acres of diamonds-第26部分

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　which　to　base　an　autobiographical　account；　except　the　recollections　which　come　to　an　overburdened　mind。

My　general　view　of　half　a　century　on　the　lecture　platform　brings　to　me　precious　and　beautiful　memories；　and　fills　my　soul　with　devout　gratitude　for　the　blessings　and　kindnesses　which　have　been　given　to　me　so　far　beyond　my　deserts。　　So　much　more　success　has　come　to　my　hands　than　I　ever　expected；　so　much　more　of　good　have　I　found　than　even　youth's　wildest　dream　included；　so　much　more　effective　have　been　my　weakest　endeavors　than　I　ever　planned　or　hoped　that　a　biography　written　truthfully　would　be　mostly　an　account　of　what　men　and　women　have　done　for　me。

I　have　lived　to　see　accomplished　far　more　than　my　highest　ambition　included；　and　have　seen　the　enterprises　I　have　undertaken　rush　by　me；　pushed　on　by　a　thousand　strong　hands　until　they　have　left　me　far　behind　them。　　The　realities　are　like　dreams　to　me。　　Blessings　on　the　loving　hearts　and　noble　minds　who　have　been　so　willing　to　sacrifice　for　others'　good　and　to　think　only　of　what　they　could　do；　and　never　of　what　they　should　get！　　Many　of　them　have　ascended　into　the　Shining　Land；　and　here　I　am　in　mine　age　gazing　up　alone；

　_Only　waiting　till　the　shadows　　Are　a　little　longer　grown_。


Fifty　years！　　I　was　a　young　man；　not　yet　of　age；　when　I　delivered　my　first　platform　lecture。　　The　Civil　War　of　1861…65　drew　on　with　all　its　passions；　patriotism；　horrors；　and　fears；　and　I　was　studying　law　at　Yale　University。　　I　had　from　childhood　felt　that　I　was　‘‘called　to　the　ministry。''　　The　earliest　event　of　memory　is　the　prayer　of　my　father　at　family　prayers　in　the　little　old　cottage　in　the　Hampshire　highlands　of　the　Berkshire　Hills；　calling　on　God　with　a　sobbing　voice　to　lead　me　into　some　special　service　for　the　Saviour。　　It　filled　me　with　awe；　dread；　and　fear；　and　I　recoiled　from　the　thought；　until　I　determined　to　fight　against　it　with　all　my　power。　　So　I　sought　for　other　professions　and　for　decent　excuses　for　being　anything　but　a　preacher。

Yet　while　I　was　nervous　and　timid　before　the　class　in　declamation　and　dreaded　to　face　any　kind　of　an　audience；　I　felt　in　my　soul　a　strange　impulsion　toward　public　speaking　which　for　years　made　me　miserable。　　The　war　and　the　public　meetings　for　recruiting　soldiers　furnished　an　outlet　for　my　suppressed　sense　of　duty；　and　my　first　lecture　was　on　the　‘‘Lessons　of　History''　as　applied　to　the　campaigns　against　the　Confederacy。

That　matchless　temperance　orator　and　loving　friend；　John　B。　Gough；　introduced　me　to　the　little　audience　in　Westfield；　Massachusetts；　in　1862。　　What　a　foolish　little　school…boy　speech　it　must　have　been！　　But　Mr。　Gough's　kind　words　of　praise；　the　bouquets　and　the　applause；　made　me　feel　that　somehow　the　way　to　public　oratory　would　not　be　so　hard　as　I　had　feared。

