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Charles Dickens Quotes - Page 30

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I know nothing of philosophical philanthropy. But I know what I have seen, and what I have looked in the face in this world here, where I find myself. And I tell you this, my friend, that there are people (men and women

I know nothing of philosophical philanthropy. But I know what I have seen, and what I have looked in the face in this world here, where I find myself. And I tell you this, my friend, that there are people (men and women both, unfortunately) who have no good in them-none. That there are people whom it is necessary to detest without compromise. That there are people who must be dealt with as enemies of the human race. That there are people who have no human heart, and who must be crushed like savage beasts and cleared out of the way.

Charles Dickens
Philosophical, Heart, Men
Charles Dickens (2017). “THE GREATEST DICKENS CLASSICS (Illustrated Edition): Oliver Twist, The Pickwick Papers, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, Hard Times, David Copperfield, A Christmas Carol, Bleak House, Little Dorrit, Our Mutual Friend, The Life of Dickens”, p.4045, e-artnow

Most men are individuals no longer so far as their business, its activities, or its moralities are concerned. They are not units but fractions.

Charles Dickens
Business, Men, Morality

I was so humiliated, hurt, spurned, offended, angry, sorry--I cannot hit upon the right name for the smart--God knows what its name was--that tears started to my eyes.

Charles Dickens
Hurt, Sorry, Smart
Charles Dickens (2010). “A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations (Oprah's Book Club): Two Novels”, p.375, Penguin

Time was with most of us, when Christmas Day, encircling all our limited world like a magic ring, left nothing out for us to miss or seek; bound together all our home enjoyments, affections, and hopes; grouped everything and everyone round the Christmas fire, and make the little picture shining in our bright young eyes, complete.

Charles Dickens
Christmas, Eye, Home
Charles Dickens (2003). “A Christmas Carol”, p.182, Broadview Press

Gold, for the instant, lost its luster in his eyes, for there were countless treasures of the heart which it could never purchase

Charles Dickens
Heart, Eye, Gold
Charles Dickens (1867). “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby”, p.249

So does a whole world, with all its greatnesses and littlenesses, lie in a twinkling star. And as mere human knowledge can split a ray of light and analyse the manner of its composition, so, sublimer intelligences may read in the feeble shining of this earth of ours, every thought and act, every vice and virtue, of every responsible creature on it.

Charles Dickens
Inspirational, Stars, Lying
Charles Dickens (2015). “A Tale of Two Cities: World Classics”, p.186, World Classic

Some medical beast had revived tar-water in those days as a fine medicine, and Mrs. Joe always kept a supply of it in the cupboard; having a belief in its virtues correspondent to its nastiness. At the best of times, so much of this elixir was administered to me as a choice restorative, that I was conscious of going about, smelling like a new fence.

Charles Dickens
Funny, Humorous, Medicine
Charles Dickens (1861). “Great Expectations”, p.18

"I am not afeard, my Heart's-delight," resumed the Captain. "There's been most uncommon bad weather in them latitudes, there's no denyin', and they have drove and drove and been beat off, may be t'other side the world. But the ship's a good ship, and the lad's a good lad; and it ain't easy, thank the Lord," the Captain made a little bow, "to break up hearts of oak, whether they're in brigs or buzzums."

Charles Dickens
Inspirational, Heart, Weather
Charles Dickens (2009). “Dombey and SonI”, p.340, Cosimo, Inc.

I don't feel any vulgar gratitude to you[for helping me]. I almost feel as if You ought to be grateful to ME, for giving you the opportunity of enjoying the luxury of generosity. . . I may have come into the world expressly for the purpose of increasing your stock of happiness. I may have been born to be a benefactor to you, by giving you an opportunity of assisting me.

Charles Dickens
Gratitude, Grateful, Opportunity
Charles Dickens (2006). “Bleak House: Easyread Edition”, p.108, ReadHowYouWant.com

Can you suppose there's any harm in looking as cheerful and being as cheerful as our poor circumstances will permit?

Charles Dickens
Words Of Wisdom, Cheerful, Poor
Charles Dickens (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Charles Dickens (Illustrated)”, p.2121, Delphi Classics

Your sex have such a surprising animosity against one another, when you do differ.

