Page:The life and opinions of Tristram Shandy (Volume 1).pdf/159

 This contrariety of humours betwixt my father and my uncle, was the source of many a fraternal squabble. The one could not bear to hear the tale of family disgrace recorded,—and the other would scarce ever let a day pass to an end without some hint at it.

For God's sake, my uncle Toby would cry,—and for my sake, and for all our sakes, my dear brother Shandy,—do let this story of our aunt's and her ashes sleep in peace;—how can you,—how can you have so little feeling and compassion for the character of our family:—What is the character of a family to an hypothesis? my father would reply.—Nay, if you come to that—what is the life of a family:—The life of a family!—my uncle Toby would say, throwing himself back in his arm-