Well Said: A Front and Back Parlor

Mrs. Glegg had both a front and a back parlor in her excellent house at St. Ogg’s, so that she had two points of view from which she could observe the weaknesses of her fellow-beings and reinforce her thankfulness for her own exceptional strength of mind.

George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss

Ouch! Courtesy of Rose, who is reading the book right now.