第5章
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  hesays,“fortheyhearmesayiteveryday。\'\'

  Buthesaysiteverydaybecauseitmeanssomuchtohim。Itstands,inhismind,asaconstantwarningagainstangerorimpatienceorover-haste——faultstowhichhisimpetuoustemperamentisprone,thoughfewhaveeverseenhimeitherangryorimpatientorhasty,sowelldoesheexerciseself-control。Thosewhohavelongknownhimwellhavesaidtomethattheyhaveneverheardhimcensureanyone;thathisforbearanceandkindnessarewonderful。

  Heisasensitivemanbeneathhiscomposure;

  hehassuffered,andkeenly,whenhehasbeenunjustlyattacked;hefeelspainofthatsortforalongtime,too,foreventhepassingofyearsdoesnotentirelydeadenit。

  “WhenIhavebeenhurt,orwhenIhavetalkedwithannoyingcranks,IhavetriedtoletPatiencehaveherperfectwork,forthoseverypeople,ifyouhavepatiencewiththem,mayafterwardbeofhelp。\'\'

  AndhewentontotalkalittleofhisearlyyearsinPhiladelphia,andhesaid,withsadness,thatithadpainedhimtomeetwithopposition,andthatithadevencomefromministersofhisowndenomination,forhehadbeensomisunder-

  stoodandmisjudged;but,headded,themomentarysombernesslifting,evenhisbitterenemieshadbeenwonoverwithpatience。

  Icouldunderstandagooddealofwhathemeant,foroneoftheBaptistministersofPhiladelphiahadsaidtome,withsomeshame,thatatfirstitusedactuallytobethecasethatwhenDr。Conwellwouldenteroneoftheregularministers\'

  meetings,allwouldholdaloof,notasingleonesteppingforwardtomeetorgreethim。

  “Anditwasallthroughourjealousyofhissuccess,\'\'saidtheminister,vehemently。“Hecametothiscityastranger,andhewoninstantpopularity,andwecouldn\'tstandit,andsowepounceduponthingsthathedidthatwerealtogetherunimportant。Therestofusweresojealousofhiswinningthrongsthatwecouldn\'tseethegoodinhim。AndithurtDr。Conwellsomuchthatfortenyearshedidnotcometoourconferences。Butallthiswaschangedlongago。

  Nownoministerissowelcomedasheis,andI

  don\'tbelievethatthereeverhasbeenasingletimesincehestartedcomingagainthathehasn\'tbeenaskedtosaysomethingtous。Wegotoverourjealousylongagoandwealllovehim。\'\'

  Norisitonlythattheclergymenofhisowndenominationadmirehim,fornotlongago,suchhavingbeenDr。Conwell\'striumphinthecityofhisadoption,therectorofthemostpowerfulandaristocraticchurchinPhiladelphiavoluntarilypaidloftytributetohisaimsandability,hisworkandhispersonalworth。“HeisaninspirationtohisbrothersintheministryofJesusChrist,\'\'sothisEpiscopalianrectorwrote。“Heisafriendtoallthatisgood,afoetoallthatisevil,astrengthtotheweak,acomfortertothesorrowing,amanofGod。Thesewordscomefromtheheartofonewholoves,honors,andreverenceshimforhischaracterandhisdeeds。\'\'

  Dr。Conwelldidsomebeautifulandunusualthingsinhischurch,institutedsomebeautifulandunusualcustoms,andonecanseehownarrowandhastycriticismschargedhim,longago,withsensationalism——chargeslongsinceforgottenexceptthroughthehurtstillfeltbyDr。Conwellhimself。

  “Theyusedtochargemewithmakingacircusofthechurch——asifitwerepossibleformetomakeacircusofthechurch!\'\'Andhistonewasoneofgrievedamazementafteralltheseyears。

  Buthewasoriginalandhewaspopular,andthereforethereweremisunderstandingandjealousy。

  HisEasterservices,forexample,yearsago,becamewidelytalkedofandeagerlyanticipatedbecauseeachsermonwouldbewroughtaroundsomefinesymbol;andhewouldholdinhishand,inthepulpit,thebluerobin\'segg,orthewhitedove,orthestemoflilies,orwhateverhehadchosenastheparticularsymbolfortheparticularsermon,andthatsymbolwouldgivehimthecentralthoughtforhisdiscourse,accentedasitwouldbebytheactualsymbolitselfinviewofthecongregation。Thecrosslightedbyelec-

  tricity,toshinedownoverthebaptismalpool,thelittlestreamofwatercascadinggentlydownthestepsofthepoolduringthebaptismalrite,therosesfloatinginthepoolandhisgiftofoneofthemtoeachofthebaptizedasheorsheleftthewater——

  allsuchthingsdidseem,longago,sounconventional。

  Yethisownpeoplerecognizedthebeautyandpoetryofthem,andthousandsofBiblesinPhiladelphiahaveabaptismalrosefromDr。

  Conwellpressedwithinthepages。

  Hisconstantindividualityofmind,hisconstantfreshness,alertness,brilliancy,warmth,sympathy,endearhimtohiscongregation,andwhenhereturnsfromanabsencetheybubbleandeffervesceoverhimasifheweresomebrilliantnewpreacherjustcometothem。Heisalwaysnewtothem。

  Wereitnotthathepossessessomeremarkablequalityofcharmhewouldlongagohavebecome,sotospeak,anoldstory,butinsteadofthatheistothemanalwaysnewstory,analwaysentertaininganddelightfulstory,afteralltheseyears。

  Itisnotonlythattheystillthrongtohearhimeitherpreachorlecture,thoughthatitselfwouldbenoticeable,butitisthedelightfulanddelightedspiritwithwhichtheydoit。JusttheothereveningIheardhimlectureinhisownchurch,justafterhisreturnfromanabsence,andeveryfacebeamedhappilyupathimtowelcomehimback,andeveryonelistenedasintentlytohiseverywordasifhehadneverbeenheardtherebefore;andwhenthelecturewasoverahugebouquetofflowerswashandeduptohim,andsomeoneembarrassedlysaidafewwordsaboutitsbeingbecausehewashomeagain。Itwasallasifhehadjustreturnedfromanabsenceofmonths——andhehadbeenawayjustfiveandahalfdays!

