The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-09-28


While the will was being made, the
preacher came--evcn he who held the
pastoral charge Of the great church.
whose pew doors bore sainly nan';' on
silver plates, and whose seat on o"ooa'h
day proaned beneath ,ae weight OF re.
speciability, broad clo'h and satin.
lie came aud said his prayers--dcco.
rouslv and in measured words-but never
once did the dying man relax lis hold Of
the dollar.
Cant YOU read me something, say
quick don't you see I'm gong!" at length
said the rich man. turning frightened
look towards the preacher.
The preacher, whose cravat was OF
the whiest, took book with n golden
clnsp from the marble table, and began 10
read
And l say unto you it is easier for
camel to go through the eye Of n needle,
than for rich man TO enter the King
dom Of God"
"Who said those worGs-who-who--
who-who ?" fairly sbrieked the dying
man, shaking the hand that clenched the
Dollar at the preachers head.
The preacher hastily turned over the
leaf and did not reply
"Why did You never Preach il as | sat
in your church? Why Y? Why ?"
The preacher did rot reply. bu, turned
over another leaf But the dying man
would not be quieed.
"And it is easier Ior camel to 60
through the eye OF n needle, than for n
rich man to en'er the Kingdom Of God is
it? Then what's to become Of me ?-Am
not l rich? What tenant did | ever
spare, or did | ever release ? And YOU
Stood up, Sunday afer Sunday, and
preacl ed to US, Nnd never said one word
about the camel. Not word about the
camel"
The preacher, in search OF a consoling
passage, turned rapidly over the leaves,
and in his confusion, came to this passage,
which he read ... u. ........
"Go 10 now, ye rich men, weep and
howl for your miscries that shall come
upon you. Your gold and silver is
canke,ed and the rust Of ilcm shall be
n witness against you, and shall eat your
flesh as il we've fire; ye have hearcd
treasures together for the last days. Be
hold the hle Of the laborers who have
reapcd down your fields, which is OF you
kept by fraud, crelh and the cries o.
them which have reaped are entered into
the ears OF the Lord OF Sabbath"
"And yet you never preached that tc
me !" shrieked the man.
The preacher. who had blundered
through Tie passage OF James which W.
have quoted, knew not what 10 say.
Then the wife drew near and strove &
comfort him, and the son who had beer
!, reading the WHY attempted word o
Two Of consolation.
But with the Dollar in his hand h'
sank into death, talking Of stock, of pc
| cent, of copper mine and camel OF ienan
and debtor, until the breath left his lips
Thus he died.
r When lie was cold, the preacher aros
J and asked the lawyer whether the de
ceased had left anything to such char
4; table society, which had been engrafte
! upon the preachers church.
E And the wife closed his eyes and trie
S TO wrench the Dollar from his hand. bu
n in vain. He clutched it as though il wer
8 she only savior 10 light him through th
, darkness OF eternity.
+, And the son sat down with dry eyes
!, and thought of the hundrcds Of thousand
= which were now his own.
Next day there was hearse followe
by train Of carriages nearly mile i
length. There was crowd around III
. open grave, and an elegant sermon on III
:, virtues Of the deceased by the preacher
y " There was futtering of Grape badges an
rolling Of carriages, and-no tears
= They left the dead man and returned
: the place where sorrow died even as tn
Grape was taken from the door knob.
And in the grave the dead hand sti
clenched the dollar