From　that　time　I　acted　on　Mr。　Gough's　advice　and　‘‘sought　practice''　by　accepting　almost　every　invitation　I　received　to　speak　on　any　kind　of　a　subject。　　There　were　many　sad　failures　and　tears；　but　it　was　a　restful　compromise　with　my　conscience　concerning　the　ministry；　and　it　pleased　my　friends。　　I　addressed　picnics；　Sunday…schools；　patriotic　meetings；　funerals；　anniversaries；　commencements；　debates；　cattle…shows；　and　sewing…circles　without　partiality　and　without　price。　　For　the　first　five　years　the　income　was　all　experience。　　Then　voluntary　gifts　began　to　come　occasionally　in　the　shape　of　a　jack…knife；　a　ham；　a　book；　and　the　first　cash　remuneration　was　from　a　farmers'　club；　of　seventy…five　cents　toward　the　‘‘horse　hire。''　　It　was　a　curious　fact　that　one　member　of　that　club　afterward　moved　to　Salt　Lake　City　and　was　a　member　of　the　committee　at　the　Mormon　Tabernacle　in　1872　which；　when　I　was　a　correspondent；　on　a　journey　around　the　world；　employed　me　to　lecture　on　‘‘Men　of　the　Mountains''　in　the　Mormon　Tabernacle；　at　a　fee　of　five　hundred　dollars。

While　I　was　gaining　practice　in　the　first　years　of　platform　work；　I　had　the　good　fortune　to　have　profitable　employment　as　a　soldier；　or　as　a　correspondent　or　lawyer；　or　as　an　editor　or　as　a　preacher；　which　enabled　me　to　pay　my　own　expenses；　and　it　has　been　seldom　in　the　fifty　years　that　I　have　ever　taken　a　fee　for　my　personal　use。　　In　the　last　thirty…six　years　I　have　dedicated　solemnly　all　the　lecture　income　to　benevolent　enterprises。　　If　I　am　antiquated　enough　for　an　autobiography；　perhaps　I　may　be　aged　enough　to　avoid　the　criticism　of　being　an　egotist；　when　I　state　that　some　years　I　delivered　one　lecture；　‘‘Acres　of　Diamonds；''　over　two　hundred　times　each　year；　at　an　average　income　of　about　one　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　for　each　lecture。

It　was　a　remarkable　good　fortune　which　came　to　me　as　a　lecturer　when　Mr。　James　Redpath　organized　the　first　lecture　bureau　ever　established。　　Mr。　Redpath　was　the　biographer　of　John　Brown　of　Harper's　Ferry　renown；　and　as　Mr。　Brown　had　been　long　a　friend　of　my　father's　I　found　employment；　while　a　student　on　vacation；　in　selling　that　life　of　John　Brown。　　That　acquaintance　with　Mr。　Redpath　was　maintained　until　Mr。　Redpath's　death。　　To　General　Charles　H。　Taylor；　with　whom　I　was　employed　for　a　time　as　reporter　for　the　Boston　_Daily　Traveler_；　I　was　indebted　for　many　acts　of　self…sacrificing　friendship　which　soften　my　soul　as　I　recall　them。　　He　did　me　the　greatest　kindness　when　he　suggested　my　name　to　Mr。　Redpath　as　one　who　could　‘‘fill　in　the　vacancies　in　the　smaller　towns''　where　the　‘‘great　lights　could　not　always　be　secured。''

What　a　glorious　galaxy　of　great　names　that　original　list　of　Redpath　lecturers　contained！　　Henry　Ward　Beecher；　John　B。　Gough；　Senator　Charles　Sumner；　Theodore　Tilton；　Wendell　Phillips；　Mrs。　Mary　A。　Livermore；　Bayard　Taylor；　Ralph　Waldo　Emerson；　with　many　of　the　great　preachers；　musicians；　and　writers　of　that　remarkable　era。　　Even　Dr。　Holmes；　John　Whittier；　Henry　W。　Longfellow；　John　Lothrop　Motley；　George　William　Curtis；　and　General　Burnside　were　persuaded　to　appear　one　or　more　times；　although　they　refused　to　receive　pay。　　I　cannot　forget　how　ashamed　I　felt　when　my　name　ap…　peared　in　the　shadow　of　such　names；　and　how　sure　I　was　that　every　acquaintance　was　ridiculing　me　behind　my　back。　　Mr。　Bayard　Taylor；　however；　wrote　me　from　the　_Tribune_　office　a　kind　note　saying　that　he　was　glad　to　see　me　‘‘on　the　road　to　great　usefulness。''　　Governor　Clafflin；　of　Massachusetts；　took　the　time　to　send　me　a　note　of　congratulation。　General　Benjamin　F。　Butler；　however；　advised　me　to　‘‘stick　to　the　last''　and　be　a　good　lawyer。