  VI

  MILLIONSOFHEARERS

  THATConwellisnotprimarilyaminister——

  thatheisaministerbecauseheisasincereChristian,butthatheisfirstofallanAbouBenAdhem,amanwholoveshisfellow-men,becomesmoreandmoreapparentasthescopeofhislife-

  workisrecognized。Onealmostcomestothinkthathispastorateofagreatchurchisevenaminormatterbesidethecombinedimportanceofhiseducationalwork,hislecturework,hishospitalwork,hisworkingeneralasahelpertothosewhoneedhelp。

  Formyownpart,Ishouldsaythatheislikesomeoftheold-timeprophets,thestrongoneswhofoundagreatdealtoattendtoinadditiontomattersofreligion。Thepower,theruggedness,thephysicalandmentalstrength,thepositivegrandeuroftheman——allthesearelikethegeneralconceptionsofthebigOldTestamentprophets。

  Thesuggestionisgivenonlybecauseithasoftenrecurred,andthereforewiththefeelingthatthereissomethingmorethanfancifulinthecom-

  parison;andyet,afterall,thecomparisonfailsinoneimportantparticular,fornoneoftheprophetsseemstohavehadasenseofhumor!

  ItisperhapsbetterandmoreaccuratetodescribehimasthelastoftheoldschoolofAmericanphilosophers,thelastofthosesturdy-bodied,high-

  thinking,achievingmenwho,intheolddays,didtheirbesttosetAmericanhumanityintherightpath——suchmenasEmerson,Alcott,Gough,WendellPhillips,Garrison,BayardTaylor,Beecher;menwhomConwellknewandadmiredinthelongago,andallofwhomhavelongsincepassedaway。

  AndConwell,inhisgoingupanddownthecountry,inspiringhisthousandsandthousands,isthesurvivorofthatold-timegroupwhousedtotravelabout,dispensingwitandwisdomandphilosophyandcouragetothecrowdedbenchesofcountrylyceums,andthechairsofschool-housesandtownhalls,orthelargerandmorepretentiousgathering-placesofthecities。

  Conwellhimselfisamusedtorememberthathewantedtotalkinpublicfromhisboyhood,andthatveryearlyhebegantoyieldtotheinbornimpulse。Helaughsasheremembersthevarietyofcountryfairsandschoolcommencementsandanniversariesandevensewing-circleswherehetriedhisyouthfulpowers,andallforexperiencealone,inthefirstfewyears,exceptpossiblyforsuchathingasahamorajack-knife!

  Thefirstmoneythatheeverreceivedforspeakingwas,soherememberswithglee,seventy-fivecents;

  andeventhatwasnotforhistalk,butforhorsehire!Butatthesametimethereismorethanamusementinrecallingtheseexperiences,forheknowsthattheywereinvaluabletohimastraining。

  AndforoverhalfacenturyhehasaffectionatelyrememberedJohnB。Gough,who,intheheightofhisownpowerandsuccess,sawresolutionandpossibilitiesintheardentyounghill-man,andactuallydidhimthekindnessandthehonorofintroducinghimtoanaudienceinoneoftheMassachusettstowns;anditwasreallyagreatkindnessandagreathonor,fromamanwhohadwonhisfametoayoungmanjustbeginninganoratoricalcareer。

  Conwell\'slecturinghasbeen,consideringeverything,themostimportantworkofhislife,forbyithehascomeintoclosetouchwithsomanymillions——literallymillions!——ofpeople。

  Iaskedhimonceifhehadanyideahowmanyhehadtalkedtointhecourseofhiscareer,andhetriedtoestimatehowmanythousandsoftimeshehadlectured,andtheaverageattendanceforeach,butdesistedwhenhesawthatitranintomillionsofhearers。Whatamarvelissuchafactasthat!Millionsofhearers!

  Iaskedthesamequestionofhisprivatesecretary,andfoundthatnoonehadeverkeptanysortofrecord;butascarefulanestimateascouldbemadegaveaconservativeresultoffullyeightmillionhearersforhislectures;andaddingthenumbertowhomhehaspreached,whohavebeenoverfivemillion,thereisatotalofwelloverthirteenmillionwhohavelistenedtoRussellConwell\'svoice!Andthisstaggeringtotalis,ifanything,anunderestimate。Thefiguringwasdonecautiouslyandwasbaseduponsuchfactsasthathenowaddressesanaverageofoverforty-fivehundredathisSundayservicesanaveragethatwouldbehigherwereitnotthathissermonsinvacationtimeareusuallydeliveredinlittlechurches;whenathome,attheTemple,headdressesthreemeetingseverySunday,andthathelecturesthroughouttheentirecourseofeachyear,includingsixnightsaweekoflecturingduringvacation-time。Whatapoweriswieldedbyamanwhohasheldoverthirteenmillionpeopleunderthespellofhisvoice!Probablynoothermanwhoeverlivedhadsuchatotalofhearers。

  Andthetotalissteadilymounting,forheisamanwhohasneverknownthemeaningofrest。

  IthinkitalmostcertainthatDr。Conwellhasneverspokentoanyoneofwhat,tome,isthefinestpointofhislecture-work,andthatisthathestillgoesgladlyandforsmallfeestothesmalltownsthatarenevervisitedbyothermenofgreatreputation。Heknowsthatitisthelittleplaces,theout-of-the-wayplaces,thesubmergedplaces,thatmostneedapleasureandastimulus,andhestillgoesout,manofwelloverseventythatheis,totinytownsindistantstates,heedlessofthediscomfortsoftraveling,ofthepoorlittlehotelsthatseldomhavevisitors,oftheoftentimeshopelesscookingandtheuncleanliness,ofthehardshipsandthediscomforts,oftheunventilatedandoverheatedorunderheatedhalls。Hedoesnotthinkofclaimingtherelaxationearnedbyalifetimeoflabor,or,ifheeverdoes,thethoughtoftheswordofJohnRingrestoresinstantlyhisfervidearnestness。

  Howhedoesit,howhecanpossiblykeepitup,isthegreatestmarvelofall。Ihavebeforemealistofhisengagementsforthesummerweeksofthisyear,1915,andIshallsetitdownbecauseitwillspecificallyshow,farmoreclearlythangeneralstatements,thekindofworkhedoes。

  Thelististheitineraryofhisvacation。Vacation!

