Quote by Truman Capote, The Glass Harp

Son, I'd say you were going at it the wrong end first, said the Judge, turning up his coat-collar. How could you care about one girl? Have you ever cared about one leaf?Riley, listening to the wildcat with an itchy hunter's look, snatched at the leaves blowing about us like midnight butterflies; alive, fluttering as though to escape and fly, one stayed trapped between his fingers. The Judge, too: he caught a leaf; and it was worth more in his hand than in Riley's. Pressing it mildly against his cheek, he distantly said, We are speaking of love. A leaf, a handful of seed--begin with these, learn a little what it is to love. First, a leaf, a fall of rain, then someone to receive what a leaf has taught you, what a fall of rain has ripened. No easy process, understand; it could take a lifetime, it has mine, and still I've never mastered it--I only know how true it is: that love is a chain of love, as nature is a chain of life.

Summary

In this quote from the book "Blood Meridian" by Cormac McCarthy, the character Judge delivers a profound message about love and its connection to nature. He challenges the notion of focusing on just one person to love, suggesting instead to expand our capacity for love by observing and appreciating the world around us. Comparing love to a chain that is interconnected, just like nature's chain of life, the Judge emphasizes the importance of starting with the small and simple aspects of nature, like a leaf or a fall of rain, and then progressing to love someone who can receive the lessons and experiences gained from these observations. The quote highlights the complexity and lifelong endeavor of understanding and truly experiencing love.