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Charles Dickens Quotes - Page 20

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There are hopes, the bloom of whose beauty would be spoiled by the trammels of description; too lovely, too delicate, too sacred for words, they should only be known through the sympathy of hearts.

There are hopes, the bloom of whose beauty would be spoiled by the trammels of description; too lovely, too delicate, too sacred for words, they should only be known through the sympathy of hearts.

Charles Dickens
Hope, Heart, Lovely

Poetry's unnat'ral; no man ever talked poetry 'cept a beadle on boxin' day, or Warren's blackin' or Rowland's oil, or some o' them low fellows; never you let yourself down to talk poetry, my boy.

Charles Dickens
Funny, Humorous, Boys
1836-7 Sam Weller's father. Pickwick Papers, ch.33.

Indeed, it may be laid down as a general principle, that the more extended the ancestry, the greater the amount of violence and vagabondism; for in ancient days those two amusements, combining a wholesome excitement with a promising means of repairing shattered fortunes, were at once the ennobling pursuit and the healthful recreation of the Quality of this land.

Charles Dickens
Funny, Humorous, Mean
Charles Dickens “The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit”

"Oh!" said my aunt, "I was not aware at first to whom I had the pleasure of objecting."

Charles Dickens
Funny, Humorous, Aunt
Charles Dickens (1850). “Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observations of David Copperfield the Younger”, p.155

"The twins no longer derive their sustenance from Nature's founts - in short," said Mr. Micawber, in one of his bursts of confidence, "they are weaned..."

Charles Dickens
Funny, Humorous, Twins
Charles Dickens (1867). “Charles Dickens's works. Charles Dickens ed. [18 vols. of a 21 vol. set. Wanting A child's history of England; Christmas stories; The mystery of Edwin Drood].”, p.156

"Peggotty!" repeated Miss Betsey, with some indignation. "Do you mean to say, child, that any human being has gone into a Christian church, and got herself named Peggotty?"

Charles Dickens
Funny, Christian, Children
Charles Dickens (1867). “Charles Dickens's works. Charles Dickens ed. [18 vols. of a 21 vol. set. Wanting A child's history of England; Christmas stories; The mystery of Edwin Drood].”, p.4

There is no such passion in human nature, as the passion for gravy among commercial gentlemen.

Charles Dickens
Funny, Humorous, Passion
Charles Dickens (1850). “The life and adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit: With a frontispiece, from a drawing by Frank Stone”, p.82

In the majority of cases, conscience is an elastic and very flexible article

Charles Dickens
Funny, Humorous, Majority
Charles Dickens, Hablot Knight Browne, George Cattermole, Daniel Maclise, Gino Doria (1871). “The Old Curiosity Shop Charles Dickens”, p.49

For your popular rumour, unlike the rolling stone of the proverb, is one which gathers a deal of moss in its wanderings up and down.

Charles Dickens
Funny, Humorous, Moss
Charles Dickens (1868). “The Old Curiosity Shop: And Reprinted Pieces”, p.215

"We thought that, perhaps," said I, hesitating, "it is right to begin with the obligations of home, sir; and that, perhaps, while those are overlooked and neglected, no other duties can possibly be substituted for them."

Charles Dickens
Home, Words Of Wisdom, Said
Charles Dickens (1873). “Bleak House”, p.40

The plain rule is to do nothing in the dark, to be a party to nothing underhanded or mysterious, and never to put his foot where he cannot see the ground.

Charles Dickens
Party, Dark, Feet
Charles Dickens (1867). “Bleak House”, p.220

The water of the fountain ran, the swift river ran, the day ran into evening, so much life in the city ran into death according to rule, time and tide waited for no man, the rats were sleeping close together in their dark holes again, the Fancy Ball was lighted up at supper, all things ran their course.

Charles Dickens
Sleep, Dark, Men
charles dickens (1868). “a tale of two cities”, p.104

We owed so much to Herbert's ever cheerful industry and readiness, that I often wondered how I had conceived that old idea of his inaptitude, until I was one day enlightened by the reflection, that perhaps the inaptitude had never been in him at all, but had been in me.

Charles Dickens
Reflection, Ideas, Words Of Wisdom
Charles Dickens (1861). “All the Year Round”, p.436

"It's nothing," returned Mrs Chick. "It's merely change of weather. We must expect change."

Charles Dickens
Weather, Words Of Wisdom, Chicks
Charles Dickens (1867). “Charles Dickens's works. Charles Dickens ed. [18 vols. of a 21 vol. set. Wanting A child's history of England; Christmas stories; The mystery of Edwin Drood].”, p.255

To see the butcher slap the steak before he laid it on the block, and give his knife a sharpening, was to forget breakfast instantly. It was agreeable too - it really was - to see him cut it off so smooth and juicy. There was nothing savage in the act, although the knife was large and keen; it was a piece of art, high art; there was delicacy of touch, clearness of tone, skilful handling of the subject, fine shading. It was the triumph of mind over matter; quite.

