Page:The Story of Joseph and His Brethren.djvu/51

48 Joseph had commanded his servants to fill their sacks with corn, and put every man's money into his sack. Laden with corn, and with provender for the way, the brethren took their departure, and proceeded on their journey homeward. When they halted at an inn on the way, one of them found, on opening his sack to give his ass provender, that his money was in his sack's mouth; and this was another source of distress to them, for even this, which might otherwise have seemed an instance of good fortune, appealed again to their guilty fears, and caused them to exclaim—"What is this that God hath done unto us?" They, however, resumed their journey, and came to their father in Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them.

And here was a new and double distress to their aged father. They had returned without Simeon, and they proposed to take Benjamin. Jacob could not help accusing them of multiplying his sorrows. "Me ye have bereaved of my children; Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and will ye take Benjamin away? All these things are against me." Jacob therefore