'Tis not a life,
'Tis but a piece of childhood thrown away.

'Tis not a life,
'Tis but a piece of childhood thrown away.

There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.

There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.

The essence of childhood, of course, is play, which my friends and I did endlessly on streets that we reluctantly read more

The essence of childhood, of course, is play, which my friends and I did endlessly on streets that we reluctantly shared with traffic.

We plan our lives according to a dream that came to us in our childhood, and we find that life read more

We plan our lives according to a dream that came to us in our childhood, and we find that life alters our plans. And yet, at the end, from a rare height, we also see that our dream was our fate. It's just that providence had other ideas as to how we would get there. Destiny plans a different route, or turns the dream around, as if it were a riddle, and fulfills the dream in ways we couldn't have expected.

When the lessons and tasks are all ended,
And the school for the day is dismissed,
The read more

When the lessons and tasks are all ended,
And the school for the day is dismissed,
The little one gather around me,
To bid me good-night and be kissed;
On, the little white arms that encircle
My neck in their tender embrace
Oh, the smiles that are halos of heaven,
Shedding sunshine of love on my face.

Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

What is a normal childhood? We weren't rich, we were pretty middle-class. My dad survived from job to job; with read more

What is a normal childhood? We weren't rich, we were pretty middle-class. My dad survived from job to job; with him taking care of so many relatives, he couldn't save any money.

Childhood has no forebodings; but then, it is soothed by no
memories of outlived sorrow.

Childhood has no forebodings; but then, it is soothed by no
memories of outlived sorrow.

Women know
The way to rear up children (to be just);
They know a simple, merry, tender read more

Women know
The way to rear up children (to be just);
They know a simple, merry, tender knack
Of tying sashes, fitting baby-shoes,
And stringing pretty words that make no sense,
And kissing full sense into empty words;
Which things are corals to cut life upon,
Although such trifles.