Vol.1 f.016 recto

two or three times your age, sitting still and silent and not dreaming of saying a word?"
"Why that's the proper time for me to talk, isn't it?" said Joe rebelliously.
"The proper time, sir!' retorted his father, "the proper time's no time."
"Ah to be sure!" muttered Parkes, nodding gravely to the other two who nodded likewise, observing under their breaths that that was the point.
" The proper time's no time, sir," repeated John Willet; "when I was your age I never talked, I never wanted to talk. I listened and improved myself, that’s what [1I]1 did."
"And you'd find your father rather a tough customer in argeyment, Joe, if anybody was to try and tackle him," said Parkes.
"I'm never to open my lips --"
" Silence, sir!" roared his father. "No, you never are. When your opinion's wanted, you give it. When you're spoke to, you speak. When your opinion's not wanted and you're not spoke to, don't you give an opinion and don't you speak. The world's undergone a nice alteration since my time, certainly. My belief is that there an't any boys left-- that there isn't such a thing