acres of diamonds-第16部分

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　The　rest　of　us　were　so　jealous　of　his　winning　throngs　that　we　couldn't　see　the　good　in　him。　　And　it　hurt　Dr。　Conwell　so　much　that　for　ten　years　he　did　not　come　to　our　conferences。　　But　all　this　was　changed　long　ago。　　Now　no　minister　is　so　welcomed　as　he　is；　and　I　don't　believe　that　there　ever　has　been　a　single　time　since　he　started　coming　again　that　he　hasn't　been　asked　to　say　something　to　us。　　We　got　over　our　jealousy　long　ago　and　we　all　love　him。''

Nor　is　it　only　that　the　clergymen　of　his　own　denomination　admire　him；　for　not　long　ago；　such　having　been　Dr。　Conwell's　triumph　in　the　city　of　his　adoption；　the　rector　of　the　most　powerful　and　aristocratic　church　in　Philadelphia　voluntarily　paid　lofty　tribute　to　his　aims　and　ability；　his　work　and　his　personal　worth。　　‘‘He　is　an　inspiration　to　his　brothers　in　the　ministry　of　Jesus　Christ；''　so　this　Episcopalian　rector　wrote。　　‘‘He　is　a　friend　to　all　that　is　good；　a　foe　to　all　that　is　evil；　a　strength　to　the　weak；　a　comforter　to　the　sorrowing；　a　man　of　God。　　These　words　come　from　the　heart　of　one　who　loves；　honors；　and　reverences　him　for　his　character　and　his　deeds。''

Dr。　Conwell　did　some　beautiful　and　unusual　things　in　his　church；　instituted　some　beautiful　and　unusual　customs；　and　one　can　see　how　narrow　and　hasty　criticisms　charged　him；　long　ago；　with　sensationalismcharges　long　since　forgotten　except　through　the　hurt　still　felt　by　Dr。　Conwell　himself。　　‘‘They　used　to　charge　me　with　making　a　circus　of　the　churchas　if　it　were　possible　for　me　to　make　a　circus　of　the　church！''　　And　his　tone　was　one　of　grieved　amazement　after　all　these　years。

But　he　was　original　and　he　was　popular；　and　therefore　there　were　misunderstanding　and　jealousy。　　His　Easter　services；　for　example；　years　ago；　became　widely　talked　of　and　eagerly　anticipated　because　each　sermon　would　be　wrought　around　some　fine　symbol；　and　he　would　hold　in　his　hand；　in　the　pulpit；　the　blue　robin's　egg；　or　the　white　dove；　or　the　stem　of　lilies；　or　whatever　he　had　chosen　as　the　particular　symbol　for　the　particular　sermon；　and　that　symbol　would　give　him　the　central　thought　for　his　discourse；　accented　as　it　would　be　by　the　actual　symbol　itself　in　view　of　the　congregation。　　The　cross　lighted　by　elec…　tricity；　to　shine　down　over　the　baptismal　pool；　the　little　stream　of　water　cascading　gently　down　the　steps　of　the　pool　during　the　baptismal　rite；　the　roses　floating　in　the　pool　and　his　gift　of　one　of　them　to　each　of　the　baptized　as　he　or　she　left　the　water　all　such　things　did　seem；　long　ago；　so　unconventional。　　Yet　his　own　people　recognized　the　beauty　and　poetry　of　them；　and　thousands　of　Bibles　in　Philadelphia　have　a　baptismal　rose　from　Dr。　Conwell　pressed　within　the　pages。

His　constant　individuality　of　mind；　his　constant　freshness；　alertness；　brilliancy；　warmth；　sympathy；　endear　him　to　his　congregation；　and　when　he　returns　from　an　absence　they　bubble　and　effervesce　over　him　as　if　he　were　some　brilliant　new　preacher　just　come　to　them。　　He　is　always　new　to　them。　　Were　it　not　that　he　possesses　some　remarkable　quality　of　charm　he　would　long　ago　have　become；　so　to　speak；　an　old　story；　but　instead　of　that　he　is　to　them　an　always　new　story；　an　always　entertaining　and　delightful　story；　after　all　these　years。

