658 Quotes by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Yet perhaps the pale-faced congregation was almost as fearful a sight to the minister as his black veil to them.

Creation was not finished till the poet came to interpret, and so complete it.

His was the profession at that era in which intellectual ability displayed itself far more than in political life; for – leaving a higher motive out of the question it offered inducements powerful enough in the almost worshipping respect of the community, to win the most aspiring ambition into its service. Even political power – as in the case of Increase Mather – was within the grasp of a successful priest.

Instead of a reprimand for their previous negligence, the case seemed rather to require an eulogium on their praiseworthy caution after the mischief had happened; a grateful recognition of the promptitude of their zeal the moment that there was no longer any remedy.

A woman’s chastity consists, like an onion, of a series of coats.

What a terrible thing it is to try to let off a little bit of truth into this miserable humbug of a world!

How often is it the case that, when impossibilities have come to pass and dreams have condensed their misty substance into tangible realities, we find ourselves calm, and evenly coldly self-possessed, amid circumstances which it would have been a delirium of joy or agony to anticipate!

In short, there has seldom been seen so depressed and sad a figure as this young girl’s; and it was hardly possible to help being angry with her, from mere despair of doing anything for her comfort.

But she named the infant “Pearl,” as being of great price-purchased with all she had-her mother’s only treasure!