DYING RICH | AdventAI

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Sep 16, 1875

DYING RICH.

The ship Britannia was wrecked off the coast of Brazil, and had on board a large consignment of Spanish dollars. In hope of saving some of them, a number of barrels were brought on deck, but the vessel went to pieces so fast that the only hope for life was by taking at once to the boats.

The last boat was about to push off when a young midshipman went back to see if any one was still on board. To his surprise, there sat a man on deck with a hatchet in his hand, with which he had broken open several of the casks, the contents of which he was now heaping about him.

"What are you doing here?" shouted the youth. "Don't you know the ship is fast going to pieces?"

"The ship may go," said the man; "I have lived a poor wretch all my life, but I am determined to die rich."

The officer's remonstrances were answered by another flourish of the hatchet, and the man was left to his fate.

We should count such a person a madman, but he has too many imitators. Men seem determined to be rich at all hazards. Least of all risks do they count the chance of losing the soul in the struggle, at any moment whatever.