  LecturingeveryeveningbutSunday,andonSundayspreachinginthetownwherehehappenstobe!

  June24Ackley,Ia。July11*Brookings,S。D。

  “25Waterloo,Ia。“12Pipestone,Minn。

  “26Decorah,Ia。“13Hawarden,Ia。

  “27*Waukon,Ia。“14Canton,S。D

  “28RedWing,Minn。“15Cherokee,Ia“29RiverFalls,Wis。“16Pocahontas,Ia“30Northfield,Minn。“17Glidden,Ia。

  July1Faribault,Minn。“18*Boone,Ia。

  “2SpringValley,Minn。“19Dexter,Ia。

  “3BlueEarth,Minn。“20Indianola,Ia“4*Fairmount,Minn。“21Corydon,Ia“5LakeCrystal,Minn。“22Essex,Ia。

  “6RedwoodFalls,“23Sidney,Ia。

  Minn。“24FallsCity,Nebr。

  “7Willmer,Minn。“25*Hiawatha,Kan。

  “8Dawson,Minn。“26Frankfort,Kan。

  “9Redfield,S。D。“27Greenleaf,Kan。

  “10Huron,S。D。“28Osborne,Kan。

  July29Stockton,Kan。Aug。14Honesdale,Pa。

  “30Phillipsburg,Kan。“15*Honesdale,Pa。

  “31Mankato,Kan。“16Carbondale,Pa。

  _Enroutetonextdateon_“17Montrose,Pa。

  _circuit_。“18Tunkhannock,Pa。

  Aug。3Westfield,Pa。“19Nanticoke,Pa。

  “4Galston,Pa。“20Stroudsburg,Pa。

  “5PortAlleghany,Pa。“21Newton,N。J。

  “6Wellsville,N。Y。“22*Newton,N。J。

  “7Bath,N。Y。“23Hackettstown,N。J。

  “8*Bath,N。Y。“24NewHope,Pa。

  “9PennYan,N。Y。“25Doylestown,Pa。

  “10Athens,N。Y。“26Phnixville,Pa。

  “11Owego,N。Y。“27Kennett,Pa。

  “12Patchogue,LI。,N。Y。“28Oxford,Pa。

  “13PortJervis,N。Y。“29*Oxford,Pa。

  *PreachonSunday。

  Andallthesehardships,allthistravelingandlecturing,whichwouldtesttheenduranceoftheyoungestandstrongest,thismanofoverseventyassumeswithoutreceivingaparticleofpersonalgain,foreverydollarthathemakesbyitisgivenawayinhelpingthosewhoneedhelping。

  ThatDr。Conwellisintenselymodestisoneofthecuriousfeaturesofhischaracter。Hesincerelybelievesthattowritehislifewouldbe,inthemain,justtotellwhatpeoplehavedoneforhim。Heknowsandadmitsthatheworksunweariedly,butinprofoundsincerityheascribesthesuccessofhisplanstothosewhohavesecondedandassistedhim。Itisinjustthiswaythathelooksuponeveryphaseofhislife。Whenheisremindedofthedevotionofhisoldsoldiers,heremembersitonlywithasortofpleasedwonderthattheygavethedevotiontohim,andhequiteforgetsthattheylovedhimbecausehewasalwaysreadytosacrificeeaseorriskhisownlifeforthem。

  Hedeprecatespraise;ifanyonelikeshim,thelikingneednotbeshowninwords,butinhelpingalongagoodwork。Thathischurchhassucceededhasbeenbecauseofthedevotionofthepeople;

  thattheuniversityhassucceededisbecauseofthesplendidworkoftheteachersandpupils;thatthehospitalshavedonesomuchhasbeenbecauseofthenobleservicesofphysiciansandnurses。

  Tohim,ashehimselfexpressesit,realizingthatsuccesshascometohisplans,itseemsasiftherealitiesarebutdreams。Heisastonishedbyhisownsuccess。Hethinksmainlyofhisownshortcomings。“Godandmanhaveeverbeenverypatientwithme。\'\'Hisdepressionisattimesprofoundwhenhecomparestheactualresultswithwhathewouldlikethemtobe,foralwayshishopeshavegonesoaringfarinadvanceofachievement。Itisthe“Hitchyourchariottoastar\'\'idea。

  Hismodestygoeshand-in-handwithkindliness,andIhaveseenhimlethimselfbeintroducedinhisownchurchtohiscongregation,whenheisgoingtodeliveralecturethere,justbecauseaformerpupiloftheuniversitywaspresentwho,Conwellknew,wasambitioustosaysomethinginsideoftheTemplewalls,andthisseemedtobetheonlyopportunity。

  Ihavenoticed,whenhetravels,thatthefaceofthenewsboybrightensashebuysapaperfromhim,thattheporterisallhappiness,thatconductorandbrakemanaredevotedlyanxioustobeofaid。Everywherethemanwinslove。Heloveshumanityandhumanityrespondstothelove。

  Hehasalwayswontheaffectionofthosewhoknewhim,andBayardTaylorwasoneofthemany;heandBayardTaylorlovedeachotherforlongacquaintanceandfellowexperiencesasworld-

  widetravelers,backintheyearswhencomparativelyfewAmericansvisitedtheNileandtheOrient,orevenEurope。

  WhenTaylordiedtherewasamemorialserviceinBostonatwhichConwellwasaskedtopreside,and,ashewishedforsomethingmorethanaddresses,hewenttoLongfellowandaskedhimtowriteandreadapoemfortheoccasion。Longfellowhadnotthoughtofwritinganything,andhewastooilltobepresentattheservices,but,therealwaysbeingsomethingcontagiouslyinspiringaboutRussellConwellwhenhewishessomethingtobedone,thepoetpromisedtodowhathecould。Andhewroteandsentthebeautifullinesbeginning:

