Charles Dickens quotes - page 20

Sadly, sadly, the sun rose it rose upon no sadder sight than the man of good abilities and good emotions, incapable of their directed exercise, incapable of his own help and his own happiness, sensible of the blight on him, and resigning him-self to let it eat him away. (Charles Dickens)
What is the odds so long as the fire of soul is kindled at the taper of conwiviality, and the wing of friendship never moults a feather. View quote
Charles Dickens
Surely there had been no figure leaning on the back of his chair no face looking over it. It is certain that no gliding footstep touched the floor, as he lifted up his head, with a start, and spoke. And yet there was no mirror in the room on whose surface his own form could have cast its shadow for a moment and, Something had passed darkly and gone. View quote
Charles Dickens
Upon the purple tree-tops far away, and on the green height near at hand up which the shades were slowly creeping, there was an equal hush. Between the real landscape and its shadow in the water, there was no division both were so untroubled and clear, and, while so fraught with solemn mystery of life and death, so hopefully reassuring to the gazer's soothed heart, because so tenderly and mercifully beautiful. View quote
Charles Dickens
The wide stare stared itself out for one while the Sun went down in a red, green, golden glory the stars came out in the heavens, and the fire-flies mimicked them in the lower air, as men may feebly imitate the goodness of a better order of beings the long dusty roads and the interminable plains were in repose--and so deep a hush was on the sea, that it scarcely whispered of the time when it shall give up its dead. View quote
Charles Dickens
Ah, Miss Harriet, it would do us no harm to remember oftener than we do, that vices are sometimes only virtues carried to excess. View quote
Charles Dickens
Never close your lips to those to whom you've opened your heart. View quote
Charles Dickens
This reminds me, Godmother, to ask you a serious question. You are as wise as wise can be (having been brought up by the fairies), and you can tell me this Is it better to have had a good thing and lost it, or never to have had it. View quote
Charles Dickens
In this way they went on, and on, and on--in the language of the story-books--until at last the village lights appeared before them, and the church spire cast a long reflection on the graveyard grass as if it were a dial (alas, the truest in the world) marking, whatever light shone out of Heaven, the flight of days and weeks and years, by some new shadow on that solemn ground. View quote
Charles Dickens
It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humor. View quote
Charles Dickens
Dombey and Son had often dealt in hides, but never in hearts. They left that fancy ware to boys and girls, and boarding-schools and books. Mr. Dombey would have reasoned That a matrimonial alliance with himself must, in the nature of things, be gratifying and honourable to any woman of common sense. That the hope of giving birth to a new partner in such a house, could not fail to awaken a glorious and stirring ambition in the breast of the least ambitious of her sex. (Charles Dickens)
Everything that Mr Smallweeds grandfather ever put away in his mind was a grub at first, and is a grub at last. In all his life he has never bred a single butterfly. View quote
Charles Dickens
Up the two terrace flights of steps the rain ran wildly, and beat at the great door, like a swift messenger rousing those within . . . View quote
Charles Dickens
Wen youre a married man, Samivel, youll understand a good many things as you dont understand now but vether its worth while goin through so much to learn so little, as the charity-boy sand ven he go to the end of the alphabet, its a matter of taste. View quote
Charles Dickens
But injustice breeds injustice the fighting with shadows and being defeated by them necessitates the setting up of substances to combat. View quote
Charles Dickens
You might, from your appearance, be the wife of Lucifer. Nevertheless, you shall not get the better of me. I am an Englishwoman. View quote
Charles Dickens
It was one of those hot, silent nights, when people sit at windows listening for the thunder which they know will shortly break when they recall dismal tales of hurricanes and earthquakes and of lonely travellers on open plains, and lonely ships at sea, struck by lightning. View quote
Charles Dickens
And the voices in the waves are always whispering to Florence, in their ceaseless murmuring, of love - of love, eternal and illimitable, not bounded by the confines of this world, or by the end of time, but ranging still, beyond the sea, beyond the sky, to the invisible country far away. View quote
Charles Dickens
To bring deserving things down by setting undeserving things up is one of its perverted delights and there is no playing fast and loose with the truth, in any game, without growing the worse for it. View quote
Charles Dickens
When she took her opposite place in the carriage corner, the brightness in her face was so charming to behold, that on her exclaiming, What beautiful stars and what a glorious night the Secretary said Yes, but seemed to prefer to see the night and the stars in the light of her lovely little countenance, to looking out of window. View quote
Charles Dickens
It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself. (Charles Dickens)
You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts nothing else will ever be of any service to them. Stick to Facts, sir. View quote
Charles Dickens
Do not repine, my friends,' said Mr. Pecksniff, tenderly. 'Do not weep for me. It is chronic. View quote
Charles Dickens
He was sailing over a boundless expanse of sea, with a blood-red sky above, and the angry waters, lashed into fury beneath, boiling and eddying up, on every side. There was another vessel before them, toiling and labouring in the howling storm her canvas fluttering in ribbons from the mast . . . View quote
Charles Dickens
But, for all that, they had a very pleasant walk. The trees were bare of leaves, and the river was bare of water-lilies but the sky was not bare of its beautiful blue, and the water reflected it, and a delicious wind ran with the stream, touching the surface crisply. View quote
Charles Dickens