The Mansion: A Short Story
In our time, and in our world, there lived a man in a palatial and ostentatious home. He had inherited a vast estate, and lived off of its benefits as well as the investments he had made.
The mansion was so large, that one could easily lose count of its bedrooms when walking through its hallways. Each bedroom was luxuriously and vibrantly furnished with welcoming beds of various sizes, cozy seating, lush plants, and entertainments. The over-sized home also boasted large living areas, as well as a library and study which were any bookworm's dream.
As for the grounds, they were a fantasy land, which beckoned one to stroll, play, and swim. An elite army of servants saw to it that efficiency and near perfection were maintained. But their job was made more challenging by a strange oddity of the man of the mansion. You see, he had no wife or children. Instead, he had collected many, many pets. And these pampered and spoiled pets filled the luxurious rooms and gambolled about the magnificent grounds. I am quite sure that they must have enjoyed the most marvelous life; although I can't say the same for the servants.
As for the gentleman, he was quite convinced in his own mind of the happiness and rightness of his life. It was his habit to stroll through his grand estate at least once a day. As he strolled, he would pet each animal and congratulate himself on his own kindness and generosity to creatures of all kinds.
And so, this noisy, luxurious, (and rather smelly) life continued at the mansion. As the gentleman grew older, he unfortunately grew no wiser, and continued to believe that all was well in his world. (Now, dear reader, I am not saying that one should not keep pets; and neither am I saying that one should treat animals poorly. After all, our Precious Book does say that the righteous man regardeth the life of his beast. No, what I am saying, is that the keeping of pets can be taken too far.)
So, time wound along, until one day, a special and different knock sounded on the man's door. The butler took one look at the visitor and tried to shoo him away, but the person insisted on seeing the gentleman of the house. Something about the caller's manner commanded respect, so the butler gave in.
The gentleman, who had some spare moments at that time, acquiesed, and went to the door. But he felt sorry that he'd risen from his comfort the moment he saw the man on his elegant porch. The caller was worn out and grubby from his battered cap down to his faded shoes. The gentleman immediately assumed he was looking for a job. "Sorry, I have no work available." He said in a crisp tone.
The visitor looked steadily at the gentleman. "Perhaps some food and a bed? I have come a long way and have no money for a hotel." The beggar's voice was oddly calm and clear as he made his request. There was no shame in it, as though he'd asked the most natural thing in the world.
The rich gentleman took a step or two backwards. "This is not a homeless shelter." He looked down on the caller who was standing a couple of steps below him. "You will find one of those in town. Besides, " he added, rather triumphantly, all of my beds are taken, and I would never expect my darlings to sleep on the floor. Good day." The rich gentleman retreated quickly into his palace, leaving the beggar fellow on the step.
Deep sorrow washed over the caller's face and he turned to walk slowly back down the grand drive.
Silently, he passed like silk through the locked gate and vanished into the waiting air, to report back to his Master.
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Scripture references: Proverbs 12:10
Hebrews 13: 2
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Copyright: pencil in His Hand
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With Love and blessings.
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