Convent – a place of retirement for women who wish for leisure to meditate upon the sin of idleness. – Ambrose Bierce
Land: A part of the earths surface, considered as property. The theory that land is property subject to private ownership and control is the foundation of modern society, and is eminently worthy of the superstructure. – Ambrose Bierce
A lowly virtue whereby mediocrity achieves a glorious success. – Ambrose Bierce
Mayonnaise: One of the sauces which serve the French in place of a state religion. – Ambrose Bierce
The man of the constitutional régime is not a merry-maker, quite the contrary. He is hypocritical, avaricious, and profoundly selfish; whatever question strikes against his brow, his brow rings like a drawer full of big pennies. – Claude Tillier (1801–1844), My Uncle Benjamin: A Humorous, Satirical, and