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Charles Dickens Quotes - Page 25

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She was more than human to me. She was a Fairy, a Sylph. I don't know what she was, anything that no one ever saw, and everything that everybody ever wanted. I was swallowed up in an abyss of love in an instant. There

She was more than human to me. She was a Fairy, a Sylph. I don't know what she was, anything that no one ever saw, and everything that everybody ever wanted. I was swallowed up in an abyss of love in an instant. There was no pausing on the brink, no looking down, or looking back. I was gone, headlong, before I had sense to say a word to her.

Charles Dickens
Love, Gone, Saws
Charles Dickens (1872). “A Cyclopedia of the Best Thoughts of Charles Dickens”, p.277

The sergeant was describing a military life. It was all drinking, he said, except that there were frequent intervals of eating and love making.

Charles Dickens
Military, Drinking, And Love
Charles Dickens (1874). “Barnaby Rudge. Sketches. pt.2”

every idiot who goes about with a 'Merry Christmas' on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.

Charles Dickens
Heart, Merry Christmas, History
Charles Dickens (1858). “A Christmas Carol”, p.5

Home is like the ship at sea, Sailing on eternally; Oft the anchor forth we cast, But can never make it fast.

Charles Dickens
Home, Anchors, Sea

Although a man may lose a sense of his own importance when he is a mere unit among a busy throng, all utterly regardless of him, it by no means follows that he can dispossess himself, with equal facility, of a very strong sense of the importance and magnitude of his cares.

Charles Dickens
Strong, Mean, Men
Charles Dickens (1843). “The life and adventures of Nicholas Nickleby”, p.200

If an enthusiastic, ardent, and ambitious man marry a wife on whose name there is a stain, which, though it originate in no fault of hers, may be visited by cold and sordid people upon her, and upon his children also: and, in exact proportion to his success in the world, be cast in his teeth, and made the subject of sneers against him: he may, no matter how generous and good his nature, one day repent of the connection he formed in early life; and she may have the pain and torture of knowing that he does so.

Charles Dickens
Children, Pain, Men
"Oliver Twist".

In truth, no men on earth can cheer like Englishmen, who do so rally one another's blood and spirit when they cheer in earnest, that the stir is like the rush of their whole history, with all its standards waving at once, from Saxon Alfred's downwards.

Charles Dickens
Cheer, Character, Men
Charles Dickens (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Charles Dickens (Illustrated)”, p.6639, Delphi Classics

"I saw her, in the fire, but now. I hear her in music, in the wind, in the dead stillness of the night," returned the haunted man.

Charles Dickens
Night, Men, Fire
Charles Dickens (2013). “Dickens' Christmas Spirits: A Christmas Carol and Other Tales”, p.339, Courier Corporation

You know what I am going to say. I love you. What other men may mean when they use that expression, I cannot tell; what I mean is, that I am under the influence of some tremendous attraction which I have resisted in vain, and which overmasters me.

Charles Dickens
Love, Mean, Men
Charles Dickens (2016). “Our Mutual Friend”, p.528, Charles Dickens

Troubles are exceedingly gregarious in their nature, and flying in flocks are apt to perch capriciously.

Charles Dickens
Flying, Trouble, Flocks
Charles Dickens (1849). “Barnaby Rudge ... With a frontispiece drawn by Hablot Knight Browne, etc”, p.145

It is the fate of most men who mingle with the world, and attain even the prime of life, to make many real friends, and lose them in the course of nature. It is the fate of all authors or chroniclers to create imaginary friends, and lose them in the course of art. Nor is this the full extent of their misfortunes; for they are required to furnish an account of them besides.

Charles Dickens
Art, Real, Fate
Charles Dickens (2015). “The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, Volume 2 (of 2) (Illustrations)”, p.178, E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY

Night, like a giant, fills the church, from pavement to roof, and holds dominion through the silent hours. Pale dawn again comes peeping through the windows: and, giving place to day, sees night withdraw into the vaults, and follows it, and drives it out, and hides among the dead.

