This involved me in much
perplexity, for nothing is more difficult than to make money useful to the
poor. But I was very glad of it, notwithstanding.
My own means were not so large as my readers may think. The property my
wife brought me was much encumbered. With the help of her private fortune,
and the income of several years (not my income from the church, it may be
as well to say), I succeeded in clearing off the encumbrances. But even
then there remained much to be done, if I would be the good steward that
was not to be ashamed at his Lord's coming. First of all there were many
cottages to be built for the labourers on the estate. If the farmers would
not, or could not, help, I must do it; for to provide decent dwellings for
them, was clearly one of the divine conditions in the righteous tenure of
property, whatever the human might be; for it was not for myself alone, or
for myself chiefly, that this property was given to me; it was for those
who lived upon it. Therefore I laid out what money I could, not only in
getting all the land clearly in its right relation to its owner, but
in doing the best I could for those attached to it who could not help
themselves.
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