Thomas Paine

A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.

Any system of religion that has anything in it that shocks the mind of a child, cannot be true.

Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.

Fiction is the thing I esteem most in my own work; I feel that, even if it's no good, only I could have written those books.

I'm sensitive and get easily upset and insulted.

For an Italian peasant a telegram from anywhere is a wondrous thing; and a cable from the terrestrial paradise of America is not lightly to be disregarded.