Thomas Hughes Quotes & Sayings

While one was an undergraduate, one could feel virtuous and indignant at the vices of Oxford, at least at those which one did not indulge in, particularly at the flunkeyism and money-worship which are our most prevalent and disgraceful sins. But when one is a fellow it is quite another affair. They become a sore burthen then, enough to break one's heart. — Thomas Hughes

You see, at Rugby I was rather a great man. There one had a share in the ruling of 300 boys, and a good deal of responsibility; but here one has only just to take care of oneself, and keep out of scrapes; and that's what I never could do. — Thomas Hughes

Christ's whole life on earth was the assertion and example of true manliness - the setting forth in living act and word what man is meant to be, and how he should carry himself in this world of God - one long campaign in which the temptation stands out as the first great battle and victory. — Thomas Hughes

But I have forgotten to tell you how I came into the world, and am telling you my father's story instead of my own. You seem to like hearing about it though, and you can't understand one without the other. — Thomas Hughes

The astonishment soon passed off, the scales seemed to drop from his eyes, and the book became at once and for ever to him the great human and divine book, and the men and women, whom he had looked upon as something quite different from himself, became his friends and counsellors. — Thomas Hughes

The giving of undue prominence to one fact brings others inexorably on the head of the student to avenge his neglect of them, — Thomas Hughes

The trout fisher, like the landscape painter, haunts the loveliest places of the earth, and haunts them alone. Solitude and his own thoughts - he must be on the best terms with all of these; and he who can take kindly the largest allowance of these is likely to be the kindliest and truest with his fellow men. — Thomas Hughes

Class amusements, be they for Dukes or plow-boys, always become nuisances and curses to a country. The true charm of cricket and hunting is that they are still, more or less sociable and universal; There's a place for every man who will come and take his part. — Thomas Hughes

I want to leave behind me the name of a fellow who never bullied a little boy, or turned his back on a big one. — Thomas Hughes

Shopkeepers - the great landed and commercial interests - regularly sat and slept, and where the two publicans occupied pews, but seldom made even the pretence of worshipping. — Thomas Hughes

The least of the muscular Christians has hold of the old chivalrous and Christian belief, that a man's body is given him to be trained and brought into subjection, and then used for the protection of the weak, the advancement of all righteous causes, and the subduing of the earth which God has given to the children of men. He does not hold that mere strength or activity are in themselves worthy of any respect or worship, or that one man is a bit better than another because he can knock him down, or carry a bigger sack of potatoes than he. — Thomas Hughes

Remember this, I beseech you, all you boys who are getting into the upper forms. Now is the time in all your lives, probably, when you may have more wide influence for good or evil on the society you live in than you ever can have again. — Thomas Hughes

Heaven, they say, protects children, sailors, and drunken men; and whatever answers to Heaven in the academical system protects freshmen. — Thomas Hughes

We listened, as all boys in their better moods will listen (ay, and men too for the matter of that), to a man whom we felt to be, with all his heart and soul and strength, striving against whatever was mean and unmanly and unrighteous in our little world. It was not the cold, clear voice of one giving advice and warning from serene heights to those who were struggling and sinning below, but the warm, living voice of one who was fighting for us and by our sides, and calling on us to help him and ourselves and one another. — Thomas Hughes

The one single use of things which we call our own is that they might be his who hath need of them. — Thomas Hughes

Blessed are they who have the gift of making friends,for it is one of God's best gifts. — Thomas Hughes

Anyone who takes a decided line in certain matters, is sure to lead all the rest. — Thomas Hughes

Blessed is the man who has the gift of making friends; for it is one of God's best gifts. It involves many things, but above all, the power of going out of oneself, and seeing and appreciating whatever is noble and living in another man. — Thomas Hughes

Life isn't all beer and skittles, but beer and skittles, or something better of the same sort, must form a good part of every Englishman's education. — Thomas Hughes

At that moment his soul is fuller of the tomb and him who lies there than of the altar and Him of whom it speaks. Such stages have to be gone through, I believe, by all young and brave souls, who must win their way through hero-worship to the worship of Him who is the King and Lord of heroes. — Thomas Hughes