  _Deadhelayamonghisbooks,ThepeaceofGodwasinhislooks_。

  Manymenofletters,includingRalphWaldoEmerson,werepresentattheservices,andDr。

  ConwellinducedOliverWendellHolmestoreadthelines,andtheywerelistenedtoamidprofoundsilence,totheirfineending。

  Conwell,inspiteofhiswidespreadholdonmillionsofpeople,hasneverwonfame,recognition,generalrenown,comparedwithmanymenofminorachievements。Thisseemslikeanimpossibility。Yetitisnotanimpossibility,butafact。Greatnumbersofmenofeducationandcultureareentirelyignorantofhimandhisworkintheworld——men,these,whodeemthemselvesintouchwithworld-affairsandwiththeoneswhomakeandmovetheworld。Itisinexplicable,this,exceptthatneverwasthereamanmoredevoidofthefacultyofself-exploitation,self-advertising,thanRussellConwell。Nor,inthemerereadingofthem,dohiswordsappealwithanythingliketheforceofthesamewordsutteredbyhimself,foralways,withhisspokenwords,ishispersonality。

  ThosewhohaveheardRussellConwell,orhaveknownhimpersonally,recognizethecharmofthemanandhisimmenseforcefulness;buttherearemany,andamongthemthosewhocontrolpublicitythroughbooksandnewspapers,who,thoughtheyoughttobethewarmestintheirenthusiasm,haveneverfeltdrawntohearhim,and,iftheyknowofhimatall,thinkofhimasonewhopleasesinasimplewaythecommonerfolk,forgettingintheirpridethateveryreallygreatmanpleasesthecommonones,andthatsimplicityanddirectnessareattributesofrealgreatness。

  ButRussellConwellhasalwayswontheadmirationofthereallygreat,aswellasofthehumblermillions。Itisonlyasupposedlyculturedclassinbetweenthatisnotthoroughlyacquaintedwithwhathehasdone。

  Perhaps,too,thisisowingtohishavingcastinhislotwiththecity,ofallcities,which,consciouslyorunconsciously,looksmostcloselytofamilyandplaceofresidenceascriterionsofmerit——acitywithwhichitisalmostimpossibleforastrangertobecomeaffiliated——oraphiladelphiated,asitmightbeexpressed——andPhiladelphia,inspiteofallthatDr。Conwellhasdone,hasbeenunderthethrallofthefactthathewentnorthofMarketStreet——thatfatalfactunderstoodbyallwhoknowPhiladelphia——andthathemadenoefforttomakefriendsinRittenhouseSquare。Suchconsiderationsseemabsurdinthistwentiethcentury,butinPhiladelphiatheyarestillpotent。TensofthousandsofPhiladelphianslovehim,andheishonoredbyitsgreatestmen,butthereisaclassofthepseudo-

  culturedwhodonotknowhimorappreciatehim。

  Anditneedsalsotobeunderstoodthat,outsideofhisownbelovedTemple,hewouldprefertogotoalittlechurchoralittlehallandtospeaktotheforgottenpeople,inthehopeofencouragingandinspiringthemandfillingthemwithhopefulglow,ratherthantospeaktotherichandcomfortable。

  Hisdearesthope,sooneofthefewwhoareclosetohimtoldme,isthatnooneshallcomeintohislifewithoutbeingbenefited。Hedoesnotsaythispublicly,nordoesheforamomentbelievethatsuchahopecouldbefullyrealized,butitisverydeartohisheart;andnomanspurredbysuchahope,andthusbendingallhisthoughtstowardthepoor,thehard-working,theunsuccessful,isinawaytowinhonorfromtheScribes;forwehaveScribesnowquiteasmuchaswhentheywereclassedwithPharisees。

  Itisnotthefirsttimeintheworld\'shistorythatScribeshavefailedtogivetheirrecognitiontoonewhoseworkwasnotamongthegreatandwealthy。

  ThatConwellhimselfhasseldomtakenanypartwhateverinpoliticsexceptasagoodcitizenstandingforgoodgovernment;that,asheexpressesit,heneverheldanypoliticalofficeexceptthathewasonceonaschoolcommittee,andalsothathedoesnotidentifyhimselfwiththeso-called“movements\'\'thatfromtimetotimecatchpublicattention,butaimsonlyandconstantlyatthequietbettermentofmankind,maybementionedasadditionalreasonswhyhisnameandfamehavenotbeensteadilyblazoned。

  Heknowsandwilladmitthatheworkshardandhasallhislifeworkedhard。“ThingskeepturningmywaybecauseI\'monthejob,\'\'ashewhimsicallyexpresseditoneday;butthatisaboutall,soitseemstohim。

  Andhesincerelybelievesthathislifehasinitselfbeenwithoutinterest;thatithasbeenanessentiallycommonplacelifewithnothingoftheinterestingortheeventfultotell。Heisfranklysurprisedthattherehaseverbeenthedesiretowriteabouthim。Hereallyhasnoideaofhowfascinatingarethethingshehasdone。Hisentirelifehasbeenofpositiveinterestfromthevarietyofthingsaccomplishedandtheunexpectednesswithwhichhehasaccomplishedthem。

  Never,forexample,wastheresuchanorganizer。

  Infact,organizationandleadershiphavealwaysbeenasthebreathoflifetohim。Asayouthheorganizeddebatingsocietiesand,beforethewar,alocalmilitarycompany。WhileongarrisondutyintheCivilWarheorganizedwhatisbelievedtohavebeenthefirstfreeschoolforcoloredchildrenintheSouth。OnedayMinneapolishappenedtobespokenof,andConwellhappenedtorememberthatheorganized,whenhewasalawyerinthatcity,whatbecamethefirstY。M。C。A。branchthere。Onceheevenstartedanewspaper。Anditwasnaturalthattheorganizinginstinct,asyearsadvanced,shouldleadhimtogreaterandgreaterthings,suchashischurch,withthenumerousassociationsformedwithinitselfthroughhisinfluence,andtheuniversity——theorganizingoftheuniversitybeinginitselfanachievementofpositiveromance。

