acres of diamonds-第5部分

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the　whole　neighborhood　with　jack…knives？''　　Do　you　carry　on　your　store　like　that　in　Philadelphia？　　The　difficulty　was　I　had　not　then　learned　that　the　foundation　of　godliness　and　the　foundation　principle　of　success　in　business　are　both　the　same　precisely。　　The　man　who　says；　‘‘I　cannot　carry　my　religion　into　business''　advertises　himself　either　as　being　an　imbecile　in　business；　or　on　the　road　to　bankruptcy；　or　a　thief；　one　of　the　three；　sure。　　He　will　fail　within　a　very　few　years。　　He　certainly　will　if　he　doesn't　carry　his　religion　into　business。　　If　I　had　been　carrying　on　my　father's　store　on　a　Christian　plan；　godly　plan；　I　would　have　had　a　jack…knife　for　the　third　man　when　he　called　for　it。　　Then　I　would　have　actually　done　him　a　kindness；　and　I　would　have　received　a　reward　myself；　which　it　would　have　been　my　duty　to　take。

There　are　some　over…pious　Christian　people　who　think　if　you　take　any　profit　on　anything　you　sell　that　you　are　an　unrighteous　man。　　On　the　contrary；　you　would　be　a　criminal　to　sell　goods　for　less　than　they　cost。　　You　have　no　right　to　do　that。　　You　cannot　trust　a　man　with　your　money　who　cannot　take　care　of　his　own。　　You　cannot　trust　a　man　in　your　family　that　is　not　true　to　his　own　wife。　　You　cannot　trust　a　man　in　the　world　that　does　not　begin　with　his　own　heart；　his　own　character；　and　his　own　life。　　It　would　have　been　my　duty　to　have　furnished　a　jack…knife　to　the　third　man；　or　the　second；　and　to　have　sold　it　to　him　and　actually　profited　myself。　　I　have　no　more　right　to　sell　goods　without　making　a　profit　on　them　than　I　have　to　overcharge　him　dishonestly　beyond　what　they　are　worth。　　But　I　should　so　sell　each　bill　of　goods　that　the　person　to　whom　I　sell　shall　make　as　much　as　I　make。

To　live　and　let　live　is　the　principle　of　the　gospel；　and　the　principle　of　every…day　common　sense。　　Oh；　young　man；　hear　me；　live　as　you　go　along。　　Do　not　wait　until　you　have　reached　my　years　before　you　begin　to　enjoy　anything　of　this　life。　　If　I　had　the　millions　back；　or　fifty　cents　of　it；　which　I　have　tried　to　earn　in　these　years；　it　would　not　do　me　anything　like　the　good　that　it　does　me　now　in　this　almost　sacred　presence　to…　night。　　Oh；　yes；　I　am　paid　over　and　over　a　hundredfold　to…night　for　dividing　as　I　have　tried　to　do　in　some　measure　as　I　went　along　through　the　years。　　I　ought　not　speak　that　way；　it　sounds　egotistic；　but　I　am　old　enough　now　to　be　excused　for　that。　　I　should　have　helped　my　fellow…men；　which　I　have　tried　to　do；　and　every　one　should　try　to　do；　and　get　the　happiness　of　it。　　The　man　who　goes　home　with　the　sense　that　he　has　stolen　a　dollar　that　day；　that　he　has　robbed　a　man　of　what　was　his　honest　due；　is　not　going　to　sweet　rest。　　He　arises　tired　in　the　morning；　and　goes　with　an　unclean　conscience　to　his　work　the　next　day。　　He　is　not　a　successful　man　at　all；　although　he　may　have　laid　up　millions。　　But　the　man　who　has　gone　through　life　dividing　always　with　his　fellow…men；　making　and　demanding　his　own　rights　and　his　own　profits；　and　giving　to　every　other　man　his　rights　and　profits；　lives　every　day；　and　not　only　that；　but　it　is　the　royal　road　to　great　wealth。　　The　history　of　the　thousands　of　millionaires　shows　that　to　be　the　case。

