John Oliver Hobbes

“ Wrath groaned. "Human nature is so discontented!" he said: "I have been starving for a month, and I must own that this constant gnawing at one's vitals becomes tedious: I would prefer a newer pain."
"Let us both pray for another sort of anguish," said Jenyns, "the good old monks were artistic: they believed that variety was beauty, so they occasionally skinned a heretic before they boiled him!" ”

“ I mean, of course, if you would care to go with me. . . .I do not wonder this room is gloomy; it has stolen the odour of a dozen honest dinners. Let us go down in the kitchen and see the baby. I sketched her this morning; here it is: 'Study of an Infant Genius: aged four days.'"
"Don't talk of her," said Jenyns, fiercely; "I never wish to look upon her face again. She killed her mother. . . .I see no God in nature—only Hell, cruel, relentless, hideous."
"Bah!" said Wrath. "Don't get your nose in an artificial manure heap and think you are studying nature. ”

“ The atmosphere is a sophisticated and artificial one, where the spirit of real humanity or tenderness seems somewhat lacking, but where 'good things' of another sort abound. The book positively flashes with quick intuition and shrewd generalizations on human nature in the aggregate, though the quality is not perhaps so remarkable or so refined as in the other volumes. ”

“ Why don't you howl because the trees are bare? [8] Who would think that such grim skeletons could ever be bright with leaves again, or look just as they did last year? Yet they will; and so, when the time comes, you will see your wife; you have only buried the dead leaves of a soul." At no time an eloquent man but always one to whom speech was even a painful effort, he went out of the room after this outburst. With the inconsequence of the artistic reason he had a sudden idea for a picture he was then designing.
Jenyns was once more alone. He gave a feeble laugh and hurried to the window ”

“ The grave-digger who spelled out this inscription on the coffin, nudged his companion, and they clambered up the sides of the grave to stare after a man, who, with dragging steps and bent head, was slowly groping his way out of the cemetery. He avoided the path, and slunk round and among the numerous mounds and monuments, frequently stumbling, and often halting outright.
"Did you see 'is face?" said the elder of the gravediggers; "'e ain't a day more'n two-and-twenty. 'Tain't every one as marries so fool'ardy young as gits out of it so easy!" ”

“ His assistant, less philosophical but more kindly, blinked his eyes and gave a cheerless laugh. "'E pro'bly thinks," he said, "as 'e's the 'ardest done-by in the 'ole world. 'E don't see as it all stands to reason, as you and me do, bless yer. 'E only thinks as when 'e gits 'ome there won't be nobody there!" ”

“ There is no want of character, however, or of play of emotion."—The Athenaum. ↑ A public house is commonly referred to today as a Pub.↑ A potman is a man employed in a public house to collect empty pots or glasses; a waiter in a similar establishment.↑ The Sportsman being described in this passage may relate to one of Sportsman magazines listed in the Catalogue of the Printed Books in the Library of the British Museum, Volume 38. ”