acres of diamonds-第8部分

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lls　did　sometimes　shriek　and　the　bullets　did　sometimes　hit　me；　but　I　always　wanted　to　run。　　I　have　no　sympathy　with　the　old　man　who　says；　‘‘I　would　just　as　soon　march　up　to　the　cannon's　mouth　as　eat　my　dinner。''　　I　have　no　faith　in　a　man　who　doesn't　know　enough　to　be　afraid　when　he　is　being　shot　at。　　I　never　was　so　afraid　when　the　shells　came　around　us　at　Antietam　as　I　was　when　I　went　into　that　room　that　day；　but　I　finally　mustered　the　courage　I　don't　know　how　I　ever　didand　at　arm's…　length　tapped　on　the　door。　　The　man　inside　did　not　help　me　at　all；　but　yelled　out；　‘‘Come　in　and　sit　down！''

Well；　I　went　in　and　sat　down　on　the　edge　of　a　chair；　and　wished　I　were　in　Europe；　and　the　man　at　the　table　did　not　look　up。　　He　was　one　of　the　world's　greatest　men；　and　was　made　great　by　one　single　rule。　　Oh；　that　all　the　young　people　of　Philadelphia　were　before　me　now　and　I　could　say　just　this　one　thing；　and　that　they　would　remember　it。　　I　would　give　a　lifetime　for　the　effect　it　would　have　on　our　city　and　on　civilization。　　Abraham　Lincoln's　principle　for　greatness　can　be　adopted　by　nearly　all。　　This　was　his　rule：　　Whatsoever　he　had　to　do　at　all；　he　put　his　whole　mind　into　it　and　held　it　all　there　until　that　was　all　done。　　That　makes　men　great　almost　anywhere。　　He　stuck　to　those　papers　at　that　table　and　did　not　look　up　at　me；　and　I　sat　there　trembling。　　Finally；　when　he　had　put　the　string　around　his　papers；　he　pushed　them　over　to　one　side　and　looked　over　to　me；　and　a　smile　came　over　his　worn　face。　　He　said：　　‘‘I　am　a　very　busy　man　and　have　only　a　few　minutes　to　spare。　　Now　tell　me　in　the　fewest　words　what　it　is　you　want。''　　I　began　to　tell　him；　and　mentioned　the　case；　and　he　said：　　‘‘I　have　heard　all　about　it　and　you　do　not　need　to　say　any　more。　　Mr。　Stanton　was　talking　to　me　only　a　few　days　ago　about　that。　　You　can　go　to　the　hotel　and　rest　assured　that　the　President　never　did　sign　an　order　to　shoot　a　boy　under　twenty　years　of　age；　and　never　will。　　You　can　say　that　to　his　mother　anyhow。''

Then　he　said　to　me；　‘‘How　is　it　going　in　the　field？''　I　said；　‘‘We　sometimes　get　discouraged。''　　And　he　said：　　‘‘It　is　all　right。　　We　are　going　to　win　out　now。　　We　are　getting　very　near　the　light。　　No　man　ought　to　wish　to　be　President　of　the　United　States；　and　I　will　be　glad　when　I　get　through；　then　Tad　and　I　are　going　out　to　Springfield；　Illinois。　　I　have　bought　a　farm　out　there　and　I　don't　care　if　I　again　earn　only　twenty…five　cents　a　day。　　Tad　has　a　mule　team；　and　we　are　going　to　plant　onions。''

Then　he　asked　me；　‘‘Were　you　brought　up　on　a　farm？''　　I　said；　‘‘Yes；　in　the　Berkshire　Hills　of　Massachusetts。''　　He　then　threw　his　leg　over　the　corner　of　the　big　chair　and　said；　‘‘I　have　heard　many　a　time；　ever　since　I　was　young；　that　up　there　in　those　hills　you　have　to　sharpen　the　noses　of　the　sheep　in　order　to　get　down　to　the　grass　between　the　rocks。''　　He　was　so　familiar；　so　everyday；　so　farmer…like；　that　I　felt　right　at　home　with　him　at　once。

