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ers　of　the　kindly；　tall；　dark　man！　　‘‘I　said　to　her　that　I　would　take　her　in；　and　I　did　so；　and　I　said　to　her　that　we　should　some　day　have　a　room　big　enough　for　all　who　should　come。　　And　when　she　went　home　she　told　her　parentsI　only　learned　this　afterwardthat　she　was　going　to　save　money　to　help　build　the　larger　church　and　Sunday…school　that　Dr。　Conwell　wanted！　　Her　parents　pleasantly　humored　her　in　the　idea　and　let　her　run　errands　and　do　little　tasks　to　earn　pennies；　and　she　began　dropping　the　pennies　into　her　bank。

‘‘She　was　a　lovable　little　thingbut　in　only　a　few　weeks　after　that　she　was　taken　suddenly　ill　and　died；　and　at　the　funeral　her　father　told　me；　quietly；　of　how　his　little　girl　had　been　saving　money　for　a　building…fund。　　And　there；　at　the　funeral；　he　handed　me　what　she　had　savedjust　fifty…　seven　cents　in　pennies。''

Dr。　Conwell　does　not　say　how　deeply　he　was　moved；　he　is；　after　all；　a　man　of　very　few　words　as　to　his　own　emotions。　　But　a　deep　tenderness　had　crept　into　his　voice。

‘‘At　a　meeting　of　the　church　trustees　I　told　of　this　gift　of　fifty…seven　centsthe　first　gift　toward　the　proposed　building…fund　of　the　new　church　that　was　some　time　to　exist。　　For　until　then　the　matter　had　barely　been　spoken　of；　as　a　new　church　building　had　been　simply　a　possibility　for　the　future。

‘‘The　trustees　seemed　much　impressed；　and　it　turned　out　that　they　were　far　more　impressed　than　I　could　possibly　have　hoped；　for　in　a　few　days　one　of　them　came　to　me　and　said　that　he　thought　it　would　be　an　excellent　idea　to　buy　a　lot　on　Broad　Streetthe　very　lot　on　which　the　building　now　stands。''　　It　was　characteristic　of　Dr。　Conwell　that　he　did　not　point　out；　what　every　one　who　knows　him　would　understand；　that　it　was　his　own　inspiration　put　into　the　trustees　which　resulted　in　this　quick　and　definite　move　on　the　part　of　one　of　them。　　‘‘I　talked　the　matter　over　with　the　owner　of　the　property；　and　told　him　of　the　beginning　of　the　fund；　the　story　of　the　little　girl。　　The　man　was　not　one　of　our　church；　nor　in　fact；　was　he　a　church…goer　at　all；　but　he　listened　attentively　to　the　tale　of　the　fifty…seven　cents　and　simply　said　he　was　quite　ready　to　go　ahead　and　sell　us　that　piece　of　land　for　ten　thousand　dollars；　takingand　the　unexpectedness　of　this　deeply　touched　me　taking　a　first　payment　of　just　fifty…seven　cents　and　letting　the　entire　balance　stand　on　a　five…per…cent。　mortgage！

‘‘And　it　seemed　to　me　that　it　would　be　the　right　thing　to　accept　this　unexpectedly　liberal　proposition；　and　I　went　over　the　entire　matter　on　that　basis　with　the　trustees　and　some　of　the　other　members；　and　all　the　people　were　soon　talking　of　having　a　new　church。　　But　it　was　not　done　in　that　way；　after　all；　for；　fine　though　that　way　would　have　been；　there　was　to　be　one　still　finer。

‘‘Not　long　after　my　talk　with　the　man　who　owned　the　land；　and　his　surprisingly　good…hearted　proposition；　an　exchange　was　arranged　for　me　one　evening　with　a　Mount　Holly　church；　and　my　wife　went　with　me。　　We　came　back　late；　and　it　was　cold　and　wet　and　miserable；　but　as　we　approached　our　home　we　saw　that　it　was　all　lighted　from　top　to　bottom；　and　it　was　clear　that　it　was　full　of　people。　　I　said　to　my　wife　that　they　seemed　to　be　having　a　better　time　than　we　had　had；　and　we　went　in；　curious　to　know　what　it　was　all　about。　　And　it　turned　out　that　our　absence　had　been　intentionally　arranged；　and　that　the　church　people　had　gathered　at　our　home　to　meet　us　on　our　return。　　And　I　was　utterly　amazed；　for　the　spokesman　told　me　that　the　entire　ten　thousand　dollars　had　been　raised　and　that　the　land　for　the　church　that　I　wanted　was　free　of　debt。　　And　all　had　come　so　quickly　and　directly　from　that　dear　little　girl's　fifty…seven　cents。''

Doesn't　it　seem　like　a　fairy　tale！　　But　then　this　man　has　all　his　life　been　making　fairy　tales　into　realities。　　He　inspired　the　child。　　He　inspired　the　trustees。　　He　inspired　the　owner　of　the　land。　　He　inspired　the　people。

The　building　of　the　great　churchthe　Temple　Baptist　Church；　as　it　is　termedwas　a　great　undertaking　for　the　congregation；　even　though　it　had　been　swiftly　growing　from　the　day　of　Dr。　Conwell's　taking　charge　of　it；　it　was　something　far　ahead　of　what；　except　in　the　eyes　of　an　enthusiast；　they　could　possibly　complete　and　pay　for　and　support。　　Nor　was　it　an　easy　task。

Ground　was　broken　for　the　building　in　1889；　in　1891　it　was　opened　for　worship；　and　then　came　years　of　raising　money　to　clear　it。　　But　it　was　long　ago　placed　completely　out　of　debt；　and　with　only　a　single　large　subscriptionone　of　ten　thousand　dollarsfor　the　church　is　not　in　a　wealthy　neighborhood；　nor　is　the　congregation　made　up　of　the　great　and　rich。

