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‘‘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　he　had　‘‘written　the　lives　of　most　of　them　in　their　own　homes''；　and　by　this　he　meant　either　personally　or　in　collaboration　with　the　American　biographer　Abbott。

The　many…sidedness　of　Conwell　is　one　of　the　things　that　is　always　fascinating。　　After　you　have　quite　got　the　feeling　that　he　is　peculiarly　a　man　of　to…day；　lecturing　on　to…day's　possibilities　to　the　people　of　to…day；　you　happen　upon　some　such　fact　as　that　he　attracted　the　attention　of　the　London　_Times_　through　a　lecture　on　Italian　history　at　Cambridge　in　England；　or　that　on　the　evening　of　the　day　on　which　he　was　admitted　to　practice　in　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　United　States　he　gave　a　lecture　in　Washington　on　‘‘The　Curriculum　of　the　Prophets　in　Ancient　Israel。''　　The　man's　life　is　a　succession　of　delightful　surprises。

An　odd　trait　of　his　character　is　his　love　for　fire。　　He　could　easily　have　been　a　veritable　fire…　worshiper　instead　of　an　orthodox　Christian！　　He　has　always　loved　a　blaze；　and　he　says　reminiscently　that　for　no　single　thing　was　he　punished　so　much　when　he　was　a　child　as　for　building　bonfires。　　And　after　securing　possession；　as　he　did　in　middle　age；　of　the　house　where　he　was　born　and　of　a　great　acreage　around　about；　he　had　one　of　the　most　enjoyable　times　of　his　life　in　tearing　down　old　buildings　that　needed　to　be　destroyed　and　in　heaping　up　fallen　trees　and　rubbish　and　in　piling　great　heaps　of　wood　and　setting　the　great　piles　ablaze。　　You　see；　there　is　one　of　the　secrets　of　his　strengthhe　has　never　lost　the　capacity　for　fiery　enthusiasm！

Always；　too；　in　these　later　years　he　is　showing　his　strength　and　enthusiasm　in　a　positively　noble　way。　　He　has　for　years　been　a　keen　sufferer　from　rheumatism　and　neuritis；　but　he　has　never　permitted　this　to　interfere　with　his　work　or　plans。　　He　makes　little　of　his　sufferings；　and　when　he　slowly　makes　his　way；　bent　and　twisted；　downstairs；　he　does　not　want　to　be　noticed。　　‘‘I'm　all　right；''　he　will　say　if　any　one　offers　to　help；　and　at　such　a　time　comes　his　nearest　approach　to　impatience。　　He　wants　his　suffering　ignored。　　Strength　has　always　been　to　him　so　precious　a　belonging　that　he　will　not　relinquish　it　while　he　lives。　　‘‘I'm　all　right！''　　And　he　makes　himself　believe　that　he　is　all　right　even　though　the　pain　becomes　so　severe　as　to　demand　massage。　　And　he　will　still；　even　when　suffering；　talk　calmly；　or　write　his　letters；　or　attend　to　whatever　matters　come　before　him。　　It　is　the　Spartan　boy　hiding　the　pain　of　the　gnawing　fox。　　And　he　never　has　let　pain　interfere　with　his　presence　on　the　pulpit　or　the　platform。　　He　has　once　in　a　while　gone　to　a　meeting　on　crutches　and　then；　by　the　force　of　will；　and　inspired　by　what　he　is　to　do；　has　stood　before　his　audience　or　congregation；　a　man　full　of　strength　and　fire　and　life。



VII

HOW　A　UNIVERSITY　WAS　FOUNDED

THE　story　of　the　foundation　and　rise　of　Temple　University　is　an　extraordinary　story；　it　is　not　only　extraordinary；　but　inspiring；　it　is　not　only　inspiring；　but　full　of　romance。

For　the　university　came　out　of　nothing！nothing　but　the　need　of　a　young　man　and　the　fact　that　he　told　the　need　to　one　who；　throughout　his　life；　has　felt　the　impulse　to　help　any　one　in　need　and　has　always　obeyed　the　impulse。

I　asked　Dr。　Conwell；　up　at　his　home　in　the　Berkshires；　to　tell　me　himself　just　how　the　university　began；　and　he　said　that　it　began　because　it　was　needed　and　succeeded　because　of　the　loyal　work　of　the　teachers。　　And　when　I　asked　for　details　he　was　silent　for　a　while；　looking　off　into　the　brooding　twilight　as　it　lay　over　the　waters　and　the　trees　and　the　hills；　and　then　he　said：

‘‘It　was　all　so　simple；　it　all　came　about　so　naturally。　　One　evening；　after　a　service；　a　young　man　of　the　congregation　came　to　me　and　I　saw　that　he　was　disturbed　about　something。　　I　had　him　sit　down　by　me；　and　I　knew　that　in　a　few　moments　he　would　tell　me　what　was　troubling　him。

‘‘　‘Dr。　Conwell；'　he　said；　abruptly；　‘I　earn　but　little　money；　and　I　see　no　immediate　chance　of　earning　more。　　I　have　to　support　not　only　myself；　but　my　mother。　　It　leaves　nothing　at　all。　　Yet　my　longing　is　to　be　a　minister。　　It　is　the　one　ambition　of　my　life。　　Is　there　anything　that　I　can　do？'

‘‘　‘Any　man；'　I　said　to　him；　‘with　the　proper　determination　and　ambition　can　study　sufficiently　at　night　to　win　his　desire。'

‘‘　‘I　have　tried　to　think　so；'　said　he；　‘but　I　have　not　been　able　to　see　anything　clearly。　　I　want　to　study；　and　am　ready　to　give　every　spare　minute　to　it；　but　I　don't　know　how　to　get　at　it。'

