登陆注册
15739500000040

第40章

In the early days of his ministry, if he heard of a poor family in immediate need of food he would be quite likely to gather a basket of provisions and go personally, and offer this assistance and such other as he might find necessary when he reached the place. As he became known he ceased from this direct and open method of charity, for he knew that impulsiveness would be taken for intentional display. But he has never ceased to be ready to help on the instant that he knows help is needed. Delay and lengthy investigation are avoided by him when he can be certain that something immediate is required.

And the extent of his quiet charity is amazing.

With no family for which to save money, and with no care to put away money for himself, he thinks only of money as an instrument for helpfulness.

I never heard a friend criticize him except for too great open-handedness.

I was strongly impressed, after coming to know him, that he possessed many of the qualities that made for the success of the old-time district leaders of New York City, and I mentioned this to him, and he at once responded that he had himself met ``Big Tim,'' the long-time leader of the Sullivans, and had had him at his house, Big Tim having gone to Philadelphia to aid some henchman in trouble, and having promptly sought the aid of Dr. Conwell. And it was characteristic of Conwell that he saw, what so many never saw, the most striking characteristic of that Tammany leader. For, ``Big Tim Sullivan was so kind-hearted!'' Conwell appreciated the man's political unscrupulousness as well as did his enemies, but he saw also what made his underlying power--his kind-heartedness. Except that Sullivan could be supremely unscrupulous, and that Conwell is supremely scrupulous, there were marked similarities in these masters over men; and Conwell possesses, as Sullivan possessed, a wonderful memory for faces and names.

Naturally, Russell Conwell stands steadily and strongly for good citizenship. But he never talks boastful Americanism. He seldom speaks in so many words of either Americanism or good citizenship, but he constantly and silently keeps the American flag, as the symbol of good citizenship, before his people. An American flag is prominent in his church; an American flag is seen in his home;a beautiful American flag is up at his Berkshire place and surmounts a lofty tower where, when he was a boy, there stood a mighty tree at the top of which was an eagle's nest, which has given him a name for his home, for he terms it ``The Eagle's Nest.''

Remembering a long story that I had read of his climbing to the top of that tree, though it was a well-nigh impossible feat, and securing the nest by great perseverance and daring, I asked him if the story were a true one. ``Oh, I've heard something about it; somebody said that somebody watched me, or something of the kind. But I don't remember anything about it myself.''

Any friend of his is sure to say something, after a while, about his determination, his insistence on going ahead with anything on which he has really set his heart. One of the very important things on which he insisted, in spite of very great opposition, and especially an opposition from the other churches of his denomination (for this was a good many years ago, when there was much more narrowness in churches and sects than there is at present), was with regard to doing away with close communion. He determined on an open communion; and his way of putting it, once decided upon, was: ``My friends, it is not for me to invite you to the table of the Lord. The table of the Lord is open. If you feel that you can come to the table, it is open to you.'' And this is the form which he still uses.

He not only never gives up, but, so his friends say, he never forgets a thing upon which he has once decided, and at times, long after they supposed the matter has been entirely forgotten, they suddenly find Dr. Conwell bringing his original purpose to pass. When I was told of this I remembered that pickerel-pond in the Berkshires!

If he is really set upon doing anything, little or big, adverse criticism does not disturb his serenity. Some years ago he began wearing a huge diamond, whose size attracted much criticism and caustic comment. He never said a word in defense; he just kept on wearing the diamond.

One day, however, after some years, he took it off, and people said, ``He has listened to the criticism at last!'' He smiled reminiscently as he told me about this, and said: ``A dear old deacon of my congregation gave me that diamond and Idid not like to hurt his feelings by refusing it.

It really bothered me to wear such a glaring big thing, but because I didn't want to hurt the old deacon's feelings I kept on wearing it until he was dead. Then I stopped wearing it.''

The ambition of Russell Conwell is to continue working and working until the very last moment of his life. In work he forgets his sadness, his loneliness, his age. And he said to me one day, ``I will die in harness.''

同类推荐
  • The White People

    The White People

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 嘉兴寒食

    嘉兴寒食

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 观自在多罗瑜伽念诵法

    观自在多罗瑜伽念诵法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 尚书

    尚书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 胜宗十句义论

    胜宗十句义论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 爱了就是一生一世

    爱了就是一生一世

    所谓双生,就是他死我也死,他活我就活。冥冥之中的红线牵引着,几千年才能造就的双生人。他们可以带着记忆转世,但必须找到对方,相依为命活过50岁,方能转世。
  • 从现在开始当城主

    从现在开始当城主

    曾经在游戏中被亿万玩家所熟知的魔乐城城主带着系统穿越到了魔法大陆,开启了新的享受人生
  • 带着订单来修仙

    带着订单来修仙

    意外订单引起的风雨波澜……与天斗还是助天斗?逆天还是与天逆?
  • 好歹我来过

    好歹我来过

    还是初二年级的季时雨就已经开始对班上公认的大帅哥林悉展开的火热的倒追。死缠烂打不要脸被她诠释的淋漓尽致。和林悉分分合合数次,毕业悄然而至。季时雨随父母去了外省开始艰辛的异地恋。最后在她所剩不多的时间里回到了林悉身边,用最后的时间去陪伴他。
  • 炫舞小说:家有二货欢乐多

    炫舞小说:家有二货欢乐多

    炫舞真实小说,作者是平民,没有钱,没有高超的技术,故事里的玩伴们也是一般般的游戏爱好者,所以,本小说没有高大上,请各位看官三思,入坑请勿喷!
  • 天仙下凡之我是老大

    天仙下凡之我是老大

    梵仙儿,作为一名资深宅女,不出车祸不挨雷劈。就这么自然而然的穿了。她表示---好幸福。作为架空古代唯一一位仙人,游山玩水啥的实在不要太方便了。只是——不要每次都遇到这么多人好吧?、?
  • 道公列传

    道公列传

    书之前言天命由天,人命由人。人生的发展规律在环境同等的情况下,皆因人性、人格而定性;个人因人性、人格的思维左右生存状况而产生了一套“活着”的定律。谭行雨,道士家族之后,可家族奇怪的落寞,他又未得其家人传授精湛的道术。一直被追杀,又不知缘由,无亲人相助,孤影单行,只能出于人性本能的求生欲望,历生死求道。但世事沧桑,道路坎坷、迷离,让他的人生面临一次次的大劫难……
  • 那里——最后的光

    那里——最后的光

    朴实的乡间男女的唯美爱恋,想的到的开始,想的到的结局;想的到的开始,想不到的结局。在多年以后依旧让你回味最初的美好。
  • 嗜血之夜

    嗜血之夜

    从前,有一个嗜血家族,族长统治者整个天下,所有人类都为嗜血家族奉命,在他们的统治下,世界一片黑暗但又有一丝光明的存在!并经历了穿越的多种超级领域!—QQ2640653317—QQ群326542370—
  • 艾利的黑猫

    艾利的黑猫

    少女,怪物。不是美女与野兽。玄冥大陆无数妖魔。艾丽在哪里?妖魔的话能否相信?在这里只有力量才是王道!