Scotland/Scots > Licht frae the smiddy o' Saunders Dinwuddie

CHRISTIAN KINDNESS TO MINISTERS. 59
question, ‘ How much can I give ?' but in answer
to the question, ‘ How little can I get decently off
with ?’ Shame shame !”
“ Yemay weelsay sae, Sir. Yetl’mnofor makin’
gentry o’ oor ministers. I’m no for layin’
them doun in the drouzy lap o’ ease and luxury,
lest they wax fat, like Jeshuron, and begin to
kick. Shepherds should be supple and active in
lookin’ after the sheep—no muckle purfled,
short-winded shepherds, wha stech and graen at
ilka bit knowe they come to. Na, na. I’m no
for that. But as the faithfu’ minister is a fellow-
worker wi’ God, he is weel wordy o’ his hire.
Why should we stint and scrimp him o’ the
necessaries and comforts o’ life ? Why fill his
head fu’ o’ care, and bis heart fu’ o’ sorrow, as to
how he and his family are to square matters, and
keep out o’ the dyvours’ list ? I’ve often thocht
that the manse folk maun be grand economists
to gar sae little as they ha’e gang sae far.”
“True, Saunders, there must be careful calcula¬
tion in laying out the slender income. Industry,
temperance, and frugality alone can keep them
from running into debt. There must be much
honest scheming, too, and perhaps no small pinch¬
ing of back and belly, to keep up their credit. I
need say nothing of the intellectual luxuries,
which, to men of cultivated understandings, of
refined and elegant tastes, become almost necessa¬
ries of life. To compel such men to live on the
shortest commons possible reflects no great
honour on our Christian commonwealth.”
“ It is a disgrace, Sir ; every member o’ the
kirk should do as muckle, and no as little as he