The Test of Death

There was an old miser who died. Neighbors gathered and exchanged words of lamentation. However, his wife sat calmly, without shedding a single tear.

A group of volunteers singing a song and asking for charity passed by. Suddenly, the wife interjected, “Why do you cry now if you could keep your sorrow to yourself?” Her voice was filled with emotion. “Didn’t you hear the volunteers seeking charity? My husband never responded!” she exclaimed through her sobs.

There was an embarrassed silence among the neighbors. Then one neighbor asked, “But was your husband known to donate?”

“Of course he was!” the woman replied. “He used to say that he could not, and he was certain he would die alone.” The woman cried even louder, revealing a truth about her husband that left everyone in shock.