Citations:alone

English citations of alone

			1678	1719	1843 1851 1869	1910 1936 1980 1995	2017
ME «	15th c.	16th c.	17th c.	18th c.	19th c.	20th c.	21st c.

• 1678 — John Bunyan. The Pilgrim's Progress.

  Wherefore Christian was left to tumble in the Slough of Despond alone: but still he endeavoured to struggle to that side of the slough that was still further from his own house, and next to the wicket-gate; the which he did, but could not get out, because of the burden that was upon his back: but I beheld in my dream, that a man came to him, whose name was Help, and asked him, What he did there?

  Wherefore, getting out again on that side next to his own house, he told me I should possess the brave country alone for him; so he went his way, and I came mine — he after Obstinate, and I to this gate.

  Why, my wife was afraid of losing this world, and my children were given to the foolish delights of youth: so what by one thing, and what by another, they left me to wander in this manner alone.

• 1719 — Daniel Defoe. Robinson Crusoe.

  Even the earthquake, though nothing could be more terrible in its nature, or more immediately directing to the invisible Power which alone directs such things, yet no sooner was the first fright over, but the impression it had made went off also. I had no more sense of God or His judgments—much less of the present affliction of my circumstances being from His hand—than if I had been in the most prosperous condition of life.

  Any one may judge the labour of my hands in such a piece of work; but labour and patience carried me through that, and many other things. I only observe this in particular, to show the reason why so much of my time went away with so little work—viz. that what might be a little to be done with help and tools, was a vast labour and required a prodigious time to do alone, and by hand.

  There were also, indeed, several thick watch-coats of the seamen’s which were left, but they were too hot to wear; and though it is true that the weather was so violently hot that there was no need of clothes, yet I could not go quite naked—no, though I had been inclined to it, which I was not—nor could I abide the thought of it, though I was alone.

• 1843 — Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol.

  He only knew that it was quite correct; that everything had happened so; that there he was, alone again, when all the other boys had gone home for the jolly holidays.

  He was not alone, but sat by the side of a fair young girl in a mourning-dress: in whose eyes there were tears, which sparkled in the light that shone out of the Ghost of Christmas Past.

  If he had been, he'd have had somebody to look after him when he was struck with Death, instead of lying gasping out his last there, alone by himself."

• 1851 — Herman Melville. Moby Dick.

  "While you take in hand to school others, and to teach them by what name a whale-fish is to be called in our tongue leaving out, through ignorance, the letter H, which almost alone maketh the signification of the word, you deliver that which is not true." — HACKLUYT

  The picture represents a Cape-Horner in a great hurricane; the half-foundered ship weltering there with its three dismantled masts alone visible; and an exasperated whale, purposing to spring clean over the craft, is in the enormous act of impaling himself upon the three mast-heads.

  He said no more, but slowly waving a benediction, covered his face with his hands, and so remained kneeling, till all the people had departed, and he was left alone in the place.

• 1869, Joseph Eastburn Winner (lyrics and music), “Little Brown Jug”:

  My wife and I live all alone,
  In a little log hut, we called our own.

• 1910, Lora Altine Woodbury Underhill, Descendants of Edward Small of New England, and the allied families, with tracings of English ancestry, page 817:

  Their married life, extending over a period of sixty-eight years, was ideal; after the children had left home, they lived alone for many years, declining either assistance or company.

• 1936, Agar Herbert, What is America?, page 31:

  The other night, when I stayed at my friend’s house, we drank whisky after dinner. At bedtime my host looked nervously round him and said, “ We've got to clean this up.” Since he lives alone, with three servants, I wondered why.

• 1980, Mabel Louise Nassau, Old age poverty in Greenwich Village, a neighborhood study, page 22:

  Her husband died fifteen years ago, leaving nothing but burial insurance. Her son left her some savings. She has a sister and two nieces, but they can't help her, and she lives alone with two lodgers, whose payments cover the rent and leave a little over.

• 1995, Amelia Autin, Gideon's Bride, page 306:

  Just yesterday, it seemed, Gideon Lowell was a contented family man. Now he was alone, with three children to raise and a ranch to run.

• 2017, Maureen Jennings, Let Darkness Bury The Dead, page 92:

  “There’s nobody here by that name. My husband is Isaac Freedman. I’m Miriam. We live alone.”
  “Is the name familiar to you at all, Mrs. Freedman?”
  “No. Our only son was named Moishe, but he is long gone.”