The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1863-10-23
HE Died Rioh."

/
People said this every where, when the
morning papers announced tho death Of John
Russell, President of tho Bank. They
said IL on Wall street, whcro they count
wealth by hundreds Of thousands, and they
said II in elegant parlors, and by luxuriant
breakfast tables, all over the squares and
avenues in the great city; they said Il too In
dark alleys and squalid homes where oil his
thousands could not buy back to tho million.
air one hour Of tho life that was to them o
burden and q misery. Every where 1t was
the same story, "Ho died rich."
His family and bis friends thought 90 as
they gathered around the bedside Of the dy-
ing man; and you, reader, would have
thought SO too, If you. could have looked
around that chamber into which death was
entering with his footballs and ghastly pres
cnce.
Oh! IL was princely room. Rare pic
lures flushed the walls that winter day with
the glory Of Arcadian summer; the fairest
blossoms Of Southern Mays wero piled thick
upon the costly carpet; and tho daintily
embroidered drapery fell in soft, crinkled
clouds from the massive bcd.stcad. And tho
owner of oil this magnifccnco lay there dy-
ing i; aud through oil his life Of moro than
threcscoro years no had toiled and struggled
for this-to die rich Ho had bought lands
and sold them, ho had sent richly ioighted
ships to foreign ports, he had owned shares
In tho railroads and stocks in banks, and
now!
All! there was an angel who stood at tho
bedside Of John Russell in that dying hour,
and tho man had nothing out of oil his life
to givo him; no generous, noble, soli-sacri6c.
ing deeds, which would have been pearls
and gold, and all precious jewels in the hand
OF the angel; so he wrote down at tho last
chapter of John Russcll's life, "Ho died
poor"
And John Russell saw the words as his
soul followed tho angel on that journey
which sooner or later wo must take, and ho
knew then for tho first timo that oil tho
labor, and toll, and struggle for lilo on the
earth, had only brought him this verdict at
the bar Of tho Kingdom Of Heaven, "Ho
died poor"
"Ho diod poor" A worry few persons said
this OF an old man who lay in back cham.
bcr Of dilapitatcd building. whose solitary
window looked out on tho back garden Of
John Russcll's residence. Tho floor was bare,
and there were only fow chairs, table and
q low bed in tho room. BY its side stood an
old black woman, whom the dying man had
occasionally, furnished with an armful Of
wood or Loaf of bread. Sho moistened his
lips with water, or held the tallow candle
close to his dim eyes so no might onco more
SEQ tho lights Of tho world. Ho had not
dollar upon tho earth; his fortune had Ia
ken wings and flown away; his wife and
children had gono before him; his friends
had deserted or lost sight Of him, but the
grateful old black woman whom ho had
saved from starvation.
But tho angel with tho book stood there
too, and looking over tho old mans life, he
saw how many good and gentle and generous
deeds. Frightened every year; how he had
been kind to tho suffering, and forgiven such
wrongs rs make men fends, and striyen
through all the trials and temptations Of his
long. sad life, to bc true to God and himself.
So the angel wrote under tho last chapter Of
this mans life, and ovcry lettcr shown like
some rare setting Of diamonds, "He died
fich."
And the old man knew IL, too, when ho
stood at the silver gates Of tho Eternal City,
and they led him in, and showed him the in.
heritance to which he was heir.
There was the house not mado with hands,
with It's columns Of pearl, and its ceilings OF
jasper, with its pleasant rooms. and its lofty
halls, and its mighty organs, from which
peal forever tho notes Of praise to our God.
There, too, was tho pleasant landscape,
with its grocn avenues, its golden pavilions,
its trees waving in tho JOY Of eternal leaves.
and its silver meadow lands, sloping down to
the river Of eternal waves. Ho was heir to
all tl,cso things, for hc had laid up for him.
self crown Of glory in tho kingdom above
whero ''moth and rust doth not corrupt"