Charles Dickens
Sex, Surprising, Animosity
Charles Dickens (1853). “Bleak house: With illustr. by H. K. Browne”, p.526

We spent as much money as we could and got as little for it as people could make up their minds to give us. We were always more or less miserable, and most of our acquaintance were in the same condition. There was a gay fiction among us that we were constantly enjoying ourselves, and a skeleton truth that we never did. To the best of my belief, our case was in the last aspect a rather common one.

Charles Dickens
Funny, Money, Humorous
Charles Dickens (2012). “Great Expectations Thrift Study Edition”, p.215, Courier Corporation

As I never saw my father or my mother, and never saw any likeness of either of them (for their days were long before the days of photographs), my first fancies regarding what they were like, were unreasonably derived from their tombstones. The shape of the letters on my father's, gave me an odd idea that he was a square, stout, dark man, with curly black hair. From the character and turn of the inscription, "Also Georgiana Wife of the Above", I drew a childish conclusion that my mother was freckled and sickly.

Charles Dickens
Mother, Father, Tombstone
Charles Dickens (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Charles Dickens (Illustrated)”, p.7092, Delphi Classics

'Mind and matter,' said the lady in the wig, 'glide swift into the vortex if immensity. Howls the sublime, and softly sleeps the calm Ideal, in the whispering chambers of Imagination.'

Charles Dickens
Sleep, Imagination, Sublime
'Martin Chuzzlewit' (1844) ch. 34

My daughter, there are times of moral danger when the hardest virtuous resolution to form is flight, and when the most heroic bravery is flight.

Charles Dickens
Daughter, Bravery, Words Of Wisdom
Charles Dickens (1868). “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.275

"My comfort is," said Susan, looking back at Mr. Dombey, "that I have told a piece of truth this day which ought to have been told long before and can't be told too often or too plain..."

Charles Dickens
Character, Long, Interesting
Charles Dickens (1858). “Dombey and Son ... With frontispiece by H. K. Browne”, p.369

It was very dark; but in the murky sky there were masses of cloud which shone with a lurid light, like monstrous heaps of copper that had been heated in a furnace, and were growing cold.

Charles Dickens
Dark, Clouds, Light
Charles Dickens (1872). “A Cyclopedia of the Best Thoughts of Charles Dickens”, p.456

There is not a manufacturer or tradesman in existence, who would not employ a man who takes a reasonable degree of pride in the appearance of himself and those about him, in preference to a sullen, slovenly fellow, who works doggedly on, regardless of his own clothing and that of his wife and children, and seeming to take pleasure or pride in nothing.

Charles Dickens
Children, Pride, Men
Charles Dickens (2009). “Sunday Under Three Heads: Easyread Super Large 24pt Edition”, p.3, ReadHowYouWant.com

It was a foggy day in London, and the fog was heavy and dark. Animate London, with smarting eyes and irritated lungs, was blinking, wheezing, and choking; inanimate London was a sooty spectre, divided in purpose between being visible and invisible, and so being wholly neither.

Charles Dickens
Eye, Dark, Fog
Charles Dickens (1868). “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.269

It is required of every man," the ghost returned, "that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide; and, if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death.

Charles Dickens
Men, Fellow Man, Spirit
Charles Dickens (1858). “A Christmas Carol”, p.18

"You are a boy," said Mr. Dombey, suddenly and almost fiercely; "and what you think of, or affect to think of, is of little consequence. You have done well, Sir. Don't undo it."

Charles Dickens
Character, Boys, Thinking
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.51

Affery, like greater people, had always been right in her facts, and always wrong in the theories she deduced from them.

Charles Dickens
People, Words Of Wisdom, Facts
Charles Dickens (1868). “Little Dorrit”, p.758, Kartindo.com

You fear the world too much,' she answered gently. 'All your other hopes have merged into the hope of being beyond the chance of its sordid reproach. I have seen your nobler aspirations fall off, one by one, until the master passion, Gain, engrosses you. Have I not?

Charles Dickens
Fall, Passion, World
Charles Dickens (1950). “A Christmas carol in prose, being a ghost story of Christmas: With original art and narration by Jon Langford”, p.31, Google Play Books

Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.

Charles Dickens
Inspirational, Hero, Pages
David Copperfield ch. 1 (1850)

At last, however, he began to think -- as you or I would have thought at first; for it is always the person not in the predicament who knows what ought to have been done in it, and would unquestionably have done it too . . .

Charles Dickens
Thinking, Words Of Wisdom, Done
Charles Dickens (1858). “A Christmas Carol”, p.46

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