He considered this his duty; it was also, I am afraid, a pleasure.

"It's a pity," he said, "that things should not have gone better; but there are so many writers to-day that I wonder any one writes at all.

We live in a practical, realistic age.

The leaders amongst us have decided that every man must gird his loins and go out to fight his battles with real weapons in a real cause, not sit dreaming at his windows looking down upon the busy market-place." (Mr.Lasher loved what he called "images." There were many in his sermons.) "But, my dear Pidgen, it is in no way too late.
Give up your fairy stories now that they have been proved a failure." Here Mr.Pidgen, in the most astonishing way, was suddenly in a terrible temper.

"They're not!" he almost screamed.