"Time was--long and merry ago now!--when not one of the varmits was to be heard of; but it served some of the quires right.

They should have stuck to strings as we did, and kept out clarinets, and done away with serpents.

If you'd thrive in musical religion, stick to strings, says I." "Strings be safe soul-lifters, as far as that do go," said Mr.Spinks.
"Yet there's worse things than serpents," said Mr.Penny.

"Old things pass away, 'tis true; but a serpent was a good old note: a deep rich note was the serpent." "Clar'nets, however, be bad at all times," said Michael Mail.

"One Christmas--years agone now, years--I went the rounds wi' the Weatherbury quire.