for his presence, to renounce when that shall be necessary and not be embittered, to keep a few friends but these without capitulation-above all, on the same grim condition to keep friends with himself-here is a task for all that a man has of fortitude and delicacy. Robert Louis Stevenson honesty kindness life The cruelest lies are often told in silence. A man may have sat in a room for hours and not opened his teeth, and yet come out of that room a disloyal friend or a vile calumniator. And how many loves have perished because, from pride, or spite, or diffidence, or that unmanly shame which withholds a man from daring to betray emotion, a lover, at the critical point of the relation, has but hung his head and held his tongue? Robert Louis Stevenson pride life lying Away with funeral music-set Robert Louis Stevenson funeral powerful life To believe in immortality is one thing, but it is first needful to believe in life. Robert Louis Stevenson religious believe firsts I have done my fiddling so long under Vesuvius that I have almost forgotten to play, and can only wait for the eruption and think it long of coming. Literally no man has more wholly outlived life than I. And still it's good fun. Robert Louis Stevenson fun men life But even if we take matrimony at its lowest, even if we regard it as no more than a sort of friendship recognised by the police, there must be degrees in the freedom and sympathy realised, and some principle to guide simple folk in their selection. Robert Louis Stevenson funny-love marriage police Children are certainly too good to be true. Robert Louis Stevenson too-good-to-be-true baby children The essence of love is kindness. Robert Louis Stevenson marriage kindness love As if a man's soul were not too small to begin with, they have dwarfed an narrowed theirs by a life of all work and no play; until here they are at forty, with a listless attention, a mind vacant of all material of amusement, and not one thought to rub against another, while they wait for the train. Robert Louis Stevenson waiting play men I have never seen the sea quiet round Treasure Island. The sun might blaze overhead, the air be without a breath, the surface smooth and blue, but still these great rollers would be running along all the external coast, thundering and thundering by day and night; and I scarce believe there is one spot in the island where a man would be out of earshot of their noise. Robert Louis Stevenson running night believe I smoke a pipe abroad, because Robert Louis Stevenson cigar choices law A hanging in a good quarrel is an easy death they say, though I could never hear of any that came back to say so. Robert Louis Stevenson quarrels easy I am told there are people who do not care for maps, and I find it hard to believe. Robert Louis Stevenson maps believe people Lastly no woman should marry a teetotaller, or a man who does not smoke. It is not for nothing that this "ignoble tobagie" as Michelet calls it, spreads all over the world. Robert Louis Stevenson doe men world I hate to write, but I love to have written. Robert Louis Stevenson i-hate hate writing
