acres of diamonds-第21部分

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n　without　such　help　as；　through　its　methods；　it　affords。

It　was　chartered　in　1888；　at　which　time　its　numbers　had　reached　almost　six　hundred；　and　it　has　ever　since　had　a　constant　flood　of　applicants。　　‘‘It　has　demonstrated；''　as　Dr。　Conwell　puts　it；　‘‘that　those　who　work　for　a　living　have　time　for　study。''　　And　he；　though　he　does　not　himself　add　this；　has　given　the　opportunity。

He　feels　especial　pride　in　the　features　by　which　lectures　and　recitations　are　held　at　practically　any　hour　which　best　suits　the　convenience　of　the　students。　　If　any　ten　students　join　in　a　request　for　any　hour　from　nine　in　the　morning　to　ten　at　night　a　class　is　arranged　for　them；　to　meet　that　request！　　This　involves　the　necessity　for　a　much　larger　number　of　professors　and　teachers　than　would　otherwise　be　necessary；　but　that　is　deemed　a　slight　consideration　in　comparison　with　the　immense　good　done　by　meeting　the　needs　of　workers。

Also　President　Conwellfor　of　course　he　is　the　president　of　the　universityis　proud　of　the　fact　that　the　privilege　of　graduation　depends　entirely　upon　knowledge　gained；　that　graduation　does　not　depend　upon　having　listened　to　any　set　number　of　lectures　or　upon　having　attended　for　so　many　terms　or　years。　　If　a　student　can　do　four　years'　work　in　two　years　or　in　three　he　is　encouraged　to　do　it；　and　if　he　cannot　even　do　it　in　four　he　can　have　no　diploma。

Obviously；　there　is　no　place　at　Temple　University　for　students　who　care　only　for　a　few　years　of　leisured　ease。　　It　is　a　place　for　workers；　and　not　at　all　for　those　who　merely　wish　to　be　able　to　boast　that　they　attended　a　university。　　The　students　have　come　largely　from　among　railroad　clerks；　bank　clerks；　bookkeepers；　teachers；　preachers；　mechanics；　salesmen；　drug　clerks；　city　and　United　States　government　employees；　widows；　nurses；　housekeepers；　brakemen；　firemen；　engineers；　motormen；　conductors；　and　shop　hands。

It　was　when　the　college　became　strong　enough；　and　sufficiently　advanced　in　scholarship　and　standing；　and　broad　enough　in　scope；　to　win　the　name　of　university　that　this　title　was　officially　granted　to　it　by　the　State　of　Pennsylvania；　in　1907；　and　now　its　educational　plan　includes　three　distinct　school　systems。

First：　it　offers　a　high…school　education　to　the　student　who　has　to　quit　school　after　leaving　the　grammar…school。

Second：　it　offers　a　full　college　education；　with　the　branches　taught　in　long…established　high…　grade　colleges；　to　the　student　who　has　to　quit　on　leaving　the　high…school。

Third：　it　offers　further　scientific　or　professional　education　to　the　college　graduate　who　must　go　to　work　immediately　on　quitting　college；　but　who　wishes　to　take　up　some　such　course　as　law　or　medicine　or　engineering。

Out　of　last　year's　enrolment　of　3；654　it　is　interesting　to　notice　that　the　law　claimed　141；　theology；　182；　medicine　and　pharmacy　and　dentistry　combined；　357；　civil　engineering；　37；　also　that　the　teachers'　college；　with　normal　courses　on　such　subjects　as　household　arts　and　science；　kindergarten　work；　and　physical　education；　took　174；　and　still　more　interesting；　in　a　way；　to　see　that　269　students　were　enrolled　for　the　technical　and　vocational　courses；　such　as　cooking　and　dress…　making；　millinery；　manual　crafts；　school…gardening；　and　story…telling。　　There　were　511　in　high…　school　work；　and　243　in　elementary　education。　　There　were　79　studying　music；　and　68　studying　to　be　trained　nurses。　　There　were　606　in　the　college　of　liberal　arts　and　sciences；　and　in　the　department　of　commercial　education　there　were　987for　it　is　a　university　that　offers　both　scholarship　and　practicality。

Temple　University　is　not　in　the　least　a　charitable　institution。　　Its　fees　are　low；　and　its　hours　are　for　the　convenience　of　the　students　themselves；　but　it　is　a　place　of　absolute　independence。　　It　is；　indeed；　a　place　of　far　greater　independence；　so　one　of　the　professors　pointed　out；　than　are　the　great　universities　which　receive　millions　and　millions　of　money　in　private　gifts　and　endowments。

Temple　University　in　its　early　years　was　sorely　in　need　of　money；　and　often　there　were　thrills　of　expectancy　when　some　man　of　mighty　wealth　seemed　on　the　point　of　giving。　　But　not　a　single　one　ever　did；　and　now　the　Temple　likes　to　feel　that　it　is　glad　of　it。　　The　Temple；　to　quote　its　own　words；　is　‘‘An　institution　for　strong　men　and　women　who　can　labor　with　both　mind　and　body。''

And　the　management　is　proud　to　be　able　to　say　that；　although　great　numbers　have　come　from　distant　places；　‘‘not　one　of　the　many　thousands　ever　failed　to　find　an　opportunity　to　support　himself。''

