acres of diamonds-第22部分

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he　forgets　his　sadness；　his　loneliness；　his　age。　　And　he　said　to　me　one　day；　‘‘I　will　die　in　harness。''



IX

THE　STORY　OF　ACRES　OF　DIAMONDS

CONSIDERING　everything；　the　most　remarkable　thing　in　Russell　Conwell's　remarkable　life　is　his　lecture；　‘‘Acres　of　Diamonds。''　　That　is；　the　lecture　itself；　the　number　of　times　he　has　delivered　it；　what　a　source　of　inspiration　it　has　been　to　myriads；　the　money　that　he　has　made　and　is　making；　and；　still　more；　the　purpose　to　which　he　directs　the　money。　　In　the　circumstances　surrounding　‘‘Acres　of　Diamonds；''　in　its　tremendous　success；　in　the　attitude　of　mind　revealed　by　the　lecture　itself　and　by　what　Dr。　Conwell　does　with　it；　it　is　illuminative　of　his　character；　his　aims；　his　ability。

The　lecture　is　vibrant　with　his　energy。　　It　flashes　with　his　hopefulness。　　It　is　full　of　his　enthusiasm。　　It　is　packed　full　of　his　intensity。　　It　stands　for　the　possibilities　of　success　in　every　one。　　He　has　delivered　it　over　five　thousand　times。　　The　demand　for　it　never　diminishes。　　The　success　grows　never　less。

There　is　a　time　in　Russell　Conwell's　youth　of　which　it　is　pain　for　him　to　think。　　He　told　me　of　it　one　evening；　and　his　voice　sank　lower　and　lower　as　he　went　far　back　into　the　past。　　It　was　of　his　days　at　Yale　that　he　spoke；　for　they　were　days　of　suffering。　　For　he　had　not　money　for　Yale；　and　in　working　for　more　he　endured　bitter　humiliation。　　It　was　not　that　the　work　was　hard；　for　Russell　Conwell　has　always　been　ready　for　hard　work。　　It　was　not　that　there　were　privations

and　difficulties；　for　he　has　always　found　difficulties　only　things　to　overcome；　and　endured　privations　with　cheerful　fortitude。　　But　it　was　the　humiliations　that　he　metthe　personal　humiliations　that　after　more　than　half　a　century　make　him　suffer　in　remembering　themyet　out　of　those　humiliations　came　a　marvelous　result。

‘‘I　determined；''　he　says；　‘‘that　whatever　I　could　do　to　make　the　way　easier　at　college　for　other　young　men　working　their　way　I　would　do。''

And　so；　many　years　ago；　he　began　to　devote　every　dollar　that　he　made　from　‘‘Acres　of　Diamonds''　to　this　definite　purpose。　　He　has　what　may　be　termed　a　waiting…list。　　On　that　list　are　very　few　cases　he　has　looked　into　personally。　　Infinitely　busy　man　that　he　is；　he　cannot　do　extensive　personal　investigation。　　A　large　proportion　of　his　names　come　to　him　from　college　presidents　who　know　of　students　in　their　own　colleges　in　need　of　such　a　helping　hand。

‘‘Every　night；''　he　said；　when　I　asked　him　to　tell　me　about　it；　‘‘when　my　lecture　is　over　and　the　check　is　in　my　hand；　I　sit　down　in　my　room　in　the　hotel''what　a　lonely　picture；　tool‘‘I　sit　down　in　my　room　in　the　hotel　and　subtract　from　the　total　sum　received　my　actual　expenses　for　that　place；　and　make　out　a　check　for　the　difference　and　send　it　to　some　young　man　on　my　list。　　And　I　always　send　with　the　check　a　letter　of　advice　and　helpfulness；　expressing　my　hope　that　it　will　be　of　some　service　to　him　and　telling　him　that　he　is　to　feel　under　no　obligation　except　to　his　Lord。　　I　feel　strongly；　and　I　try　to　make　every　young　man　feel；　that　there　must　be　no　sense　of　obligation　to　me　personally。　　And　I　tell　them　that　I　am　hoping　to　leave　behind　me　men　who　will　do　more　work　than　I　have　done。　　Don't　think　that　I　put　in　too　much　advice；''　he　added；　with　a　smile；　‘‘for　I　only　try　to　let　them　know　that　a　friend　is　trying　to　help　them。''

