Diary of a Pilgrimage Quotes

“I often arrive at quite sensible ideas and judgements, on the spur of the moment. It is when I stop to think that I become foolish.”
― Jerome K. Jerome, Diary of a Pilgrimage

“We travelled from Oberau with a tourist agent, and he told us all his troubles.  It seems that a tourist agent is an ordinary human man, and has feelings just like we have.  This had never occurred to me before.  I told him so.”
― Jerome K. Jerome, Diary of a Pilgrimage

“One man in uniform always supports another man in uniform, no matter what the row is about, or who may be in the right—that does not trouble him.  It is a fixed tenet of belief among uniform circles that a uniform can do no wrong.  If burglars wore uniform, the police would be instructed to render them every assistance in their power, and to take into custody any householder attempting to interfere with them in the execution of their business.”
― Jerome K. Jerome, Diary of a Pilgrimage

“To me Society says: “You sit at your desk and write, that is all I want you to do.  You are not good for much, but you can spin out yards of what you and your friends, I suppose, call literature; and some people seem to enjoy reading it.  Very well: you sit there and write this literature, or whatever it is, and keep your mind fixed on that.  I will see to everything else for you.  I will provide you with writing materials, and books of wit and humour, and paste and scissors, and everything else that may be necessary to you in your trade; and I will feed you and clothe you and lodge you, and I will take you about to places that you wish to go to; and I will see that you have plenty of tobacco and all other things practicable that you may desire—provided that you work well.  The more work you do, and the better work you do, the better I shall look after you.  You write—that is all I want you to do.” “But,” I say to Society, “I don’t like work; I don’t want to work.  Why should I be a slave and work?” “All right,” answers Society, “don’t work.  I’m not forcing you.  All I say is, that if you don’t work for me, I shall not work for you.  No work from you, no dinner from me—no holidays, no tobacco.” And I decide to be a slave, and work.”
― Jerome K. Jerome, Diary of a Pilgrimage

“What a wonderful piece of Socialism modern civilisation has become!—not the Socialism of the so-called Socialists—a system modelled apparently upon the methods of the convict prison—a system under which each miserable sinner is to be compelled to labour, like a beast of burden, for no personal benefit to himself, but only for the good of the community—a world where there are to be no men, but only numbers—where there is to be no ambition and no hope and no fear,—but the Socialism of free men, working side by side in the common workshop, each one for the wage to which his skill and energy entitle him; the Socialism of responsible, thinking individuals, not of State-directed automata.”
― Jerome K. Jerome, Diary of a Pilgrimage

“Când ne ascundem fața-n palme și blestemăm clipa în care ne-am născut, ei nu vin bățoși spre noi să ne spună că ne-am făcut-o cu mâna noastră. Nici măcar nu se gândesc la vreun avertisment. Pur și simplu vin încetișor și-și lipesc capul de noi. Pisica ți se-așează pe umăr, îți ciufulește părul și-ți spune clar de parcă ar vorbi:
- Vai, săracu' de tine, mi se rupe inima!
Câinele te privește cu ochi mari și sinceri care-ți spun parcă:
- Tu m-ai înțeles întotdeauna, știi bine! O s-o pornim în viață împreună și-o să fim mereu alături, nu-i așa?
Câinele ăsta e tare imprudent. Niciodată nu-și pune în gând să afle dacă ai dreptate sau nu. Niciodată nu se sinchisește dacă urci sau cobori pe scara vieții. Niciodată nu se întreabă dacă ești bogat sau sărac, prost sau deștept, păcătos sau sfânt. Ești prietenul lui și ce vrei mai mult?! Lui i-ajunge atât. Vină ce-o veni, noroc sau nenorocire, nume bun sau rău, onoare sau rușine, el o să fie mereu lângă tine, să te mângâie, să te apere, să-și dea viața pentru tine, dacă e nevoie. Nătărăul ăsta de câine fără minte și suflet e-n stare de-așa ceva!”
― Jerome K. Jerome, Diary of a Pilgrimage