The fate of my story filled me with gloomy forebodings; the more I thought about it the more absurd it seemed to me that I could have written anything useable with such suddenness, half-asleep, with my brain full of fever and dreams.
"Hunger"
Knut Hamsun
After dark the only source of light came from a hurricane lamp, this was not always effective in which case it was swapped for a useable one from another tent when nobody was looking, standard army practice.
"Coming of Age: 1939-1946"
John Cox
The instrument was brought to a useable state, but some small parts were still wanting.
"Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy"
George Biddell Airy