Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does all the work

Thunder is good. Thunder is impressive. But it's the lightning does the work.

The difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.

Of all God's creatures there is only one that cannot be made the slave of the lash. That one is the cat.
- Notebook, 1894

The highest perfection of politeness is only a beautiful edifice, built, from the base to the dome, of graceful and gilded forms of charitable and unselfish lying.

Human beings can be awful cruel to one another.