Zeb Calloway: This child's seen a heap of Injuns and most of this country. She's big and wild, colder than hell ... the Tetons sta...ndin' higher than the clouds. By beaver, there's nothin' prettier than the upper Missouri. She's wild and pretty like a virgin woman. But the prettiest part of it all belongs to her people--Blackfeet--proud Injuns. Ain't gonna let no white men spy on their country. Only thing they're feared of is a white man's sickness. Jim Deakins: What's that? Zeb: Grabs. White men don't see nothin' pretty lest they wants to grab it. The more they grab, the more they wanna grab. It's like a fever, and they can't get cured. The only thing for them to do is keep on grabbin' until everything belongs to white men and then start grabbin' from each other. Can't reckon Injuns got no reason to love nothin' white. By beaver, this child'd rather be in that Black Feet country than anywheres else.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
There are two kinds of timidity--timidity of mind, and timidity of the nerves; physical timidity, and moral timidity. Each is inde...pendent of the other. The body may be frightened and quake while the mind remains calm and bold, and vice versë. This is the key to many eccentricities of conduct. When both kinds meet in the same man he will be good for nothing all his life.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
... pure and intelligent women can be deceived and misled by the baser sort, their very innocence and experience making them credu...lous and the helpless tools of the guilty and bold.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
In the mountains the shortest route is from peak to peak, but for that you must have long legs. Aphorisms should be peaks: and tho...se to whom they are spoken should be big and tall of stature.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Family life in Western society since the time of the Old Testament has been a struggle to maintain patriarchy, male domination, an...d double standards in the face of a natural drift towards monogamous bonding. Young men have been called upon to prove their masculinity by their willingness to die in warfare, and young women have been called upon to prove their femininity by their willingness to die for their man. Women have been asked to appear small, dumb, and helpless so men would feel big and strong, brave, and clever. It's been a trick.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Children, I talks to God and God talks to me. I goes out and talks to God in de fields and de woods. Dis morning I was walking out..., and I got over de fence. I saw de wheat a holding up its head, looking very big. I goes up and takes holt ob it. You b'lieve it, dere was no wheat dare? I says, God, what is de matter wid dis wheat? and he says to me, "Sojourner, dere is a little weasel in it." Now I hears talkin' about de Constitution and de rights of man. I comes up and I takes hold of dis Constitution. it looks mighty big, and I feels for my rights, but der aint any dare. Den, I says, God, what ails dis Constitution? He says to me, "Sojourner, dere is a little weasel in it." I carry no weapon; the Lord will reserve [i.e., preserve] me without weapons, I feel safe even in the midst of my enemies; for the truth is powerful and will prevail.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the LORD your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or fors...ake you.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Oppression does not make for hearts as big as all outdoors. Oppression makes us big and small. Expressive and silenced. Deep and d...ead.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
When you grow up you realize that there isn't really any Santa but the monsters are still around. If only they were big and hairy;... now they're just dark and amorphous, and they're no longer afraid of the light. Sometimes they're the guy who climbs in the window and takes your television. And sometimes they're the guy who walks out the front door with your heart in his hand and never comes back. And sometimes they're the job or the bank or the wife or the boss or just that sort of dark heavy feeling that sits between your shoulder blades like a backpack. There are always terrible things waiting to grab you by the ankle, to pull you under, to get you with their long horrible arms. And you lie in bed and look at the shadows on the ceiling and feel, under the covers, just for a moment, like you're safe. One more day alive.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »