I consider that the interests of India are involved in this improvement to a greater degree even than those of Great Britain; for, no doubt, if the quality of the Indian product were so far raised as to admit of its competing on terms approaching to equality with that of America, it would obtain a permanent footing in the great market to which it has access now only at moments of extraordinary dearth.

Up to this moment there had been an appalling dearth of physical cluesof things upon which a line of investigation could be intelligently based.

Confederate dearth of necessaries and "dear money".

Yet Alfonso, uniting in himself all these vocations, seemed at his death to have left behind him a wide waste of opportunities, a dreary dearth of accomplishment.

She perpetually complained to Walpole of the extreme dearth of reading matter.

My heart is left a fearful dearth.

There were no signs of excitement or activity at the barracks; the afternoon gatherings on the Piazza were occupied with nothing more serious than the prospects of lawn tennis and the grievous dearth of dances.

The sensational paragraph writers had better "let up" on the question of an imminent dearth of ice.

One that never prayed but for a lean dearth, and ever wept in a fat harvest.

Indeed, so long as she could dress, dance, dine, and chatter as much as she pleased, with her husband in constant attendance, Mrs. Welby had shown no open discontent with her lot; and if her caresses often hurt Eugénie more than they pleased, there had been no outward dearth of them.

There is no vermin in the land like him: he slanders both heaven and earth with pretended dearths when there is no cause of scarcity.

Except for the tea, however, there seemed to be a regrettable dearth of liquid refreshments, and I mentally thanked Providence for my happy inspiration with regard to the Off-Licence.

A severe dearth began in May, 1315, and proceeded to the utmost extremity, until after the harvest of 1316.

He came back with a staggering dearth of information.

In thee all's lost: a sudden dearth and want Hath seiz'd on Wit, good Epitaphs are scant; We dare not write thy Elegie, whilst each feares He nere shall match that coppy of thy teares.

And to what Do you attribute this unusual dearth? K.

while elsewhere among the stations of the interior it could not be had at any price, and there was an absolute dearth both of salt and of vegetable food, the settlers living for weeks on the flesh of the lean wild game, [Footnote: McAfee MSS.]

This doth a wretched dearth of wit betray, When things of kind on one another prey.

This comparative dearth of birds and flowers was not in all respects a disadvantage.