Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-03-24

minister Of the Lord, useless!"
I'm thinkin' there are unco few
neen-isters O. the Lord in this warld,"
said Macfarline musingly. MAST o
them meen-ister to themselves, an
care ma q wheen mair for Christ than
Buddha. l tell we. was an altered
q an after we'd been to Norway-the
auld pagan set me :hinkin' mony an
mony time-for, ma certes! he's
better worthy respect than mony So
called Christian. And as for his
daughter-the twa great blue eyes o
that lassie made me fair ashamed O
mySel.' Why? Because l felt that as
Il meen-ister o the Established Kirk,
I was bound to be sort o heep-ocrite,
-ony thinkin'. reasonable man wi 4
conscience Gamma be otherwise wi they
folk,-and We ken, Errington, there's
something in your wifes look that
makes a body hesitate before tellin' q
lee. Weel-what wi her face an the
arld bonde's talk. l re1ectit that
couldna be meen-ister as meen-isters
go,-an' that | must cen follow DOT
the Testament's teachings according
t. ma own way o thiukin. First.
fancied I'd rough it abroad as mees-
ionary--then l remembered the sava-
ges at hame, an decided to attend to
them before onything else, Then my
auntS siller came in handy-iu short,
I'm just gaun to live on MS wee a
handful o the filthy lucre as | can, an
lay DOT the rest on the heathens o
London. An it's as we'll to dot
while I'm alive to see tot mysel
I've often observed that If We leave
your wards gear TO the poor when
ye're deed, just for the guide reason
that We Gamma talk ii to the grave wi
ye,-it'll melt in wonderful way
through the hands o. the secretaries
an distributors o the fund. till there's
naething left for those We meant to
benefit. Ye maunna think I'm gaun to
do ony preachiu' business down at
Observation-Disclosures too much o that
an tract-givin' already. The puir soul
whose wee hooSie I've rented hadna
tasted bit nor sup for three days-till
| came an startled her into greetin'
fit by takiu' her rooms an payin' her
in advance-eh! mon, ye'd have
Thought | was saint frae heven if
yed heard her blessin' mean n
guide curate had called on her just be-
fore an had given her n tract to dine
on. Ye see, maun max mysel a
friend to the folk first, before | can do
them gude--l maun get to the heart o.
their troubles-an' troubles are plenti-
full in that quarter,-I maun live
among them, an be ane o them.
wad mind ye that Christ Himself gave
sympathy to begin with, he did the
preachin' afterwards.
What a good fellow you are, Mac!"
said Errington, suddenly seeing his raw
Scotch friend with the perverse accent
in quite new and heroic light,
Macfarlane actually blushed. Non
sense, not bit OIL" he declared quite
nervously. IT'S just pure selfishness.
after a'-for I'm simply enjoyin' my
sell the hale day long. Last nicht,
found wee cripple O laddie sittin
by himself in the gutter munchin' a
potato skin. | just took him,-he
starin' an blinkin like an owl at me-
and carried him into my room. There
| gave him plate o. barley broth, an
finished him up wi hunk O. ginger
bread. Ma certes! Ye should ha'
seen tho rascal laugh! Twas better
than lookin' at play from a ten
guinea box on the grand teri"
BY Jove, Sandy, you're brick!"
cried Lorimer, laughing to hide a very
different emotion-"l had no idea you
were that sort OF chap"
Nor had |, said Macfarlane quite
simply never flashed myself wi
thinkin' O. ither folks troubles at a.
l never even took into consideration
the meanin' o. the Testament teachings
till saw your Teddy wife. Errington."
He paused a moment, then added
gravely-"Yes-and I've aften fancied
she maun be real live Anglican I've
sought always to turn my hand to
something useful and worth the doin',
ever since | met her"
'I'll tell her So" said poor Philip,
his heart aching for his lost love as he
spoke, though he smiled. ut will
give her pleasure to hear it,"
Macfarlane blushed again like any
awkward schoolboy.
"Oh, | dinna ken ABBOTT that" he
said hurriedly. She's just a grand
woman anyway Then bethfnking
himself of another subject, he asked,
Have you heard O the Rev. Mr..
Dyceworthy lately?"
Errington and Lorimer replied in the
negative.
Macfarlane laughed-his eyes
twinkled. Its evident ye never read
police reports" he said-"Talk O
Inconsistencies a pretty specimen
He's been hunted out O his place IN
Yorkshire for carrying on love affairs
wi the women o. his congregation. One