‘‘I　thought　a　few　minutes；　as　I　looked　at　him。　　He　was　strong　in　his　desire　and　in　his　ambition　to　fulfil　itstrong　enough；　physically　and　mentally；　for　work　of　the　body　and　of　the　mindand　he　needed　something　more　than　generalizations　of　sympathy。

‘‘　‘Come　to　me　one　evening　a　week　and　I　will　begin　teaching　you　myself；'　I　said；　‘and　at　least　you　will　in　that　way　make　a　beginning'；　and　I　named　the　evening。

‘‘His　face　brightened　and　he　eagerly　said　that　he　would　come；　and　left　me；　but　in　a　little　while　he　came　hurrying　back　again。　　‘May　I　bring　a　friend　with　me？'　he　said。

‘‘I　told　him　to　bring　as　many　as　he　wanted　to；　for　more　than　one　would　be　an　advantage；　and　when　the　evening　came　there　were　six　friends　with　him。　　And　that　first　evening　I　began　to　teach　them　the　foundations　of　Latin。''

He　stopped　as　if　the　story　was　over。　　He　was　looking　out　thoughtfully　into　the　waning　light；　and　I　knew　that　his　mind　was　busy　with　those　days　of　the　beginning　of　the　institution　he　so　loves；　and　whose　continued　success　means　so　much　to　him。　　In　a　little　while　he　went　on：

‘‘That　was　the　beginning　of　it；　and　there　is　little　more　to　tell。　　By　the　third　evening　the　number　of　pupils　had　increased　to　forty；　others　joined　in　helping　me；　and　a　room　was　hired；　then　a　little　house；　then　a　second　house。　　From　a　few　students　and　teachers　we　became　a　college。　　After　a　while　our　buildings　went　up　on　Broad　Street　alongside　the　Temple　Church；　and　after　another　while　we　became　a　university。　　From　the　first　our　aim''（I　noticed　how　quickly　it　had　become　‘‘our''　instead　of　‘‘my''）‘‘our　aim　was　to　give　education　to　those　who　were　unable　to　get　it　through　the　usual　channels。　　And　so　that　was　really　all　there　was　to　it。''

That　was　typical　of　Russell　Conwellto　tell　with　brevity　of　what　he　has　done；　to　point　out　the　beginnings　of　something；　and　quite　omit　to　elaborate　as　to　the　results。　　And　that；　when　you　come　to　know　him；　is　precisely　what　he　means　you　to　understandthat　it　is　the　beginning　of　anything　that　is　important；　and　that　if　a　thing　is　but　earnestly　begun　and　set　going　in　the　right　way　it　may　just　as　easily　develop　big　results　as　little　results。

But　his　story　was　very　far　indeed　from　being　‘‘all　there　was　to　it；''　for　he　had　quite　omitted　to　state　the　extraordinary　fact　that；　beginning　with　those　seven　pupils；　coming　to　his　library　on　an　evening　in　1884；　the　Temple　University　has　numbered；　up　to　Commencement…time　in　1915；　88；821　students！　　Nearly　one　hundred　thousand　students；　and　in　the　lifetime　of　the　founder！　　Really；　the　magnitude　of　such　a　work　cannot　be　exaggerated；　nor　the　vast　importance　of　it　when　it　is　considered　that　most　of　these　eighty…eight　thousand　students　would　not　have　received　their　education　had　it　not　been　for　Temple　University。　　And　it　all　came　from　the　instant　response　of　Russell　Conwell　to　the　immediate　need　presented　by　a　young　man　without　money！

‘‘And　there　is　something　else　I　want　to　say；''　said　Dr。　Conwell；　unexpectedly。　　‘‘I　want　to　say；　more　fully　than　a　mere　casual　word；　how　nobly　the　work　was　taken　up　by　volunteer　helpers；　professors　from　the　University　of　Pennsylvania　and　teachers　from　the　public　schools　and　other　local　institutions　gave　freely　of　what　time　they　could　until　the　new　venture　was　firmly　on　its　way。　　I　honor　those　who　came　so　devotedly　to　help。　　And　it　should　be　remembered　that　in　those　early　days　the　need　was　even　greater　than　it　would　now　appear；　for　there　were　then　no　night　schools　or　manual…training　schools。　　Since　then　the　city　of　Philadelphia　has　gone　into　such　work；　and　as　fast　as　it　has　taken　up　certain　branches　the　Temple　University　has　put　its　energy　into　the　branches　just　higher。　　And　there　seems　no　lessening　of　the　need　of　it；''　he　added；　ponderingly。

No；　there　is　certainly　no　lessening　of　the　need　of　it！　　The　figures　of　the　annual　catalogue　would　alone　show　that。

As　early　as　1887；　just　three　years　after　the　beginning；　the　Temple　College；　as　it　was　by　that　time　called；　issued　its　first　catalogue；　which　set　forth　with　stirring　words　that　the　intent　of　its　founding　was　to：

‘‘Provide　such　instruction　as　shall　be　best　adapted　to　the　higher　education　of　those　who　are　compelled　to　labor　at　their　trade　while　engaged　in　study。

‘‘Cultivate　a　taste　for　the　higher　and　most　useful　branches　of　learning。

‘‘Awaken　in　the　character　of　young　laboring　men　and　women　a　determined　ambition　to　be　useful　to　their　fellow…men。''

The　collegethe　university　as　it　in　time　came　to　beearly　broadened　its　scope；　but　it　has　from　the　first　continued　to　aim　at　the　needs　of　those　unable　to　secure　education　without　such　help　as；　thro