'Twas well my father's passions lasted not long; for so long as they did last, they led him a busy life on't; and it is one of the most unaccountable problems that ever I met with in my observations of human nature, that nothing should prove my father's mettle so much, or make his passions go off so like gunpowder, as the unexpected strokes his science met with from the quaint simplicity of my uncle _Toby's_ questions. ----Had ten dozen of hornets stung him behind in so many different places all at one time--he could not have exerted more mechanical functions in fewer seconds------or started half so much, as with one single _qure_ of three words unseasonably popping in full upon him in his hobby-horsical career.
'Twas all one to my uncle _Toby_------he smoaked his pipe on with unvaried composure----his heart never intended offence to his brother--and as his head could seldom find out where the sting of it lay----he always gave my father the credit of cooling by himself. ----He was five minutes and thirty-five seconds about it in the present case.

'Twas well my father's passions lasted not long; for so long as they did last, they led him a busy life; and nothing made his passions go off so like gunpowder, as the unexpected blows his science met with from the quaint simplicity of my uncle Toby's questions. Had ten dozen hornets stung him all at once, they could not have startled him half so much as one single query unseasonably popping in full upon him in his hobby-horsical career.
'Twas all one to my uncle Toby - he smoked his pipe on with unvaried composure - he never intended offence to his brother - and as he could seldom find out where the sting lay, he always gave my father the chance of cooling by himself. My father took five minutes and thirty-five seconds on this occasion.
