He proceeds to shew, that it had been Approved by the greatest Men in all Ages; that Homer calls Merion a Fine Dancer; and says, That the graceful Mien and great Agility which he had acquired by that Exercise, distinguished him above the rest in the Armies, both of Greeks and Trojans .
— from The Spectator, Volume 1 Eighteenth-Century Periodical Essays by Steele, Richard, Sir

When Marie came back in the evening, she settled herself in front of the fire to dry herself, and to revive it for the room's twilight; and the letter, which had been only in part consumed, took fire again.
— from Light by Henri Barbusse

Palladio, whom I trust in every matter, gives indeed a sketch of this temple, but certainly he never can have seen it himself, for he gives it real pedestals above the area, by which means the columns appear disproportionately high, and the result is a sort of unsightly Palmyrene monstrosity, whereas, in fact, its look is so full of repose and beauty as to satisfy both the eye and the mind.
— from Letters from Switzerland and Travels in Italy by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

He staggered to his feet and went out into the glistening dawn of this snowy sunlit day, hardly able to reconcile its aspect with the summer-tide scene he had just quitted.
— from The Frontiersmen by Mary Noailles Murfree

The sound offered sheltered and quiet water for small craft while the Atlantic billows soughed upon the southern beaches and, in time of storm, the foam-crested surf drove high against the rocky interland of the island.
— from Rex Kingdon on Storm Island by Gordon Braddock

He first directed his attention to raising indigo, but soon found that it was more profitable to manufacture staves for the West India market.
— from Publications of the Mississippi Historical Society, Volume 02 (of 14), 1899 by Mississippi Historical Society

Besides these other artificial epochs might be assigned, each doubtless having advantages to recommend it to notice.
— from History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, Volume II (of 2) Revised Edition by John William Draper

A contemporary of Kensett, but still surviving him, George L. Brown, of Boston, struggled heroically and successfully with the early difficulties of his life; and, yielding to the seductive influences of Italian scenery, devoted his art to representing it, with results that entitle him to an honorable position.
— from Art in America: A Critical and Historial Sketch by S. G. W. (Samuel Greene Wheeler) Benjamin

Just at that moment, as Hourdequin, still gloomy and down-hearted, took his leave with a silent grasp of the hand, Jean saw a shadowy form flit away from the window and dart hastily along the road into the darkness.
— from The Soil (La terre): A Realistic Novel by Émile Zola

Two poles, tied some distance apart with green vines, are then thrown over the peak of the roof to keep a sudden gust of wind from lifting the shelter off the dwellers’ heads, and the residence is ready for occupancy.
— from Vagabonding down the Andes Being the Narrative of a Journey, Chiefly Afoot, from Panama to Buenos Aires by Harry Alverson Franck