Charles Dickens
Night, Giving, Church
Charles Dickens, Hablot Knight Browne, George Cruikshank, John Leech, Sir John Tenniel (1868). “Works of Charles Dickens: Dombey and son”, p.17

The wine-shops breed, in physical atmosphere of malaria and a moral pestilence of envy and vengeance, the men of crime and revolution.

Charles Dickens
Wine, Men, Envy
Charles Dickens (1856). “Household Words”, p.504

The one great principle of the English law is, to make business for itself. There is no other principle distinctly, certainly, and consistently maintained through all its narrow turnings.

Charles Dickens
Law, Principles, Bleak House
1852-3 Bleak House, ch.39.

We are so very 'umble.

Charles Dickens
Literature
'David Copperfield' (1850) ch. 17 (Uriah Heep)

Hours are golden links--God's tokens reaching heaven.

Charles Dickens
Heaven, Links, Golden
Charles Dickens (1855). “Household Words: A Weekly Journal”, p.157

Shall we speak of the inspiration of a poet or a priest, and not of the heart impelled by love and self-devotion to the lowliest work in the lowliest way of life?

Charles Dickens
Inspiration, Heart, Humility
Charles Dickens (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Charles Dickens (Illustrated)”, p.17059, Delphi Classics

O, if the deeds of human creatures could be traced to their source, how beautiful would even death appear; for how much charity, mercy, and purified affection would be seen to have their growth in dusty graves!

Charles Dickens
Beautiful, Death, Growth
Charles Dickens (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Charles Dickens (Illustrated)”, p.2302, Delphi Classics

To close the eyes, and give a seemly comfort to the apparel of the dead, is poverty's holiest touch of nature.

Charles Dickens
Death, Eye, Giving

When death strikes down the innocent and young, for every fragile form from which he lets the panting spirit free, a hundred virtues rise, in shapes of mercy, charity, and love, to walk the world and bless it. Of every tear that sorrowing mortals shed on such green graves, some good is born, some gentler nature comes.

Charles Dickens
Death, Tears, And Love
Charles Dickens (1858). “The Old Curiosity Shop: And Reprinted Pieces”, p.138

Long may it remain in this mixed world a question not easy of decision, which is the more beautiful evidence of the Almighty's goodness, the soft white hand formed for the ministrations of sympathy and tenderness, or the rough hard hand which the heart softens, teaches, and guides in a moment.

Charles Dickens
Beautiful, Heart, Hands

He describes it as a large apartment, with a red brick floor and a capacious chimney; the ceiling garnished with hams, sides of bacon, and ropes of onions.

Charles Dickens
Food, Cooking, Ceilings
Charles Dickens (1870). “The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club”, p.41

There was a little plate of hothouse nectarines on the table, and there was another of grapes, and another of sponge-cakes, and there was a bottle of light wine ... 'This is my frugal breakfast ... Give me my peach, my cup of coffee, and my claret.'

Charles Dickens
Coffee, Food, Wine
Charles Dickens (1870). “Novels”, p.349

Heaped on the floor were turkeys, geese, game, poultry, brawn, great joints of meat, sucking pigs, long wreaths of sausages, mince-pies, plum-puddings, bartrels of oysters, re-hot chestnuts, cherry-cheeked apples, juicy oranges, luscious pears, immense twelfth-cakes, and seething bowls of punch that made the chamber dim with their delicious steam.

Charles Dickens
Oysters, Turkeys, Games

Spring flew swiftly by, and summer came; and if the village had been beautiful at first, it was now in the full glow and luxuriance of its richness. The great trees, which had looked shrunken and bare in the earlier months, had now burst into strong life and health; and stretching forth their green arms over the thirsty ground, converted open and naked spots into choice nooks, where was a deep and pleasant shade from which to look upon the wide prospect, steeped in sunshine, which lay stretched out beyond.

Charles Dickens
Beautiful, Summer, Strong
Charles Dickens, George Cruikshank (1838). “Oliver Twist: Or, The Parish Boy's Progress”

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