The Shepherd and His Calling. xvii 



jority of cases the fault lies with the shepherd him- 

 self and is so often wrongly called "bad luck." If 

 he does not care to handle his flock of breeding 

 ewes during winter in such a manner as to assure 

 the largest percentage of lambs, and is not willing 

 to sit up part of the night during lambing time, 

 he is not worth having around the flock. He must 

 really feel proud of his success and must feel ashamed 

 of things which have gone wrong through his fault. 

 The best shepherds of today are not conceited over 

 their success, but feel that there is still a httle more 

 to be learned. If a shepherd cannot at any time agree 

 with his employer he will never take the best interest 

 in his flock. A shepherd who walks through the 

 sheep-fold without the necessary sharpness to detect 

 an ill sheep in the flock is by no means the right kind 

 of a shepherd. Another one that sees an ailing 

 sheep, but has not energy enough to care for it at 

 once, is just as bad or worse than the first man 

 mentioned. 



When a man does not mind the bleat of a sheep 

 or Iamb that wants more feed, salt, or water, he 

 has not the true spirit of a shepherd. Neither is he 

 worthy of the name of shepherd if he does not 

 do at once those things which should be attended 

 to, but says he will do them tomorrow or some 

 other time. The man who is not aware of the 



