第6章
加入书架 A- A+
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  Itisopentosufferersofanyraceorcreed,andthepoorareneverrefusedadmission,therulebeingthattreatmentisfreeforthosewhocannotpay,butthatsuchascanafforditshallpayaccordingtotheirmeans。

  Andthehospitalhasakindlyfeaturethatendearsittopatientsandtheirrelativesalike,andthatisthat,byDr。Conwell\'spersonalorder,therearenotonlytheusualweek-dayhoursforvisiting,butalsooneeveningaweekandeverySundayafternoon。“Forotherwise,\'\'ashesays,“manywouldbeunabletocomebecausetheycouldnotgetawayfromtheirwork。\'\'

  Alittleovereightyearsagoanotherhospitalwastakenincharge,theGarretson——notfoundedbyConwell,thisone,butacquired,andpromptlyexpandedinitsusefulness。

  BoththeSamaritanandtheGarretsonarepartofTempleUniversity。TheSamaritanHospitalhastreated,sinceitsfoundation,uptothemiddleof1915,29,301patients;theGarretson,initsshorterlife,5,923。Includingdispensarycasesaswellashousepatients,thetwohospitalstogether,undertheheadshipofPresidentConwell,havehandledover400,000cases。

  HowConwellcanpossiblymeetthemultifariousdemandsuponhistimeisinitselfamiracle。

  Heistheheadofthegreatchurch;heistheheadoftheuniversity;heistheheadofthehospitals;

  heistheheadofeverythingwithwhichheisassociated!Andheisnotonlynominally,butveryactively,thehead!

  VIII

  HISSPLENDIDEFFICIENCY

  CONWELLhasafewstrongandefficientexecutivehelperswhohavelongbeenassociatedwithhim;menandwomenwhoknowhisideasandideals,whoaredevotedtohim,andwhodotheirutmosttorelievehim;andofcoursethereisverymuchthatisthusdoneforhim;butevenasitis,heissoovershadowingamanthereisreallynootherwordthatallwhoworkwithhimlooktohimforadviceandguidancetheprofessorsandthestudents,thedoctorsandthenurses,thechurchofficers,theSunday-schoolteachers,themembersofhiscongregation。Andheisnevertoobusytoseeanyonewhoreallywishestoseehim。

  Hecanattendtoavastintricacyofdetail,andanswermyriadpersonalquestionsanddoubts,andkeepthegreatinstitutionssplendidlygoing,bythoroughsystematizationoftime,andbywatchingeveryminute。Hehasseveralsecretaries,forspecialwork,besideshisprivatesecretary。Hiscorrespondenceisverygreat。Oftenhedictatestoasecretaryashetravelsonthetrain。EveninthefewdaysforwhichhecanrunbacktotheBerkshires,workisawaitinghim。Workfollowshim。Andafterknowingofthis,oneispositivelyamazedthatheisabletogivetohiscountry-widelecturesthetimeandthetravelingthattheyinexorablydemand。Onlyamanofimmensestrength,ofthegreateststamina,averitablesuperman,couldpossiblydoit。Andattimesonequiteforgets,noticingthemultiplicityofhisoccupations,thathepreparestwosermonsandtwotalksonSunday!

  HereishisusualSundayschedule,whenathome。Herisesatsevenandstudiesuntilbreakfast,whichisateight-thirty。Thenhestudiesuntilnine-forty-five,whenheleadsamen\'smeetingatwhichheislikelyalsotoplaytheorganandleadthesinging。Atten-thirtyistheprincipalchurchservice,atwhichhepreaches,andatthecloseofwhichheshakeshandswithhundreds。

  Hedinesatone,afterwhichhetakesfifteenminutes\'restandthenreads;andatthreeo\'clockheaddresses,inatalkthatislikeanothersermon,alargeclassofmen——notthesamemenasinthemorning。HeisalsosuretolookinattheregularsessionoftheSunday-school。Homeagain,wherehestudiesandreadsuntilsupper-time。Atseven-

  thirtyistheeveningservice,atwhichheagainpreachesandafterwhichheshakeshandswithseveralhundredmoreandtalkspersonally,inhisstudy,withanywhohaveneedoftalkwithhim。

  Heisusuallyhomebyten-thirty。Ispokeofit,oneevening,ashavingbeenastrenuousday,andheresponded,withacheerfullywhimsicalsmile:

  “Threesermonsandshookhandswithninehundred。\'\'

  Thatevening,astheserviceclosed,hehadsaidtothecongregation:“Ishallbehereforanhour。Wealwayshaveapleasanttimetogetherafterservice。Ifyouareacquaintedwithme,comeupandshakehands。Ifyouarestrangers\'\'——

  justtheslightestofpauses——“comeupandletusmakeanacquaintancethatwilllastforeternity。\'\'Irememberhowsimplyandeasilythiswassaid,inhisclear,deepvoice,andhowimpressiveandimportantitseemed,andwithwhatunexpectednessitcame。“Comeandmakeanacquaintancethatwilllastforeternity!\'\'

  Andtherewasaserenityabouthiswayofsayingthiswhichwouldmakestrangersthink——justashemeantthemtothink——thathehadnothingwhatevertodobuttotalkwiththem。Evenhisowncongregationhave,mostofthem,littleconceptionofhowbusyamanheisandhowpreciousishistime。

  OneeveninglastJunetotakeaneveningofwhichIhappenedtoknow——hegothomefromajourneyoftwohundredmilesatsixo\'clock,andafterdinnerandaslightrestwenttothechurchprayer-meeting,whichheledinhisusualvigorouswayatsuchmeetings,playingtheorganandleadingthesinging,aswellasprayingandtalk-

  ing。Aftertheprayer-meetinghewenttotwodinnersinsuccession,bothofthemimportantdinnersinconnectionwiththecloseoftheuniversityyear,andatbothdinnershespoke。Attheseconddinnerhewasnotifiedofthesuddenillnessofamemberofhiscongregation,andinstantlyhurriedtotheman\'shomeandthencetothehospitaltowhichhehadbeenremoved,andthereheremainedattheman\'sbedside,orinconsultationwiththephysicians,untiloneinthemorning。Nextmorninghewasupatsevenandagainatwork。

