acres of diamonds-第7部分

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led　a　second　one　to　keep　peace。　　While　he　was　whittling　the　second　one　a　neighbor　came　in　and　said：　　‘‘Why　don't　you　whittle　toys　and　sell　them？　　You　could　make　money　at　that。''　　‘‘Oh；''　he　said；　‘‘I　would　not　know　what　to　make。''　　‘‘Why　don't　you　ask　your　own　children　right　here　in　your　own　house　what　to　make？''　　‘‘What　is　the　use　of　trying　that？''　said　the　carpenter。　　‘‘My　children　are　different　from　other　people's　children。''　　（I　used　to　see　people　like　that　when　I　taught　school。）　　But　he　acted　upon　the　hint；　and　the　next　morning　when　Mary　came　down　the　stairway；　he　asked；　‘‘What　do　you　want　for　a　toy？''　　She　began　to　tell　him　she　would　like　a　doll's　bed；　a　doll's　washstand；　a　doll's　carriage；　a　little　doll's　umbrella；　and　went　on　with　a　list　of　things　that　would　take　him　a　lifetime　to　supply。　　So；　consulting　his　own　children；　in　his　own　house；　he　took　the　firewood；　for　he　had　no　money　to　buy　lumber；　and　whittled　those　strong；　unpainted　Hingham　toys　that　were　for　so　many　years　known　all　over　the　world。　　That　man　began　to　make　those　toys　for　his　own　children；　and　then　made　copies　and　sold　them　through　the　boot…and…shoe　store　next　door。　　He　began　to　make　a　little　money；　and　then　a　little　more；　and　Mr。　Lawson；　in　his　_Frenzied　Finance_　says　that　man　is　the　richest　man　in　old　Massachusetts；　and　I　think　it　is　the　truth。　　And　that　man　is　worth　a　hundred　millions　of　dollars　to…day；　and　has　been　only　thirty…four　years　making　it　on　that　one　principlethat　one　must　judge　that　what　his　own　children　like　at　home　other　people's　children　would　like　in　their　homes；　too；　to　judge　the　human　heart　by　oneself；　by　one's　wife　or　by　one's　children。　　It　is　the　royal　road　to　success　in　manufacturing。　　‘‘Oh；''　but　you　say；　‘‘didn't　he　have　any　capital？''　　Yes；　a　penknife；　but　I　don't　know　that　he　had　paid　for　that。

I　spoke　thus　to　an　audience　in　New　Britain；　Connecticut；　and　a　lady　four　seats　back　went　home　and　tried　to　take　off　her　collar；　and　the　collar…　button　stuck　in　the　buttonhole。　　She　threw　it　out　and　said；　‘‘I　am　going　to　get　up　something　better　than　that　to　put　on　collars。''　　Her　husband　said：　　‘‘After　what　Conwell　said　to…night；　you　see　there　is　a　need　of　an　improved　collar…fastener　that　is　easier　to　handle。　　There　is　a　human　need；　there　is　a　great　fortune。　　Now；　then；　get　up　a　collar…button　and　get　rich。''　　He　made　fun　of　her；　and　consequently　made　fun　of　me；　and　that　is　one　of　the　saddest　things　which　comes　over　me　like　a　deep　cloud　of　midnight　sometimesalthough　I　have　worked　so　hard　for　more　than　half　a　century；　yet　how　little　I　have　ever　really　done。　　Notwithstanding　the　greatness　and　the　handsomeness　of　your　compliment　to…night；　I　do　not　believe　there　is　one　in　ten　of　you　that　is　going　to　make　a　million　of　dollars　because　you　are　here　to…night；　but　it　is　not　my　fault；　it　is　yours。　　I　say　that　sincerely。　　What　is　the　use　of　my　talking　if　people　never　do　what　I　advise　them　to　do？　　When　her　husband　ridiculed　her；　she　made　up　her　mind　she　would　make　a　better　collar…button；　and　when　a　woman　makes　up　her　mind　‘‘she　will；''　and　does　not　say　anything　about　it；　she　does　it。　　It　was　that　New　England　woman　who　invented　the　snap　button　which　you　can　find　anywhere　now。　　It　was　first　a　collar…button　with　a　spring　cap　attached　to　the　outer　side。　　Any　of　you　who　wear　modern　waterproofs　know　the　button　that　simply　pushes　together；　and　when　you　unbutton　it　you　simply　pull　it　apart。　　That　is　the　button　to　which　I　refer；　and　which　she　invented。　　She　afterward　invented　several　other　buttons；　and　then　invested　in　more；　and　then　was　taken　into　partnership　with　great　factories。　　Now　that　woman　goes　over　the　sea　every　summer　in　her　private　steamshipyes；　and　takes　her　husband　with　her！　　If　her　husband　were　to　die；　she　would　have　money　enough　left　now　to　buy　a　foreign　duke　or　count　or　some　such　title　as　that　at　the　latest　quotations。

