The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1921-01-20
PARABLE OF THE GAMBLERS
AND THE DISPENSERS
OF THE LAW

VI Inv
Argument-A gambler taketh your
money while you look at him, and
giveth nothing in return. A thief
taketh your money while you do not
look at him and giveth nothing in
return.
A grand jury is twelve men who
decide whether you shall be brought
TO trial for crime, or whether you
shall go free without trial.
Now after that I had taken ad-
vantage Of the distress Of the peo-
pie, and had prospered and thriven
during the World War, I was aweary,
and I took vacation. And I went
and abode among sharpers and crooks
and gamblers, and among those who
toll not, and yet outshine the lilies
Of the field. And they taught me
divers games Of chance, even poker.
And ! learned all their tricks until
there was not among them all man
Of such exceeding crookedness as ],
so that they feared me.
F., And I returned home into mine own
country and into mine own city, and
] called four Of my friends about me.
And ! said, "Yea, have prepared me
a place In the rear office Of certain
business house. Come We, to me there
in secret, after that IL Is dark, and ]
will shew you many new tricks which
have learned in far country"
And they came and we played poker
and i showed them few new tricks.
And II was expensive TO them. And
they murmured And seeing their
discomfort, and being a just man, I
said. "Be not cast down and heavy Of
hearts, for what We have learned to-
night Is but the beginning Of wisdom.
Bring We, each two or three friends
on another night, and we four will
take all their substance and divide
It among us for Q spoil" And they
said, yea, let IL be as thou sayest.'
And they came again, and their
friends with them, and they told their
wives that they were going to the
lodge, and to sit up with sick friend,
and that they would possibly look in
at prayer meeting, and that they were
going walking for their health, and
that the doctor had prescribed moon
light and fresh air for their constitu-
tions, and that a neighbor was in dis
tress, and that they had forgotten to
lock up their places Of business. And
II worked!
And we taught the simpletons
poker. and and my four friends d.
vided up their gold and silver and
precious stones and liberty bonds.
And they were for spoil unto us
and unto our children. And the sim
pletons came again, and again, say
ing, "Yea, we have gotten us other
moneys, and we wish to win back that
which we have lost" And we an
swered them saying, YEA, go to it!"
And we robbed them afresh. and took
their automobiles and their children's
bread. And we were merry.
Now in the fullness Of time It came
to pass that divers old sisters and
certain holy men began to smell a
mouse And one with a larger nose
than the rest said, NAY; it is not
mouse, II is a greater animal" And
another said, ut is a behemoth."
And yet another averred that It was
a leviathan. And they took counsel
together saying, "Yea, we win give
the names Of these malefactors to
the grand jury, and they will i'm
prison these gamblers and compel
these crooks to deliver up their spoil
again into the hands of those who
were robbed"
And the old sisters and the holy
men did all that they had said. But
the grand jury hearkened not unto
them. but rather unto me and my
four friends who had won the money.
And the grand jury harmed us not,
and not one summons was served up
on us!
This parable Is full Of wisdom. II
sheweth that it payeth we'll to stand
in with those who administer the law,
and il revealeth that grand jurors
sometimes live in glass houses.
Alison Baker