  “ThisonethingIdo,\'\'ishisprivatemaximofefficiency,andaliteralistmightpointoutthathedoesnotonethingonly,butathousandthings,notgettingConwell\'smeaning,whichisthatwhateverthethingmaybewhichheisdoingheletshimselfthinkofnothingelseuntilitisdone。

  Dr。Conwellhasaprofoundloveforthecountryandparticularlyforthecountryofhisownyouth。

  Helovesthewindthatcomessweepingoverthehills,helovesthewide-stretchingviewsfromtheheightsandtheforestintimaciesofthenestlednooks。Helovestheripplingstreams,helovesthewildflowersthatnestleinseclusionorthatunexpectedlypaintsomemountainmeadowwithdelight。Helovestheverytouchoftheearth,andhelovesthegreatbarerocks。

  Hewritesversesattimes;atleasthehaswrittenlinesforafewoldtunes;anditinterestedmegreatlytochanceuponsomelinesofhisthatpictureheavenintermsoftheBerkshires:

  _Thewide-stretchingvalleysincolorssofadeless,Wheretreesarealldeathlessandflowerse\'erbloom_。

  ThatisheavenintheeyesofaNewEnglandhill-man!Notgoldenpavementandivorypalaces,butvalleysandtreesandflowersandthewidesweepoftheopen。

  Fewthingspleasehimmorethantogo,forexample,blackberrying,andhehasaknackofneverscratchinghisfaceorhisfingerswhendoingso。Andhefindsblackberrying,whetherhegoesaloneorwithfriends,anextraordinarilygoodtimeforplanningsomethinghewishestodoorworkingoutthethoughtofasermon。Andfishingisevenbetter,forinfishinghefindsimmenserecreationandrestfulnessandatthesametimeafurtheropportunitytothinkandplan。

  Asasmallboyhewishedthathecouldthrowadamacrossthetrout-brookthatrunsnearthelittleConwellhome,and——ashenevergivesup——

  hefinallyrealizedtheambition,althoughitwasafterhalfacentury!Andnowhehasabigpond,three-quartersofamilelongbyhalfamilewide,lyinginfrontofthehouse,downaslopefromit——

  apondstockedwithsplendidpickerel。Helikestofloataboutrestfullyonthispond,thinkingorfishing,orboth。Andonthatpondheshowedmehowtocatchpickerelevenunderablazeofsunlight!

  Heisatrout-fisher,too,foritisatroutstreamthatfeedsthispondandgoesdashingawayfromitthroughthewilderness;andformilesadjoininghisplaceafishingclubofwealthymenboughtuptherightsinthistroutstream,andtheyapproachedhimwithaliberaloffer。Buthedeclinedit。“IrememberedwhatgoodtimesIhadwhenIwasaboy,fishingupanddownthatstream,andIcouldn\'tthinkofkeepingtheboysofthepresentdayfromsuchapleasure。Sotheymaystillcomeandfishfortrouthere。\'\'

  Aswewalkedonedaybesidethisbrook,hesuddenlysaid:“Didyouevernoticethateverybrookhasitsownsong?Ishouldknowthesongofthisbrookanywhere。\'\'

  Itwouldseemasifhelovedhisruggednativecountrybecauseitisruggedevenmorethanbecauseitisnative!Himselfsorugged,sohardy,soenduring——thestrengthofthehillsishisalso。

  Always,inhisveryappearance,youseesomethingofthisruggednessofthehills;aruggedness,asincerity,aplainness,thatmarkalikehischaracterandhislooks。Andalwaysonerealizesthestrengthoftheman,evenwhenhisvoice,asitusuallyis,islow。Andoneincreasinglyrealizesthestrengthwhen,onthelectureplatformorinthepulpitorinconversation,heflashesvividlyintofire。

  Abig-bonedmanheis,sturdy-framed,atallman,withbroadshouldersandstronghands。

  Hishairisadeepchestnut-brownthatatfirstsightseemsblack。Inhisearlymanhoodhewassuperbinlooks,ashispicturesshow,butanxietyandworkandtheconstantflightofyears,withphysicalpain,havesettledhisfaceintolinesofsadnessandalmostofseverity,whichinstantlyvanishwhenhespeaks。Andhisfaceisilluminedbymarvelouseyes。

  Heisalonelyman。Thewifeofhisearlyyearsdiedlong,longago,beforesuccesshadcome,andshewasdeeplymourned,forshehadloyallyhelpedhimthroughatimethatheldmuchofstruggleandhardship。Hemarriedagain;andthiswifewashisloyalhelpmateformanyyears。

  Inatimeofspecialstress,whenadefalcationofsixty-fivethousanddollarsthreatenedtocrushTempleCollegejustwhenitwasgettingonitsfeet,forbothTempleChurchandTempleCollegehadinthoseearlydaysbuoyantlyassumedheavyindebtedness,heraisedeverydollarhecouldbysellingormortgaginghisownpossessions,andinthishiswife,ashelovinglyremembers,mostcordiallystoodbesidehim,althoughsheknewthatifanythingshouldhappentohimthefinancialsacrificewouldleaveherpenniless。Shediedafteryearsofcompanionship;hischildrenmarriedandmadehomesoftheirown;heisalonelyman。Yetheisnotunhappy,forthetremendousdemandsofhistremendousworkleavehimlittletimeforsadnessorretrospect。Attimestherealizationcomesthatheisgettingold,thatfriendsandcomradeshavebeenpassingaway,leavinghimanoldmanwithyoungerfriendsandhelpers。Butsuchrealizationonlymakeshimworkwithanearnestnessstillmoreintense,knowingthatthenightcomethwhennomanshallwork。