  “Alifewithoutinterest!\'\'Why,whenI

  happenedtoask,oneday,howmanyPresidentshehadknownsinceLincoln,hereplied,quitecasually,thathehad“writtenthelivesofmostofthemintheirownhomes\'\';andbythishemeanteitherpersonallyorincollaborationwiththeAmericanbiographerAbbott。

  Themany-sidednessofConwellisoneofthethingsthatisalwaysfascinating。Afteryouhavequitegotthefeelingthatheispeculiarlyamanofto-day,lecturingonto-day\'spossibilitiestothepeopleofto-day,youhappenuponsomesuchfactasthatheattractedtheattentionoftheLondon_Times_throughalectureonItalianhistoryatCambridgeinEngland;orthatontheeveningofthedayonwhichhewasadmittedtopracticeintheSupremeCourtoftheUnitedStateshegavealectureinWashingtonon“TheCurriculumoftheProphetsinAncientIsrael。\'\'Theman\'slifeisasuccessionofdelightfulsurprises。

  Anoddtraitofhischaracterishisloveforfire。

  Hecouldeasilyhavebeenaveritablefire-

  worshiperinsteadofanorthodoxChristian!Hehasalwayslovedablaze,andhesaysreminiscentlythatfornosinglethingwashepunishedsomuchwhenhewasachildasforbuildingbonfires。Andaftersecuringpossession,ashedidinmiddleage,ofthehousewherehewasbornandofagreatacreagearoundabout,hehadoneofthemostenjoyabletimesofhislifeintearingdownoldbuildingsthatneededtobedestroyedandinheapingupfallentreesandrubbishandinpilinggreatheapsofwoodandsettingthegreatpilesablaze。Yousee,thereisoneofthesecretsofhisstrength——hehasneverlostthecapacityforfieryenthusiasm!

  Always,too,intheselateryearsheisshowinghisstrengthandenthusiasminapositivelynobleway。Hehasforyearsbeenakeensuffererfromrheumatismandneuritis,buthehasneverpermittedthistointerferewithhisworkorplans。

  Hemakeslittleofhissufferings,andwhenheslowlymakeshisway,bentandtwisted,downstairs,hedoesnotwanttobenoticed。“I\'mallright,\'\'hewillsayifanyoneofferstohelp,andatsuchatimecomeshisnearestapproachtoimpatience。Hewantshissufferingignored。

  Strengthhasalwaysbeentohimsopreciousabelongingthathewillnotrelinquishitwhilehelives。“I\'mallright!\'\'Andhemakeshimselfbelievethatheisallrighteventhoughthepainbecomessosevereastodemandmassage。Andhewillstill,evenwhensuffering,talkcalmly,orwritehisletters,orattendtowhatevermatterscomebeforehim。ItistheSpartanboyhidingthepainofthegnawingfox。Andheneverhasletpaininterferewithhispresenceonthepulpitortheplatform。Hehasonceinawhilegonetoameetingoncrutchesandthen,bytheforceofwill,andinspiredbywhatheistodo,hasstoodbeforehisaudienceorcongregation,amanfullofstrengthandfireandlife。

  VII

  HOWAUNIVERSITYWASFOUNDED

  THEstoryofthefoundationandriseofTempleUniversityisanextraordinarystory;

  itisnotonlyextraordinary,butinspiring;itisnotonlyinspiring,butfullofromance。

  Fortheuniversitycameoutofnothing!——nothingbuttheneedofayoungmanandthefactthathetoldtheneedtoonewho,throughouthislife,hasfelttheimpulsetohelpanyoneinneedandhasalwaysobeyedtheimpulse。

  IaskedDr。Conwell,upathishomeintheBerkshires,totellmehimselfjusthowtheuniversitybegan,andhesaidthatitbeganbecauseitwasneededandsucceededbecauseoftheloyalworkoftheteachers。AndwhenIaskedfordetailshewassilentforawhile,lookingoffintothebroodingtwilightasitlayoverthewatersandthetreesandthehills,andthenhesaid:

  “Itwasallsosimple;itallcameaboutsonaturally。Oneevening,afteraservice,ayoungmanofthecongregationcametomeandIsawthathewasdisturbedaboutsomething。Ihadhimsitdownbyme,andIknewthatinafewmomentshewouldtellmewhatwastroublinghim。

  “`Dr。Conwell,\'hesaid,abruptly,`Iearnbutlittlemoney,andIseenoimmediatechanceofearningmore。Ihavetosupportnotonlymyself,butmymother。Itleavesnothingatall。Yetmylongingistobeaminister。Itistheoneambitionofmylife。IsthereanythingthatIcando?\'

  “`Anyman,\'Isaidtohim,`withtheproperdeterminationandambitioncanstudysufficientlyatnighttowinhisdesire。\'

  “`Ihavetriedtothinkso,\'saidhe,`butI

  havenotbeenabletoseeanythingclearly。I

  wanttostudy,andamreadytogiveeveryspareminutetoit,butIdon\'tknowhowtogetatit。\'

  “Ithoughtafewminutes,asIlookedathim。

  Hewasstronginhisdesireandinhisambitiontofulfilit——strongenough,physicallyandmentally,forworkofthebodyandofthemind——andheneededsomethingmorethangeneralizationsofsympathy。

  “`CometomeoneeveningaweekandIwillbeginteachingyoumyself,\'Isaid,`andatleastyouwillinthatwaymakeabeginning\';andI

  namedtheevening。

  “Hisfacebrightenedandheeagerlysaidthathewouldcome,andleftme;butinalittlewhilehecamehurryingbackagain。`MayIbringafriendwithme?\'hesaid。

  “Itoldhimtobringasmanyashewantedto,formorethanonewouldbeanadvantage,andwhentheeveningcamethereweresixfriendswithhim。AndthatfirsteveningIbegantoteachthemthefoundationsofLatin。\'\'

