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Butler, Samuel, 1835-1902

"The Way of All Flesh"

"
This was another facer. Ernest could only stammer that he had
endeavoured to examine these questions as carefully as he could.
"You think you have," said Mr Shaw; "you Oxford and Cambridge gentlemen
think you have examined everything. I have examined very little myself
except the bottoms of old kettles and saucepans, but if you will answer
me a few questions, I will tell you whether or no you have examined much
more than I have."
Ernest expressed his readiness to be questioned.
"Then," said the tinker, "give me the story of the Resurrection of Jesus
Christ as told in St John's gospel."
I am sorry to say that Ernest mixed up the four accounts in a deplorable
manner; he even made the angel come down and roll away the stone and sit
upon it. He was covered with confusion when the tinker first told him
without the book of some of his many inaccuracies, and then verified his
criticisms by referring to the New Testament itself.
"Now," said Mr Shaw good naturedly, "I am an old man and you are a young
one, so perhaps you'll not mind my giving you a piece of advice. I like
you, for I believe you mean well, but you've been real bad brought up,
and I don't think you have ever had so much as a chance yet.


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