Carlyle lived aloof, grumbling at democracy, denouncing its shams, calling it to repentance.
— from Outlines of English and American Literature An Introduction to the Chief Writers of England and America, to the Books They Wrote, and to the Times in Which They Lived by William J. (William Joseph) Long

I wouldn't give a d—,” dump, I suppose he meant, “for grog unless I could get drunk.”
— from Australia Twice Traversed The Romance of Exploration, Being a Narrative Compiled from the Journals of Five Exploring Expeditions into and Through Central South Australia and Western Australia, from 1872 to 1876 by Ernest Giles

It is true, mere glossy greenness may, and often does, make up for the want of variety, as we see in the arum, holly, laurel, and hart's-tongue fern; but the leaves which we admire most of all are those which, like maidenhair, are both exquisitely green and delicately designed in shape.
— from The Evolutionist at Large by Grant Allen

But the gloomy, anxious day dragged its slow length along with nothing more momentous than fitful bursts of bickering, spiteful firing, breaking out from time to time on different parts of the long line, where the men's nerves got wrought up to the point where they had to do something to get the relief of action.
— from Si Klegg, Book 2 Thru the Stone River Campaign and in Winter Quarters at Murfreesboro by John McElroy

The motives which actuate the utterer are taken for granted; the existence of such a set of the spiritual nature to God as Deuteronomy demands is supposed to be proved by the mere spoken words; and men who cannot or will not say such things glibly are unchurched without mercy.
— from The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy by Andrew Harper

Lake of gray at dawning day, In soft shadows lying,— Waters kissed by morning mist, Early breezes sighing,— Fairy vision as thou art, Soon thy fleeting charms depart.
— from The Story of Wellesley by Florence Converse