CHAP. xx. PREACHING AND STIPEND. 337 



Again he felt his business falling off. Unfortunately, 

 he had tried to make bread of the sifted flour saved from 

 the wreck ; but the bread was not good, and more 

 customers left him. " They might have borne with me," 

 he said, " a little longer, if they had only known of my 

 suffering and distress." Afterwards, he said, " If I had 

 only half as much work as I could do, I should be the 

 happiest of men. I have more biscuit beside me than I 

 shall be able to sell in three months. I would toil 

 willingly, but all is overdone here. It is very difficult 

 to get work at all. He is a happy man who can make 

 his living. Shoals of masons and house-wrights are 

 leaving here by steamer. 



" Men are failing rapidly. One is said to have failed 

 for 3000. He hasn't preached according to his stipend. 

 You know the story. An elder went to his minister, 

 and said, ' that his preaching was rather poor ; that's 

 what people said.' ' Of what do they complain ?' asked 

 the minister. ' Weel, sir, they're saying that ye dinna 

 preach half weel.' ' So,' said the minister, ' but ye dinna 

 consider that ye dinna pay half weel. I preach 

 according to my stipend. P#y me better, and I'll preach 

 better ! ' And so, had the people bought better, the 

 merchant would have sold better, and not a breath would 

 have been heard about his failure." 



Though Dick said that his customers were leaving 

 him, and that he was thought less of than ever, there 

 was still some comfort left him. " Nobody heeds me," 

 he said ; " and yet Nature is as kindly as ever." The 

 spring was approaching. Fine balmy days wooed him 



