第5章

类别:其他 作者:Russell Conwell字数:18811更新时间:18/12/14 11:25:45
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-fivehundredathisSundayservices(anaveragethatwouldbehigherwereitnotthathissermonsinvacationtimeareusuallydeliveredinlittlechurches;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,whenmoneywasneededforthenecessarybuildings(thebuildingsofwhichConwelldreamedwhenheleftsecond-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。