The　work　of　lecturing　was　always　a　task　and　a　duty。　　I　do　not　feel　now　that　I　ever　sought　to　be　an　entertainer。　　I　am　sure　I　would　have　been　an　utter　failure　but　for　the　feeling　that　I　must　preach　some　gospel　truth　in　my　lectures　and　do　at　least　that　much　toward　that　ever…persistent　‘‘call　of　God。''　　When　I　entered　the　ministry　（1879）　I　had　become　so　associated　with　the　lecture　platform　in　America　and　England　that　I　could　not　feel　justified　in　abandoning　so　great　a　field　of　usefulness。

The　experiences　of　all　our　successful　lecturers　are　probably　nearly　alike。　　The　way　is　not　always　smooth。　　But　the　hard　roads；　the　poor　hotels；　the　late　trains；　the　cold　halls；　the　hot　church　auditoriums；　the　overkindness　of　hospitable　committees；　and　the　broken　hours　of　sleep　are　annoyances　one　soon　forgets；　and　the　hosts　of　intelligent　faces；　the　messages　of　thanks；　and　the　effects　of　the　earnings　on　the　lives　of　young　college　men　can　never　cease　to　be　a　daily　joy。　　God　bless　them　all。

Often　have　I　been　asked　if　I　did　not；　in　fifty　years　of　travel　in　all　sorts　of　conveyances；　meet　with　accidents。　　It　is　a　marvel　to　me　that　no　such　event　ever　brought　me　harm。　　In　a　continuous　period　of　over　twenty…seven　years　I　delivered　about　two　lectures　in　every　three　days；　yet　I　did　not　miss　a　single　engagement。　　Sometimes　I　had　to　hire　a　special　train；　but　I　reached　the　town　on　time；　with　only　a　rare　exception；　and　then　I　was　but　a　few　minutes　late。　　Accidents　have　preceded　and　followed　me　on　trains　and　boats；　and　were　sometimes　in　sight；　but　I　was　preserved　without　injury　through　all　the　years。　　In　the　Johnstown　flood　region　I　saw　a　bridge　go　out　behind　our　train。　　I　was　once　on　a　derelict　steamer　on　the　Atlantic　for　twenty…six　days。　　At　another　time　a　man　was　killed　in　the　berth　of　a　sleeper　I　had　left　half　an　hour　before。　　Often　have　I　felt　the　train　leave　the　track；　but　no　one　was　killed。　　Robbers　have　several　times　threatened　my　life；　but　all　came　out　without　loss　to　me。　　God　and　man　have　ever　been　patient　with　me。

Yet　this　period　of　lecturing　has　been；　after　all；　a　side　issue。　　The　Temple；　and　its　church；　in　Philadelphia；　which；　when　its　membership　was　less　than　three　thousand　members；　for　so　many　years　contributed　through　its　membership　over　sixty　thousand　dollars　a　year　for　the　uplift　of　humanity；　has　made　life　a　continual　surprise；　while　the　Samaritan　Hospital's　amazing　growth；　and　the　Garretson　Hospital's　dispensaries；　have　been　so　continually　ministering　to　the　sick　and　poor；　and　have　done　such　skilful　work　for　the　tens　of　thousands　who　ask　for　their　help　each　year；　that　I　have　been　made　happy　while　away　lecturing　by　the　feeling　that　each　hour　and　minute　they　were　faithfully　doing　good。　　Temple　University；　which　was　founded　only　twenty…seven　years　ago；　has　already　sent　out　in