[A] But Mr. Brett had faith, even at that early day, and entered heartily into the schemes of Mr. Field.
— from The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph by Henry M. (Henry Martyn) Field

They had talked, but more of home and village than of foreign experiences; and though Ellen did not herself assist, she had much enjoyed watching the unpacking of the numerous gifts which had cost a perfect fortune at the Custom House.
— from Chantry House by Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary) Yonge

14 They were speedily hastening back to the river, where those bustling scenes were hourly taking place, for even at this early date every boat leaving for London was packed to its capacity with fugitive tourists trying to get out of the war-stricken country.
— from The Boy Scouts Afoot in France; or, With the Red Cross Corps at the Marne by Carter, Herbert, active 1909-1917

Perhaps it should be remarked further, that the order in question, though solicited by the authorities of the city, was not enforced; for even at that early date those magistrates had hit upon the method of stimulating the complaints of discontented citizens till orders were taken for removing the alleged grievances, and then of letting such orders sleep, lest the enforcing of them should hush those complaints, and thus take away all pretext for keeping up the agitation.
— from Shakespeare: His Life, Art, And Characters, Volume I. With An Historical Sketch Of The Origin And Growth Of The Drama In England by Henry Norman Hudson

Meantime, during the noise of our forced exit and the ensuing dialogue, the scene within had evidently changed in character, for the blows had ceased.
— from In and out of Three Normandy Inns by Anna Bowman Dodd

The literary circles of Maecenas and Messalla had each their elegiac poet of the first eminence; and the early death of both Propertius and Tibullus was followed, amid the decline of the other forms of the earlier Augustan poetry, by the consummate brilliance of Ovid.
— from Latin Literature by J. W. (John William) Mackail

Surrounded by an atmosphere of sobriety, for even at that early date the fad of temperance had fastened itself upon Kansas, he became by and by of necessity a hard working farmer, tilling the soil from morning till night in the struggle to earn his salt.
— from The Way of the Wind by Zoé Anderson Norris