  Deeplyreligiousthoughheis,hedoesnotforcereligionintoconversationonordinarysubjectsoruponpeoplewhomaynotbeinterestedinit。

  Withhim,itisactionandgoodworks,withfaithandbelief,thatcount,exceptwhentalkisthenatural,thefitting,thenecessarything;whenaddressingeitheroneindividualorthousands,hetalkswithsuperbeffectiveness。

  Hissermonsare,itmayalmostliterallybesaid,parableafterparable;althoughhehimselfwouldbethelastmantosaythis,foritwouldsoundasifheclaimedtomodelafterthegreatestofallexamples。Hisownwayofputtingitisthatheusesstoriesfrequentlybecausepeoplearemoreimpressedbyillustrationsthanbyargument。

  Always,whetherinthepulpitoroutofit,heissimpleandhomelike,humanandunaffected。

  Ifhehappenstoseesomeoneinthecongregationtowhomhewishestospeak,hemayjustleavehispulpitandwalkdowntheaisle,whilethechoirissinging,andquietlysayafewwordsandreturn。

  Intheearlydaysofhisministry,ifheheardofapoorfamilyinimmediateneedoffoodhewouldbequitelikelytogatherabasketofprovisionsandgopersonally,andofferthisassistanceandsuchotherashemightfindnecessarywhenhereachedtheplace。Ashebecameknownheceasedfromthisdirectandopenmethodofcharity,forheknewthatimpulsivenesswouldbetakenforintentionaldisplay。Buthehasneverceasedtobereadytohelpontheinstantthatheknowshelpisneeded。Delayandlengthyinvestigationareavoidedbyhimwhenhecanbecertainthatsomethingimmediateisrequired。

  Andtheextentofhisquietcharityisamazing。

  familyforwhichtosavemoney,andwithnocaretoputawaymoneyforhimself,hethinksonlyofmoneyasaninstrumentforhelpfulness。

  Ineverheardafriendcriticizehimexceptfortoogreatopen-handedness。

  Iwasstronglyimpressed,aftercomingtoknowhim,thathepossessedmanyofthequalitiesthatmadeforthesuccessoftheold-timedistrictleadersofNewYorkCity,andImentionedthistohim,andheatoncerespondedthathehadhimselfmet“BigTim,\'\'thelong-timeleaderoftheSullivans,andhadhadhimathishouse,BigTimhavinggonetoPhiladelphiatoaidsomehenchmanintrouble,andhavingpromptlysoughttheaidofDr。Conwell。AnditwascharacteristicofConwellthathesaw,whatsomanyneversaw,themoststrikingcharacteristicofthatTammanyleader。For,“BigTimSullivanwassokind-hearted!\'\'Conwellappreciatedtheman\'spoliticalunscrupulousnessaswellasdidhisenemies,buthesawalsowhatmadehisunderlyingpower——hiskind-heartedness。ExceptthatSullivancouldbesupremelyunscrupulous,andthatConwellissupremelyscrupulous,thereweremarkedsimilaritiesinthesemastersovermen;andConwellpossesses,asSullivanpossessed,awonderfulmemoryforfacesandnames。

  Naturally,RussellConwellstandssteadilyandstronglyforgoodcitizenship。ButhenevertalksboastfulAmericanism。HeseldomspeaksinsomanywordsofeitherAmericanismorgoodcitizenship,butheconstantlyandsilentlykeepstheAmericanflag,asthesymbolofgoodcitizenship,beforehispeople。AnAmericanflagisprominentinhischurch;anAmericanflagisseeninhishome;

  abeautifulAmericanflagisupathisBerkshireplaceandsurmountsaloftytowerwhere,whenhewasaboy,therestoodamightytreeatthetopofwhichwasaneagle\'snest,whichhasgivenhimanameforhishome,forhetermsit“TheEagle\'sNest。\'\'

  RememberingalongstorythatIhadreadofhisclimbingtothetopofthattree,thoughitwasawell-nighimpossiblefeat,andsecuringthenestbygreatperseveranceanddaring,Iaskedhimifthestorywereatrueone。“Oh,I\'veheardsomethingaboutit;somebodysaidthatsomebodywatchedme,orsomethingofthekind。ButIdon\'trememberanythingaboutitmyself。\'\'

  Anyfriendofhisissuretosaysomething,afterawhile,abouthisdetermination,hisinsistenceongoingaheadwithanythingonwhichhehasreallysethisheart。Oneoftheveryimportantthingsonwhichheinsisted,inspiteofverygreatopposition,andespeciallyanoppositionfromtheotherchurchesofhisdenominationforthiswasagoodmanyyearsago,whentherewasmuchmorenarrownessinchurchesandsectsthanthereisatpresent,waswithregardtodoingawaywithclosecommunion。Hedeterminedonanopencommunion;andhiswayofputtingit,oncedecidedupon,was:“Myfriends,itisnotformetoinviteyoutothetableoftheLord。ThetableoftheLordisopen。Ifyoufeelthatyoucancometothetable,itisopentoyou。\'\'Andthisistheformwhichhestilluses。

  Henotonlynevergivesup,but,sohisfriendssay,heneverforgetsathinguponwhichhehasoncedecided,andattimes,longaftertheysupposedthematterhasbeenentirelyforgotten,theysuddenlyfindDr。Conwellbringinghisoriginalpurposetopass。WhenIwastoldofthisIrememberedthatpickerel-pondintheBerkshires!