The　man　over　there　who　said　he　could　not　make　anything　in　a　store　in　Philadelphia　has　been　carrying　on　his　store　on　the　wrong　principle。　　Suppose　I　go　into　your　store　to…morrow　morning　and　ask；　‘‘Do　you　know　neighbor　A；　who　lives　one　square　away；　at　house　No。　1240？''　　‘‘Oh　yes；　I　have　met　him。　　He　deals　here　at　the　corner　store。''　　‘‘Where　did　he　come　from？''　　‘‘I　don't　know。''　　‘‘How　many　does　he　have　in　his　family？''　　‘‘I　don't　know。''　　‘‘What　ticket　does　he　vote？''　　‘‘I　don't　know。''　　‘‘What　church　does　he　go　to？''　　‘‘I　don't　know；　and　don't　care。　　What　are　you　asking　all　these　questions　for？''

If　you　had　a　store　in　Philadelphia　would　you　answer　me　like　that？　　If　so；　then　you　are　conducting　your　business　just　as　I　carried　on　my　father's　business　in　Worthington；　Massachusetts。　　You　don't　know　where　your　neighbor　came　from　when　he　moved　to　Philadelphia；　and　you　don't　care。　　If　you　had　cared　you　would　be　a　rich　man　now。　　If　you　had　cared　enough　about　him　to　take　an　interest　in　his　affairs；　to　find　out　what　he　needed；　you　would　have　been　rich。　　But　you　go　through　the　world　saying；　‘‘No　opportunity　to　get　rich；''　and　there　is　the　fault　right　at　your　own　door。

But　another　young　man　gets　up　over　there　and　says；　‘‘I　cannot　take　up　the　mercantile　business。''　　（While　I　am　talking　of　trade　it　applies　to　every　occupation。）　　‘‘Why　can't　you　go　into　the　mercantile　business？''　　‘‘Because　I　haven't　any　capital。''　　Oh；　the　weak　and　dudish　creature　that　can't　see　over　its　collar！　　It　makes　a　person　weak　to　see　these　little　dudes　standing　around　the　corners　and　saying；　‘‘Oh；　if　I　had　plenty　of　capital；　how　rich　I　would　get。''　　‘‘Young　man；　do　you　think　you　are　going　to　get　rich　on　capital？''　　‘‘Certainly。''　　Well；　I　say；　‘‘Certainly　not。''　　If　your　mother　has　plenty　of　money；　and　she　will　set　you　up　in　business；　you　will　‘‘set　her　up　in　business；''　supplying　you　with　capital。

The　moment　a　young　man　or　woman　gets　more　money　than　he　or　she　has　grown　to　by　practical　experience；　that　moment　he　has　gotten　a　curse。　　It　is　no　help　to　a　young　man　or　woman　to　inherit　money。　　It　is　no　help　to　your　children　to　leave　them　money；　but　if　you　leave　them　education；　if　you　leave　them　Christian　and　noble　character；　if　you　leave　them　a　wide　circle　of　friends；　if　you　leave　them　an　honorable　name；　it　is　far　better　than　that　they　should　have　money。　　It　would　be　worse　for　them；　worse　for　the　nation；　that　they　should　have　any　money　at　all。　　Oh；　young　man；　if　you　have　inherited　money；　don't　regard　it　as　a　help。　　It　will　curse　you　through　your　years；　and　deprive　you　of　the　very　best　things　of　human　life。　　There　is　no　class　of　people　to　be　pitied　so　much　as　the　inexperienced　sons　and　daughters　of　the　rich　of　our　generation。　　I　pity　the　rich　man's　son。　　He　can　never　know　the　best　things　in　life。