Now　what　is　my　lesson　in　that　incident？　　It　is　this：　　I　told　her　then；　though　I　did　not　know　her；　what　I　now　say　to　you；　‘‘Your　wealth　is　too　near　to　you。　　You　are　looking　right　over　it''；　and　she　had　to　look　over　it　because　it　was　right　under　her　chin。

I　have　read　in　the　newspaper　that　a　woman　never　invented　anything。　　Well；　that　newspaper　ought　to　begin　again。　　Of　course；　I　do　not　refer　to　gossipI　refer　to　machinesand　if　I　did　I　might　better　include　the　men。　　That　newspaper　could　never　appear　if　women　had　not　invented　something。　　Friends；　think。　　Ye　women；　think！　　You　say　you　cannot　make　a　fortune　because　you　are　in　some　laundry；　or　running　a　sewing…machine；　it　may　be；　or　walking　before　some　loom；　and　yet　you　can　be　a　millionaire　if　you　will　but　follow　this　almost　infallible　direction。

When　you　say　a　woman　doesn't　invent　anything；　I　ask；　Who　invented　the　Jacquard　loom　that　wove　every　stitch　you　wear？　　Mrs。　Jacquard。　　The　printer's　roller；　the　printing…press；　were　invented　by　farmers'　wives。　　Who　invented　the　cotton…gin　of　the　South　that　enriched　our　country　so　amazingly？　　Mrs。　General　Greene　invented　the　cotton…　gin　and　showed　the　idea　to　Mr。　Whitney；　and　he；　like　a　man；　seized　it。　　Who　was　it　that　invented　the　sewing…machine？　　If　I　would　go　to　school　to…　morrow　and　ask　your　children　they　would　say；　‘‘Elias　Howe。''

He　was　in　the　Civil　War　with　me；　and　often　in　my　tent；　and　I　often　heard　him　say　that　he　worked　fourteen　years　to　get　up　that　sewing…machine。　　But　his　wife　made　up　her　mind　one　day　that　they　would　starve　to　death　if　there　wasn't　something　or　other　invented　pretty　soon；　and　so　in　two　hours　she　invented　the　sewing…machine。　　Of　course　he　took　out　the　patent　in　his　name。　　Men　always　do　that。　　Who　was　it　that　invented　the　mower　and　the　reaper？　　According　to　Mr。　McCormick's　confidential　communication；　so　recently　published；　it　was　a　West　Virginia　woman；　who；　after　his　father　and　he　had　failed　altogether　in　making　a　reaper　and　gave　it　up；　took　a　lot　of　shears　and　nailed　them　together　on　the　edge　of　a　board；　with　one　shaft　of　each　pair　loose；　and　then　wired　them　so　that　when　she　pulled　the　wire　one　way　it　closed　them；　and　when　she　pulled　the　wire　the　other　way　it　opened　them；　and　there　she　had　the　principle　of　the　mowing…machine。　　If　you　look　at　a　mowing…machine；　you　will　see　it　is　nothing　but　a　lot　of　shears。　　If　a　woman　can　invent　a　mowing…　machine；　if　a　woman　can　invent　a　Jacquard　loom；　if　a　woman　can　invent　a　cotton…gin；　if　a　woman　can　invent　a　trolley　switchas　she　did　and　made　the　trolleys　possible；　if　a　woman　can　invent；　as　Mr。　Carnegie　said；　the　great　iron　squeezers　that　laid　the　foundation　of　all　the　steel　millions　of　the　United　States；　‘‘we　men''　can　invent　anything　under　the　stars！　　I　say　that　for　the　encouragement　of　the　men。