  Ifheisreallysetupondoinganything,littleorbig,adversecriticismdoesnotdisturbhisserenity。Someyearsagohebeganwearingahugediamond,whosesizeattractedmuchcriticismandcausticcomment。Heneversaidawordindefense;hejustkeptonwearingthediamond。

  Oneday,however,aftersomeyears,hetookitoff,andpeoplesaid,“Hehaslistenedtothecriticismatlast!\'\'Hesmiledreminiscentlyashetoldmeaboutthis,andsaid:“AdearolddeaconofmycongregationgavemethatdiamondandI

  didnotliketohurthisfeelingsbyrefusingit。

  Itreallybotheredmetowearsuchaglaringbigthing,butbecauseIdidn\'twanttohurttheolddeacon\'sfeelingsIkeptonwearingituntilhewasdead。ThenIstoppedwearingit。\'\'

  TheambitionofRussellConwellistocontinueworkingandworkinguntiltheverylastmomentofhislife。Inworkheforgetshissadness,hisloneliness,hisage。Andhesaidtomeoneday,“Iwilldieinharness。\'\'

  IX

  THESTORYOFACRESOFDIAMONDS

  CONSIDERINGeverything,themostremarkablethinginRussellConwell\'sremarkablelifeishislecture,“AcresofDiamonds。\'\'

  Thatis,thelectureitself,thenumberoftimeshehasdeliveredit,whatasourceofinspirationithasbeentomyriads,themoneythathehasmadeandismaking,and,stillmore,thepurposetowhichhedirectsthemoney。Inthecircumstancessurrounding“AcresofDiamonds,\'\'initstremendoussuccess,intheattitudeofmindrevealedbythelectureitselfandbywhatDr。

  Conwelldoeswithit,itisilluminativeofhischaracter,hisaims,hisability。

  Thelectureisvibrantwithhisenergy。Itflasheswithhishopefulness。Itisfullofhisenthusiasm。

  Itispackedfullofhisintensity。Itstandsforthepossibilitiesofsuccessineveryone。Hehasdelivereditoverfivethousandtimes。Thedemandforitneverdiminishes。Thesuccessgrowsneverless。

  ThereisatimeinRussellConwell\'syouthofwhichitispainforhimtothink。Hetoldmeofitoneevening,andhisvoicesanklowerandlowerashewentfarbackintothepast。ItwasofhisdaysatYalethathespoke,fortheyweredaysofsuffering。ForhehadnotmoneyforYale,andinworkingformoreheenduredbitterhumiliation。Itwasnotthattheworkwashard,forRussellConwellhasalwaysbeenreadyforhardwork。Itwasnotthattherewereprivationsanddifficulties,forhehasalwaysfounddifficultiesonlythingstoovercome,andenduredprivationswithcheerfulfortitude。Butitwasthehumiliationsthathemet——thepersonalhumiliationsthataftermorethanhalfacenturymakehimsufferinrememberingthem——yetoutofthosehumiliationscameamarvelousresult。

  “Idetermined,\'\'hesays,“thatwhateverI

  coulddotomakethewayeasieratcollegeforotheryoungmenworkingtheirwayIwoulddo。\'\'

  Andso,manyyearsago,hebegantodevoteeverydollarthathemadefrom“AcresofDiamonds\'\'

  tothisdefinitepurpose。Hehaswhatmaybetermedawaiting-list。Onthatlistareveryfewcaseshehaslookedintopersonally。

  Infinitelybusymanthatheis,hecannotdoextensivepersonalinvestigation。Alargeproportionofhisnamescometohimfromcollegepresidentswhoknowofstudentsintheirowncollegesinneedofsuchahelpinghand。

  “Everynight,\'\'hesaid,whenIaskedhimtotellmeaboutit,“whenmylectureisoverandthecheckisinmyhand,Isitdowninmyroominthehotel\'\'——whatalonelypicture,tool——“I

  sitdowninmyroominthehotelandsubtractfromthetotalsumreceivedmyactualexpensesforthatplace,andmakeoutacheckforthedifferenceandsendittosomeyoungmanonmylist。AndIalwayssendwiththecheckaletterofadviceandhelpfulness,expressingmyhopethatitwillbeofsomeservicetohimandtellinghimthatheistofeelundernoobligationexcepttohisLord。Ifeelstrongly,andItrytomakeeveryyoungmanfeel,thattheremustbenosenseofobligationtomepersonally。AndItellthemthatIamhopingtoleavebehindmemenwhowilldomoreworkthanIhavedone。Don\'tthinkthatIputintoomuchadvice,\'\'headded,withasmile,“forIonlytrytoletthemknowthatafriendistryingtohelpthem。\'\'

  Hisfacelightedashespoke。“Thereissuchafascinationinit!\'\'heexclaimed。“Itisjustlikeagamble!AndassoonasIhavesenttheletterandcrossedanameoffmylist,Iamaimingforthenextone!\'\'

  Andafterapauseheadded:“Idonotattempttosendanyyoungmanenoughforallhisexpenses。ButIwanttosavehimfrombitterness,andeachcheckwillhelp。And,too,\'\'heconcluded,navely,inthevernacular,“Idon\'twantthemtolaydownonme!\'\'

  Hetoldmethathemadeitclearthathedidnotwishtogetreturnsorreportsfromthisbranchofhislife-work,foritwouldtakeagreatdealoftimeinwatchingandthinkingandinthereadingandwritingofletters。“Butitismainly,\'\'hewenton,“thatIdonotwishtoholdovertheirheadsthesenseofobligation。\'\'

  WhenIsuggestedthatthiswassurelyanexampleofbreadcastuponthewatersthatcouldnotreturn,hewassilentforalittleandthensaid,thoughtfully:“Asonegetsoninyearsthereissatisfactionindoingathingforthesakeofdoingit。Thebreadreturnsinthesenseofeffortmade。\'\'