Charles Dickens
Art, Block, Food
Charles Dickens (2006). “Martin Chuzzlewit: Easyread Comfort Edition”, p.24, ReadHowYouWant.com

It is a silent, shady place, with a paved courtyard so full of echoes, that sometimes I am tempted to believe that faint responses to the noises of old times linger there yet, and that these ghosts of sound haunt my footsteps as I pace it up and down.

Charles Dickens
Believe, Echoes, Sound
Charles Dickens (1851). “The posthumous papers of the Pickwick club. The old curiosity shop and other tales”

Of all the ruinous and desolate places my uncle had ever beheld, this was the most so. It looked as if it had once been a large house of entertainment; but the roof had fallen in, in many places, and the stairs were steep, rugged, and broken. There was a huge fire-place in the room into which they walked, and the chimney was blackened with smoke; but no warm blaze lighted it up now. The white feathery dust of burnt wood was still strewed over the hearth, but the stove was cold, and all was dark and gloomy.

Charles Dickens
Uncles, Heart, Dark
Charles Dickens (1870). “The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club”, p.429

It was a very aged, ghostly place; the church had been built many hundreds of years ago, and had once had a convent or monastery attached; for arches in ruins, remains of oriel windows, and fragments of blackened walls, were yet standing-, while other portions of the old building, which had crumbled away and fallen down, were mingled with the churchyard earth and overgrown with grass, as if they too claimed a burying-place and sought to mix their ashes with the dust of men.

Charles Dickens
Wall, Men, Dust
Charles Dickens (1868). “The Old Curiosity Shop: And Reprinted Pieces”, p.211

It had grown darker as they talked, and the wind was sawing and the sawdust was whirling outside paler windows. The underlying churchyard was already settling into deep dim shade, and the shade was creeping up to the housetops among which they sat. "As if," said Eugene, "as if the churchyard ghosts were rising."

Charles Dickens
Wind, Sawdust, Shade
Charles Dickens (1865). “Our Mutual Friend”, p.112

The rain and hail pattered against the glass; the chimneys quaked and rocked; the crazy casement rattled with the wind, as though an impatient hand inside were striving to burst it open. But no hand was there, and it opened no more.

Charles Dickens
Crazy, Rain, Hands
Charles Dickens (1867). “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby”, p.500

As the gloom and shadow thickened behind him, in that place where it had been gathering so darkly, it took, by slow degrees, - or out of it there came, by some unreal, unsubstantial process - not to be traced by any human sense, - an awful likeness of himself!

Charles Dickens
Shadow, Awful, Degrees
Charles Dickens (2016). “Charles Dickens: The Complete Christmas Books and Stories [A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, A Christmas Tree, The Cricket on the Hearth, etc] (Book House)”, p.207, Book House

The first diabolical character who intruded himself on my peaceful youth (as I called to mind that day at Dullborough), was a certain Captain Murderer. This wretch must have been an off-shoot of the Blue Beard family, but I had no suspicion of the consanguinity in those times. His warning name would seem to have awakened no general prejudice against him, for he was admitted into the best society and possessed immense wealth. Captain Murderer's mission was matrimony, and the gratification of a cannibal appetite with tender brides.

Charles Dickens
Character, Names, Blue
Charles Dickens (2009). “The Complete Works of Charles Dickens: The Uncommercial Traveller”, p.146, Cosimo, Inc.

The young woman who brought me acquainted with Captain Murderer had a fiendish enjoyment of my terrors, and used to begin, I remember - as a sort of introductory overture - by clawing the air with both hands, and uttering a long low hollow groan. So acutely did I suffer from this ceremony in combination with this infernal Captain, that I sometimes used to plead I thought I was hardly strong enough and old enough to hear the story again just yet.

Charles Dickens
Strong, Air, Hands
Charles Dickens (2009). “The Complete Works of Charles Dickens: The Uncommercial Traveller”, p.148, Cosimo, Inc.

The night was dark, and a cold wind blew, driving the clouds, furiously and fast, before it. There was one black, gloomy mass that seemed to follow him: not hurrying in the wild chase with the others, but lingering sullenly behind, and gliding darkly and stealthily on. He often looked back at this, and, more than once, stopped to let it pass over; but, somehow, when he went forward again, it was still behind him, coming mournfully and slowly up, like a shadowy funeral train.

Charles Dickens
Dark, Night, Wind
Charles Dickens (1870). “Novels”, p.482

I wish I were the Commander in Chief in India... I should do my utmost to exterminate the Race upon whom the stain of the late cruelties rested.

Charles Dickens
Race, Wish, India
Source: www.guernicamag.com

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