His　face　lighted　as　he　spoke。　　‘‘There　is　such　a　fascination　in　it！''　he　exclaimed。　　‘‘It　is　just　like　a　gamble！　　And　as　soon　as　I　have　sent　the　letter　and　crossed　a　name　off　my　list；　I　am　aiming　for　the　next　one！''

And　after　a　pause　he　added：　　‘‘I　do　not　attempt　to　send　any　young　man　enough　for　all　his　expenses。　　But　I　want　to　save　him　from　bitterness；　and　each　check　will　help。　　And；　too；''　he　concluded；　navely；　in　the　vernacular；　‘‘I　don't　want　them　to　lay　down　on　me！''

He　told　me　that　he　made　it　clear　that　he　did　not　wish　to　get　returns　or　reports　from　this　branch　of　his　life…work；　for　it　would　take　a　great　deal　of　time　in　watching　and　thinking　and　in　the　reading　and　writing　of　letters。　　‘‘But　it　is　mainly；''　he　went　on；　‘‘that　I　do　not　wish　to　hold　over　their　heads　the　sense　of　obligation。''

When　I　suggested　that　this　was　surely　an　example　of　bread　cast　upon　the　waters　that　could　not　return；　he　was　silent　for　a　little　and　then　said；　thoughtfully：　　‘‘As　one　gets　on　in　years　there　is　satisfaction　in　doing　a　thing　for　the　sake　of　doing　it。　　The　bread　returns　in　the　sense　of　effort　made。''

On　a　recent　trip　through　Minnesota　he　was　positively　upset；　so　his　secretary　told　me；　through　being　recognized　on　a　train　by　a　young　man　who　had　been　helped　through　‘‘Acres　of　Diamonds；''　and　who；　finding　that　this　was　really　Dr。　Conwell；　eagerly　brought　his　wife　to　join　him　in　most　fervent　thanks　for　his　assistance。　　Both　the　husband　and　his　wife　were　so　emotionally　overcome　that　it　quite　overcame　Dr。　Conwell　himself。

The　lecture；　to　quote　the　noble　words　of　Dr。　Conwell　himself；　is　designed　to　help　‘‘every　person；　of　either　sex；　who　cherishes　the　high　resolve　of　sustaining　a　career　of　usefulness　and　honor。''　　It　is　a　lecture　of　helpfulness。　　And　it　is　a　lecture；　when　given　with　Conwell's　voice　and　face　and　manner；　that　is　full　of　fascination。　　And　yet　it　is　all　so　simple！

It　is　packed　full　of　inspiration；　of　suggestion；　of　aid。　　He　alters　it　to　meet　the　local　circumstances　of　the　thousands　of　different　places　in

which　he　delivers　it。　　But　the　base　remains　the　same。　　And　even　those　to　whom　it　is　an　old　story　will　go　to　hear　him　time　after　time。　　It　amuses　him　to　say　that　he　knows　individuals　who　have　listened　to　it　twenty　times。

It　begins　with　a　story　told　to　Conwell　by　an　old　Arab　as　the　two　journeyed　together　toward　Nineveh；　and；　as　you　listen；　you　hear　the　actual　voices　and　you　see　the　sands　of　the　desert　and　the　waving　palms。　　The　lecturer's　voice　is　so　easy；　so　effortless；　it　seems　so　ordinary　and　matter…of…　factyet　the　entire　scene　is　instantly　vital　and　alive！　　Instantly　the　man　has　his　audience　under　a　sort　of　spell；　eager　to　listen；　ready　to　be　merry　or　grave。　　He　has　the　faculty　of　control；　the　vital　quality　that　makes　the　orator。

The　same　people　will　go　to　hear　this　lecture　over　and　over；　and　that　is　the　kind　of　tribute　that　Conwell　likes。　　I　recently　heard　him　deliver　it　in　his　own　church；　where　it　would　naturally　be　thought　to　be　an　old　story；　and　where；　presumably；　only　a　few　of　the　faithful　would　go；　but　it　was　quite　clear　that　all　of　his　church　are　the　faithful；　for　it　was　a　large　audience　that　came　to　listen　to　him；　hardly　a　seat　in　the　great　auditorium　was　vacant。　　And　it　should　be　added　that；　although　it　was　in　his　own　church；　it　was　not　a　free　lecture；　where　a　throng　might　be　expected；　but　that　each　one　paid　a　liberal　sum　for　a　seatand　the　paying　of　admission　is　always　a　practical　test　of　the　sincerity　of　desire　to　hear。　　And　the　people　were　swept　along　by　the　current　as　if　lecturer　and　lecture　were　of　novel　interest。　　The　lecture　in　itself　is　good　to　read；　but　it　is　only　when　it　is　illumined　by　Conwell's　vivid　personality　that　one　understands　how　it　influences　in　the　actual　delivery。