  OnarecenttripthroughMinnesotahewaspositivelyupset,sohissecretarytoldme,throughbeingrecognizedonatrainbyayoungmanwhohadbeenhelpedthrough“AcresofDiamonds,\'\'

  andwho,findingthatthiswasreallyDr。Conwell,eagerlybroughthiswifetojoinhiminmostferventthanksforhisassistance。BoththehusbandandhiswifeweresoemotionallyovercomethatitquiteovercameDr。Conwellhimself。

  Thelecture,toquotethenoblewordsofDr。

  Conwellhimself,isdesignedtohelp“everyperson,ofeithersex,whocherishesthehighresolveofsustainingacareerofusefulnessandhonor。\'\'

  Itisalectureofhelpfulness。Anditisalecture,whengivenwithConwell\'svoiceandfaceandmanner,thatisfulloffascination。Andyetitisallsosimple!

  Itispackedfullofinspiration,ofsuggestion,ofaid。Healtersittomeetthelocalcircumstancesofthethousandsofdifferentplacesinwhichhedeliversit。Butthebaseremainsthesame。Andeventhosetowhomitisanoldstorywillgotohearhimtimeaftertime。Itamuseshimtosaythatheknowsindividualswhohavelistenedtoittwentytimes。

  ItbeginswithastorytoldtoConwellbyanoldArabasthetwojourneyedtogethertowardNineveh,and,asyoulisten,youheartheactualvoicesandyouseethesandsofthedesertandthewavingpalms。Thelecturer\'svoiceissoeasy,soeffortless,itseemssoordinaryandmatter-of-

  fact——yettheentiresceneisinstantlyvitalandalive!Instantlythemanhashisaudienceunderasortofspell,eagertolisten,readytobemerryorgrave。Hehasthefacultyofcontrol,thevitalqualitythatmakestheorator。

  Thesamepeoplewillgotohearthislectureoverandover,andthatisthekindoftributethatConwelllikes。Irecentlyheardhimdeliveritinhisownchurch,whereitwouldnaturallybethoughttobeanoldstory,andwhere,presumably,onlyafewofthefaithfulwouldgo;butitwasquiteclearthatallofhischurcharethefaithful,foritwasalargeaudiencethatcametolistentohim;hardlyaseatinthegreatauditoriumwasvacant。Anditshouldbeaddedthat,althoughitwasinhisownchurch,itwasnotafreelecture,whereathrongmightbeexpected,butthateachonepaidaliberalsumforaseat——andthepayingofadmissionisalwaysapracticaltestofthesincerityofdesiretohear。

  Andthepeopleweresweptalongbythecurrentasiflecturerandlecturewereofnovelinterest。

  Thelectureinitselfisgoodtoread,butitisonlywhenitisilluminedbyConwell\'svividpersonalitythatoneunderstandshowitinfluencesintheactualdelivery。

  Onthatparticulareveninghehaddecidedtogivethelectureinthesameformaswhenhefirstdelivereditmanyyearsago,withoutanyofthealterationsthathavecomewithtimeandchanginglocalities,andashewenton,withtheaudienceripplingandbubblingwithlaughterasusual,heneverdoubtedthathewasgivingitashehadgivenityearsbefore;andyet——soup-to-dateandalivemusthenecessarilybe,inspiteofadefinitiveefforttosethimselfback——everyonceinawhilehewascomingoutwithillustrationsfromsuchdistinctlyrecentthingsastheautomobile!

  ThelasttimeIheardhimwasthe5,124thtimeforthelecture。Doesn\'titseemincredible!5,124

  times\'Inoticedthathewastodeliveritatalittleout-of-the-wayplace,difficultforanyconsiderablenumbertogetto,andIwonderedjusthowmuchofanaudiencewouldgatherandhowtheywouldbeimpressed。SoIwentoverfromthereIwas,afewmilesaway。TheroadwasdarkandIpicturedasmallaudience,butwhenIgotthereIfoundthechurchbuildinginwhichhewastodeliverthelecturehadaseatingcapacityof830andthatprecisely830peoplewerealreadyseatedthereandthatafringeofotherswerestandingbehind。Manyhadcomefrommilesaway。Yetthelecturehadscarcely,ifatall,beenadvertised。Butpeoplehadsaidtooneanother:“Aren\'tyougoingtohearDr。Conwell?\'\'

  Andthewordhadthusbeenpassedalong。

  Irememberhowfascinatingitwastowatchthataudience,fortheyrespondedsokeenlyandwithsuchheartfeltpleasurethroughouttheentirelecture。Andnotonlyweretheyimmenselypleasedandamusedandinterested——andtoachievethatatacrossroadschurchwasinitselfatriumphtobeproudof——butIknewthateverylistenerwasgivenanimpulsetowarddoingsomethingforhimselfandforothers,andthatwithatleastsomeofthemtheimpulsewouldmaterializeinacts。Overandoveronerealizeswhatapowersuchamanwields。

  Andwhatanunselfishness!For,faroninyearsasheis,andsufferingpain,hedoesnotchopdownhislecturetoadefinitelength;hedoesnottalkforjustanhourorgoongrudginglyforanhourandahalf。Heseesthatthepeoplearefascinatedandinspired,andheforgetspain,ignorestime,forgetsthatthenightislateandthathehasalongjourneytogotogethome,andkeepsongenerouslyfortwohours!Andeveryonewishesitwerefour。

  Alwayshetalkswitheaseandsympathy。

  Therearegeniality,composure,humor,simpleandhomelyjests——yetneverdoestheaudienceforgetthatheiseverymomentintremendousearnest。Theybubblewithresponsivelaughteroraresilentinrivetedattention。Astircanbeseentosweepoveranaudience,ofearnestnessorsurpriseoramusementorresolve。Whenheisgraveandsoberorfervidthepeoplefeelthatheishimselfafervidlyearnestman,andwhenheistellingsomethinghumorousthereisonhispartalmostarepressedchuckle,agenialappreciationofthefunofit,notintheleastasifhewerelaughingathisownhumor,butasifheandhishearerswerelaughingtogetheratsomethingofwhichtheywereallhumorouslycognizant。

