I seated myself by the Candle that stood on a Table at one End of the Room; and pretending to read a Book that I took out of my Pocket, heard several dreadful Stories of Ghosts as pale as Ashes that had stood at the Feet of a Bed, or walked over a Churchyard by Moonlight: And of others that had been conjured into the Red-Sea , for disturbing People's Rest, and drawing their Curtains at Midnight; with many other old Women's Fables of the like Nature.
— from The Spectator, Volume 1 Eighteenth-Century Periodical Essays by Steele, Richard, Sir

It had been too much the vogue to frown down attempts at chemical explanations of vital processes as verging towards materialism, and thus materialism was in reality strengthened, since the opponents of modern physiology had shut their eyes to facts as stubborn and undeniable as the soul itself whose cause they were championing.
— from The Catholic World, Vol. 23, April, 1876-September, 1876. A Monthly Magazine of General Literature and Science by Various

Addison tells us in the ‘Spectator,’ alluding to his London lodgings at a good-natured widow’s house one winter, how on one occasion he entered the room unexpectedly, where several young ladies, visitors, were telling stories of spirits and apparitions, when, on being told that it was only the gentleman , the broken conversation was resumed, and ‘I seated myself by the candle that stood at [205] one end of the table, and, pretending to read a book that I took out of my pocket, heard several stories of ghosts that, pale as ashes, had stood at the bed’s foot, or walked over a churchyard by moonlight; and others that had been conjured into the Red Sea for disturbing people’s rest.’
— from The Ghost World by T. F. (Thomas Firminger) Thiselton-Dyer

If he helps me out of my predicament, he shall have Pons' place.
— from Poor Relations by Honoré de Balzac

"One of my pigs," he said, "is to be killed to-morrow.
— from Our Little Roumanian Cousin by Clara Vostrovsky Winlow

The rock is blasted out and the nice wide road, the perfect replica of our modern prairie highways, surfaced, is superimposed upon it.
— from Through the Black Hills and Bad Lands of South Dakota by P. D. (Purl Dewey) Peterson

“Old Cristoval may have thought the occasion would arise when he would like to keep one or more prisoners here, so he concealed the exits as carefully as the entrances.
— from Aunt Jane's Nieces on the Ranch by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum

The war-whoop of Opposition may possibly have some effect towards frightening old Louis, and in that case it may be useful, but I trust there is little chance of its communicating its effects either in the Cabinet or Parliament on this side the water.
— from Memoirs of the Court of George IV. 1820-1830 (Vol 1) From the Original Family Documents by Buckingham and Chandos, Richard Plantagenet Temple Nugent Brydges Chandos Grenville, Duke of

Upon our old monastic pitch, How sportsmanlike I see thee stand!
— from New Collected Rhymes by Andrew Lang