The ordinary Roman was not only blankly ignorant of the history of mankind, but also of the conditions of foreign peoples; he had no knowledge of economic laws nor of social possibilities.
— from The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

It could be said, of course, that the time apparently wasted in these effectless studies could have been well spent in deepening and widening a knowledge of English literature never yet too great, and I have often said this myself; but then, again, I am not sure that the studies were altogether effectless.
— from Literature and Life (Complete) by William Dean Howells

Choose the liveliest, biggest, and most healthy-looking kitten of each litter, not, as in choosing pups, the heaviest and sleepiest-looking.
— from The Domestic Cat by Gordon Stables