Allan Ramsay. [A biography.] - National Library of Scotland

ALLAN RAMSAY 117
own, but whose liberality in making allowances for human
weaknesses was less. Nay, he may even in some respects
have been 'near' with regard to certain Httle things,
though this was the result of his humble upbringing,
where, in the household economy of the Crichtons, a
pound was a fortune. But once break through the crust
of his old-fashioned formalism with the thrust of some
pressing appeal for aid, and instantly we touch the core
of a ready and warm sympathy—a sympathy as catholic
in the radius of its beneficence as it was munificent in
the measure of its benefactions. To the poor, to the
suffering, to the widow and the orphan, to the fatherless
and the friendless, Allan Ramsay was ever the readiest
to help where help was really needed ; and if his vanity
liked the fact to be made public property, wherein lay
the harm? Do our pubHshed subscription -lists to-day
not testify to the existence of the same foible in nine-
tenths of us? To the improvident, however, to the
lazy, to the genteel beggar, and to the thousand and one
forms mendicity—supported by mendacity—takes to
extort money, Allan was as adamant. ' Gang your wa's,'
he would say to such ;
mooth eats, and ye'll be a better man.'
' gar your elbuck earn what your
Allan has had the misfortune to be rated by what he
did not do in the way of charity, rather than by what he
did. Because he esteemed charity to begin at home,
and that he should provide for his own before partici-
pating in any schemes for providing for others, he
has been rated as selfish and miserly. The opposite
is the case. Prudent, careful, and economical,—into no
speculation would he go from which he did not see the
probability, at least, of an adequate return. Hence,