Did sweet children play there, and relate their dreams?”
— from Andersen's Fairy Tales by H. C. (Hans Christian) Andersen

Her little airs and graces were much admired, so were her accomplishments; for beside her drawing, she could play twelve tunes, crochet, and read French without mispronouncing more than two thirds of the words.
— from Little Women; Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Louisa May Alcott

"Diary!" said Cuss, putting the three books on the table.
— from The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

—There is, continued my father, a certain mien and motion of the body and all its parts, both in acting and speaking, which argues a man well within; and I am not at all surprised that Gregory of Nazianzum, upon observing the hasty and untoward gestures of Julian, should foretel he would one day become an apostate;—or that St. Ambrose should turn his Amanuensis out of doors, because of an indecent motion of his head, which went backwards and forwards like a flail;—or that Democritus should conceive Protagoras to be a scholar, from seeing him bind up a faggot, and thrusting, as he did it, the small twigs inwards.—There are a thousand unnoticed openings, continued my father, which let a penetrating eye at once into a man's soul; and I maintain it, added he, that a man of sense does not lay down his hat in coming into a room,—or take it up in going out of it, but something escapes, which discovers him.
— from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne

In the year 1569, Sir Thomas Roe, merchant-tailor, mayor, caused to be inclosed with a wall of brick about one acre of ground, being part of the said hospital of Bethelem; to wit, on the west, on the bank of Deep Ditch, so called, parting the said hospital of Bethelem from the More field: this he did for burial and ease of such parishes in London as wanted ground convenient within their parishes.
— from The Survey of London by John Stow

——There is, continued my father, a certain mien and motion of the body and all its parts, both in acting and speaking, which argues a man well within; and I am not at all surprised that Gregory of Nazianzum, upon observing the hasty and untoward gestures of Julian, should foretel he would one day become an apostate;——or that St. Ambrose should turn his Amanuensis out of doors, because of an indecent motion of his head, which went backwards and forwards like a flail;——or that Democritus should conceive Protagoras to be a scholar, from seeing him bind up a faggot, and thrusting, as he did it, the small twigs inwards.——There are a thousand unnoticed openings, continued 133 my father, which let a penetrating eye at once into a man’s soul; and I maintain it, added he, that a man of sense does not lay down his hat in coming into a room,—or take it up in going out of it, but something escapes, which discovers him.
— from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne

I’m sure Mrs. Lynde can pray every bit as well as Superintendent Bell and I’ve no doubt she could preach too with a little practice.”
— from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery

[1376] They could never forget how the followers of that creed had once conquered nearly the whole of Spain, and had, during several centuries, possessed the fairest portion of it.
— from History of Civilization in England, Vol. 2 of 3 by Henry Thomas Buckle

Kruger was the dour, stolid, canny, provincial trader.
— from An African Adventure by Isaac Frederick Marcosson

On this desolate wind-swept island of snow mountains and crumbling lava the crews of the Resolution and Discovery spent Christmas, partly to obtain fresh water ("every gully afforded a large stream") and fresh meat—the flesh of penguins and other sea birds and seals.
— from Pioneers in Australasia by Harry Johnston

Moreover, if you seek divorce she can plead that there's equal guilt, from which there's no release."
— from A Man in the Open by Roger Pocock

“The blood should have burst out in this direction,” Saniel continued, pointing to the door.
— from Conscience — Complete by Hector Malot

It was known and described several centuries prior to the beginning of the Christian era, and from the earliest dawn of history it has been feared and dreaded.
— from Special Report on Diseases of Cattle by Dr. (Benjamin Tilghman) Woodward

Perchance he had wished to appear to me in that character of instructor which he desired some competent person to assume to him.
— from The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 12, No. 71, September, 1863 A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics by Various

They talked fast, with an eye on the library clock, and when its deep, slow chime proclaimed the half-hour Georgiana rose.
— from Under the Country Sky by Grace S. (Grace Smith) Richmond