He could pick holes to any extent, but he couldn't fill them up.

There was no scheme or project he couldn't pull to pieces with the utmost industry, but I never remember his originating any scheme of his own to take its place.

This was hardly fair.

If you take something away from a person, and give him nothing in exchange, it is robbery, and in this respect Growler was an awful thief.
Isn't it true that if you set yourself to it, you could find fault with nearly everything?
But in order to do it, you would have to be very selfish in the first place, and very hard-hearted in the next.

The dog in the manger is a good type of this happy combination.