The　church　is　built　of　stone；　and　its　interior　is　a　great　amphitheater。　　Special　attention　has　been　given　to　fresh　air　and　light；　there　is　nothing　of　the　dim；　religious　light　that　goes　with　medieval　churchliness。　　Behind　the　pulpit　are　tiers　of　seats　for　the　great　chorus　choir。　　There　is　a　large　organ。　　The　building　is　peculiarly　adapted　for　hearing　and　seeing；　and　if　it　is　not；　strictly　speaking；　beautiful　in　itself；　it　is　beautiful　when　it　is　filled　with　encircling　rows　of　men　and　women。

Man　of　feeling　that　he　is；　and　one　who　appreciates　the　importance　of　symbols；　Dr。　Conwell　had　a　heart　of　olive…wood　built　into　the　front　of　the　pulpit；　for　the　wood　was　from　an　olive…tree　in　the　Garden　of　Gethsemane。　　And　the　amber…colored　tiles　in　the　inner　walls　of　the　church　bear；　under　the　glaze；　the　names　of　thousands　of　his　people；　for　every　one；　young　or　old；　who　helped　in　the　building；　even　to　the　giving　of　a　single　dollar；　has　his　name　inscribed　there。　　For　Dr。　Conwell　wished　to　show　that　it　is　not　only　the　house　of　the　Lord；　but　also；　in　a　keenly　personal　sense；　the　house　of　those　who　built　it。

The　church　has　a　possible　seating　capacity　of　4；200；　although　only　3；135　chairs　have　been　put　in　it；　for　it　has　been　the　desire　not　to　crowd　the　space　needlessly。　　There　is　also　a　great　room　for　the　Sunday…school；　and　extensive　rooms　for　the　young　men's　association；　the　young　women's　association；　and　for　a　kitchen；　for　executive　offices；　for　meeting…places　for　church　officers　and　boards　and　committees。　　It　is　a　spacious　and　practical　and　complete　church　home；　and　the　people　feel　at　home　there。

‘‘You　see　again；''　said　Dr。　Conwell；　musingly；　‘‘the　advantage　of　aiming　at　big　things。　　That　building　represents　109；000　above　ground。　　It　is　free　from　debt。　　Had　we　built　a　small　church；　it　would　now　be　heavily　mortgaged。''



IV

HIS　POWER　AS　ORATOR　AND　PREACHER

EVEN　as　a　young　man　Conwell　won　local　fame　as　an　orator。　　At　the　outbreak　of　the　Civil　War　he　began　making　patriotic　speeches　that　gained　enlistments。　　After　going　to　the　front　he　was　sent　back　home　for　a　time；　on　furlough；　to　make　more　speeches　to　draw　more　recruits；　for　his　speeches　were　so　persuasive；　so　powerful；　so　full　of　homely　and　patriotic　feeling；　that　the　men　who　heard　them　thronged　into　the　ranks。　　And　as　a　preacher　he　uses　persuasion；　power；　simple　and　homely　eloquence；　to　draw　men　to　the　ranks　of　Christianity。

He　is　an　orator　born；　and　has　developed　this　inborn　power　by　the　hardest　of　study　and　thought　and　practice。　　He　is　one　of　those　rare　men　who　always　seize　and　hold　the　attention。　　When　he　speaks；　men　listen。　　It　is　quality；　temperament；　controlthe　word　is　immaterial；　but　the　fact　is　very　material　indeed。

Some　quarter　of　a　century　ago　Conwell　published　a　little　book　for　students　on　the　study　and　practice　of　oratory。　　That　‘‘clear…cut　articulation　is　the　charm　of　eloquence''　is　one　of　his　insisted…upon　statements；　and　it　well　illustrates　the　lifelong　practice　of　the　man　himself；　for　every　word　as　he　talks　can　be　heard　in　every　part　of　a　large　building；　yet　always　he　speaks　without　apparent　effort。　　He　avoids　‘‘elocution。''　　His　voice　is　soft…pitched　and　never　breaks；　even　now　when　he　is　over　seventy；　because；　so　he　explains　it；　he　always　speaks　in　his　natural　voice。　　There　is　never　a　straining　after　effect。

‘‘A　speaker　must　possess　a　large…hearted　regard　for　the　welfare　of　his　audience；''　he　writes；　and　here　again　we　see　Conwell　explaining　Conwellism。　　‘‘Enthusiasm　invites　enthusiasm；''　is　another　of　his　points　of　importance；　and　one　understands　that　it　is　by　deliberate　purpose；　and　not　by　chance；　that　he　tries　with　such　tremendous　effort　to　put　enthusiasm　into　his　hearers　with　every　sermon　and　every　lecture　that　he　delivers。

‘‘It　is　easy　to　raise　a　laugh；　but　dangerous；　for　it　is　the　greatest　test　of　an　orator's　control　of　his　audience　to　be　able　to　land　them　again　on　the　solid　earth　of　sober　thinking。''　　I　have　known　him　at　the　very　end　of　a　sermon　have　a　ripple　of　laughter　sweep　freely　over　the　entire　congregation；　and　then　in　a　moment　he　has　every　individual　under　his　control；　listening　soberly　to　his　words。

He　never　fears　to　use　humor；　and　it　is　always　very　simple　and　obvious　and　effective。　　With　him　even　a　very　simple　pun　may　be　used；　not　only　with…　out　taking　away　from　the　strength　of　what　he　is　saying；　but　with　a　vivid　increase　of　impressiveness。　　And　when　he　says　something　funny　it　is　in　such　a　delightful　and　confidential　way；　with　such　a　genial；　quiet；　infectious　humorousness；　that　his　audience　is　captivated。　　And　they　never　think　that　he　is　telling　something