The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-09-07
What is he Wortrs.


John Doe is man Of Iufee possessions.
He has houses, lands, stocks and all the an.
purtenances of man Of wealth. He 10 in.
dustrious, shrewd and successful. His
neighbors and the money. changers say he 10
'OOrtk great dsdli and so lie 10, II mans
worth must be measured by the length Of
his purse. But real man 10 something
else. and m ore than the gold and silver he
happens to own, and therefore; the gospel
Of Mammon, and lie credufouG dupes, err in
opinion and lie against the truth, when they
pronounce John Doe north a great deal,
merely because he is rich. For worth and
wealth are not Synonymous or convertible
terms and rich man may be very worth.
less one. s.ls-
None are really worth any more or less
than the characters they possess, and their
fitness Of doing good to others. II one be
ignorant, selfish. and misery, he may sport
a carriage in Broadway, yAwn at the opefa,
lodge in the Fifth Avenue, and create q
great sensation in Wall.street, where
Money makes the man the want of it the fellow &:
And all the rest is leather and prunelIa.
But il it be asked to what purpose does
this man live =! What is he worth to his
fellow-men! What good does he do 10 the
world! Echo answers, What! Like
sponge, he grows distended and dropsicat
with borrowed matter and if he be thor.
oughly squeezed, and mude to part with bis
fictitious weight, he becomes as light and
worthless as gossamer, for he has no inter!
nal soldity of character. He has transmit.
ted himself into gold, and when that is gone,
the man is gone too.
There are some every where, In our pros.
porous country of great possessions, who re-.
semble nothing so much as the receiving!
vault of cemetery, which locks UP in dark.
ness and death all that comes within its
dreary precincts. No appeal OF sorrow no
cry for aid no glorious promise of future
good no prophetic voice, or angeLwhisper
of love, can penetrate or dispel the putrid
/ composure that reigns within.
And thus Mr.. John Doe may fill up his
Golfers and increase his personal resources !
but il his heart be pitiless, devoid of gener-
I Gus sympathas and human desires If riches
are with him the end Of existence !; if he can
f find no other use for his money than 10 en-
pIoy it in purchasing base indulgence, OF
, laying it by for uncertain, and perhaps
t profiigate, heirs IL he finds not pleasure I'M
the charities Of life or institutions devoted
0 to human veal il he is always greedy
: receiver, end never liberal dispenser
: alas then, for the SO called rich, but actual.
8 ly poor, John Doe. His penury is worse than
n that ofa Lazarus. He is more worthless
Il thon the beggar child, who shared her crus,
It with others, remembering and feeling tina,
sit is more blessed to give than to receive
9 "What is man worth :" He is worth
2 precisely just SO much as he has capacity
n and inclination to be useful. He is to be e.
d timated by the good he attempts or accom-
o plishes. Not the tax-gatherer, but The
o Word of God, can decide his true value.-
e Neither polished marble nor lying epitspl
st can ever preserve the memory or ennobl'
N the life of him who, dying, leaves behind NJ
monument Of mercy, and no re9embrancerl
!s of generous and benevolent worthiness.
ot "oh, brother man fold to thy heart thy brother;
"a Where pity dwellS, the peace of God is there;
To worship rightly is to love each Others
!" Each smile hymn, each kindly deed prayer.
10 "Follow with reverent sleep the great example
OF him whose holy work was "doing goods"
IL so shall the wide earth Fathers temple
ut Each loving life psalm of gratitude.''
- II Christian TnteniQencer.