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And　all　these　hardships；　all　this　traveling　and　lecturing；　which　would　test　the　endurance　of　the　youngest　and　strongest；　this　man　of　over　seventy　assumes　without　receiving　a　particle　of　personal　gain；　for　every　dollar　that　he　makes　by　it　is　given　away　in　helping　those　who　need　helping。

That　Dr。　Conwell　is　intensely　modest　is　one　of　the　curious　features　of　his　character。　　He　sincerely　believes　that　to　write　his　life　would　be；　in　the　main；　just　to　tell　what　people　have　done　for　him。　　He　knows　and　admits　that　he　works　unweariedly；　but　in　profound　sincerity　he　ascribes　the　success　of　his　plans　to　those　who　have　seconded　and　assisted　him。　　It　is　in　just　this　way　that　he　looks　upon　every　phase　of　his　life。　　When　he　is　reminded　of　the　devotion　of　his　old　soldiers；　he　remembers　it　only　with　a　sort　of　pleased　wonder　that　they　gave　the　devotion　to　him；　and　he　quite　forgets　that　they　loved　him　because　he　was　always　ready　to　sacrifice　ease　or　risk　his　own　life　for　them。

He　deprecates　praise；　if　any　one　likes　him；　the　liking　need　not　be　shown　in　words；　but　in　helping　along　a　good　work。　　That　his　church　has　succeeded　has　been　because　of　the　devotion　of　the　people；　that　the　university　has　succeeded　is　because　of　the　splendid　work　of　the　teachers　and　pupils；　that　the　hospitals　have　done　so　much　has　been　because　of　the　noble　services　of　physicians　and　nurses。　　To　him；　as　he　himself　expresses　it；　realizing　that　success　has　come　to　his　plans；　it　seems　as　if　the　realities　are　but　dreams。　　He　is　astonished　by　his　own　success。　　He　thinks　mainly　of　his　own　shortcomings。　　‘‘God　and　man　have　ever　been　very　patient　with　me。''　　His　depression　is　at　times　profound　when　he　compares　the　actual　results　with　what　he　would　like　them　to　be；　for　always　his　hopes　have　gone　soaring　far　in　advance　of　achievement。　　It　is　the　‘‘Hitch　your　chariot　to　a　star''　idea。

His　modesty　goes　hand…in…hand　with　kindliness；　and　I　have　seen　him　let　himself　be　introduced　in　his　own　church　to　his　congregation；　when　he　is　going　to　deliver　a　lecture　there；　just　because　a　former　pupil　of　the　university　was　present　who；　Conwell　knew；　was　ambitious　to　say　something　inside　of　the　Temple　walls；　and　this　seemed　to　be　the　only　opportunity。

I　have　noticed；　when　he　travels；　that　the　face　of　the　newsboy　brightens　as　he　buys　a　paper　from　him；　that　the　porter　is　all　happiness；　that　conductor　and　brakeman　are　devotedly　anxious　to　be　of　aid。　　Everywhere　the　man　wins　love。　　He　loves　humanity　and　humanity　responds　to　the　love。

He　has　always　won　the　affection　of　those　who　knew　him；　and　Bayard　Taylor　was　one　of　the　many；　he　and　Bayard　Taylor　loved　each　other　for　long　acquaintance　and　fellow　experiences　as　world…　wide　travelers；　back　in　the　years　when　comparatively　few　Americans　visited　the　Nile　and　the　Orient；　or　even　Europe。

When　Taylor　died　there　was　a　memorial　service　in　Boston　at　which　Conwell　was　asked　to　preside；　and；　as　he　wished　for　something　more　than　addresses；　he　went　to　Longfellow　and　asked　him　to　write　and　read　a　poem　for　the　occasion。　　Longfellow　had　not　thought　of　writing　anything；　and　he　was　too　ill　to　be　present　at　the　services；　but；　there　always　being　something　contagiously　inspiring　about　Russell　Conwell　when　he　wishes　something　to　be　done；　the　poet　promised　to　do　what　he　could。　　And　he　wrote　and　sent　the　beautiful　lines　beginning：

　_Dead　he　lay　among　his　books；　　The　peace　of　God　was　in　his　looks_。


Many　men　of　letters；　including　Ralph　Waldo　Emerson；　were　present　at　the　services；　and　Dr。　Conwell　induced　Oliver　Wendell　Holmes　to　read　the　lines；　and　they　were　listened　to　amid　profound　silence；　to　their　fine　ending。

Conwell；　in　spite　of　his　widespread　hold　on　millions　of　people；　has　never　won　fame；　recognition；　general　renown；　compared　with　many　men　of　minor　achievements。　　This　seems　like　an　impossibility。　　Yet　it　is　not　an　impossibility；　but　a　fact。　　Great　numbers　of　men　of　education　and　culture　are　entirely　ignorant　of　him　and　his　work　in　the　worldmen；　these；　who　deem　themselves　in　touch　with　world…affairs　and　with　the　ones　who　make　and　move　the　world。　　It　is　inexplicable；　this；　except　that　never　was　there　a　man　more　devoid　of　the　faculty　of　self…exploitation；　self…advertising；　than　Russell　Conwell。　　Nor；　in　the　mere　reading　of　them；　do　his　words　appeal　with　anything　like　the　force　of　the　same　words　uttered　by　himself；　for　always；　with　his　spoken　words；　is　his　personality。　　Those　who　have　heard　Russell　Conwell；　or　have　known　him　personally；　recognize　the　charm　of　the　man　and　his　immense　forcefulness；　but　there　are　many；　and　among　them　those　who　control　publicity　through　books　and　newspapers；　who；　though　they　ought　to　be　the　warmest　in　their　enthusiasm；　have　never　felt　drawn　to　hear　him；　and；　if　they　know　of　him　at　all；　think　of　him　as　one　who　pleases　in　a　simple　way　the　commoner　folk；　forgetting　in　their　pride　that　every　really　great　man　pleases　the　common　ones；　and　that　simplicity　and　directness　are　attributes　of　real　greatness。

