As a child, having thrust away the mother's guiding hand and hidden its face against the wall, may fancy itself alone and forgotten, until, turning with a cry, it finds around it the protecting mother-arms that were never but a handsbreadth away; so does man in his wilfulness push away the shielding arms of the divine Mother of the worlds, only to find, when he turns back his face, that he has never been outside their protecting shelter, and that wherever he may wander that guarding love is round him still.
"Esoteric Christianity, or The Lesser Mysteries"
Annie Besant
But hardly had the sun risen a handsbreadth over the belt of trees on the other bank, before their tree came walking and placed itself on the same spot where it had been the day before.
"Invisible Links"
Selma Lagerlof
The other man struck Tirant in the middle of his thigh, and the wound gaped about a handsbreadth.
"The White Knight: Tirant lo Blanc"
Joanot Martorell and Marti Johan d'Galba