  Myriadsuccessesinlifehavecomethroughthedirectinspirationofthissinglelecture。Onehearsofsomanythattheremustbevastlymorethatarenevertold。AfewofthemostrecentweretoldmebyDr。Conwellhimself,onebeingofafarmerboywhowalkedalongdistancetohearhim。Onhiswayhome,sotheboy,nowaman,haswrittenhim,hethoughtoverandoverofwhathecoulddotoadvancehimself,andbeforehereachedhomehelearnedthatateacherwaswantedatacertaincountryschool。Heknewhedidnotknowenoughtoteach,butwassurehecouldlearn,sohebravelyaskedfortheplace。

  Andsomethinginhisearnestnessmadehimwinatemporaryappointment。Thereuponheworkedandstudiedsohardandsodevotedly,whilehedailytaught,thatwithinafewmonthshewasregularlyemployedthere。“Andnow,\'\'saysConwell,abruptly,withhischaracteristicskim-

  mingoveroftheintermediatedetailsbetweentheimportantbeginningofathingandthesatisfactoryend,“andnowthatyoungmanisoneofourcollegepresidents。\'\'

  AndveryrecentlyaladycametoDr。Conwell,thewifeofanexceptionallyprominentmanwhowasearningalargesalary,andshetoldhimthatherhusbandwassounselfishlygenerouswithmoneythatoftentheywerealmostinstraits。

  Andshesaidtheyhadboughtalittlefarmasacountryplace,payingonlyafewhundreddollarsforit,andthatshehadsaidtoherself,laughingly,afterhearingthelecture,“Therearenoacresofdiamondsonthisplace!\'\'Butshealsowentontotellthatshehadfoundaspringofexceptionallyfinewaterthere,althoughinbuyingtheyhadscarcelyknownofthespringatall;

  andshehadbeensoinspiredbyConwellthatshehadhadthewateranalyzedand,findingthatitwasremarkablypure,hadbeguntohaveitbottledandsoldunderatradenameasspecialspringwater。Andsheismakingmoney。Andshealsosellspureicefromthepool,cutinwinter-timeandallbecauseof“AcresofDiamonds\'\'!

  Severalmillionsofdollars,inall,havebeenreceivedbyRussellConwellastheproceedsfromthissinglelecture。Suchafactisalmoststaggering——

  anditismorestaggeringtorealizewhatgoodisdoneintheworldbythisman,whodoesnotearnforhimself,butuseshismoneyinimmediatehelpfulness。Andonecanneitherthinknorwritewithmoderationwhenitisfurtherrealizedthatfarmoregoodthancanbedonedirectlywithmoneyhedoesbyupliftingandinspiringwiththislecture。Alwayshisheartiswiththewearyandtheheavy-laden。Alwayshestandsforself-betterment。

  Lastyear,1914,heandhisworkweregivenuniquerecognition。Foritwasknownbyhisfriendsthatthisparticularlecturewasapproachingitsfive-thousandthdelivery,andtheyplannedacelebrationofsuchaneventinthehistoryofthemostpopularlectureintheworld。Dr。ConwellagreedtodeliveritintheAcademyofMusic,inPhiladelphia,andthebuildingwaspackedandthestreetsoutsidewerethronged。Theproceedsfromallsourcesforthatfive-thousandthlecturewereoverninethousanddollars。

  TheholdwhichRussellConwellhasgainedontheaffectionsandrespectofhishomecitywasseennotonlyinthethousandswhostrovetohearhim,butintheprominentmenwhoservedonthelocalcommitteeinchargeofthecelebration。

  Therewasanationalcommittee,too,andthenation-widelovethathehaswon,thenation-

  wideappreciationofwhathehasdoneandisstilldoing,wasshownbythefactthatamongthenamesofthenotablesonthiscommitteewerethoseofninegovernorsofstates。TheGovernorofPennsylvaniawashimselfpresenttodoRussellConwellhonor,andhegavetohimakeyemblematicoftheFreedomoftheState。

  The“FreedomoftheState\'\'——yes;thisman,welloverseventy,haswonit。TheFreedomoftheState,theFreedomoftheNation——forthismanofhelpfulness,thismarvelousexponentofthegospelofsuccess,hasworkedmarvelouslyforthefreedom,thebetterment,theliberation,theadvancement,oftheindividual。

  FIFTYYEARSONTHELECTURE

  PLATFORM

  BY

  RUSSELLH。CONWELL

  ANAutobiography!Whatanabsurdrequest!

  Ifalltheconditionswerefavorable,thestoryofmypublicLifecouldnotbemadeinteresting。

  Itdoesnotseempossiblethatanywillcaretoreadsoplainanduneventfulatale。Iseenothinginitforboasting,normuchthatcouldbehelpful。

  ThenIneversavedascrapofpaperintentionallyconcerningmyworktowhichIcouldrefer,notabook,notasermon,notalecture,notanewspapernoticeoraccount,notamagazinearticle,notoneofthekindbiographieswrittenfromtimetotimebynoblefriendshaveIeverkeptevenasasouvenir,althoughsomeofthemmaybeinmylibrary。Ihaveeverfeltthatthewritersconcerningmylifeweretoogenerousandthatmyownworkwastoohastilydone。HenceIhavenothinguponwhichtobaseanautobiographicalaccount,excepttherecollectionswhichcometoanoverburdenedmind。