Who　are　the　great　inventors　of　the　world？　　Again　this　lesson　comes　before　us。　　The　great　inventor　sits　next　to　you；　or　you　are　the　person　yourself。　　‘‘Oh；''　but　you　will　say；　‘‘I　have　never　invented　anything　in　my　life。''　　Neither　did　the　great　inventors　until　they　discovered　one　great　secret。　　Do　you　think　it　is　a　man　with　a　head　like　a　bushel　measure　or　a　man　like　a　stroke　of　lightning？　　It　is　neither。　　The　really　great　man　is　a　plain；　straightforward；　every…day；　common…sense　man。　　You　would　not　dream　that　he　was　a　great　inventor　if　you　did　not　see　something　he　had　actually　done。　　His　neighbors　do　not　regard　him　so　great。　　You　never　see　anything　great　over　your　back　fence。　　You　say　there　is　no　greatness　among　your　neighbors。　　It　is　all　away　off　somewhere　else。　　Their　greatness　is　ever　so　simple；　so　plain；　so　earnest；　so　practical；　that　the　neighbors　and　friends　never　recognize　it。

True　greatness　is　often　unrecognized。　　That　is　sure。　　You　do　not　know　anything　about　the　greatest　men　and　women。　　I　went　out　to　write　the　life　of　General　Garfield；　and　a　neighbor；　knowing　I　was　in　a　hurry；　and　as　there　was　a　great　crowd　around　the　front　door；　took　me　around　to　General　Garfield's　back　door　and　shouted；　‘‘Jim！　　Jim！''　　And　very　soon　‘‘Jim''　came　to　the　door　and　let　me　in；　and　I　wrote　the　biography　of　one　of　the　grandest　men　of　the　nation；　and　yet　he　was　just　the　same　old　‘‘Jim''　to　his　neighbor。　　If　you　know　a　great　man　in　Philadelphia　and　you　should　meet　him　to…morrow；　you　would　say；　‘‘How　are　you；　Sam？''　or　‘‘Good　morning；　Jim。''　　Of　course　you　would。　　That　is　just　what　you　would　do。

One　of　my　soldiers　in　the　Civil　War　had　been　sentenced　to　death；　and　I　went　up　to　the　White　House　in　Washingtonsent　there　for　the　first　time　in　my　life　to　see　the　President。　　I　went　into　the　waiting…room　and　sat　down　with　a　lot　of　others　on　the　benches；　and　the　secretary　asked　one　after　another　to　tell　him　what　they　wanted。　　After　the　secretary　had　been　through　the　line；　he　went　in；　and　then　came　back　to　the　door　and　motioned　for　me。　　I　went　up　to　that　anteroom；　and　the　secretary　said：　　‘‘That　is　the　President's　door　right　over　there。　　Just　rap　on　it　and　go　right　in。''　　I　never　was　so　taken　aback；　friends；　in　all　my　life；　never。　　The　secretary　himself　made　it　worse　for　me；　because　he　had　told　me　how　to　go　in　and　then　went　out　another　door　to　the　left　and　shut　that。　　There　I　was；　in　the　hallway　by　myself　before　the　President　of　the　United　States　of　America's　door。　　I　had　been　on　fields　of　battle；　where　the　shells　did　sometimes　shriek　and　the　bullets　did　sometimes　hit　me；　but　I　always　wanted　to　run。　　I　have　n