If a man has reported to you, that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make any defense to what has been told you: but reply, The man did not know the rest of my faults, for he would not have mentioned these only.

If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you, but answer: "He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these alone.

If animals could talk, the world would lose its best listeners.

As a gardener, I wonder if flowers really can't speak or just exercise unfailing good judgment in the matter.

Am i talking too much? People are always telling me I do. Would you rather I didn't talk? If you say so I'll stop. I can stop when I make up my mind to it, although it's difficult.

Mr. Meredith couldn't tell her, but they plunged into a discussion of German militarism that lasted long after Rosemary had found the book. Rosemary said nothing, but sat in a little rocker behind Ellen and stroked an important black cat meditatively.

all these terrible emotions always do sound foolish when we put them into our inadequate words. They are not meant to be spoken—only felt and endured.

She was positively unable to reply to Annetta's

Occasionally she looked at Anne, seemed on the point of saying something, then shook her head and buttoned up her mouth.

I am rather inclined to silence, and whether that be wise or not, it is at least more unusual nowadays to find a man who can hold his tongue than to find one who cannot.

It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error. It is better to speak the truth that hurts and then heals, than falsehood that comforts and then kills.

But I'm afraid I'm bad at comforting; I can listen all right, but I can hardly ever find anything to say.