He　then　took　hold　of　another　roll　of　paper；　and　looked　up　at　me　and　said；　‘‘Good　morning。''　　I　took　the　hint　then　and　got　up　and　went　out。　　After　I　had　gotten　out　I　could　not　realize　I　had　seen　the　President　of　the　United　States　at　all。　　But　a　few　days　later；　when　still　in　the　city；　I　saw　the　crowd　pass　through　the　East　Room　by　the　coffin　of　Abraham　Lincoln；　and　when　I　looked　at　the　upturned　face　of　the　murdered　President　I　felt　then　that　the　man　I　had　seen　such　a　short　time　before；　who；　so　simple　a　man；　so　plain　a　man；　was　one　of　the　greatest　men　that　God　ever　raised　up　to　lead　a　nation　on　to　ultimate　liberty。　　Yet　he　was　only　‘‘Old　Abe''　to　his　neighbors。　　When　they　had　the　second　funeral；　I　was　invited　among　others；　and　went　out　to　see　that　same　coffin　put　back　in　the　tomb　at　Springfield。　　Around　the　tomb　stood　Lincoln's　old　neighbors；　to　whom　he　was　just　‘‘Old　Abe。''　　Of　course　that　is　all　they　would　say。

Did　you　ever　see　a　man　who　struts　around　altogether　too　large　to　notice　an　ordinary　working　mechanic？　　Do　you　think　he　is　great？　　He　is　nothing　but　a　puffed…up　balloon；　held　down　by　his　big　feet。　　There　is　no　greatness　there。

Who　are　the　great　men　and　women？　　My　attention　was　called　the　other　day　to　the　history　of　a　very　little　thing　that　made　the　fortune　of　a　very　poor　man。　　It　was　an　awful　thing；　and　yet　because　of　that　experience　henot　a　great　inventor　or　geniusinvented　the　pin　that　now　is　called　the　safety…pin；　and　out　of　that　safety…pin　made　the　fortune　of　one　of　the　great　aristocratic　families　of　this　nation。

A　poor　man　in　Massachusetts　who　had　worked　in　the　nail…works　was　injured　at　thirty…eight；　and　he　could　earn　but　little　money。　　He　was　employed　in　the　office　to　rub　out　the　marks　on　the　bills　made　by　pencil　memorandums；　and　he　used　a　rubber　until　his　hand　grew　tired。　　He　then　tied　a　piece　of　rubber　on　the　end　of　a　stick　and　worked　it　like　a　plane。　　His　little　girl　came　and　said；　‘‘Why；　you　have　a　patent；　haven't　you？''　　The　father　said　afterward；　‘‘My　daughter　told　me　when　I　took　that　stick　and　put　the　rubber　on　the　end　that　there　was　a　patent；　and　that　was　the　first　thought　of　that。''　　He　went　to　Boston　and　applied　for　his　patent；　and　every　one　of　you　that　has　a　rubber…tipped　pencil　in　your　pocket　is　now　paying　tribute　to　the　millionaire。　　No　capital；　not　a　penny　did　he　invest　in　it。　　All　was　income；　all　the　way　up　into　the　millions。

