The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1924-10-31
THE PARABLE OF THE
SECOND STEWARD AND
THE CORN AND

wants. And he called unto him two
of them and said unto them: II
desire to go into far country to be
gone many days. Unto you give
the oversight of all my people and
my possessions, my corn and my oil
Have great care to my property that
it be neither despoiled nor diminish
ed for it belongs to all the people.
And he made the one chief
steward and the other second
steward, and the two servants were
| greatly rejoiced. And the chief
| steward said unto the master: &C
Master, the honor which thou be
stowest upon me, / am unworthy OF
it. Neither am l able to look to tho
welfare of thy people and to thy
possessions. This will I do: l will.
have under me ten of the best minds
who know well the good of thy PEG
pie and the care of thy property
And this, thy second steward, h.
also shall sit in our council and shall
advise with me. So that if, per
nance, anything should befall me
thy servant, he may be able to fiji
my place. But the second steward
said nothing. And they took al
oath, both the chef steward anG
he second steward with him. Ant
the speech of the chief steward
pleased the master greatly so that
he went on his way rejoicing.
And the second steward said M
word. Now there were among tn,
people certain wicked men who
cared nothing for the authority O!
the master nor for the rights O
their FELLOW servants. Many times
had they sought to get for them
selves the richest treasure belongin
to their master and the people blu,
the servants had prevented them
and it was so that when the master
vas little while gone, the wicked
men came to the counselors who
lad been placed in authority and
said unto them: Give unto us such
and such property belonging to the
master and to the people their corn
and their oil. And the counselors re-
piled: I'VE cannot give it thee. The
Chief steward, he alone can give it
thee And the wicked ones said:
fiave no fear, for the people are
busy each with his own affairs. AS
for the master, he will never require
an accounting" But the chief
was astonished, and he called to-
gether all his counselors and the
second steward with them. And
they counseled long concerning the
matter, Tor iLdeoa i. WIS AuuUA
property which the master had jeal-
ously kept for all the people. But
the counselors who were servants of
the wicked men said unto the
Stewards: Hear you, This is our
affair. Was it not we who artfully
brought you before the master wher
he was seeking for stewards to looL
after his affairs, and before ever the
people had heard thy names F? De
liver over this property"
And the chief steward answered
With evil words you constrain us
but We are in thy power. What
Will the master do unto us when he
returns
But the second steward said
nothing.
And the evil counselors were great.
ly pleased at the silence of the
second steward for they had feared
that he might create a tumult and
defeat their purposes. And they
said among themselves: would
that he We're the chief steward, for
he is discreet in all things and de-
tests unseemly words"
And the chief steward went ont
among the people to make friends
with them, and they received him
Joyfully for they knew not that they
had been betrayed. But-as he
journeyed, suddenly he fell sick with
strange malady and in little
while he died. And the second ste
ward ruled in his place.
Now there were among the people
honest servants, who discovered how
that evil men had contrived to rob
them and the master of the corn and
the oil and they accused the evil
men and the counselors and the sec
ond steward with them. But the
second steward was now in author
ity and had much power so that he
would not even so much as answer
the accusations made against him
by the people, nor would he talk in
any manner about the matter.
But he procured rich and power
full friends who went throughout the
land telling the people that he was
in no wise to blame for the evil
which had befallen, but that he was
a prudent man, cool and self-con-
atined. And they spoke cunningly
of the wisdom of the second ste
ward, how that he had kept silence
even from his youth up. And the
land was filled with the praises of
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pie were perplexed, and they aid
amonp themselves. 'tWhat will the