She followed me at a distance, and when I got to the door of the lodging I turned for her to be sure that it was I, and then went in and found the room well warmed.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova

The one arm of this line stood at the outer edge of the river, the other turned up towards the land along a ditch; and there was also a morass, deep, broad, and full of water.
— from Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturluson

A government continually at a distance and out of sight can hardly be expected to interest the sensations of the people.
— from The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton

Yea, and a dear and gracious little urchin is he, too; and whether he be mad or no—and they say he mendeth daily—his praises are on all men’s lips; and all bless him, likewise, and offer prayers that he may be spared to reign long in England; for he began humanely with saving the old Duke of Norfolk’s life, and now is he bent on destroying the cruellest of the laws that harry and oppress the people.”
— from The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

The case, however, is different when an animal, during any part of its embryonic career, is active, and has to provide for itself.
— from The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection Or, the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, 6th Edition by Charles Darwin

Having received sundry lessons from Matt, said lessons being imparted by means of a club, the sled-dogs had learned to leave White Fang alone; and even then they were lying down at a distance, apparently oblivious of his existence.
— from White Fang by Jack London

I explained in as few words as I could, and as drily as possible, how I had seen it and picked it up; how I had run after him, and called out to him, and how I had followed him upstairs and groped my way to his door.
— from The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

These he carried to the camp of Amrud Rao, Bajee Rao's foster brother; who instantly afforded them protection and, sallying out, attacked and defeated a party of their pursuers, led by Ghatgay himself.
— from At the Point of the Bayonet: A Tale of the Mahratta War by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty

In another modification M. Menges proposes to rotate the burners and leave the armature and distributor at rest.
— from Scientific American Supplement, No. 633, February 18, 1888 by Various

Perceiving his peril, he made an effort to move northward, under the impression that if he could succeed in avoiding a decisive action, Tone would soon come with succour.
— from My Lords of Strogue, Vol. 3 (of 3) A Chronicle of Ireland, from the Convention to the Union by Lewis Wingfield

"A River View," "A Snow-Storm," which seem to me as perfect, in their way, as anything that has ever been done—single, simple, beautiful in form, and deeply significant; the storm being a piece of fine description, of whirling snow across a geologic landscape, distant, and as dark as eternity; the whole wintry picture lighted 67 and warmed at the end by a glowing touch of human life: "We love the sight of the brown and ruddy earth; it is the color of life, while a snow-covered plain is the face of death; yet snow is but the mark of life-giving rain; it, too, is the friend of man—the tender, sculpturesque, immaculate, warming, fertilizing snow."
— from The Seer of Slabsides by Dallas Lore Sharp

Hereupon the other monks remained quite bewildered, unable to arrive at any decision as to whether Dandaka was dead or alive, until at length, after a great deal of trouble, the bystanders succeeded in convincing them that the man was not dead and in inducing them to return to their dwelling.
— from The Book of Noodles Stories of Simpletons; or, Fools and Their Follies by W. A. (William Alexander) Clouston

In the drags and the yachts the women and the girls sit in radiance and gay colors and arrogant unconsciousness of position and power; they talk of golfing and fashion and mustachios; Mrs. Blank is going a hot pace and Mrs. Landthus is a thoroughbred; adjectives in the newest sporting slang fly about blindingly; the language is a curious argot, as distinct as the tortuous lingo of the Bowery.
— from The Imitator: A Novel by Percival Pollard

" Brethren , Last Fall I told you, that his Majesty's Subjects in this Country had, the Summer before, lain still, without attempting any thing against the French Settlements: But that the French had by Surprize, attacked and destroyed a small Place near Cape-Breton , belonging to us.
— from Papers Relating to an Act of the Assembly of the Province of New-York For encouragement of the Indian trade, &c. and for prohibiting the selling of Indian goods to the French, viz. of Canada by Cadwallader Colden

My companions were unreserved in their expressions of astonishment and delight, and “beautiful,” “splendid,” “magnificent,” “marvellous” were the adjectives that dropped momentarily from their lips.
— from The Underground World: A mirror of life below the surface by Thomas Wallace Knox

After many conjectures respecting the cause, when we were near another ship almost as dull as ours, which, however, gain'd upon us, the captain ordered all hands to come aft, and stand as near the ensign staff as possible.
— from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin

Once I ate a pudding and a doughnut a-n-d—a—a—I think it was a horse.
— from Rebecca Mary by Annie Hamilton Donnell