After a sharp inward struggle, he concluded to stay and see it out. He should despise himself, more than he cared to face, if he gave in now. — Thomas Hughes

Boyishness - by which I mean animal life in its fullest measure, good nature and honest impulses, hatred of injustice and meanness, and thoughtlessness enough to sink a three-decker. — Thomas Hughes

You are no longer a boy, and one of the first duties which a man owes to his friends and to society is to live within his income. — Thomas Hughes

This work of making trade righteous, of Christianizing trade, looks like the very hardest the Gospel has ever had to take in hand - in England at any rate. — Thomas Hughes

A character for steadiness once gone is not easily recovered — Thomas Hughes

A landing place is a famous thing, but it is only enjoyable for a time by any mortal who deserves one at all. — Thomas Hughes

Old timidity has disappeared, and is replaced by silent, quaint fun, with which his face twinkles all over, as he listens. — Thomas Hughes

We all have to learn, in one way or another, that neither men nor boys get second chances in this world. We all get new chances to the end of our lives, but not second chances in the same set of circumstances; and the great difference between one person and another is how he takes hold and uses his first chance, and how he takes his fall if it is scored against him. — Thomas Hughes

He had acquired all the composed and self-reliant look which is so remarkable in a good non-commissioned officer. — Thomas Hughes

While he was conscious of improving at every stroke, he did not feel that the other was asserting any superiority over him; and so, though more humble than at the most disastrous period of his downward voyage, he was getting into a better temper every minute. — Thomas Hughes

He never wants anything but what's right and fair; only when you come to settle what's right and fair, it's everything that he wants and nothing that you want. — Thomas Hughes

Gambling makes boys selfish and cruel as well as men. — Thomas Hughes

Those were times when brave men who knew and loved their profession couldn't be overlooked. — Thomas Hughes

We must worship God before we can reverence parents or women, or root out flunkeyism and money-worship. — Thomas Hughes

That is the Proctor. He is our Cerberus; he has to keep all undergraduates in good order." "What a task! He ought to have three heads. — Thomas Hughes

He who has conquered his own coward spirit has conquered the whole outward world; — Thomas Hughes

Schools and universities are (as in a body) the noble and vital parts, which being vigorous and sound send good blood and active spirits into the veins and arteries, which cause health and strength; or, if feeble or ill-affected, corrupt all the vital parts; whereupon grow diseases, and in the end, death itself. — Thomas Hughes

Don't be led away to think this part of the world important and that unimportant. Every corner of the world is important. No man knows whether this part or that is most so, but every man may do some honest work in his own corner. — Thomas Hughes

Grey hoped the Church would yet be able to save England from the fate of Tyre or Carthage, the great trading nations — Thomas Hughes

Author refers to, short silences in which the resolves which colour a life are so often taken. — Thomas Hughes

The faces of your young people in general are not interesting - I don't mean the children, but the young men and women - and they are awkward and clownish in their manners, without the quaintness of the elder generation, who are the funniest old dears in the world." "They will all be quaint enough as they get older. You must remember the sort of life they lead. They get their notions very slowly, and they must have notions in their heads before they can show them on their faces. — Thomas Hughes

Remember there's always a voice saying the right thing to you somewhere if you'll only listen for it. — Thomas Hughes

A student was given a mentoring opportunity, in the hope that when you had somebody to lean on you, you would begin to stand a little steadier yourself, and get manliness and thoughtfulness. — Thomas Hughes

So bear in mind that majorities, especially respectable ones, are nine times out of ten in the wrong; and that if you see man or boy striving earnestly on the weak side, however wrong-headed or blundering he may be, you are not to go and join the cry against him. If you can't join him and help him, and make him wiser, at any rate remember that he has found something in the world which he will fight and suffer for ... — Thomas Hughes

Don't be in a hurry about finding your work in the world for yourself - you are not old enough to judge for yourself yet; but just look about you in the place you find yourself in, and try to make things a little better and honester there. — Thomas Hughes

It's more than a game. It's an institution. — Thomas Hughes