acres of diamonds-第23部分

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east　as　if　he　were　laughing　at　his　own　humor；　but　as　if　he　and　his　hearers　were　laughing　together　at　something　of　which　they　were　all　humorously　cognizant。

Myriad　successes　in　life　have　come　through　the　direct　inspiration　of　this　single　lecture。　　One　hears　of　so　many　that　there　must　be　vastly　more　that　are　never　told。　　A　few　of　the　most　recent　were　told　me　by　Dr。　Conwell　himself；　one　being　of　a　farmer　boy　who　walked　a　long　distance　to　hear　him。　　On　his　way　home；　so　the　boy；　now　a　man；　has　written　him；　he　thought　over　and　over　of　what　he　could　do　to　advance　himself；　and　before　he　reached　home　he　learned　that　a　teacher　was　wanted　at　a　certain　country　school。　　He　knew　he　did　not　know　enough　to　teach；　but　was　sure　he　could　learn；　so　he　bravely　asked　for　the　place。　　And　something　in　his　earnestness　made　him　win　a　temporary　appointment。　　Thereupon　he　worked　and　studied　so　hard　and　so　devotedly；　while　he　daily　taught；　that　within　a　few　months　he　was　regularly　employed　there。　　‘‘And　now；''　says　Conwell；　abruptly；　with　his　characteristic　skim…　ming　over　of　the　intermediate　details　between　the　important　beginning　of　a　thing　and　the　satisfactory　end；　‘‘and　now　that　young　man　is　one　of　our　college　presidents。''

And　very　recently　a　lady　came　to　Dr。　Conwell；　the　wife　of　an　exceptionally　prominent　man　who　was　earning　a　large　salary；　and　she　told　him　that　her　husband　was　so　unselfishly　generous　with　money　that　often　they　were　almost　in　straits。　　And　she　said　they　had　bought　a　little　farm　as　a　country　place；　paying　only　a　few　hundred　dollars　for　it；　and　that　she　had　said　to　herself；　laughingly；　after　hearing　the　lecture；　‘‘There　are　no　acres　of　diamonds　on　this　place！''　　But　she　also　went　on　to　tell　that　she　had　found　a　spring　of　exceptionally　fine　water　there；　although　in　buying　they　had　scarcely　known　of　the　spring　at　all；　and　she　had　been　so　inspired　by　Conwell　that　she　had　had　the　water　analyzed　and；　finding　that　it　was　remarkably　pure；　had　begun　to　have　it　bottled　and　sold　under　a　trade　name　as　special　spring　water。　　And　she　is　making　money。　　And　she　also　sells　pure　ice　from　the　pool；　cut　in　winter…time　and　all　because　of　‘‘Acres　of　Diamonds''！

Several　millions　of　dollars；　in　all；　have　been　received　by　Russell　Conwell　as　the　proceeds　from　this　single　lecture。　　Such　a　fact　is　almost　staggering　and　it　is　more　staggering　to　realize　what　good　is　done　in　the　world　by　this　man；　who　does　not　earn　for　himself；　but　uses　his　money　in　immediate　helpfulness。　　And　one　can　neither　think　nor　write　with　moderation　when　it　is　further　realized　that　far　more　good　than　can　be　done　directly　with　money　he　does　by　uplifting　and　inspiring　with　this　lecture。　　Always　his　heart　is　with　the　weary　and　the　heavy…laden。　　Always　he　stands　for　self…betterment。

Last　year；　1914；　he　and　his　work　were　given　unique　recognition。　　For　it　was　known　by　his　friends　that　this　particular　lecture　was　approaching　its　five…thousandth　delivery；　and　they　planned　a　celebration　of　such　an　event　in　the　history　of　the　most　popular　lecture　in　the　world。　　Dr。　Conwell　agreed　to　deliver　it　in　the　Academy　of　Music；　in　Philadelphia；　and　the　building　was　packed　and　the　streets　outside　were　thronged。　　The　proceeds　from　all　sources　for　that　five…thousandth　lecture　were　over　nine　thousand　dollars。

