For my own part, I was never so happy in my whole life as when I embraced you the other day, after escaping out of the clutches of the savages." "There are many charms in life that are almost without alloy: the perfume of flowers--music--the singing of birds--the riches of art--the intercourse of society--the delights of the family circle--the treasures of imagination and memory.

Some of the most beneficent gifts of Nature we only know the existence of when we are deprived of them; occasional darkness alone enables us to appreciate the unspeakable blessing of light.

Man has a multitude of enjoyments at his command; but so many sweets would be utterly insipid without a few bitters." "The rheumatism, for example," said Willis, rubbing his shoulders.
"Many enjoyments," continued Fritz, "spring from the heart alone; the affections, benevolence, love of order, a sense of the beautiful, of truth, of honesty, and of justice." "On the other hand," said Willis, "there are dishonesty, injustice, disappointment, and blighted hopes; but you are too young to know much about these.

When you have seen as much of the world on sea and on land as I have, perhaps you will be disposed to look at life from another point of view.

In old stagers like myself, the tender emotions are all used up; it is only when we are amongst you youngsters that we forget the present in the past; when we see you struggling with difficulties, it recalls our own trials to our mind, rouses in us sentiments of commiseration, and softens the asperities of our years." "According to you, then," said Fritz, levelling his rifle at a petrel, "the misfortunes of the one constitute the happiness of the other ?" "Unquestionably," said Jack; "for instance, if you miss that bird, so much the worse for you, and so much the better for the petrel." "It is very rarely, brother, that you do not interrupt a serious conversation with some nonsense." "Keep your temper, Fritz; I am about to propose a serious question myself.