Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 January 1894 — The Ruling Passion Strong in Death. [ARTICLE]

The Ruling Passion Strong in Death.

A mao died in New Jersey recently, says the Weekly Witness, who wag worth 8100,000 and had no near relatives. About an hour before his death he asked for a workman, who occupied a small home on his place. The physician and nurse surmised that he was about to give tho little homo to the workman who has proved faithful for many years. Btit when tho man appeared, his dying landlord said to him: “You only paid me $4 on the last rent, and in case 1 die I want to have things straight, you know, so I’d like you to pay the other twodollais.” The money was paid, and a few minutes after clutching it the rich man passed away, apparently happy. That Is the whole story as It comes to us through the newspapers, but It certainly Is not the end of the story. We will not know the result until the veil which shrouds the future from our vision shall have been lifted; but It is awful to think of this rich man going to meet the Judge of all tho earth with these two dollars in his hand.

Yet there was nothing amiss with the manner of this man’s death, If Judged by the ideas, current among rich church members in regard to tho right and responsibilities associated with the posesslon of wealth: for ti*ls man only claimed his own and got It. The only thing that suggests a thought of danger in connection with these two dollars Is the solemn warning given to us by the Judge that he will hold us accountable to a higher standard of righteousness than that which prevails among us Speaking of a certain rich man who had used his riches as If they we rial tos ether his own, he said: “The rich man also died, and was buried: and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment,” Let those who have been Intrusted with any measure of wocldiy p osverity remember that God has made them in an especial manner their orotber’s keeper, and that they must expect to die just as they live, an.l lo Jarry with them to the judgment ieat the characters that they have built up In iheir daily lives.