It　is　not　only　that　they　still　throng　to　hear　him　either　preach　or　lecture；　though　that　itself　would　be　noticeable；　but　it　is　the　delightful　and　delighted　spirit　with　which　they　do　it。　　Just　the　other　evening　I　heard　him　lecture　in　his　own　church；　just　after　his　return　from　an　absence；　and　every　face　beamed　happily　up　at　him　to　welcome　him　back；　and　every　one　listened　as　intently　to　his　every　word　as　if　he　had　never　been　heard　there　before；　and　when　the　lecture　was　over　a　huge　bouquet　of　flowers　was　handed　up　to　him；　and　some　one　embarrassedly　said　a　few　words　about　its　being　because　he　was　home　again。　　It　was　all　as　if　he　had　just　returned　from　an　absence　of　monthsand　he　had　been　away　just　five　and　a　half　days！



VI

MILLIONS　OF　HEARERS

THAT　Conwell　is　not　primarily　a　minister　that　he　is　a　minister　because　he　is　a　sincere　Christian；　but　that　he　is　first　of　all　an　Abou　Ben　Adhem；　a　man　who　loves　his　fellow…men；　becomes　more　and　more　apparent　as　the　scope　of　his　life…　work　is　recognized。　　One　almost　comes　to　think　that　his　pastorate　of　a　great　church　is　even　a　minor　matter　beside　the　combined　importance　of　his　educational　work；　his　lecture　work；　his　hospital　work；　his　work　in　general　as　a　helper　to　those　who　need　help。

For　my　own　part；　I　should　say　that　he　is　like　some　of　the　old…time　prophets；　the　strong　ones　who　found　a　great　deal　to　attend　to　in　addition　to　matters　of　religion。　　The　power；　the　ruggedness；　the　physical　and　mental　strength；　the　positive　grandeur　of　the　manall　these　are　like　the　general　conceptions　of　the　big　Old　Testament　prophets。　　The　suggestion　is　given　only　because　it　has　often　recurred；　and　therefore　with　the　feeling　that　there　is　something　more　than　fanciful　in　the　com…　parison；　and　yet；　after　all；　the　comparison　fails　in　one　important　particular；　for　none　of　the　prophets　seems　to　have　had　a　sense　of　humor！

It　is　perhaps　better　and　more　accurate　to　describe　him　as　the　last　of　the　old　school　of　American　philosophers；　the　last　of　those　sturdy…bodied；　high…　thinking；　achieving　men　who；　in　the　old　days；　did　their　best　to　set　American　humanity　in　the　right　pathsuch　men　as　Emerson；　Alcott；　Gough；　Wendell　Phillips；　Garrison；　Bayard　Taylor；　Beecher；　men　whom　Conwell　knew　and　admired　in　the　long　ago；　and　all　of　whom　have　long　since　passed　away。

And　Conwell；　in　his　going　up　and　down　the　country；　inspiring　his　thousands　and　thousands；　is　the　survivor　of　that　old…time　group　who　used　to　travel　about；　dispensing　wit　and　wisdom　and　philosophy　and　courage　to　the　crowded　benches　of　country　lyceums；　and　the　chairs　of　school…houses　and　town　halls；　or　the　larger　and　more　pretentious　gathering…places　of　the　cities。

Conwell　himself　is　amused　to　remember　that　he　wanted　to　talk　in　public　from　his　boyhood；　and　that　very　early　he　began　to　yield　to　the　inborn　impulse。　　He　laughs　as　he　remembers　the　variety　of　country　fairs　and　school　commencements　and　anniversaries　and　even　sewing…circles　where　he　tried　his　youthful　powers；　and　all　for　experience　alone；　in　the　first　few　years；　except　possibly　for　such　a　thing　as　a　ham　or　a　jack…knife！　　The　first　money　that　he　ever　received　for　speaking　was；　so　he　remembers　with　glee；　seventy…five　cents；　and　even　that　was　not　for　his　talk；　but　for　horse　hire！　　But　at　the　same　time　there　is　more　than　amusement　in　recalling　these　experiences；　for　he　knows　that　they　were　invaluable　to　him　as　training。　　And　for　over　half　a　century　he　has　affectionately　remembered　John　B。　Gough；　who；　in　the　height　of　his　own　power　and　success；　saw　resolution　and　possibilities　in　the　ardent　young　hill…man；　and　actually　did　him　the　kindness　and　the　honor　of　introducing　him　to　an　audience　in　one　of　the　Massachusetts　towns；　and　it　was　really　a　great　kindness　and　a　great　honor；　from　a　man　who　had　won　his　fame　to　a　young　man　just　beginning　an　oratorical　career。

