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Charles Dickens Quotes - Page 35

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Nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the onset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should

Nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the onset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have a malady in the less attractive forms.

Charles Dickens
Laughter, Eye, Wrinkles
"A Christmas Carol". Book by Charles Dickens, 1843.

Some of the craftiest scoundrels that ever walked this earth . . . will gravely jot down in diaries the events of every day, and keep a regular debtor and creditor account with heaven, which shall always show a floating balance in their own favour.

Charles Dickens
Heaven, Words Of Wisdom, Balance
Charles Dickens (1867). “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby”, p.352

Heaven above was blue, and earth beneath was green; the river glistened like a path of diamonds in the sun; the birds poured forth their songs from the shady trees; the lark soared high above the waving corn; and the deep buzz of insects filled the air.

Charles Dickens
Song, Nature, Air
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.37

Accidents will occur in the best regulated families.

Charles Dickens
Funny, Family, Words Of Wisdom
David Copperfield ch. 28 (1850). The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs cites Peter Atall, Hermit in America (1819): "Accidents will happen in the best regulated families." See Robert Burns 3; Disraeli 7; Modern Proverbs 102; Orwell 17; Plautus 3; Proverbs 2; Sayings 25

The word of a gentleman is as good as his bond — sometimes better; as in the present case, where his bond might prove but a doubtful sort of security.

Charles Dickens
Gentleman, Sometimes
"Children's Tales from Dickens – The Great Classics & The Wonderful Stories for Children".

We know, Mr. Weller - we, who are men of the world - that a good uniform must work its way with the women, sooner or later.

Charles Dickens
Love, Men, World
'Pickwick Papers' (1837) ch. 37 (The Gentleman in Blue)

Keep out of Chancery. It's being ground to bits in a slow mill; it's being roasted at a slow fire; it's being stung to death by single bees; it's being drowned by drops; it's going mad by grains.

Charles Dickens
Death, Fire, Law
Charles Dickens (1853). “Bleak house. [20 numbers in 19 monthly pts., orig. wrappers.].”, p.38

They are so filthy and bestial that no honest man would admit one into his house for a water-closet doormat.

Charles Dickens
Men, Water, House
Charles Dickens, Madeline House, Graham Storey (1974). “Letters: Edited by Madeline House & Graham Storey. Associate editors: W.J. Carlton [and others]”

Houses were knocked down; streets broken through and stopped; deep pits and trenches dug in the ground; enormous heaps of earth and clay thrown up; buildings that were undermined and shaking, propped by great beams of wood. In short, the yet unfinished and unopened Railroad was in progress.

Charles Dickens
Science, House, Progress
"Dombey and Son".

Lawyers hold that there are two kinds of particularly bad witnesses--a reluctant witness, and a too-willing witness.

Charles Dickens
Two, Lawyer, Kind
Charles Dickens (1842). “The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club: In 2 Vol”, p.82

Veels vithin veels, a prison in a prison.

Charles Dickens
Prison
'Pickwick Papers' (1837) ch. 40

To have a cricket on the hearth is the luckiest thing in all the world!

Charles Dickens
Heart, World, Cricket
Charles Dickens (1873). “The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home”, p.17

Now, what I want is, Facts. . . . Facts alone are wanted in life.

Charles Dickens
Hard Times, Want, Statistics
Hard Times bk. 1, ch. 1 (1854)

When men are about to commit, or sanction the commission of some injustice, it is not uncommon for them to express pity for the object either of that or some parallel proceeding, and to feel themselves, at the time, quite virtuous and moral, and immensely superior to those who express no pity at all. This is a kind of upholding of faith above works, and is very comfortable.

Charles Dickens
Faith, Men, Moral
Charles Dickens (1839). “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby”, p.539

It is when our budding hopes are nipped beyond recovery by some rough wind, that we are the most disposed to picture to ourselves what flowers they might have borne, if they had flourished . . .

Charles Dickens
Get Well, Flower, Recovery
Charles Dickens (1859). “Dombey and Son”, p.142

In fine weather the old gentelman is almost constantly in the garden; and when it is too wet to go into it, he will look out the window at it, by the hour together. He has always something to do there, and you will see him digging, and sweeping, and cutting, and planting, with manifest delight.

Charles Dickens
Cutting, Garden, Weather
Charles Dickens (2018). “Scenes of London Life: From 'Sketches by Boz'”, p.17, Pan Macmillan

I will die here where I have walked. And I will walk here, though I am in my grave. I will walk here until the pride of this house is humbled.

Charles Dickens
Pride, House, Scary
Charles Dickens (1853). “Bleak House”, p.64

I have heard it said that as we keep our birthdays when we are alive, so the ghosts of dead people, who are not easy in their graves, keep the day they died upon.

Charles Dickens
People, Scary, Alive
Charles Dickens (1872). “A Cyclopedia of the Best Thoughts of Charles Dickens”, p.209

Around and around the house the leaves fall thick, but never fast, for they come circling down with a dead lightness that is sombre and slow.

Charles Dickens
Nature, Fall, House
Charles Dickens (1853). “Bleak House”, p.282

Go ye, who rest so placidly upon the sacred Bard who had been young, and when he strung his harp was old, and had never seen the righteous forsaken, or his seed begging their bread; go, Teachers of content and honest pride, into the mine, the mill, the forge, the squalid depths of deepest ignorance, and uttermost abyss of man's neglect, and say can any hopeful plant spring up in air so foul that it extinguishes the soul's bright torch as fast as it is kindled!

Charles Dickens
Teacher, Spring, Ignorance
Charles Dickens (1844). “The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit, His Relatives, Friends and Enemies: Comprising All His Wills and His Ways, with an Historical Record of what He Did, and what He Didn't ...”, p.245

The privileges of the side-table included the small prerogatives of sitting next to the toast, and taking two cups of tea to other people's one.

Charles Dickens
Two, People, Tea
Charles Dickens (2009). “Martin Chuzzlewi”, p.728, Cosimo, Inc.

Polly put the kettle on, we'll all have tea.

Charles Dickens
Tea, Kettles
1841 Grip, the raven. Barnaby Rudge, ch.17.

The bearings of this observation lays in the application of it.

Charles Dickens
Statistics, Observation, Application
'Dombey and Son' (1848) ch. 23 (Bunsby)

"Why, I don't exactly know about perjury, my dear sir," replied the little gentleman. "Harsh word, my dear sir, very harsh word indeed. It's a legal fiction, my dear sir, nothing more."

Charles Dickens
Funny, Humorous, Gentleman
Charles Dickens (1905). “The Pickwick Papers”, p.541

I revere the memory of Mr. F. as an estimable man and most indulgent husband, only necessary to mention Asparagus and it appeared or to hint at any little delicate thing to drink and it came like magic in a pint bottle; it was not ecstasy but it was comfort.

Charles Dickens
Memories, Husband, Men
'Little Dorrit' (1857) bk. 1, ch. 24 (Flora Finching)

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