David Copperfield, Volume 3Sheldon, 1863 |
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Common terms and phrases
a-going afore Agnes Annie asked aunt aunt's Barkis believe better bless child considered cried Crupp David Copperfield dear Copperfield delighted Dick dles Doctor Strong doen't door Dora Dora's Em'ly expression eyes face feel felt gone Gummidge hand happy head heart heerd hope Inner Temple Joram Jorkins kiss knew lady laugh looked Maldon Markleham Mas'r Davy Master Copperfield Micawber mind Miss Clarissa Miss Lavinia Miss Mills Miss Murdstone Miss Spenlow morning mother never night observed Omer papa Peggotty Peggotty's poor pretty Putney replied returned round shaking shook sister sitting smile Sophy Steerforth stood suppose sure tell theer there's thing thought Tiffey tion told took Trad Traddles Trot Trotwood turned umble up-stairs Uriah Heep voice walked Wickfield wife wish wonder wonderful woman words Ye-yes young
Popular passages
Page 161 - I have ever known ; who insisted, for instance, that a thing like the beginning of a cobweb meant expectation, and that a pen-and-ink sky-rocket stood for disadvantageous. When I had fixed these wretches in my mind, I found that they had driven everything else out of it ; then, beginning again, I forgot them ; while I was picking them up, I dropped the other fragments of the system ; in short, it was almost heart-breaking.
Page 246 - I have been very fortunate in worldly matters; many men have worked much harder, and not succeeded half so well; but I never could have done what I have done without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one object at a time, no matter how quickly its successor should come upon its heels, which I then formed.
Page 17 - People can't die, along the coast," said Mr. Peggotty, " except when the tide's pretty nigh out. They can't be born, unless it's pretty nigh in — not properly born, till flood. He's a-going out with the tide.
Page 287 - When there was a debate, and I was kept out very late, it seemed so strange to me, as I was walking home, to think that Dora was at home ! It was such a wonderful thing, at first, to have her coming softly down to talk to me as I ate niy supper.
Page 247 - Some happy talent, and some fortunate opportunity, may form the two sides of the ladder on which some men mount, but the rounds of that ladder must be made of stuff to stand wear and tear; and there is no substitute for thoroughgoing, ardent, and sincere earnestness. Never to put one hand to anything, on which I could throw my whole self, and never to affect depreciation of my work, whatever it was, I find, now, to have been my golden rules.
Page 296 - ... brought out immediately. If we bought a lobster, it was full of water. All our meat turned out to be tough, and there was hardly any crust to our loaves. In search of the principle on which joints ought to be roasted, to be roasted enough, and not too much, I myself referred to the...
Page 290 - you are very childish, and are talking nonsense. You must remember,. I am sure, that I was obliged to go out yesterday when dinner was half over; and that, the day before,. I was made quite unwell by being obliged to eat underdone veal in a hurry, to-day I don't dine at all— and I am afraid to say how long we waited for breakfast—and then the water didn't boil. I don't mean to reproach you, my dear, but this is not comfortable.
Page 202 - said Uriah, looking flabby and leadcolored in the moonlight. " Didn't I know it ! But how little you think of the rightful umbleness of a person in my station, Master Copperfield ! Father and me was both brought up at a foundation school for boys ; and mother, she was likewise brought up at a public, sort of charitable, establishment. They taught us all a deal of umbleness — not much else that I know of, from morning to night. We was to be umble to this person, and umble to that ; and...
Page 202 - They taught us all a deal of umbleness — not much else that I know of, from morning to night. We was to be umble to this person, and umble to that ; and to pull off our caps here, and to make bows there ; and always to know our place, and abase ourselves before our betters. And we had such a lot of betters ! Father got the monitor-medal by being umble. So did I. Father got made a sexton by being umble. He had the character, among the gentlefolks, of being such a well-behaved man, that they were...
Page 124 - My whole manner of thinking of our late misfortune was changed What I had to do, was, to show my aunt that her past goodness to me had not been thrown away on an insensible, ungrateful object. What I had to do, was, to turn the painful discipline of my younger days to account, by going to work with a resolute and steady heart. What I had to do, was, to take my woodman's axe in my hand, and clear my own way through the forest of difficulty, by cutting down the trees until I came to Dora. And I went...