Conwell's　lecturing　has　been；　considering　everything；　the　most　important　work　of　his　life；　for　by　it　he　has　come　into　close　touch　with　so　many　millionsliterally　millions！of　people。

I　asked　him　once　if　he　had　any　idea　how　many　he　had　talked　to　in　the　course　of　his　career；　and　he　tried　to　estimate　how　many　thousands　of　times　he　had　lectured；　and　the　average　attendance　for　each；　but　desisted　when　he　saw　that　it　ran　into　millions　of　hearers。　　What　a　marvel　is　such　a　fact　as　that！　　Millions　of　hearers！

I　asked　the　same　question　of　his　private　secretary；　and　found　that　no　one　had　ever　kept　any　sort　of　record；　but　as　careful　an　estimate　as　could　be　made　gave　a　conservative　result　of　fully　eight　million　hearers　for　his　lectures；　and　adding　the　number　to　whom　he　has　preached；　who　have　been　over　five　million；　there　is　a　total　of　well　over　thirteen　million　who　have　listened　to　Russell　Conwell's　voice！　　And　this　staggering　total　is；　if　anything；　an　underestimate。　　The　figuring　was　done　cautiously　and　was　based　upon　such　facts　as　that　he　now　addresses　an　average　of　over　forty…five　hundred　at　his　Sunday　services　（an　average　that　would　be　higher　were　it　not　that　his　sermons　in　vacation　time　are　usually　delivered　in　little　churches；　when　at　home；　at　the　Temple；　he　addresses　three　meetings　every　Sunday）；　and　that　he　lectures　throughout　the　entire　course　of　each　year；　including　six　nights　a　week　of　lecturing　during　vacation…time。　　What　a　power　is　wielded　by　a　man　who　has　held　over　thirteen　million　people　under　the　spell　of　his　voice！　　Probably　no　other　man　who　ever　lived　had　such　a　total　of　hearers。　　And　the　total　is　steadily　mounting；　for　he　is　a　man　who　has　never　known　the　meaning　of　rest。

I　think　it　almost　certain　that　Dr。　Conwell　has　never　spoken　to　any　one　of　what；　to　me；　is　the　finest　point　of　his　lecture…work；　and　that　is　that　he　still　goes　gladly　and　for　small　fees　to　the　small　towns　that　are　never　visited　by　other　men　of　great　reputation。　　He　knows　that　it　is　the　little　places；　the　out…of…the…way　places；　the　submerged　places；　that　most　need　a　pleasure　and　a　stimulus；　and　he　still　goes　out；　man　of　well　over　seventy　that　he　is；　to　tiny　towns　in　distant　states；　heedless　of　the　discomforts　of　traveling；　of　the　poor　little　hotels　that　seldom　have　visitors；　of　the　oftentimes　hopeless　cooking　and　the　uncleanliness；　of　the　hardships　and　the　discomforts；　of　the　unventilated　and　overheated　or　underheated　halls。　　He　does　not　think　of　claiming　the　relaxation　earned　by　a　lifetime　of　labor；　or；　if　he　ever　does；　the　thought　of　the　sword　of　John　Ring　restores　instantly　his　fervid　earnestness。

How　he　does　it；　how　he　can　possibly　keep　it　up；　is　the　greatest　marvel　of　all。　　I　have　before　me　a　list　of　his　engagements　for　the　summer　weeks　of　this　year；　1915；　and　I　shall　set　it　down　because　it　will　specifically　show；　far　more　clearly　than　general　statements；　the　kind　of　work　he　does。　　The　list　is　the　itinerary　of　his　vacation。　　Vacation！　　Lecturing　every　evening　but　Sunday；　and　on　Sundays　preaching　in　the　town　where　he　happens　to　be！

June　24　Ackley；　Ia。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　July　11　*Brookings；　S。　　D。　　‘‘　25　　　　Waterloo；　Ia。　　　　　　　　　　　　‘‘　12　　　　　Pipestone；　Minn。　　‘‘　26　　　　Decorah；　Ia。