Year: 1878

How hard some men strive all their
lives to have it said of them when they
have passed hence-"He dIed rich F'


Relatives and friends who are left
behind, seem to consider it sort of
compliment to the dead to dwell upon
the theme-''he died rich !"


And now comes up the question, Is
it an honor to man to die rich !? Is
the world any better for man to die
rich than it would be if the same man
died poor? Is the man any happier in
the next life on account of it?


If the spirit be conscious after death,
is it any satisfaction to that spirit, in
the other life, to know that he left
hundred thousand or two for his rela-
tiveS to quarrel over, and break his will
over, and on account of which they are
to be at swords points with each other
through all time?


Is the man who died rich mourned
for any more sincerely than the man
who died poor And when we come to
talk about that, is it really desirable to
have people mourn for us after we are
dead 1t is exceedingly uncomfortable
for them, and what benefit can it be to
us?


Tears, eminent authorities tell US,
are luxury, but is it a luxury to mourn
for those who are gone from us never
to return ? Would we purchase forget
fulness at any price? Would we forego
weeping for the sake of comfort, and
ease of mind


The good old deacon comes to our
memory just here. He lost hiswife, and
at the funeral was observed to weep
very freely-much more SO than it was
believed to be consistent with his char
acter. A friend said to him:


'tDeacon Jones, try and be comfort
ed. So much weeping over one whom
God has called is sinful. And, besides,
it will make you ill -


81 amt crying particularly over
Sally" replied the deacon. "She was
about old enough to die, but l have the
catarrh in my head, and crying kinder
clears it out And whenever my nose
feels stopped up l think of Sally, and
crying brings relief"


But we wander from our text.


1t is amusing to note how the people
at large, and the newspapers in general,
speak of the man who died rich. They
go into every particular of his peculiari-
ties, and remark on the way he wore
his old hats, and boarded up his mus
tered out boots, and old stockings ; and
they will tell you anecdotes of his &C.
centricities, and allude to his dogs and
horses, and mention the fact that his
wife and family are overwhelmed with
grief


Who says anything when the poor
man dies about his old hats and stock
ings? He may have boarded them quite
as religiously as has his weather. neigh
Dor, but there is nothing said about it.
His lean dog is not thought worth
newspaper paragraph. His wife's grief
is not SO noteworthy as that of the rich
mans lady, and his children's tears are
never immortalized in printers ink.


But when the grand account is made
up, and God judges, will it make any
difference whether a man died rich or d
poor?


Looking back to the life which has
been, will any human soul believe that
it has been worth the struggle to have
it said-"He died rich ?"


We cannot think so but we do be-
lieve that it is worth toll, and trial, and
tribulation, to be SO filled with the
peace, which comes from right doing,
that when we die it may truly be said
of us-"He diedr7th. Kate Thorn, in
". Y Weekr.