e;
that's what I'm goin' to _believe_; when it's got its Sunday clothes on
it'll look like a regular lord.' Well, there's plenty o' that sort
about; and you can allus tell 'em by the 'oller sound as they makes. And
them's the folks as spoils the old Bible.

"Not but what there's things in the Bible as is 'oller to begin wi'. But
there's plenty that isn't, if these talkin' chaps 'ud only leave it
alone. Now, here's a bit as I calls tip-top: 'When I consider thy
heavens, the work of thy fingers'" (here Snarley quoted several verses
of the Eighth Psalm).

"Now, when you gets hold on a bit like that, you don't want to go
dressin' on it up. You just puts it in your pipe and smokes it, and then
it does you good! _That's_ it!

"There's was once a Salvation Army man as come and asked me if I
accepted the Gospel. 'Yes, my lad,' I sez; 'I've accepted it--but only
as a thing to _smoke_, not as a thing to go _bangin' about_. Put your
drum in the cup-board, my lad,' I sez; 'and put the Gospel in your pipe,
and you'll be a wiser man.'

"As for all this 'ere argle-bargling about them big things, _there's
nowt in it_, you take my word for that! The little things for
argle-bargle, the big uns' for smokin', that's what _I_ sez! Put the big
'uns in your pipe, sir; put 'em in your pipe, and smoke 'em!"

These last words were spoken in tones of great solemnity and repeated
several times.

"That's good advice, Snarley," I said; "but the writer you just quoted
hadn't got a pipe to put 'em in."

"Didn't need one," said Snarley; "there weren't so many talkin' men
about in his time. Folks then were born right end up to begin wi', and
didn't need to smoke 'emselves round.

"Ay, ay, sir, I often think about them old days--and it's the Bible as
set me thinkin' on 'em. That's the only old book as I ever read. And
there's some staggerers in it, I can tell you! Wonderful! If some o'
them old Bible men could come back and hear the parsons talkin' about
'em--eh, my word, there would be a rumpus! I'd like to see it, that I
would! I'll tell you one thing, sir--and don't you forget it--you'll
never understand the old Bible, leastways not the best bits in it, so
long as you only wants to talk about 'em, same as a man _allus_ wants to
do when he's stuck inside his own skin. Now, there's that bit about the
heavens, as I just give you--that's a bit o' real all-right, isn't it?"

"Yes," I said, "it is."

"Well, can't you see as the man as said them