  Mygeneralviewofhalfacenturyonthelectureplatformbringstomepreciousandbeautifulmemories,andfillsmysoulwithdevoutgratitudefortheblessingsandkindnesseswhichhavebeengiventomesofarbeyondmydeserts。

  SomuchmoresuccesshascometomyhandsthanIeverexpected;somuchmoreofgoodhaveIfoundthanevenyouth\'swildestdreamincluded;somuchmoreeffectivehavebeenmyweakestendeavorsthanIeverplannedorhoped——

  thatabiographywrittentruthfullywouldbemostlyanaccountofwhatmenandwomenhavedoneforme。

  Ihavelivedtoseeaccomplishedfarmorethanmyhighestambitionincluded,andhaveseentheenterprisesIhaveundertakenrushbyme,pushedonbyathousandstronghandsuntiltheyhaveleftmefarbehindthem。Therealitiesarelikedreamstome。Blessingsonthelovingheartsandnoblemindswhohavebeensowillingtosacrificeforothers\'goodandtothinkonlyofwhattheycoulddo,andneverofwhattheyshouldget!

  ManyofthemhaveascendedintotheShiningLand,andhereIaminmineagegazingupalone,_OnlywaitingtilltheshadowsArealittlelongergrown_。

  Fiftyyears!Iwasayoungman,notyetofage,whenIdeliveredmyfirstplatformlecture。

  TheCivilWarof1861-65drewonwithallitspassions,patriotism,horrors,andfears,andIwasstudyinglawatYaleUniversity。IhadfromchildhoodfeltthatIwas“calledtotheministry。\'\'

  TheearliesteventofmemoryistheprayerofmyfatheratfamilyprayersinthelittleoldcottageintheHampshirehighlandsoftheBerkshireHills,callingonGodwithasobbingvoicetoleadmeintosomespecialservicefortheSaviour。Itfilledmewithawe,dread,andfear,andIrecoiledfromthethought,untilIdeterminedtofightagainstitwithallmypower。SoIsoughtforotherprofessionsandfordecentexcusesforbeinganythingbutapreacher。

  YetwhileIwasnervousandtimidbeforetheclassindeclamationanddreadedtofaceanykindofanaudience,Ifeltinmysoulastrangeimpulsiontowardpublicspeakingwhichforyearsmadememiserable。Thewarandthepublicmeetingsforrecruitingsoldiersfurnishedanoutletformysuppressedsenseofduty,andmyfirstlecturewasonthe“LessonsofHistory\'\'asappliedtothecampaignsagainsttheConfederacy。

  Thatmatchlesstemperanceoratorandlovingfriend,JohnB。Gough,introducedmetothelittleaudienceinWestfield,Massachusetts,in1862。

  Whatafoolishlittleschool-boyspeechitmusthavebeen!ButMr。Gough\'skindwordsofpraise,thebouquetsandtheapplause,mademefeelthatsomehowthewaytopublicoratorywouldnotbesohardasIhadfeared。

  FromthattimeIactedonMr。Gough\'sadviceand“soughtpractice\'\'byacceptingalmosteveryinvitationIreceivedtospeakonanykindofasubject。Thereweremanysadfailuresandtears,butitwasarestfulcompromisewithmyconscienceconcerningtheministry,anditpleasedmyfriends。

  Iaddressedpicnics,Sunday-schools,patrioticmeetings,funerals,anniversaries,commencements,debates,cattle-shows,andsewing-circleswithoutpartialityandwithoutprice。Forthefirstfiveyearstheincomewasallexperience。Thenvoluntarygiftsbegantocomeoccasionallyintheshapeofajack-knife,aham,abook,andthefirstcashremunerationwasfromafarmers\'club,ofseventy-fivecentstowardthe“horsehire。\'\'

  ItwasacuriousfactthatonememberofthatclubafterwardmovedtoSaltLakeCityandwasamemberofthecommitteeattheMormonTabernaclein1872which,whenIwasacorrespondent,onajourneyaroundtheworld,employedmetolectureon“MenoftheMountains\'\'intheMormonTabernacle,atafeeoffivehundreddollars。

  WhileIwasgainingpracticeinthefirstyearsofplatformwork,Ihadthegoodfortunetohaveprofitableemploymentasasoldier,orasacorrespondentorlawyer,orasaneditororasapreacher,whichenabledmetopaymyownexpenses,andithasbeenseldominthefiftyyearsthatIhaveevertakenafeeformypersonaluse。

  Inthelastthirty-sixyearsIhavededicatedsolemnlyallthelectureincometobenevolententerprises。IfIamantiquatedenoughforanautobiography,perhapsImaybeagedenoughtoavoidthecriticismofbeinganegotist,whenI

  statethatsomeyearsIdeliveredonelecture,“AcresofDiamonds,\'\'overtwohundredtimeseachyear,atanaverageincomeofaboutonehundredandfiftydollarsforeachlecture。

  ItwasaremarkablegoodfortunewhichcametomeasalecturerwhenMr。JamesRedpathorganizedthefirstlecturebureaueverestablished。

  Mr。RedpathwasthebiographerofJohnBrownofHarper\'sFerryrenown,andasMr。Brownhadbeenlongafriendofmyfather\'sIfoundemployment,whileastudentonvacation,insellingthatlifeofJohnBrown。ThatacquaintancewithMr。

  RedpathwasmaintaineduntilMr。Redpath\'sdeath。ToGeneralCharlesH。Taylor,withwhomIwasemployedforatimeasreporterfortheBoston_DailyTraveler_,Iwasindebtedformanyactsofself-sacrificingfriendshipwhichsoftenmysoulasIrecallthem。HedidmethegreatestkindnesswhenhesuggestedmynametoMr。

  Redpathasonewhocould“fillinthevacanciesinthesmallertowns\'\'wherethe“greatlightscouldnotalwaysbesecured。\'\'

  WhatagloriousgalaxyofgreatnamesthatoriginallistofRedpathlecturerscontained!

