"She felt just like sitting on the rocks all day": from Miss Roberts' Fortune by Sophy Winthrop (1875).

An illustration from an 1895 issue of The Windsor magazine.

Staring into the depths: an illustration from an 1890 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine.  The caption reads: "Looking intently into the heart of the fire."

An illustration from an 1873 issue of Peterson's magazine.

An illustration from an 1887 issue of Life magazine.

An illustration from an 1879 issue of Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly magazine.  The caption reads: "He grew into a fashion of dropping his pen, or holding it idly in his fingers, and picturing dreamily sketches not written out for mortal ken, but only for his heart's comfort."

An illustration from a 1914 issue of Harper's magazine.  The caption reads: "Many a day she must have sat there, just thinking."

An illustration from a 1911 issue of Harper's magazine.

An illustration from a 1914 issue of Harper's magazine.

Staring into the depths: an illustration from an 1898 issue of Century Illustrated magazine.

An illustration from an 1852 issue of Godey's magazine.

Staring into the depths: an illustration from an 1899 issue of Harper's magazine.  The caption reads: "He was a man upon the edge of some despair."

An illustration from a 1903 issue of Harper's magazine.  The caption reads: "So the night passed."

An illustration from a 1904 issue of Harper's magazine.

Staring into the depths: an illustration from a 1915 issue of Harper's magazine.  The caption reads: "He gazed outward with her into the far, dim, restful spaces."

Staring into the depths: an illustration from a 1901 issue of Harper's magazine.  The caption reads: "Terris sat and looked with the god."

An illustration from a 1903 issue of Harper's magazine.  The caption reads: "They were looking down into the void below."

An illustration from a 1906 issue of Harper's magazine.  The caption reads: "David's eyes were on the distance."

An illustration from a 1906 issue of Harper's magazine.  The caption reads: "She sat staring into the fire."