The　hold　which　Russell　Conwell　has　gained　on　the　affections　and　respect　of　his　home　city　was　seen　not　only　in　the　thousands　who　strove　to　hear　him；　but　in　the　prominent　men　who　served　on　the　local　committee　in　charge　of　the　celebration。　　There　was　a　national　committee；　too；　and　the　nation…wide　love　that　he　has　won；　the　nation…　wide　appreciation　of　what　he　has　done　and　is　still　doing；　was　shown　by　the　fact　that　among　the　names　of　the　notables　on　this　committee　were　those　of　nine　governors　of　states。　　The　Governor　of　Pennsylvania　was　himself　present　to　do　Russell　Conwell　honor；　and　he　gave　to　him　a　key　emblematic　of　the　Freedom　of　the　State。

The　‘‘Freedom　of　the　State''yes；　this　man；　well　over　seventy；　has　won　it。　　The　Freedom　of　the　State；　the　Freedom　of　the　Nationfor　this　man　of　helpfulness；　this　marvelous　exponent　of　the　gospel　of　success；　has　worked　marvelously　for　the　freedom；　the　betterment；　the　liberation；　the　advancement；　of　the　individual。




FIFTY　YEARS　ON　THE　LECTURE　PLATFORM

BY　RUSSELL　H。　CONWELL

AN　Autobiography！　　What　an　absurd　request！　　If　all　the　conditions　were　favorable；　the　story　of　my　public　Life　could　not　be　made　interesting。　　It　does　not　seem　possible　that　any　will　care　to　read　so　plain　and　uneventful　a　tale。　　I　see　nothing　in　it　for　boasting；　nor　much　that　could　be　helpful。　　Then　I　never　saved　a　scrap　of　paper　intentionally　concerning　my　work　to　which　I　could　refer；　not　a　book；　not　a　sermon；　not　a　lecture；　not　a　newspaper　notice　or　account；　not　a　magazine　article；　not　one　of　the　kind　biographies　written　from　time　to　time　by　noble　friends　have　I　ever　kept　even　as　a　souvenir；　although　some　of　them　may　be　in　my　library。　　I　have　ever　felt　that　the　writers　concerning　my　life　were　too　generous　and　that　my　own　work　was　too　hastily　done。　　Hence　I　have　nothing　upon　which　to　base　an　autobiographical　account；　except　the　recollections　which　come　to　an　overburdened　mind。

My　general　view　of　half　a　century　on　the　lecture　platform　brings　to　me　precious　and　beautiful　memories；　and　fills　my　soul　with　devout　gratitude　for　the　blessings　and　kindnesses　which　have　been　given　to　me　so　far　beyond　my　deserts。　　So　much　more　success　has　come　to　my　hands　than　I　ever　expected；　so　much　more　of　good　have　I　found　than　even　youth's　wildest　dream　included；　so　much　more　effective　have　been　my　weakest　endeavors　than　I　ever　planned　or　hoped　that　a　biography　written　truthfully　would　be　mostly　an　account　of　what　men　and　women　have　done　for　me。

I　have　lived　to　see　accomplished　far　more　than　my　highest　ambition　included；　and　have　seen　the　enterprises　I　have　undertaken　rush　by　me；　pushed　on　by　a　thousand　strong　hands　until　they　have　left　me　far　behind　them。　　The　realities　are　like　dreams　to　me。　　Blessings　on　the　loving　hearts　and　noble　minds　who　have　been　so　willing　to　sacrifice　for　others'　good　and　to　think　only　of　what　they　could　do；　and　never　of　what　they　should　get！　　Many　of　them　have　ascended　into　the　Shining　Land；　and　here　I　am　in　mine　age　gazing　up　alone；

　_Only　waiting　till　the　shadows　　Are　a　little　longer　grown_。


Fifty　years！　　I　was　a　young　man；　not　yet　of　age；　when　I　delivered　my　first　platform　lecture。　　The　Civil　War　of　1861…65　drew　on　with　all　its　passions；　patriotism；　horrors；　and　fears；　and　I　was　studying　law　at　Yale　University。　　I　had　from　childhood　felt　that　I　was　‘‘called　to　the　ministry。''　　The　earliest　event　of　memory　is　the　prayer　of　my　father　at　family　prayers　in　the　little　old　cottage　in　the　Hampshire　highlands　of　the　Berkshire　Hills；　calling　on　God　with　a　sobbing　voice　to　lead　me　into　some　special　service　for　the　Saviour。　　It　filled　me　with　awe；　dread；　and　fear；　and　I　recoiled　from　the　thought；　until　I　determined　to　fight　against　it　with　all　my　power。　　So　I　sought　for　other　professions　and　for　decent　excuses　for　being　anything　but　a　preacher。

