Charles Dickens

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.

A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another.

Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.

There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast.

Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many—not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.

The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.

It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.

Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but – I hope – into a better shape.

The most important thing in life is to stop saying 'I wish' and start saying 'I will.' Consider nothing impossible, then treat possibilities as probabilities.

Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts.

There is a wisdom of the head, and there is a wisdom of the heart.

Every man has a right to be merry and to make others merry if he can.

Charity begins at home, and justice begins next door.

The world is a looking-glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face.

I never could have done what I have done, without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time.

Subdue your appetites, my dears, and you'll have less to subdue.

It is a pleasant thing to reflect upon, and furnishes a pretty illustration of the friendly spirit of mankind, that there are many people in the world who, in a long course of years, have never been, to their own knowledge, the occasion of any unpleasantness to anybody.

There are books of all kinds, and for all tastes. There are books for the grave and the gay, for the old and the young, for the wise and the foolish.