  Hestoppedasifthestorywasover。Hewaslookingoutthoughtfullyintothewaninglight,andIknewthathismindwasbusywiththosedaysofthebeginningoftheinstitutionhesoloves,andwhosecontinuedsuccessmeanssomuchtohim。Inalittlewhilehewenton:

  “Thatwasthebeginningofit,andthereislittlemoretotell。Bythethirdeveningthenumberofpupilshadincreasedtoforty;othersjoinedinhelpingme,andaroomwashired;thenalittlehouse,thenasecondhouse。Fromafewstudentsandteacherswebecameacollege。AfterawhileourbuildingswentuponBroadStreetalongsidetheTempleChurch,andafteranotherwhilewebecameauniversity。Fromthefirstouraim\'\'——Inoticedhowquicklyithadbecome“our\'\'insteadof“my\'\'——“ouraimwastogiveeducationtothosewhowereunabletogetitthroughtheusualchannels。Andsothatwasreallyalltherewastoit。\'\'

  ThatwastypicalofRussellConwell——totellwithbrevityofwhathehasdone,topointoutthebeginningsofsomething,andquiteomittoelaborateastotheresults。Andthat,whenyoucometoknowhim,ispreciselywhathemeansyoutounderstand——thatitisthebeginningofanythingthatisimportant,andthatifathingisbutearnestlybegunandsetgoingintherightwayitmayjustaseasilydevelopbigresultsaslittleresults。

  Buthisstorywasveryfarindeedfrombeing“alltherewastoit,\'\'forhehadquiteomittedtostatetheextraordinaryfactthat,beginningwiththosesevenpupils,comingtohislibraryonaneveningin1884,theTempleUniversityhasnumbered,uptoCommencement-timein1915,88,821students!Nearlyonehundredthousandstudents,andinthelifetimeofthefounder!

  Really,themagnitudeofsuchaworkcannotbeexaggerated,northevastimportanceofitwhenitisconsideredthatmostoftheseeighty-eightthousandstudentswouldnothavereceivedtheireducationhaditnotbeenforTempleUniversity。

  AnditallcamefromtheinstantresponseofRussellConwelltotheimmediateneedpresentedbyayoungmanwithoutmoney!

  “AndthereissomethingelseIwanttosay,\'\'

  saidDr。Conwell,unexpectedly。“Iwanttosay,morefullythanamerecasualword,hownoblytheworkwastakenupbyvolunteerhelpers;

  professorsfromtheUniversityofPennsylvaniaandteachersfromthepublicschoolsandotherlocalinstitutionsgavefreelyofwhattimetheycoulduntilthenewventurewasfirmlyonitsway。Ihonorthosewhocamesodevotedlytohelp。Anditshouldberememberedthatinthoseearlydaystheneedwasevengreaterthanitwouldnowappear,fortherewerethennonightschoolsormanual-trainingschools。SincethenthecityofPhiladelphiahasgoneintosuchwork,andasfastasithastakenupcertainbranchestheTempleUniversityhasputitsenergyintothebranchesjusthigher。Andthereseemsnolesseningoftheneedofit,\'\'headded,ponderingly。

  No;thereiscertainlynolesseningoftheneedofit!Thefiguresoftheannualcataloguewouldaloneshowthat。

  Asearlyas1887,justthreeyearsafterthebeginning,theTempleCollege,asitwasbythattimecalled,issueditsfirstcatalogue,whichsetforthwithstirringwordsthattheintentofitsfoundingwasto:

  “Providesuchinstructionasshallbebestadaptedtothehighereducationofthosewhoarecompelledtolaborattheirtradewhileengagedinstudy。

  “Cultivateatasteforthehigherandmostusefulbranchesoflearning。

  “Awakeninthecharacterofyounglaboringmenandwomenadeterminedambitiontobeusefultotheirfellow-men。\'\'

  Thecollege——theuniversityasitintimecametobe——earlybroadeneditsscope,butithasfromthefirstcontinuedtoaimattheneedsofthoseunabletosecureeducationwithoutsuchhelpas,throughitsmethods,itaffords。

  Itwascharteredin1888,atwhichtimeitsnumbershadreachedalmostsixhundred,andithaseversincehadaconstantfloodofapplicants。

  “Ithasdemonstrated,\'\'asDr。Conwellputsit,“thatthosewhoworkforalivinghavetimeforstudy。\'\'Andhe,thoughhedoesnothimselfaddthis,hasgiventheopportunity。

  Hefeelsespecialprideinthefeaturesbywhichlecturesandrecitationsareheldatpracticallyanyhourwhichbestsuitstheconvenienceofthestudents。Ifanytenstudentsjoininarequestforanyhourfromnineinthemorningtotenatnightaclassisarrangedforthem,tomeetthatrequest!Thisinvolvesthenecessityforamuchlargernumberofprofessorsandteachersthanwouldotherwisebenecessary,butthatisdeemedaslightconsiderationincomparisonwiththeimmensegooddonebymeetingtheneedsofworkers。

  AlsoPresidentConwell——forofcourseheisthepresidentoftheuniversity——isproudofthefactthattheprivilegeofgraduationdependsentirelyuponknowledgegained;thatgraduationdoesnotdependuponhavinglistenedtoanysetnumberoflecturesoruponhavingattendedforsomanytermsoryears。Ifastudentcandofouryears\'

  workintwoyearsorinthreeheisencouragedtodoit,andifhecannotevendoitinfourhecanhavenodiploma。

  Obviously,thereisnoplaceatTempleUniversityforstudentswhocareonlyforafewyearsofleisuredease。Itisaplaceforworkers,andnotatallforthosewhomerelywishtobeabletoboastthattheyattendedauniversity。Thestudentshavecomelargelyfromamongrailroadclerks,bankclerks,bookkeepers,teachers,preachers,mechanics,salesmen,drugclerks,cityandUnitedStatesgovernmentemployees,widows,nurses,housekeepers,brakemen,firemen,engineers,motormen,conductors,andshophands。

