"Ah, well," cried Thomas laughing, "you're almost too deep for me. But it comes into my mind what happened to me a good many years ago, when I were quite a young man. There were a nobleman in our parts,--I wasn't living at Crossbourne then,--and his son came of age, and such a feast there was as I never saw afore or since, and I hope I never may again. Well, my father's family had been in that country for many generations, and so they turned us into gentlefolks, me and my father, that day, and we sat down to dinner with the quality; and a grand dinner it was for certain. When it was all over, as I thought, and the parson had returned thanks, just as I were for getting up and going, they brings round some plates with great glass bowls in 'em, nearly full of water, something like what an old aunt of mine used to keep gold-fish in; and there was a knife and fork on each plate. Then the servants brings all sorts of fruits,--apples and pears, and peaches and grapes,--and sets 'em on the table. I was asked what I'd have, and I chose a great rosy- cheeked apple. And then I were going to bite a great piece out of it, but a gent as sat next me whispers, `Cut it, man; it's more civil to cut it.' So I takes up the knife, which had got a mother-o'-pearl handle to it, and tries to cut the apple, but I could only make a mark on it such as you see on a hot-cross-bun. Then I looked at the blade of the knife, and it were just like silver, but were as blunt as a broomstick. However, I tried again, but it wouldn't cut; so I axes a tall chap in livery as stood behind my chair if they'd such a thing as a butcher's steel in the house, for I wanted to put an edge to my knife. Eh, you should have seen that fellow grin! `No, sir,' he says, `we ain't got nothing of the sort.' `Well, then,' says I, `take this knife away,-- there's a good man!--for it's too fine for me, and bring me a good steel knife with an edge as'll cut.'--Now, if you'll excuse my long story, gentlemen, it seems to me that the sort of religion you say is getting popular among the swell people and men of science in our country is uncommon like that fruit-knife as couldn't suit me. It's a deal too fine for common purposes, and common people, and common homes, and common hearts; it hasn't got no edge--it won't cut. We want a religion with a good usable edge to it, as'll cut the cords of our sins and the knots of our troubles. Now, that's just the religion of the Bible. It tells us what we're to do for God and for our fellow-creatures; it tells us how we're to do it, by showing us how the Lord Jesus Christ shed his blood to free us from the guilt and power of sin, and bought us grace by which we might walk in his steps; and it shows why we're to do it,--just from love to him, because he first loved us in giving Jesus to die for us. I don't see what use religion or the Bible would be to us if these things weren't laid down for us clear and sharp; if p'raps they was