On　that　particular　evening　he　had　decided　to　give　the　lecture　in　the　same　form　as　when　he　first　delivered　it　many　years　ago；　without　any　of　the　alterations　that　have　come　with　time　and　changing　localities；　and　as　he　went　on；　with　the　audience　rippling　and　bubbling　with　laughter　as　usual；　he　never　doubted　that　he　was　giving　it　as　he　had　given　it　years　before；　and　yetso　up…to…date　and　alive　must　he　necessarily　be；　in　spite　of　a　definitive　effort　to　set　himself　backevery　once　in　a　while　he　was　coming　out　with　illustrations　from　such　distinctly　recent　things　as　the　automobile！

The　last　time　I　heard　him　was　the　5；124th　time　for　the　lecture。　　Doesn't　it　seem　incredible！　　5；124　times'　I　noticed　that　he　was　to　deliver　it　at　a　little　out…of…the…way　place；　difficult　for　any　considerable　number　to　get　to；　and　I　wondered　just　how　much　of　an　audience　would　gather　and　how　they　would　be　impressed。　　So　I　went　over　from　there　I　was；　a　few　miles　away。　　The　road　was　dark　and　I　pictured　a　small　audience；　but　when　I　got　there　I　found　the　church　building　in　which　he　was　to　deliver　the　lecture　had　a　seating　capacity　of　830　and　that　precisely　830　people　were　already　seated　there　and　that　a　fringe　of　others　were　standing　behind。　　Many　had　come　from　miles　away。　　Yet　the　lecture　had　scarcely；　if　at　all；　been　advertised。　　But　people　had　said　to　one　another：　　‘‘Aren't　you　going　to　hear　Dr。　Conwell？''　　And　the　word　had　thus　been　passed　along。

I　remember　how　fascinating　it　was　to　watch　that　audience；　for　they　responded　so　keenly　and　with　such　heartfelt　pleasure　throughout　the　entire　lecture。　　And　not　only　were　they　immensely　pleased　and　amused　and　interestedand　to　achieve　that　at　a　crossroads　church　was　in　itself　a　triumph　to　be　proud　ofbut　I　knew　that　every　listener　was　given　an　impulse　toward　doing　something　for　himself　and　for　others；　and　that　with　at　least　some　of　them　the　impulse　would　materialize　in　acts。　　Over　and　over　one　realizes　what　a　power　such　a　man　wields。

And　what　an　unselfishness！　　For；　far　on　in　years　as　he　is；　and　suffering　pain；　he　does　not　chop　down　his　lecture　to　a　definite　length；　he　does　not　talk　for　just　an　hour　or　go　on　grudgingly　for　an　hour　and　a　half。　　He　sees　that　the　people　are　fascinated　and　inspired；　and　he　forgets　pain；　ignores　time；　forgets　that　the　night　is　late　and　that　he　has　a　long　journey　to　go　to　get　home；　and　keeps　on　generously　for　two　hours！　　And　every　one　wishes　it　were　four。

Always　he　talks　with　ease　and　sympathy。　　There　are　geniality；　composure；　humor；　simple　and　homely　jestsyet　never　does　the　audience　forget　that　he　is　every　moment　in　tremendous　earnest。　　They　bubble　with　responsive　laughter　or　are　silent　in　riveted　attention。　　A　stir　can　be　seen　to　sweep　over　an　audience；　of　earnestness　or　surprise　or　amusement　or　resolve。　　When　he　is　grave　and　sober　or　fervid　the　people　feel　that　he　is　himself　a　fervidly　earnest　man；　and　when　he　is　telling　something　humorous　there　is　on　his　part　almost　a　repressed　chuckle；　a　genial　appreciation　of　the　fun　of　it；　not　in　the　least　as　if　he　were　laughing　at　his　own　humor；　but　as　if　he　and　his　hearers　were　laughing　together　at