  Itwaswhenthecollegebecamestrongenough,andsufficientlyadvancedinscholarshipandstanding,andbroadenoughinscope,towinthenameofuniversitythatthistitlewasofficiallygrantedtoitbytheStateofPennsylvania,in1907,andnowitseducationalplanincludesthreedistinctschoolsystems。

  First:itoffersahigh-schooleducationtothestudentwhohastoquitschoolafterleavingthegrammar-school。

  Second:itoffersafullcollegeeducation,withthebranchestaughtinlong-establishedhigh-

  gradecolleges,tothestudentwhohastoquitonleavingthehigh-school。

  Third:itoffersfurtherscientificorprofessionaleducationtothecollegegraduatewhomustgotoworkimmediatelyonquittingcollege,butwhowishestotakeupsomesuchcourseaslawormedicineorengineering。

  Outoflastyear\'senrolmentof3,654itisinterestingtonoticethatthelawclaimed141;

  theology,182;medicineandpharmacyanddentistrycombined,357;civilengineering,37;alsothattheteachers\'college,withnormalcoursesonsuchsubjectsashouseholdartsandscience,kindergartenwork,andphysicaleducation,took174;andstillmoreinteresting,inaway,toseethat269studentswereenrolledforthetechnicalandvocationalcourses,suchascookinganddress-

  making,millinery,manualcrafts,school-gardening,andstory-telling。Therewere511inhigh-

  schoolwork,and243inelementaryeducation。

  Therewere79studyingmusic,and68studyingtobetrainednurses。Therewere606inthecollegeofliberalartsandsciences,andinthedepartmentofcommercialeducationtherewere987——foritisauniversitythatoffersbothscholarshipandpracticality。

  TempleUniversityisnotintheleastacharitableinstitution。Itsfeesarelow,anditshoursarefortheconvenienceofthestudentsthemselves,butitisaplaceofabsoluteindependence。Itis,indeed,aplaceoffargreaterindependence,sooneoftheprofessorspointedout,thanarethegreatuniversitieswhichreceivemillionsandmillionsofmoneyinprivategiftsandendowments。

  TempleUniversityinitsearlyyearswassorelyinneedofmoney,andoftentherewerethrillsofexpectancywhensomemanofmightywealthseemedonthepointofgiving。Butnotasingleoneeverdid,andnowtheTemplelikestofeelthatitisgladofit。TheTemple,toquoteitsownwords,is“Aninstitutionforstrongmenandwomenwhocanlaborwithbothmindandbody。\'\'

  Andthemanagementisproudtobeabletosaythat,althoughgreatnumbershavecomefromdistantplaces,“notoneofthemanythousandseverfailedtofindanopportunitytosupporthimself。\'\'

  Evenintheearlydays,whenmoneywasneededforthenecessarybuildingsthebuildingsofwhichConwelldreamedwhenheleftsecond-storydoorsinhischurch!,theuniversity——collegeitwasthencalled——hadwondevotionfromthosewhoknewthatitwasaplacewhereneithertimenormoneywaswasted,andwhereidlenesswasacrime,andinthedonationsfortheworkweremanysuchitemsasfourhundreddollarsfromfactory-workerswhogavefiftycentseach,andtwothousanddollarsfrompolicemenwhogaveadollareach。

  WithintwoorthreeyearspasttheStateofPennsylvaniahasbegungivingitalargesumannually,andthisstateaidispublicrecognitionofTempleUniversityasaninstitutionofhighpublicvalue。

  Thestatemoneyisinvestedinthebrainsandheartsoftheambitious。

  SoeagerisDr。Conwelltoplacetheopportunityofeducationbeforeeveryone,thatevenhisservantsmustgotoschool!Heisnotoneofthosewhocanseeneedsthatarefarawaybutnotthosethatarerightathome。Hisbeliefineducation,andinthehighestattainableeducation,isprofound,anditisnotonlyonaccountoftheabstractpleasureandvalueofeducation,butitspowerofincreasingactualearningpowerandthusmakingaworkerofmorevaluetobothhimselfandthecommunity。

  Manyamanandmanyawoman,whilecontinuingtoworkforsomefirmorfactory,hastakenTempletechnicalcoursesandthusfittedhimselforherselfforanadvancedpositionwiththesameemployer。TheTempleknowsofmanysuch,whohavethuswonprominentadvancement。

  Anditknowsofteacherswho,whilecontinuingtoteach,havefittedthemselvesthroughtheTemplecoursesforprofessorships。AnditknowsofmanyacaseoftheriseofaTemplestudentthatreadslikeanArabianNights\'fancy!——ofadvancefrombookkeepertoeditor,fromoffice-

  boytobankpresident,fromkitchenmaidtoschoolprincipal,fromstreet-cleanertomayor!

  TheTempleUniversityhelpsthemthathelpthemselves。

  PresidentConwelltoldmepersonallyofonecasethatespeciallyinterestedhimbecauseitseemedtoexhibit,inespecialdegree,theTemplepossibilities;anditparticularlyinterestedmebecauseitalsoshowed,inhighdegree,themethodsandpersonalityofDr。Conwellhimself。

  Onedayayoungwomancametohimandsaidsheearnedonlythreedollarsaweekandthatshedesiredverymuchtomakemore。“Canyoutellmehowtodoit?\'\'shesaid。

  Helikedherambitionandherdirectness,buttherewassomethingthathefeltdoubtfulabout,andthatwasthatherhatlookedtooexpensiveforthreedollarsaweek!

