Henry Van Dyke Quotes

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month. From Fisherman's Luck

luck difference day spring great thing

Happiness is inward and not outward and so it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are.

happiness

Some people are so afraid do die that they never begin to live.

people death live die afraid begin

Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.

thetimes time fear eternity wait love short

Before the beginning of years
 There came to the making of man
 Time, with a gift of tears; 
 Grief, with a glass that ran; 
 Pleasure, with pain for leaven; 
 Summer, with flowers that fell; 
 Remembrance, fallen from heaven, 
 And madness risen from hel

funny humor pain time heaven tears gift remembrance glass beginning grief flowers pleasure summer madness fallen

There is no personal charm so great as the charm of a cheerful temperament.

charm temperament personal great

I am standing upon the seashore.<br/>A ship at my side spreads her white<br/>sails to the morning breeze and starts<br/>for the blue ocean. <br/><br/>She is an object of beauty and strength. <br/>I stand and watch her until at length <br/>she hangs like a speck of white cloud <br/>just where the sea and sky come <br/>to mingle with each other.<br/><br/>Then, someone at my side says; <br/>There, she is gone!<br/><br/>Gone where?<br/>Gone from my sight. That is all. <br/>She is just as large in mast and hull <br/>and spar as she was when she left my side <br/>and she is just as able to bear her <br/>load of living freight to her destined port.<br/>Her diminished size is in me, not in her.<br/><br/>And just at the moment when someone<br/>at my side says, There, she is gone!<br/>There are other eyes watching her coming,<br/>and other voices ready to take up the glad<br/>shout; <br/>Here she comes!<br/>And that is dying.

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