, but taken as
a whole they are indefinite; of others each particular work represents
nothing outstanding; but, for all that, taken as a whole they are
distinct and brilliant.

* * * * *

N. rings at the door of an actress; he is nervous, his heart beats, at
the critical moment he gets into a panic and runs away; the maid opens
the door and sees nobody. He returns, rings again--but has not the
courage to go in. In the end the porter comes out and gives him a
thrashing.

* * * * *

A gentle quiet schoolmistress secretly beats her pupils, because she
believes in the good of corporal punishment.

* * * * *

N.: "Not only the dog, but even the horses howled."

* * * * *

N. marries. His mother and sister see a great many faults in his wife;
they are distressed, and only after four or five years realize that
she is just like themselves.

* * * * *

The wife cried. The husband took her by the shoulders and shook her,
and she stopped crying.

* * * * *

After his marriage everything--politics, literature, society--did not
seem to him as interesting as they had before; but now every trifle
concerning his wife and child became a most important matter.

* * * * *

"Why are thy songs so short?" a bird was once asked. "Is it because
thou art short of breath?"

"I have very many songs and I should like to sing them all."

(A. Daudet.)

* * * * *

The dog hates the teacher; they tell it not to bark at him; it looks,
does not bark, only whimpers with rage.

* * * * *

Faith is a spiritual faculty; animals have not got it; savages and
uncivilized people have merely fear and doubt. Only highly developed
natures can have faith.

* * * * *

Death is terrible, but still more terrible is the feeling that you
might live for ever and never die.

* * * * *

The public really loves in art that which is banal and long familiar,
that to which they have grown accustomed.

* * * * *

A progressive, educated, young, but stingy school guardian inspects
the school every day, makes long speeches there, but does not spend a
penny on it: the school is fa