One　of　the　best　things　in　our　life　is　when　a　young　man　has　earned　his　own　living；　and　when　he　becomes　engaged　to　some　lovely　young　woman；　and　makes　up　his　mind　to　have　a　home　of　his　own。　　Then　with　that　same　love　comes　also　that　divine　inspiration　toward　better　things；　and　he　begins　to　save　his　money。　　He　begins　to　leave　off　his　bad　habits　and　put　money　in　the　bank。　　When　he　has　a　few　hundred　dollars　he　goes　out　in　the　suburbs　to　look　for　a　home。　　He　goes　to　the　savings…bank；　perhaps；　for　half　of　the　value；　and　then　goes　for　his　wife；　and　when　he　takes　his　bride　over　the　threshold　of　that　door　for　the　first　time　he　says　in　words　of　eloquence　my　voice　can　never　touch：　　‘‘I　have　earned　this　home　myself。　　It　is　all　mine；　and　I　divide　with　thee。''　　That　is　the　grandest　moment　a　human　heart　may　ever　know。

But　a　rich　man's　son　can　never　know　that。　　He　takes　his　bride　into　a　finer　mansion；　it　may　be；　but　he　is　obliged　to　go　all　the　way　through　it　and　say　to　his　wife；　‘‘My　mother　gave　me　that；　my　mother　gave　me　that；　and　my　mother　gave　me　this；''　until　his　wife　wishes　she　had　married　his　mother。　　I　pity　the　rich　man's　son。

The　statistics　of　Massachusetts　showed　that　not　one　rich　man's　son　out　of　seventeen　ever　dies　rich。　　I　pity　the　rich　man's　sons　unless　they　have　the　good　sense　of　the　elder　Vanderbilt；　which　sometimes　happens。　　He　went　to　his　father　and　said；　‘‘Did　you　earn　all　your　money？''　　‘‘I　did；　my　son。　　I　began　to　work　on　a　ferry…boat　for　twenty…five　cents　a　day。''　　‘‘Then；''　said　his　son；　‘‘I　will　have　none　of　your　money；''　and　he；　too；　tried　to　get　employment　on　a　ferry…boat　that　Saturday　night。　　He　could　not　get　one　there；　but　he　did　get　a　place　for　three　dollars　a　week。　　Of　course；　if　a　rich　man's　son　will　do　that；　he　will　get　the　discipline　of　a　poor　boy　that　is　worth　more　than　a　university　education　to　any　man。　　He　would　then　be　able　to　take　care　of　the　millions　of　his　father。　　But　as　a　rule　the　rich　men　will　not　let　their　sons　do　the　very　thing　that　made　them　great。　　As　a　rule；　the　rich　man　will　not　allow　his　son　to　workand　his　mother！　　Why；　she　would　think　it　was　a　social　disgrace　if　her　poor；　weak；　little　lily…fingered；　sissy　sort　of　a　boy　had　to　earn　his　living　with　honest　toil。　　I　have　no　pity　for　such　rich　men's　sons。

I　remember　one　at　Niagara　Falls。　　I　think　I　remember　one　a　great　deal　nearer。　　I　think　there　are　gentlemen　present　who　were　at　a　great　banquet；　and　I　beg　pardon　of　his　friends。　　At　a　banquet　here　in　Philadelphia　there　sat　beside　me　a　kind…hearted　young　man；　and　he　said；　‘‘Mr。　Conwell；　you　have　been　sick　for　two　or　three　years。　　When　you　go　out；　take　my　limousine；　and　it　will　take　you　up　to　your　house　on　Broad　Street。''　　I　thanked　him　very　much；　and　perhaps　I　ought　not　to　mention　the　incident　in　this　way；　but　I　follow　the　facts。　　I　got　on　to　the　seat　with　the　driver　of　that　limousine；　outside；　and　when　we　were　going　up　I　asked　the　driver；　‘‘How　much　did　this　limousine　cost？''　　‘‘Six　thousand　eight　hundred；　and　he　had　to　pay　the　duty　on　it。''　　‘‘Well；''　I　said；　‘‘does　the　owner　of　this　machine　ever　drive　it　himself？''　　At　that　the　chauffeur　laughed　so　heartily　that　he　lost　control　of　his　machine。　　He　was　so　surprised　at　the　question　that　he　ran　up　on　the　sidewalk；　and　around　a　corner　lamp…post　out　into　the