Yet　while　I　was　nervous　and　timid　before　the　class　in　declamation　and　dreaded　to　face　any　kind　of　an　audience；　I　felt　in　my　soul　a　strange　impulsion　toward　public　speaking　which　for　years　made　me　miserable。　　The　war　and　the　public　meetings　for　recruiting　soldiers　furnished　an　outlet　for　my　suppressed　sense　of　duty；　and　my　first　lecture　was　on　the　‘‘Lessons　of　History''　as　applied　to　the　campaigns　against　the　Confederacy。

That　matchless　temperance　orator　and　loving　friend；　John　B。　Gough；　introduced　me　to　the　little　audience　in　Westfield；　Massachusetts；　in　1862。　　What　a　foolish　little　school…boy　speech　it　must　have　been！　　But　Mr。　Gough's　kind　words　of　praise；　the　bouquets　and　the　applause；　made　me　feel　that　somehow　the　way　to　public　oratory　would　not　be　so　hard　as　I　had　feared。

From　that　time　I　acted　on　Mr。　Gough's　advice　and　‘‘sought　practice''　by　accepting　almost　every　invitation　I　received　to　speak　on　any　kind　of　a　subject。　　There　were　many　sad　failures　and　tears；　but　it　was　a　restful　compromise　with　my　conscience　concerning　the　ministry；　and　it　pleased　my　friends。　　I　addressed　picnics；　Sunday…schools；　patriotic　meetings；　funerals；　anniversaries；　commencements；　debates；　cattle…shows；　and　sewing…circles　without　partiality　and　without　price。　　For　the　first　five　years　the　income　was　all　experience。　　Then　voluntary　gifts　began　to　come　occasionally　in　the　shape　of　a　jack…knife；　a　ham；　a　book；　and　the　first　cash　remuneration　was　from　a　farmers'　club；　of　seventy…five　cents　toward　the　‘‘horse　hire。''　　It　was　a　curious　fact　that　one　member　of　that　club　afterward　moved　to　Salt　Lake　City　and　was　a　member　of　the　committee　at　the　Mormon　Tabernacle　in　1872　which；　when　I　was　a　correspondent；　on　a　journey　around　the　world；　employed　me　to　lecture　on　‘‘Men　of　the　Mountains''　in　the　Mormon　Tabernacle；　at　a　fee　of　five　hundred　dollars。

While　I　was　gaining　practice　in　the　first　years　of　platform　work；　I　had　the　good　fortune　to　have　profitable　employment　as　a　soldier；　or　as　a　correspondent　or　lawyer；　or　as　an　editor　or　as　a　preacher；　which　enabled　me　to　pay　my　own　expenses；　and　it　has　been　seldom　in　the　fifty　years　that　I　have　ever　taken　a　fee　for　my　personal　use。　　In　the　last　thirty…six　years　I　have　dedicated　solemnly　all　the　lecture　income　to　benevolent　enterprises。　　If　I　am　antiquated　enough　for　an　autobiography；　perhaps　I　may　be　aged　enough　to　avoid　the　criticism　of　being　an　egotist；　when　I　state　that　some　years　I　delivered　one　lecture；　‘‘Acres　of　Diamonds；''　over　two　hundred　times　each　year；　at　an　average　income　of　about　one　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　for　each　lecture。

It　was　a　remarkable　good　fortune　which　came　to　me　as　a　lecturer　when　Mr。　James　Redpath　organized　the　first　lecture　bureau　ever　established。　　Mr。　Redpath　was　the　biographer　of　John　Brown　of　Harper's　Ferry　renown；　and　as　Mr。　Brown　had　been　long　a　friend　of　my　father's　I　found　employment；　while　a　student　on　vacation；　in　selling　that　life　of　John　Brown。　　That　acquaintance　with　Mr。　Redpath　was　maintained　until　Mr。　Redpath's　death。　　To　General　Charles　H。　Taylor；　with　whom　I　was　employed　for　a　time　as　reporter　for　the　Boston　_Daily　Traveler_；　I　was　indebted　for　many　acts　of　self…sacri