The passion of love is essentially selfish, while motherhood widens the circle of our feelings.

More from Gaston in a letter to Mme. De l'Estorade, in Letters of Two Brides

• The art of motherhood involves much silent, unobtrusive self-denial, an hourly devotion which finds no detail too minute.
• The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.