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Charles Dickens Quotes - Page 29

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....that the mounds of ices, and the bowls of mint-julep and sherry cobbler they make in these latitudes, are refreshments never to be thought of afterwards, in summer, by those who would preserve contented minds.

....that the mounds of ices, and the bowls of mint-julep and sherry cobbler they make in these latitudes, are refreshments never to be thought of afterwards, in summer, by those who would preserve contented minds.

Charles Dickens
Summer, Ice, Mind
Charles Dickens (1842). “American Notes for General Circulation”, p.170

I believe that the heaviest blow ever dealt at liberty's head will be dealt by this nation in the ultimate failure of its example to the earth.

Charles Dickens
War, Believe, Blow
Charles Dickens (1974). “The Pilgrim Edition of the Letters of Charles Dickens: Volume 3. 1842-1843”, OUP Oxford

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.

Charles Dickens
Nature, Book, Reflection
Charles Dickens (1872). “Works of Charles Dickens”, p.123

Every man, however obscure, however far removed from the general recognition, is one of a group of men impressible for good, and impressible for evil, and it is in the nature of things that he cannot really improve himself without in some degree improving other men.

Charles Dickens
Men, Evil, Groups
Charles Dickens (2009). “Speeches: Literary and Social: Easyread Large Bold Edition”, p.236, ReadHowYouWant.com

I would like to be going all over the kingdom...and acting everywhere. There's nothing in the world equal to seeing the house rise at you, one sea of delightful faces, one hurrah of applause!

Charles Dickens
Sea, House, Theatre

I never see any difference in boys. I only know two sorts of boys. Mealy boys and beef-faced boys.

Charles Dickens
Children, Boys, Two
Oliver Twist ch. 14 (1838)

It may be only small injustice that the child can be exposed to; but the child is small, and its world is small, and its rocking-horse stands as many hands high, according to scale, as a big-boned Irish hunter.

Charles Dickens
Horse, Children, Hands
Charles Dickens (1861). “Great Expectations”, p.86

For though we are perpetually bragging of it as our safety, it is nothing but a poor fringe on the mantle of the upper.

Charles Dickens
Class, Safety, Age
"Life, Letters, and Speeches of Charles Dickens".

Stranger, pause and ask thyself the question, Canst thou do likewise? If not, with a blush retire.

Charles Dickens
Words Of Wisdom, Stranger, Retiring
'The Mystery of Edwin Drood' (1870) ch. 4

I have always thought of Christmas time... as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time.

Charles Dickens
Christmas, Happy Holidays, Forgiving
Charles Dickens (1858). “A Christmas Carol”, p.5

You should know," said Estella. "I am what you have made me. Take all the praise, take all the blame; take all the success, take all the failure; in short, take me.

Charles Dickens
Book, Blame, Praise
Charles Dickens (1861). “Great Expectations”, p.88

A person who can't pay gets another person who can't pay to guarantee that he can pay. Like a person with two wooden legs getting another person with two wooden legs to guarantee that he has got two natural legs. It don't make either of them able to do a walking-match.

Charles Dickens
Guarantees That, Two, Literature
Little Dorrit bk. 1, ch. 23 (1857)

I was always treated as if I had insisted on being born, in opposition to the dictates of reason, religion, and morality, and against the dissuadinig arguments of my best friends.

Charles Dickens
Funny, Humorous, Expectations
1860-1 Pip. Great Expectations, ch.4.

Meow says the cat ,quack says the duck , Bow wow wow says the dog ! Grrrr!

Charles Dickens
Dog, Cat, Ducks

There either is or is not, that’s the way things are. The colour of the day. The way it felt to be a child. The saltwater on your sunburnt legs. Sometimes the water is yellow, sometimes it’s red. But what colour it may be in memory, depends on the day. I’m not going to tell you the story the way it happened. I’m going to tell it the way I remember it.

Charles Dickens
Life, Children, Memories

[She wasn't] a logically reasoning woman, but God is good, and hearts may count in heaven as high as heads.

Charles Dickens
Heart, Heaven, May

Come in, -- come in! and know me better, man! I am the Ghost of Christmas Present. Look upon me! You have never seen the like of me before!

Charles Dickens
Men, Looks, Ghost
Charles Dickens (2014). “A Christmas Carol (mini comic): (Mini Comics)”, p.11, Daniel Turner

And O there are days in this life, worth life and worth death. And O what a bright old song it is, that O 'tis love, 'tis love, 'tis love that makes the world go round!

Charles Dickens
Song, World, This Life
Charles Dickens (2006). “Our Mutual Friend: Easyread Comfort Edition”, p.191, ReadHowYouWant.com

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. Viewed by this light it becomes a coherent scheme, and not the monstrous maze the laity are apt to think it. Let them but once clearly perceive that its grand principle is to make business for itself at their expense, and surely they will cease to grumble.

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

Change begets change. Nothing propagates so fast. If a man habituated to a narrow circle of cares and pleasures, out of which he seldom travels, step beyond it, though for never so brief a space, his departure from the monotonous scene on which he has been an actor of importance would seem to be the signal for instant confusion. The mine which Time has slowly dug beneath familiar objects is sprung in an instant; and what was rock before, becomes but sand and dust.

Charles Dickens
Change, Caring, Men
Charles Dickens (1850). “The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit ... With a Frontispiece, from a Drawing by F. Stone”, p.180

If the parks be "the lungs of London" we wonder what Greenwich Fair is--a periodical breaking out, we suppose--a sort of spring rash.

Charles Dickens
Spring, London, Parks
Charles Dickens (1850). “Sketches by Boz [i.e. Charles Dickens] ... With a frontispiece by George Cruikshank”, p.67

There are many pleasant fictions of the law in constant operation, but there is not one so pleasant or practically humorous as that which supposes every man to be of equal value in its impartial eye, and the benefits of all laws to be equally attainable by all men, without the smallest reference to the furniture of their pockets.

Charles Dickens
Humorous, Eye, Men
Charles Dickens (1839). “The life and adventures of Nicholas Nickleby”, p.297

For the night-wind has a dismal trick of wandering round and round a building of that sort, and moaning as it goes; and of trying, with its unseen hand, the windows and the doors; and seeking out some crevices by which to enter.

Charles Dickens
Night, Doors, Hands
Charles Dickens, Matty Groves (2004). “The Chimes”, p.2, Quiet River Press LLC

Notwithstanding his very liberal laudation of himself, however, the Major was selfish. It may be doubted whether there ever was a more entirely selfish person at heart; or at stomach is perhaps a better expression, seeing that he was more decidedly endowed with that latter organ than with the former.

Charles Dickens
Selfish, Heart, Character
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.54

The Secretary, working in the Dismal Swamp betimes next morning, was informed that a youth waited in the hall who gave the name of Sloppy. The footman who communicated this intelligence made a decent pause before uttering the name, to express that it was forced on his reluctance by the youth in question, and that if the youth had had the good sense and good taste to inherit some other name it would have spared the feelings of him the bearer.

Charles Dickens
Funny, Morning, Humorous
Charles Dickens (1865). “Our Mutual Friend”, p.246

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