The Duke—who, to his own honour, became from that time the firm friend of Nelson—describes him as appearing the merest boy of a captain he had ever seen, dressed in a full laced uniform, an old-fashioned waistcoat with long flaps, and his lank unpowdered hair tied in a stiff Hessian tail of extraordinary length; making altogether so remarkable a figure, that, says the duke, "I had never seen anything like it before, nor could I imagine who he was, nor what he came about.
— from The Life of Horatio, Lord Nelson by Robert Southey

When the first torrent of tenderness was over, and when, in the calm and long interval between the fits, reason began to open the eyes of the lady, and she saw this alteration of behaviour in the captain, who at length answered all her arguments only with pish and pshaw, she was far from enduring the indignity with a tame submission.
— from History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding

At last, it began to get about, among such as were interested in the matter, that although Sydney Carton would never be a lion, he was an amazingly good jackal, and that he rendered suit and service to Stryver in that humble capacity.
— from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

He had never seen anything like it before.
— from Short Stories by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

And above all, let it be short.
— from The Possessed (The Devils) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

My dear Mr. Anagnos,—I am glad to write you a letter in Braille.
— from The Story of My Life With her letters (1887-1901) and a supplementary account of her education, including passages from the reports and letters of her teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, by John Albert Macy by Helen Keller

At length the path becoming clearer and less intricate, brought them to the end of the wood, and into a public road.
— from The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens

At length it broke upon his listening ear.
— from A Christmas Carol in Prose; Being a Ghost Story of Christmas by Charles Dickens

He tells his story with a fair understanding of the original, and sometimes it gains a little in blunt plainness and in point in his hands.
— from Journal 01, 1837-1846 The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, Volume 07 (of 20) by Henry David Thoreau

When a little calmness had returned to me, I took from his breast the bag of skin—stained darkly where his blood had flowed upon it—and then tenderly and reverently lifted his poor mangled body and laid it before the altar.
— from The Aztec Treasure-House by Thomas A. (Thomas Allibone) Janvier

"Keeping company with liberals, we are not surprised that some of our ministers are liberals in both doctrine and practise," says Brenner in Dangerous Alliances , 1917.
— from American Lutheranism Volume 2: The United Lutheran Church (General Synod, General Council, United Synod in the South) by F. (Friedrich) Bente

Cromwell’s complaisance in the proffering of an unasked passport appeared to be, in a way, compensation tendered for injury done, or at least interference, by his followers.
— from Over the Border: A Romance by Robert Barr

The shels of these nuts are much esteemed for drinking cups, and much cost and labour is bestowed upon them in carving, graving, and garnishing them, with silver, gold, and precious stones.
— from The Observations of Sir Richard Hawkins, Knt, in his Voyage into the South Sea in the Year 1593 Reprinted from the Edition of 1622 by Hawkins, Richard, Sir

They met as usual, not less often; he had grown graver since last year, and had thrown himself heart and soul into his work: never demonstrative, his manner towards her, had, if possible, become less and less intrusive; but ever responsive, having nothing to respond to, now, but a gentle deference, a shyness that increased; a stranger would have said, meeting him with Tessa Wadsworth, that he was intensely interested in her, but exceedingly in doubt of finding favor.
— from Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline: A Story of the Development of a Young Girl's Life by Conklin, Nathaniel, Mrs.

Willie loses a leg in battle, and returns a changed man, with a pension from government.
— from The Genius of Scotland; or, Sketches of Scottish Scenery, Literature and Religion by Robert Turnbull

At last he answered— "Alas! father, life is sweet and death is bitter; but since the Holy Spirit hath entered into me with the body of our Lord, I say, death is sweet and life is bitter.
— from Sidonia, the Sorceress : the Supposed Destroyer of the Whole Reigning Ducal House of Pomerania — Volume 1 by Wilhelm Meinhold

‘I knew it would do you good,’ said Belle; ‘I remembered that when the poor women in the great house were afflicted with hysterics, and fearful imaginings, the surgeon, who was a good kind man, used to say, “Ale, give them ale, and let it be strong.”’
— from Lavengro: The Scholar, The Gypsy, The Priest by George Borrow