At this beam, at this signal of day, a cluster of fires flew forth, crossing one another a thousand times on the sphere of the skies—and the eye of the sun rose up—still somewhat sleepy, it blinked and trembled and shook its gleaming lashes; it glittered with seven tints at once: at first sapphire, it straightway turned blood red like a ruby, and yellow as a topaz; next it sparkled transparent as crystal, then was radiant as a diamond; finally it became the colour of pure flame, like a great moon, or like a twinkling star: thus over the measureless heaven advanced the solitary sun.
— from Pan Tadeusz Or, the Last Foray in Lithuania; a Story of Life Among Polish Gentlefolk in the Years 1811 and 1812 by Adam Mickiewicz

Again, the dreaded Sunday comes round, and I file into the old pew first, like a guarded captive brought to a condemned service.
— from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

This is a place for ladies and gents only!”
— from The Innocents: A Story for Lovers by Sinclair Lewis

The whole formed a compact wedge, pushing forward like a great spear head to pierce the enemy's line.
— from A History of Sea Power by William Oliver Stevens

Men holding “office” in the Church there must indeed be, but only in order to preach and to dispense the sacraments; any spiritual authority with full powers for legislating and guiding the faithful is non-existent.
— from Luther, vol. 6 of 6 by Hartmann Grisar

And now indulge me for a moment: while I lay down my pen, skip to some little eminence at the distance of two or three hundred years ahead; and, casting back a bird's-eye glance over the waste of years that is to roll between, discover myself—little I—at this moment the progenitor, prototype, and precursor of them all, posted at the head of this host of literary worthies, with my book under my arm, and New York on my back, pressing forward, like a gallant commander, to honor and immortality.
— from Knickerbocker's History of New York, Complete by Washington Irving

It was a chant of the spring, of roving feet and tents that are never in one place for long; a gipsy song of the north.
— from Dick's Desertion: A Boy's Adventures in Canadian Forests A Tale of the Early Settlement of Ontario by Marjorie L. C. (Marjorie Lowry Christie) Pickthall

He knew the tailors, jewellers, silversmiths, and haberdashers, with whom the great Alexander—as he now began to be called—had been dealing; ["There is provided for lights a great number of torches, and so tempered that no water can put them out.
— from PG Edition of Netherlands series — Complete by John Lothrop Motley

But Kenton, with his gun and powder, felt like a giant refreshed, and, bidding the others good-bye, plunged alone into the woods.
— from The Life and Times of Col. Daniel Boone, Hunter, Soldier, and Pioneer With Sketches of Simon Kenton, Lewis Wetzel, and Other Leaders in the Settlement of the West by Edward Sylvester Ellis

She was standing just where a ray of light from one of the windows caught the reflection of her red hair, which surrounded her pale face like a glory.
— from A Bunch of Cherries: A Story of Cherry Court School by L. T. Meade

He found his son under the true where he had been sitting the morning when Jerrie came near fainting there, and in his hand was a curious bit of pine finished like a grave-stone—the same he had whittled under the pines, and on which he was now carving, 'Euchred, August —, 18—.' 'This is the monument to our downfall,' he said, as his father came up to him with something so pitiful in his face and voice that Frank gave way suddenly, and, sitting down beside him, laid his hand upon his tall son's head and cried for a moment like a child, while Tom's chin quivered, and he was mortally afraid there was something like tears in his own eyes, and he meant to be so brave and not show that he was hurt.
— from Tracy Park: A Novel by Mary Jane Holmes

Oh, indeed, she was flesh and blood as I was, with warm lips for kissing, and breasts of cream as a pillow for love, and golden hair too aromatic for phantasy.
— from The Death Ship: A Strange Story, Vol. 2 (of 3) by William Clark Russell