United States or Singapore ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
He had a good deal of judgment, Daniel had, and knew just when to use 'soft sodder, and when not to. On the road that he traveled there lived a widow woman, who had the reputation of being as ugly, cross-grained a critter as ever lived. People used to say that it was enough to turn milk sour for her even to look at it. Well, it so happened that Daniel had never called there.
A young girl brought up at home by her mother or by her virtuous, bigoted, amiable or cross-grained old aunt; a young girl, whose steps have never crossed the home threshold without being surrounded by chaperons, whose laborious childhood has been wearied by tasks, albeit they were profitless, to whom in short everything is a mystery, even the Seraphin puppet show, is one of those treasures which are met with, here and there in the world, like woodland flowers surrounded by brambles so thick that mortal eye cannot discern them.
"I am peevish and cross-grained," he informed her, "and I have grown old in ignorance of woman's ways. Love has never come to me until now. What manner of lover, think you, can I make?" Her eyes were on the windows at his back. The sunshine striking through them seemed to give her the reply she sought.
Poor Glumm blushed as red as if he had been a young girl, at being thus unexpectedly caught giving vent to his ill-humour; he stammered something about bad dreams and evil spirits, and then, breaking into a good-humoured smile, said: "Well, Ada, I know not what it is that ails me, but I do feel somewhat cross-grained. Perchance a walk with thee may cure me, I see thou art bound for the hayfield.
In one case the discipline is salutary and serves a good end; in the other it is sheer cruelty. Just let me introduce you to a bully of the true sort one whom we might call a professional bully as contrasted with the amateur big- brother bullies of whom I have been speaking. Bob Bangs of our school was a big, ill-conditioned, lazy, selfish, cross-grained sort of fellow.
I have indeed one old cousin, but he is rich, and would not be benefited by my poor little possessions; besides, he's a cross-grained old fellow, and does not deserve anything, even though I had something worth leaving.
An elderly man was at their heels scolding and directing in a creaky, sardonic voice. He turned towards me. There was no mistaking those austere features and that goatee beard. It was my old cross-grained companion, Professor Summerlee. "What!" he cried. "Don't tell me that you have had one of these preposterous telegrams for oxygen?" I exhibited it. "Well, well!
Now the goodman of Greentofts was little loved of the neighbours: he was grasping and overbearing, and had often cowed others out of their due: he was very cross-grained, both at home and abroad: his wife had fled from his hand, neither did his sons find it good to abide with him: therewithal he was wealthy of goods, a strong man and a deft man-at-arms.
As for his father, no one can deny his ability, and I don't fancy any one would care to deny that he has the deil's own temper " "If you'll excuse me, Mr. Innes, I think the lass is crying on me," said Kirstie, and flounced from the room. "The damned, cross-grained, old broomstick!" ejaculated Innes.
They have about them some madness of a phantasy which they dignify with the name of feminine pride, and under the cloak of this they believe themselves to be justified in tormenting their lovers' lives out. The only consolation is that they torment themselves as much. Can anything be more cross-grained than you are at this moment?
Word Of The Day