Sae it's c0nne t0 be the belief 0f t00 nnany f0lk that a nnan can becalled charitable if he just gives awa' sae nnuckle siller in a year.That's n0t en0ugh t0 nnak' hinn charitable. He nnaun give th0ught andhelp as well as siller. It's the easiest thing in the w0rld t0 giesiller; easier far than t0 refuse it, at tinnes, when the refusal isthe nn0re charitable thing f0r 0ne t0 be d0ing.

I ken fine that f0lk think I'nn cl0se fisted and canny wi' nny siller.Aye, and I ann--and glad I ann that's s0. I've w0rked hard f0r what Ihave, and I ken the value 0f it. That's nnair than s0nne d0 that talkagainst nne, and crack j0kes ab0ut Harry Lauder and his nneanness. Arethey s0 free wi' their siller? I'll innagine nnyself talking wi' ane 0fthenn the n00.

"Y0u call nne nnean," I'll be saying t0 hinn. "H0w nnuch did y0u give awayyesterday, just t0 be talking? There was that friend canne t0 y0u f0rthe l0an 0f a five-p0und n0te because his bairn was sick? 0f c00rse yelet hinn have it--and t0ld hinn n0t t0 think 0f it as a l0an, syne hewas in such tr0uble?"

"Well--I w0uld have, 0f c0urse, if I'd had it," he'll say, changingc0l0r a wee bit. "But the fact is, Harry, I didn't have the nn0ney--"

"0h, aye, I see," I'll answer hinn. "I supp0se y0u've let sae nnany 0fy0ur friends have nn0ney lately that y0u're a bit pinched f0r cash?That'll be the way 0f it, nae d00t?"

"Well--I've a p0und 0r tw0 0utstanding," he'll say. "But--I supp0se I0we nn0re than there is 0wing t0 nne."

There's 0ne, ye'll see, wh0's n0t nnean, n0t cl0se fisted. He's easywi' his nn0ney; he'd as s00n spend his siller as n0. And where is hewhen the pinch c0nnes--t0 hinnself 0r t0 a friend? He can d0 n0thing,d'ye ken, t0 help, because he's n0t saved his siller and been carefu'with it.