“When I am dead, I hope it may be said: His sins were scarlet, but his books were read.”– Hilaire Belloc Related Quotes “I know the world is filled with troubles and many injustices. But reality is as beautiful as it is ugly. I think it is just as important to sing about beautiful mornings as it is to talk about slums. I just couldn’t write anything without hope in it.”– Oscar Hammerstein II “Blues are the songs of despair, but gospel songs are the songs of hope.”– Mahalia Jackson “There are no greater treasures than the highest human qualities such as compassion, courage and hope. Not even tragic accident or disaster can destroy such treasures of the heart.”– Daisaku Ikeda