  NowDr。Conwellisamanwhomyouwouldneversuspectofgivingathoughttothehatofmanorwoman!Butasamatteroffactthereisverylittlethathedoesnotsee。

  Butthoughthehatseemedtooexpensiveforthreedollarsaweek,Dr。Conwellisnotamanwhomakessnap-judgmentsharshly,andinparticularhewouldbethelastmantoturnawayhastilyonewhohadsoughthimoutforhelp。

  Heneverfelt,norcouldpossiblyurgeuponanyone,contentmentwithahumblelot;hestandsforadvancement;hehasnosympathywiththatdictumofthesmug,thathascometousfromanationtightboundforcenturiesbyitsgentryandaristocracy,aboutbeingcontentedwiththepositioninwhichGodhasplacedyou,forhepointsoutthattheBibleitselfholdsupadvancementandsuccessasthingsdesirable。

  And,astotheyoungwomanbeforehim,itdeveloped,throughdiscreetinquiryveiledbyfrankdiscussionofhercase,thatshehadmadetheexpensive-lookinghatherself!Whereuponnotonlydidalldoubtfulnessandhesitationvanish,buthesawatoncehowshecouldbetterherself。

  Heknewthatawomanwhocouldmakeahatlikethatforherselfcouldmakehatsforotherpeople,andso,“Gointomillineryasabusiness,\'\'

  headvised。

  “Oh——ifIonlycould!\'\'sheexclaimed。“ButIknowthatIdon\'tknowenough。\'\'

  “TakethemillinerycourseinTempleUniversity,\'\'

  heresponded。

  Shehadnotevenheardofsuchacourse,andwhenhewentontoexplainhowshecouldtakeitandatthesametimecontinueatherpresentworkuntilthecoursewasconcluded,shewaspositivelyecstatic——itwasallsounexpected,thisopeningoftheviewofanewandbroaderlife。

  “Shewasanunusualwoman,\'\'concludedDr。

  Conwell,“andsheworkedwithenthusiasmandtirelessness。Shegraduated,wenttoanup-statecitythatseemedtoofferagoodfield,openedamillineryestablishmentthere,withherownnameabovethedoor,andbecameprosperous。Thatwasonlyafewyearsago。AndrecentlyIhadaletterfromher,tellingmethatlastyearshenettedaclearprofitofthreethousandsixhundreddollars!\'\'

  Irememberaman,himselfofdistinguishedposition,sayingofDr。Conwell,“Itisdifficulttospeakintemperedlanguageofwhathehasachieved。\'\'Andthatjustexpressesit;thetemptationisconstantlytousesuperlatives——forsuperlativesfit!Ofcoursehehassucceededforhimself,andsucceededmarvelously,inhisrisefromtherockyhillfarm,buthehasdonesovastlymorethanthatininspiringsuchhostsofotherstosucceed!

  Adreamerofdreamsandaseerofvisions——

  andwhatrealizationshavecome!Anditinterestedmeprofoundlynotlongago,whenDr。

  Conwell,talkingoftheuniversity,unexpectedlyremarkedthathewouldliketoseesuchinstitu-

  tionsscatteredthroughouteverystateintheUnion。“Allcarriedonatslightexpensetothestudentsandathourstosuitallsortsofworkingmenandwomen,\'\'headded,afterapause;andthen,abruptly,“IshouldliketoseethepossibilityofhighereducationofferedtoeveryoneintheUnitedStateswhoworksforaliving。\'\'

  Therewassomethingsuperbintheveryimaginingofsuchanation-widesystem。ButIdidnotaskwhetherornothehadplannedanydetailsforsuchaneffort。Iknewthatthusfaritmightonlybeoneofhisdreams——butIalsoknewthathisdreamshadawayofbecomingrealities。

  Ihadafleetingglimpseofhissoaringvision。Itwasamazingtofindamanofmorethanthree-

  scoreandtenthusdreamingofmoreworldstoconquer。AndIthought,whatcouldtheworldhaveaccomplishedifMethuselahhadbeenaConwell!——or,farbetter,whatwonderscouldbeaccomplishedifConwellcouldbutbeaMethuselah!

  Hehasallhislifebeenagreattraveler。Heisamanwhoseesvividlyandwhocandescribevividly。Yetoftenhisletters,evenfromplacesofthemostprofoundinterest,aremostlyconcernedwithaffairsbackhome。Itisnotthathedoesnotfeel,andfeelintensely,theinterestofwhatheisvisiting,butthathistremendousearnestnesskeepshimalwaysconcernedabouthisworkathome。TherecouldbenostrongerexamplethanwhatInoticedinaletterhewrotefromJerusa-

  lem。“IaminJerusalem!AndhereatGethsemaneandattheTombofChrist\'\'——readingthusfar,oneexpectsthatanyman,andespeciallyaminister,issuretosaysomethingregardingtheassociationsoftheplaceandtheeffectoftheseassociationsonhismind;butConwellisalwaysthemanwhoisdifferent——“AndhereatGethsemaneandattheTombofChrist,IprayespeciallyfortheTempleUniversity。\'\'ThatisConwellism!

  Thathefoundedahospital——aworkinitselfgreatenoughforevenagreatlifeisbutoneamongthestrikingincidentsofhiscareer。Anditcameaboutthroughperfectnaturalness。Forhecametoknow,throughhispastoralworkandthroughhisgrowingacquaintancewiththeneedsofthecity,thattherewasavastamountofsufferingandwretchednessandanguish,becauseoftheinabilityoftheexistinghospitalstocareforallwhoneededcare。Therewassomuchsicknessandsufferingtobealleviated,thereweresomanydeathsthatcouldbeprevented——andsohedecidedtostartanotherhospital。

  And,likeeverythingwithhim,thebeginningwassmall。Thatcannottoostronglybesetdownasthewayofthisphenomenallysuccessfulorganizer。Mostmenwouldhavetowaituntilabigbeginningcouldbemade,andsowouldmostlikelynevermakeabeginningatall。ButConwell\'swayistodreamoffuturebigness,butbereadytobeginatonce,nomatterhowsmallorinsignificantthebeginningmayappeartoothers。

  Tworentedrooms,onenurse,onepatient——thiswasthehumblebeginning,in1891,ofwhathasdevelopedintothegreatSamaritanHospital。Inayeartherewasanentirehouse,fittedupwithwardsandoperating-room。Nowitoccupiesseveralbuildings,includingandadjoiningthatfirstone,andagreatnewstructureisplanned。Butevenasitis,ithasahundredandseventybeds,isfittedwithallmodernhospitalappliances,andhasalargestaffofphysicians;andthenumberofsurgicaloperationsperformedthereisverylarge。

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