Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) was an American writer and aphorist. Bovee is the author of Thoughts, Feelings, and Fancies (1857) and Intuitions and Summaries of Thought (1862)—epigrams from these books are widely cited in contemporary anthologies of passages.
Born in New York City, Bovee received early instruction at private schools. After getting a law degree, he was admitted to the bar, and practiced law for many years with success.
Bovee was part of an intellectual circle that comprised of such luminaries as Washington Irving, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. at the Saturday Evening Club of Boston. He also co-founded The Athenaeum Club of New York and served as a regent of the Long Island College Hospital.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Christian Nestell Bovee
Tranquil pleasures last the longest; we are not fitted to bear long the burden of great joys.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Peace, Excitement, Happiness, Joy, Moderation
We should not so much esteem our poverty as a misfortune, were it not that the world treats it so.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Poverty
Adhesion to one idea is monomania; to a few it is slavery.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
All men are alike in their lower natures; it is in their higher characters that they differ.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Character
Emphatic always, forcible never.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Bad taste is a species of bad morals.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Style, Taste
Example has more followers than reason.—We unconsciously imitate what pleases us, and approximate to the characters we most admire.—A generous habit of thought and action carries with it an incalculable influence.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Example, Role models, Follow, Reason
Something of a person’s character may be discovered by observing how he smiles.—Some people never smile; they only grin.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Smiles, Smile
If one is not virtuous he becomes vicious.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Virtues, Virtue
The great artist is a slave to his ideals.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Arts, Artists, Art
Formerly when great fortunes were only made in war, war was a business; but now when great fortunes are only made by business, business is war.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Business
Discretion is the salt, and fancy the sugar of life; the one preserves, the other sweetens it.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
An eager pursuit of fortune is inconsistent with a severe devotion to truth. The heart must grow tranquil before the thought can become searching.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Riches
The opinions of the misanthropical rest upon this very partial basis, that they adopt the bad faith of a few as evidence of the worthlessness of all.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
A mother’s love is indeed the golden link that binds youth to age; and he is still but a child, however time may have furrowed his cheek, or silvered his brow, who can yet recall, with a softened heart, the fond devotion, or the gentle chidings, of the best friend that God ever gives us.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Mother
Few minds wear out; more rust out.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Mind, Thinking
Fame—a few words upon a tombstone, and the truth of those not to be depended on.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Fame
Hunting is a relic of the barbarous spirit that thirsted formerly for human blood, but is now content with the blood of birds and animals.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Hunting
At the best, sarcasms, bitter irony, scathing wit, are a sort of sword-play of the mind. You pink your adversary, and he is forthwith dead; and then you deserve to be hung for it.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Whenever it devolves upon small capacities to carry forward great enterprises, they do not so much labor in their behalf as tinker upon them.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
What we call conscience in many instances, is only a wholesome fear of the law.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Conscience
In ambition, as in love, the successful can afford to be indulgent toward their rivals. The prize our own, it is graceful to recognize the merit that vainly aspired to it.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Business
Many children, many cares; no children, no felicity.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Children
The passions are like fire, useful in a thousand ways and dangerous only in one, through their excess.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Passion
The perfection of dress is in the union of three requisites—in its being comfortable, cheap, and tasteful.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Dress
Youth is too tumultuous for felicity; old age too insecure for happiness. The period most favorable to enjoyment, in a vigorous, fortunate, and generous life, is that between forty and sixty.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Life, Living, Youth
False friends are like our shadow, keeping close to us while we walk in the sunshine, but leaving us the instant we cross into the shade.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Friendship, Friends
Affliction, like the iron-smith, shapes as it smites.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Suffering
How full or how empty our lives, depends, we say, on Providence. Suppose we say, more or less on improvidence.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Next to faith in God, is faith in labor.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Topics: Labor
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