Bokelskere.no

'Ah, it's me, and me's the first person singular, nominative case, agreeing with the verb "it's," and governed by Squeers understood, as a acorn, a hour; but when the h is sounded, the a only is to be used, as a hand, a heart, a highway,' replied Mr Squeers, quoting at random from the grammer. 'at least if it isn't, you don't know any better, and if it is, I've done it accidentally.'

When men are about to commit or to sanction the commission of some injustice, it is not at all uncommon for them to express pity for the object either of that or some parallell proceeding, and to feel themselves at the time quite virtuous and moral, and immensely superior to those who express no pity at all.

Ralph shrugged his shoulders in silent deprecation of Bray's impatience, and elevated his eyebrows, and pursed his lips as men do when they are prepared with a sufficient answer to some remark, but wait for a more favourable opportunity of advancing it, or think it scarcely woth while to answer their adversary at all.

It is observable that when people upon the stage are in any strait involving the very last extremity of weakness and and exhaustion, they invariably perform feats of strength requiring great ingenuity and muscular power. Thus, a wounded prince or bandit-chief, who is bleeding to death and too faint to move, except to the softest music (and then only upon his hands and knees), shall be seen to approach a cottage door for aid, in such a series of writhings and twistings, and with such curlings up of the legs, and such rollings over and over, and such gettings up and and tumblings down again, as could never be achieved save by a very strong man skilled in posture-making. And so natural did this sort of performance come to Mr Snittle Timberry, that on their way out of the theatre and towards the tavern where the supper was to be holden, he testified the sverity of his recent indisposition and its wasting effects upon the nervous system, by a series of gymnastic performances, which were the admiration of all witnesses.

'Ay,' replied Ralph, turning upon him with an angry look. 'Help me on with this spencer, and don't repeat after me, like a croaking parrot.'
'I wish I was a parrot,' said Newman, sulkily.
'I wish you were,' rejoined Ralph, drawing his spencer on; 'I'd have wrung your neck long ago.'

Most public characters have their failings; and the truth is that Mr Snevellici was a little addicted to drinking; or, if the whole truth must be told, that he was scarcely ever sober. He knew in his cups three distinct stages of intoxication, - the dignified - the quarrelsome - the amorous. When professionally engaged he never got beyond the dignified; in private circles he went to all three, passing from one to another with a rapidity of transition often rather perplexing to those who had not the honour of his acquaintance.

[...], and sprang from his bed with an elasticity of spirit which is happily the lot of young persons, or the world would never be stocked with old ones.

'Your way lies there, sir,' said Ralph, in a suppressed voice, that some devil might have owned with pride.

[...] these two gentlemen eating of every dish, and drinking of every bottle, with a capacity and perseverance truly astonishing. They were remarkably fresh too, notwithstanding their great exertions: for, on the appearance of the dessert,they broke out again, as if nothing serious had taken place since breakfast.

Such is hope, Heaven's own gift to struggling mortals; [...].