Quote #11

He is not, as he forcibly remarks, 'one of those fortunate men who, if they were to dive under one side of a barge stark-naked, would come up on the other with a new suit of clothes on, and a ticket for soup in the waistcoat-pocket:' neither is he one of those, whose spirit has been broken beyond redemption by misfortune and want. He is just one of the careless, good-for-nothing, happy fellows, who float, cork-like, on the surface, for the world to play at hockey with: knocked here, and there, and everywhere: now to the right, then to the left, again up in the air, and anon to the bottom, but always reappearing and bounding with the stream buoyantly and merrily along.

More from Charles Dickens

  1. The dignity of his office is never impaired by the absence of efforts on his part to maintain it.
  2. The civility which money will purchase, is rarely extended to those who have none.
  3. Resisting the slow touch of a frozen finger tracing out my spine.
  4. I used to sit, think, think, thinking, till I felt as lonesome as a kitten in a wash-house copper with the lid on.
  5. I have known a vast quantity of nonsense talked about bad men not looking you in the face. Don't trust that conventional idea. Dishonesty w…
  6. Reflect upon your present blessings - of which every man has many - not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.
  7. It was a good thing to have a couple of thousand people all rigid and frozen together, in the palm of one's hand.
  8. Minerva House ... was 'a finishing establishment for young ladies,' where some twenty girls of the ages from thirteen to nineteen inclusive…

All Charles Dickens quotes