I was arguing with Father Sebastian the other day, she said thoughtfully. I quoted the thing about giving all you have to the poor. He said that was … - Keith Roberts

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I was arguing with Father Sebastian the other day, she said thoughtfully. I quoted the thing about giving all you have to the poor. He said that was all very well but you had to come to terms with the Scriptures and realize there had to be teachers and leaders for the people's own good. It seemed an awful get-out to me, and I couldn't help saying so. I told him if the Church would sell half her altar plate she could buy shoes for everybody in the country, and a lot else besides; and that if the Pope would make a start in Rome I'd see about getting rid of a few job lots of furniture down in Corfe. I'm afraid he didn't take very kindly to it. I know it was wrong of me but he annoys me sometimes; he's so pious, and it seems to mean so very little. He'd walk miles in the snow to pray for a sick child, he's a very good man; but if there was more money about to start with, maybe the child wouldn't have been taken ill. It all seems so unnecessary....