No Cause for Envy

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 26, 1883

No Cause for Envy.

"MR. RIDGEWAY," said a young man to Jacob Ridgeway, a wealthy citizen of Philadelphia, who died many years ago, leaving a fortune of five or six million dollars, "you are more to be envied than any gentleman I know."

"Why so?" responded Mr. Ridgeway; "I am not aware of any cause for which I should be particularly envied."

"What, sir!" exclaimed the young man in astonishment; "why you are a millionaire. Think of the thousands your income brings you every month."

"Well, what of that?" replied Mr. Ridgeway. "All I get out of it is my victuals and clothes, and I cannot eat more than one man's allowance or wear more than one suit at a time. Pray, cannot you do as much?"

"Ah! but," said the youth, "think of the hundreds of fine houses you own, and the rental they bring you!"

"What better am I off for that?" replied the rich man; "I can only live in one house at a time. As for the money I receive for rents, why, I can't eat it or wear it. I can only use it to buy other houses for other people to live in; they are the beneficiaries, not I."

"But you can buy splendid furniture and costly pictures, fine carriages and horses; in fact, anything you desire."

"And after I have bought them," responded Mr. Ridgeway, "what then? I can only look at the furniture and pictures, and the poorest man who is not blind can do the same. I can ride no easier in a fine carriage than you can in an omnibus for five cents without the trouble of attending to drivers, footmen, and hostlers; and as to any thing I desire, I can tell you, young man, that the less we desire in this world the happier we shall be. All my wealth cannot buy me a single day more of life; cannot buy back my youth; cannot procure me power to keep afar off the hour of death; and then what will all avail, when in a few years I lie down in the grave and leave it all forever? Young man, you have no cause to envy me."