It was a perfect night for a train. The occasional whistle told Louis of all the farewells he had ever known.

When the whistle blew and the call stretched thin across the night, one had to believe that any journey could be sweet to the soul.

Not until he stood at the altar did he achieve a sense of being hale and furnished. It was strange, he thought, that a man would find his surest current in the spot where he felt least worthy.

It is the highest form of self-respect to admit our errors and mistakes and make amends for them. To make a mistake is only an error in judgment, but to adhere to it when it is discovered shows infirmity of character.

Some of the best lessons we ever learn are learned from past mistakes. The error of the past is the wisdom and success of the future.

People who make no mistakes lack boldness and the spirit of adventure. They are the brakes on the wheels of progress.

Because everything we say and do is the length and shadow of our own souls, our influence is determined by the quality of our being.

The test is to recognize the mistake, admit it and correct it. To have tried to do something and failed is vastly better than to have tried to do nothing and succeeded.