  HenryWardBeecher,JohnB。Gough,SenatorCharlesSumner,TheodoreTilton,WendellPhillips,Mrs。MaryA。Livermore,BayardTaylor,RalphWaldoEmerson,withmanyofthegreatpreachers,musicians,andwritersofthatremarkableera。EvenDr。Holmes,JohnWhittier,HenryW。Longfellow,JohnLothropMotley,GeorgeWilliamCurtis,andGeneralBurnsidewerepersuadedtoappearoneormoretimes,althoughtheyrefusedtoreceivepay。IcannotforgethowashamedIfeltwhenmynameap-

  pearedintheshadowofsuchnames,andhowsureIwasthateveryacquaintancewasridiculingmebehindmyback。Mr。BayardTaylor,however,wrotemefromthe_Tribune_officeakindnotesayingthathewasgladtoseeme“ontheroadtogreatusefulness。\'\'GovernorClafflin,ofMassachusetts,tookthetimetosendmeanoteofcongratulation。

  GeneralBenjaminF。Butler,however,advisedmeto“sticktothelast\'\'andbeagoodlawyer。

  Theworkoflecturingwasalwaysataskandaduty。IdonotfeelnowthatIeversoughttobeanentertainer。IamsureIwouldhavebeenanutterfailurebutforthefeelingthatImustpreachsomegospeltruthinmylecturesanddoatleastthatmuchtowardthatever-persistent“callofGod。\'\'WhenIenteredtheministry1879IhadbecomesoassociatedwiththelectureplatforminAmericaandEnglandthatIcouldnotfeeljustifiedinabandoningsogreatafieldofusefulness。

  Theexperiencesofalloursuccessfullecturersareprobablynearlyalike。Thewayisnotalwayssmooth。Butthehardroads,thepoorhotels,thelatetrains,thecoldhalls,thehotchurchauditoriums,theoverkindnessofhospitablecommittees,andthebrokenhoursofsleepareannoyancesonesoonforgets;andthehostsofintelligentfaces,themessagesofthanks,andtheeffectsoftheearningsonthelivesofyoungcollegemencanneverceasetobeadailyjoy。Godblessthemall。

  OftenhaveIbeenaskedifIdidnot,infiftyyearsoftravelinallsortsofconveyances,meetwithaccidents。Itisamarveltomethatnosucheventeverbroughtmeharm。Inacontinuousperiodofovertwenty-sevenyearsIdeliveredabouttwolecturesineverythreedays,yetIdidnotmissasingleengagement。SometimesIhadtohireaspecialtrain,butIreachedthetownontime,withonlyarareexception,andthenIwasbutafewminuteslate。Accidentshaveprecededandfollowedmeontrainsandboats,andweresometimesinsight,butIwaspreservedwithoutinjurythroughalltheyears。IntheJohnstownfloodregionIsawabridgegooutbehindourtrain。IwasonceonaderelictsteamerontheAtlanticfortwenty-sixdays。AtanothertimeamanwaskilledintheberthofasleeperI

  hadlefthalfanhourbefore。OftenhaveIfeltthetrainleavethetrack,butnoonewaskilled。

  Robbershaveseveraltimesthreatenedmylife,butallcameoutwithoutlosstome。Godandmanhaveeverbeenpatientwithme。

  Yetthisperiodoflecturinghasbeen,afterall,asideissue。TheTemple,anditschurch,inPhiladelphia,which,whenitsmembershipwaslessthanthreethousandmembers,forsomanyyearscontributedthroughitsmembershipoversixtythousanddollarsayearfortheupliftofhumanity,hasmadelifeacontinualsurprise;whiletheSamaritanHospital\'samazinggrowth,andtheGarretsonHospital\'sdispensaries,havebeensocontinuallyministeringtothesickandpoor,andhavedonesuchskilfulworkforthetensofthousandswhoaskfortheirhelpeachyear,thatI

  havebeenmadehappywhileawaylecturingbythefeelingthateachhourandminutetheywerefaithfullydoinggood。TempleUniversity,whichwasfoundedonlytwenty-sevenyearsago,hasalreadysentoutintoahigherincomeandnoblerlifenearlyahundredthousandyoungmenandwomenwhocouldnotprobablyhaveobtainedaneducationinanyotherinstitution。Thefaithful,self-sacrificingfaculty,nownumberingtwohundredandfifty-threeprofessors,havedonetherealwork。ForthatIcanclaimbutlittlecredit;

  andImentiontheUniversityhereonlytoshowthatmy“fiftyyearsonthelectureplatform\'\'

  hasnecessarilybeenasidelineofwork。

  Mybest-knownlecture,“AcresofDiamonds,\'\'

  wasamereaccidentaladdress,atfirstgivenbeforeareunionofmyoldcomradesoftheForty-

  sixthMassachusettsRegiment,whichservedintheCivilWarandinwhichIwascaptain。I

  hadnothoughtofgivingtheaddressagain,andevenafteritbegantobecalledforbylecturecommitteesIdidnotdreamthatIshouldlivetodeliverit,asInowhavedone,almostfivethousandtimes。“Whatisthesecretofitspopularity?\'\'Icouldneverexplaintomyselforothers。

  IsimplyknowthatIalwaysattempttoenthusemyselfoneachoccasionwiththeideathatitisaspecialopportunitytodogood,andIinterestmyselfineachcommunityandapplythegeneralprincipleswithlocalillustrations。

  Thehandwhichnowholdsthispenmustinthenaturalcourseofeventssoonceasetogestureontheplatform,anditisasincere,prayerfulhopethatthisbookwillgoonintotheyearsdoingincreasinggoodfortheaidofmybrothersandsistersinthehumanfamily。

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