Even　in　the　early　days；　when　money　was　needed　for　the　necessary　buildings　（the　buildings　of　which　Conwell　dreamed　when　he　left　second…story　doors　in　his　church！）；　the　universitycollege　it　was　then　calledhad　won　devotion　from　those　who　knew　that　it　was　a　place　where　neither　time　nor　money　was　wasted；　and　where　idleness　was　a　crime；　and　in　the　donations　for　the　work　were　many　such　items　as　four　hundred　dollars　from　factory…workers　who　gave　fifty　cents　each；　and　two　thousand　dollars　from　policemen　who　gave　a　dollar　each。　　Within　two　or　three　years　past　the　State　of　Pennsylvania　has　begun　giving　it　a　large　sum　annually；　and　this　state　aid　is　public　recognition　of　Temple　University　as　an　institution　of　high　public　value。　　The　state　money　is　invested　in　the　brains　and　hearts　of　the　ambitious。

So　eager　is　Dr。　Conwell　to　place　the　opportunity　of　education　before　every　one；　that　even　his　servants　must　go　to　school！　　He　is　not　one　of　those　who　can　see　needs　that　are　far　away　but　not　those　that　are　right　at　home。　　His　belief　in　education；　and　in　the　highest　attainable　education；　is　profound；　and　it　is　not　only　on　account　of　the　abstract　pleasure　and　value　of　education；　but　its　power　of　increasing　actual　earning　power　and　thus　making　a　worker　of　more　value　to　both　himself　and　the　community。

Many　a　man　and　many　a　woman；　while　continuing　to　work　for　some　firm　or　factory；　has　taken　Temple　technical　courses　and　thus　fitted　himself　or　herself　for　an　advanced　position　with　the　same　employer。　　The　Temple　knows　of　many　such；　who　have　thus　won　prominent　advancement。　　And　it　knows　of　teachers　who；　while　continuing　to　teach；　have　fitted　themselves　through　the　Temple　courses　for　professorships。　　And　it　knows　of　many　a　case　of　the　rise　of　a　Temple　student　that　reads　like　an　Arabian　Nights'　fancy！of　advance　from　bookkeeper　to　editor；　from　office…　boy　to　bank　president；　from　kitchen　maid　to　school　principal；　from　street…cleaner　to　mayor！　　The　Temple　University　helps　them　that　help　themselves。

President　Conwell　told　me　personally　of　one　case　that　especially　interested　him　because　it　seemed　to　exhibit；　in　especial　degree；　the　Temple　possibilities；　and　it　particularly　interested　me　because　it　also　showed；　in　high　degree；　the　methods　and　personality　of　Dr。　Conwell　himself。

One　day　a　young　woman　came　to　him　and　said　she　earned　only　three　dollars　a　week　and　that　she　desired　very　much　to　make　more。　　‘‘Can　you　tell　me　how　to　do　it？''　she　said。

He　liked　her　ambition　and　her　directness；　but　there　was　something　that　he　felt　doubtful　about；　and　that　was　that　her　hat　looked　too　expensive　for　three　dollars　a　week！

Now　Dr。　Conwell　is　a　man　whom　you　would　never　suspect　of　giving　a　thought　to　the　hat　of　man　or　woman！　　But　as　a　matter　of　fact　there　is　very　little　that　he　does　not　see。

But　though　the　hat　seemed　too　expensive　for　three　dollars　a　week；　Dr。　Conwell　is　not　a　man　who　makes　snap…judgments　harshly；　and　in　particular　he　would　be　the　last　man　to　turn　away　hastily　one　who　had　sought　him　out　for　help。　　He　never　felt；　nor　could　possibly　urge　upon　any　one；　contentment　with　a　humble　lot；　he　stands　for　advancement；　he　has　no　sympathy　with　that　dictum　of　the　smug；　that　has　come　to　us　from　a　nation　tight　bound　for　centuries　by　its　gentry　and　aristocracy；　about　being　contented　with　the　position　in　which　God　has　placed　you；　for　he　points　out　that　the　Bible　itself　holds　up　advancement　and　success　as　things　desirable。

And；　as　to　the　young　woman　before　him；　it　developed；　through　discreet　inquiry　veiled　by　frank　discussion　of　her　case；　that　she　had　made　the　expensive…looking　hat　herself！　　Whereupon　not　only　did　all　doubtfulness　and　hesitation　vanish；　but　he　saw　at　once　how　she　could　better　herself。　　He　knew　that　a　woman　who　could　make　a　hat　like　that　for　herself　could　make　hats　for　other　people；　and　so；　‘‘Go　into　millinery　as　a　business；''　he　advised。

‘‘Ohif　I　only　could！''　she　exclaimed。　　‘‘But　I　know　that　I　don't　know　enough。''

‘‘Take　the　millinery　course　in　Temple　University；''　he　responded。

She　had　not　even　heard　of　such　a　course；　and　when　he　went　on　to　explain　how　she　could　take　it　and　at　the　same　time　continue　at　her　present　work　until　the　course　was　concluded；　she　was　positively　ecstaticit　was　all　so　unexpected；　this　opening　of　the　view　of　a　new　and　broader　life。

‘‘She　was　an　unusual　woman；''　concluded　Dr。　Conwell；　‘‘and　she　worked　with　enthusiasm　and　tirelessness。　　She　graduated；　went　to　an　up…state　city　that　seemed　to　offer　a　good　field；　opened　a　millinery　establishment　there；　with　her　own　name　above　the　door；　and　became　prosperous。　　That　was　only　a　few　years　ago。　　And　recently　I　had　a　letter　from　her；　telling　me　that　last　year　she　netted　a　clear　p