But　Russell　Conwell　has　always　won　the　admiration　of　the　really　great；　as　well　as　of　the　humbler　millions。　　It　is　only　a　supposedly　cultured　class　in　between　that　is　not　thoroughly　acquainted　with　what　he　has　done。

Perhaps；　too；　this　is　owing　to　his　having　cast　in　his　lot　with　the　city；　of　all　cities；　which；　consciously　or　unconsciously；　looks　most　closely　to　family　and　place　of　residence　as　criterions　of　merita　city　with　which　it　is　almost　impossible　for　a　stranger　to　become　affiliatedor　aphiladelphiated；　as　it　might　be　expressedand　Philadelphia；　in　spite　of　all　that　Dr。　Conwell　has　done；　has　been　under　the　thrall　of　the　fact　that　he　went　north　of　Market　Streetthat　fatal　fact　understood　by　all　who　know　Philadelphiaand　that　he　made　no　effort　to　make　friends　in　Rittenhouse　Square。　　Such　considerations　seem　absurd　in　this　twentieth　century；　but　in　Philadelphia　they　are　still　potent。　　Tens　of　thousands　of　Philadelphians　love　him；　and　he　is　honored　by　its　greatest　men；　but　there　is　a　class　of　the　pseudo…　cultured　who　do　not　know　him　or　appreciate　him。　　And　it　needs　also　to　be　understood　that；　outside　of　his　own　beloved　Temple；　he　would　prefer　to　go　to　a　little　church　or　a　little　hall　and　to　speak　to　the　forgotten　people；　in　the　hope　of　encouraging　and　inspiring　them　and　filling　them　with　hopeful　glow；　rather　than　to　speak　to　the　rich　and　comfortable。

His　dearest　hope；　so　one　of　the　few　who　are　close　to　him　told　me；　is　that　no　one　shall　come　into　his　life　without　being　benefited。　　He　does　not　say　this　publicly；　nor　does　he　for　a　moment　believe　that　such　a　hope　could　be　fully　realized；　but　it　is　very　dear　to　his　heart；　and　no　man　spurred　by　such　a　hope；　and　thus　bending　all　his　thoughts　toward　the　poor；　the　hard…working；　the　unsuccessful；　is　in　a　way　to　win　honor　from　the　Scribes；　for　we　have　Scribes　now　quite　as　much　as　when　they　were　classed　with　Pharisees。　　It　is　not　the　first　time　in　the　world's　history　that　Scribes　have　failed　to　give　their　recognition　to　one　whose　work　was　not　among　the　great　and　wealthy。

That　Conwell　himself　has　seldom　taken　any　part　whatever　in　politics　except　as　a　good　citizen　standing　for　good　government；　that；　as　he　expresses　it；　he　never　held　any　political　office　except　that　he　was　once　on　a　school　committee；　and　also　that　he　does　not　identify　himself　with　the　so…called　‘‘movements''　that　from　time　to　time　catch　public　attention；　but　aims　only　and　constantly　at　the　quiet　betterment　of　mankind；　may　be　mentioned　as　additional　reasons　why　his　name　and　fame　have　not　been　steadily　blazoned。

He　knows　and　will　admit　that　he　works　hard　and　has　all　his　life　worked　hard。　　‘‘Things　keep　turning　my　way　because　I'm　on　the　job；''　as　he　whimsically　expressed　it　one　day；　but　that　is　about　all；　so　it　seems　to　him。

And　he　sincerely　believes　that　his　life　has　in　itself　been　without　interest；　that　it　has　been　an　essentially　commonplace　life　with　nothing　of　the　interesting　or　the　eventful　to　tell。　　He　is　frankly　surprised　that　there　has　ever　been　the　desire　to　write　about　him。　　He　really　has　no　idea　of　how　fascinating　are　the　things　he　has　done。　　His　entire　life　has　been　of　positive　interest　from　the　variety　of　things　accomplished　and　the　unexpectedness　with　which　he　has　accomplished　them。

Never；　for　example；　was　there　such　an　organizer。　　In　fact；　organization　and　leadership　have　always　been　as　the　breath　of　life　to　him。　　As　a　youth　he　organized　debating　societies　and；　before　the　war；　a　local　military　company。　　While　on　garrison　duty　in　the　Civil　War　he　organized　what　is　believed　to　have　been　the　first　free　school　for　colored　children　in　the　South。　　One　day　Minneapolis　happened　to　be　spoken　of；　and　Conwell　happened　to　remember　that　he　organized；　when　he　was　a　lawyer　in　that　city；　what　became　the　first　Y。M。C。A。　branch　there。　　Once　he　even　started　a　newspaper。　　And　it　was　natural　that　the　organizing　instinct；　as　years　advanced；　should　lead　him　to　greater　and　greater　things；　such　as　his　church；　with　the　numerous　associations　formed　within　itself　through　his　influence；　and　the　universitythe　organizing　of　the　university　being　in　itself　an　achievement　of　positive　romance。

‘‘A　life　without　interest！''　　Why；　when　I　happened　to　ask；　one　day；　how　many　Presidents　he　had　known　since　Lincoln；　he　replied；　quite　casually；　that　h