“I have been endeavouring to improve my estate, ma’am.”
— from Flemington by Violet Jacob

8) said that Plato had been engaged thrice in military expeditions out of Attica: once to Tanagra, a second time to Corinth, a third time to Delium, where he distinguished himself.
— from Plato and the Other Companions of Sokrates, 3rd ed. Volume 1 by George Grote

It was a black, of thoroughbred strain, steppin' high an' disdainful, with more intelligence blazin' out of its big eyes than its master ever had.
— from The Man from Bar 20: A Story of the Cow Country by Clarence Edward Mulford

On many accounts I wish to see you; but especially that I may express something of the gratitude and friendship which I feel, but cannot write, and which will remain a weight on my mind, unless you will come to me.
— from Principle and Practice: The Orphan Family by Harriet Martineau

The uniform good temper they exhibited; the easy freedom with which they submitted to the rather rough jocularities of the passers-by,—the usual salute being a smart slap on the crown of the head, administered by the handicraft tool of the individual, and this sometimes being an iron trowel or a slater's hammer,—could not but exalt them in my esteem as the most patient set of varlets I had ever sojourned with.
— from Confessions Of Con Cregan, the Irish Gil Blas by Charles James Lever

Then he said to me: “So, madame, it is not by remonstrances or by threats, but by entreaties, that I must endeavour to obtain from you a greater sacrifice than you have yet made for my son.”
— from Camille (La Dame aux Camilias) by Alexandre Dumas

In this case you are doing much more than providing for the health of the Troops; for, to be effectual, the improvement must extend to the civil population, and thus another great element of Civilization will be introduced.—
— from The Life of Florence Nightingale, vol. 2 of 2 by Cook, Edward Tyas, Sir

The descriptions I had read of its wonderful mountains had greatly attracted me; I was certain of adding there many valuable specimens to my collection; that section of country had been so rarely visited by entomologists that I might even hope to enrich our German fauna with a new species.
— from The Lonely House by Adolf Streckfuss

As may be easily shown by experiment, this is manifest even in the instincts of lower animals.
— from Being Well-Born: An Introduction to Eugenics by Michael F. (Michael Frederic) Guyer

Therefore a few glimpses will be enough, that I may exhibit its moral rather than its story.
— from Charles Sumner: his complete works, volume 12 (of 20) by Charles Sumner