A singular institution, peculiar to Siam, Cambodia, and Laos, exists in a second king, slightly inferior to the other, and having a sort of reflected authority, the limits of which are not easily defined.
— from Travels in the Central Parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos (Vol. 1 of 2) During the Years 1858, 1859, and 1860 by Henri Mouhot

But sperm whales are not every day encountered; while you may, then, you must kill all you can.
— from Moby Dick; Or, The Whale by Herman Melville

The matter is a perfectly trivial one” (he jerked his thumb in the direction of the old hat), “but there are points in connection with it which are not entirely devoid of interest and even of instruction.”
— from Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Illustrated by Arthur Conan Doyle

Why, I may give you, as an instance, an advertisement, inserted not fifty years ago in a Milton paper, that so-and-so (one of the half-dozen calico-printers of the time) would close his warehouse at noon each day; therefore, that all purchasers must come before that hour.
— from North and South by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

They were in the mood for walking, and nearly every day wanted to start off with picnic baskets and to eat their lunch somewhere on the hills.
— from Loyal to the School by Angela Brazil

I am glad to have no such startling piece of information to give to the object of my affections: we are not even distant relations, and her age being, say, fifteen, and mine twenty-one, we are so far well suited to each other, according to my notions.
— from A Crystal Age by W. H. (William Henry) Hudson

The bell had already rung twice for the race and all the owners and horses were supposed to be preparing to score down, when a new entry drove in.
— from Jack Ballington, Forester by John Trotwood Moore