Sublime

They were the sort of people generally called the salt of the earth. In other words, they were hard, square and bad for your health,

But the whole ground of argument is now changed. For people do not consider what the drunkard does to others by throwing the pot, but what he does to himself by drinking the beer. The argument is based on health; and it is said that the Government must safeguard the health of the community. And the moment that is said, there ceases to be the shadow

GUY WALKS INTO A BAR . . . A drunk goes into a bar, stumbles over a few people, sits down and asks for a whiskey. The bartender tosses him out because he’s too drunk. A few minutes later, the drunk comes back into the bar, knocks over a stool, sits down at the bar and again asks for a whiskey. Again, the bartender tosses him out. A few minutes go b

The rewards of laughter come with memorable cautions against the distractions of trivia: the recognition that a sense of humor can preserve purpose and proportion, and that even the smallest “but” can topple unjustified authority. Its fun packs a wallop.

“Father’s got the sack from the water–works For smoking of his old cherry–briar; Father’s got the sack from the water–works ‘Cos he might set the water–works on fire.”

In addition, Peter helped me to edit what I had written, removing whatever ‘fat’ my dialogue had on it, whether it was a repetition, a redundant phrase, an unnecessary adjective – even a single syllable. I’d half-realised some of this, but not the ruthlessness it required.