But　let　me　hasten　to　one　other　greater　thought。　　‘‘Show　me　the　great　men　and　women　who　live　in　Philadelphia。''　　A　gentleman　over　there　will　get　up　and　say：　　‘‘We　don't　have　any　great　men　in　Philadelphia。　　They　don't　live　here。　　They　live　away　off　in　Rome　or　St。　Petersburg　or　London　or　Manayunk；　or　anywhere　else　but　here　in　our　town。''　　I　have　come　now　to　the　apex　of　my　thought。　　I　have　come　now　to　the　heart　of　the　whole　matter　and　to　the　center　of　my　struggle：　　Why　isn't　Philadelphia　a　greater　city　in　its　greater　wealth？　　Why　does　New　York　excel　Philadelphia？　　People　say；　‘‘Because　of　her　harbor。''　　Why　do　many　other　cities　of　the　United　States　get　ahead　of　Philadelphia　now？　　There　is　only　one　answer；　and　that　is　because　our　own　people　talk　down　their　own　city。　　If　there　ever　was　a　community　on　earth　that　has　to　be　forced　ahead；　it　is　the　city　of　Philadelphia。　　If　we　are　to　have　a　boulevard；　talk　it　down；　if　we　are　going　to　have　better　schools；　talk　them　down；　if　you　wish　to　have　wise　legislation；　talk　it　down；　talk　all　the　proposed　improvements　down。　　That　is　the　only　great　wrong　that　I　can　lay　at　the　feet　of　the　magnificent　Philadelphia　that　has　been　so　universally　kind　to　me。　　I　say　it　is　time　we　turn　around　in　our　city　and　begin　to　talk　up　the　things　that　are　in　our　city；　and　begin　to　set　them　before　the　world　as　the　people　of　Chicago；　New　York；　St。　Louis；　and　San　Francisco　do。　　Oh；　if　we　only　could　get　that　spirit　out　among　our　people；　that　we　can　do　things　in　Philadelphia　and　do　them　well！

Arise；　ye　millions　of　Philadelphians；　trust　in　God　and　man；　and　believe　in　the　great　opportunities　that　are　right　here　not　over　in　New　York　or　Boston；　but　herefor　business；　for　everything　that　is　worth　living　for　on　earth。　　There　was　never　an　opportunity　greater。　　Let　us　talk　up　our　own　city。

But　there　are　two　other　young　men　here　to…　night；　and　that　is　all　I　will　venture　to　say；　because　it　is　too　late。　　One　over　there　gets　up　and　says；　‘‘There　is　going　to　be　a　great　man　in　Philadelphia；　but　never　was　one。''　　‘‘Oh；　is　that　so？　　When　are　you　going　to　be　great？''　　‘‘When　I　am　elected　to　some　political　office。''　　Young　man；　won't　you　learn　a　lesson　in　the　primer　of　politics　that　it　is　a　_prima　facie_　evidence　of　littleness　to　hold　office　under　our　form　of　government？　　Great　men　get　into　office　sometimes；　but　what　this　country　needs　is　men　that　will　do　what　we　tell　them　to　do。　　This　nationwhere　the　people　ruleis　governed　by　the　people；　for　the　people；　and　so　long　as　it　is；　then　the　office…holder　is　but　the　servant　of　the　people；　and　the　Bible　says　the　servant　cannot　be　greater　than　the　master。　　The　Bible　says；　‘‘He　that　is　sent　cannot　be　greater　than　Him　who　sent　Him。''　　The　people　rule；　or　should　rule；　and　if　they　do；　we　do　not　need　the　greater　men　in　office。　　If　the　great　men　in　America　took　our　offices；　we　would　change　to　an　empire　in　the　next　ten　years。

I　know　of　a　great　many　young　women；　now　that　woman's　suffrage　is　coming；　who　say；　‘‘I　am　going　to　be　President　of　the　United　States　some　day。''　　I　believe　in　woman's　suffrage；　and　there　is　no　doubt　but　what　it　is　coming；　and　I　am　getting　out　of　the　way；　anyhow。　　I　may　want　an　office　by　and　by　myself；　but　if　the　ambition　for　an　office　influences　the　women　in　their　desire　to　vote；　I　want　to　say　right　here　what　I　say　to　the　young　men；　that　if　you　only　get　the　privilege　of　casting　one　vote；　you　don't　get　anything　that　is　worth　while。　　Unless　you　can　control　more　than　one　vote；　you　will　be　unknown；　and　your　influence　so　dissipated　as　practically　not　to　be　felt。　　This　country　is　not　run　by　votes。　　Do　you　think　it　is？　　It　is　governed　by　influence。　　It　is　governed　by　the　ambitions　and　the　enterprises　which　control　votes。　　The　young　woman　that　thinks　she　is　going　to　vote　for　the　sake　of　holding　an　office　is　making　an　awful　blunder。

That　other　young　man　gets　up　and　says；　‘‘There　are　going　to　be　great　men　in　this　country