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　our　home　we　saw　that　it　was　all　lighted　from　top　to　bottom；　and　it　was　clear　that　it　was　full　of　people。　　I　said　to　my　wife　that　they　seemed　to　be　having　a　better　time　than　we　had　had；　and　we　went　in；　curious　to　know　what　it　was　all　about。　　And　it　turned　out　that　our　absence　had　been　intentionally　arranged；　and　that　the　church　people　had　gathered　at　our　home　to　meet　us　on　our　return。　　And　I　was　utterly　amazed；　for　the　spokesman　told　me　that　the　entire　ten　thousand　dollars　had　been　raised　and　that　the　land　for　the　church　that　I　wanted　was　free　of　debt。　　And　all　had　come　so　quickly　and　directly　from　that　dear　little　girl's　fifty…seven　cents。''

Doesn't　it　seem　like　a　fairy　tale！　　But　then　this　man　has　all　his　life　been　making　fairy　tales　into　realities。　　He　inspired　the　child。　　He　inspired　the　trustees。　　He　inspired　the　owner　of　the　land。　　He　inspired　the　people。

The　building　of　the　great　churchthe　Temple　Baptist　Church；　as　it　is　termedwas　a　great　undertaking　for　the　congregation；　even　though　it　had　been　swiftly　growing　from　the　day　of　Dr。　Conwell's　taking　charge　of　it；　it　was　something　far　ahead　of　what；　except　in　the　eyes　of　an　enthusiast；　they　could　possibly　complete　and　pay　for　and　support。　　Nor　was　it　an　easy　task。

Ground　was　broken　for　the　building　in　1889；　in　1891　it　was　opened　for　worship；　and　then　came　years　of　raising　money　to　clear　it。　　But　it　was　long　ago　placed　completely　out　of　debt；　and　with　only　a　single　large　subscriptionone　of　ten　thousand　dollarsfor　the　church　is　not　in　a　wealthy　neighborhood；　nor　is　the　congregation　made　up　of　the　great　and　rich。

The　church　is　built　of　stone；　and　its　interior　is　a　great　amphitheater。　　Special　attention　has　been　given　to　fresh　air　and　light；　there　is　nothing　of　the　dim；　religious　light　that　goes　with　medieval　churchliness。　　Behind　the　pulpit　are　tiers　of　seats　for　the　great　chorus　choir。　　There　is　a　large　organ。　　The　building　is　peculiarly　adapted　for　hearing　and　seeing；　and　if　it　is　not；　strictly　speaking；　beautiful　in　itself；　it　is　beautiful　when　it　is　filled　with　encircling　rows　of　men　and　women。

Man　of　feeling　that　he　is；　and　one　who　appreciates　the　importance　of　symbols；　Dr。　Conwell　had　a　heart　of　olive…wood　built　into　the　front　of　the　pulpit；　for　the　wood　was　from　an　olive…tree　in　the　Garden　of　Gethsemane。　　And　the　amber…colored　tiles　in　the　inner　walls　of　the　church　bear；　under　the　glaze；　the　names　of　thousands　of　his　people；　for　every　one；　young　or　old；　who　helped　in　the　building；　even　to　the　giving　of　a　single　dollar；　has　his　name　inscribed　there。　　For　Dr。　Conwell　wished　to　show　that　it　is　not　only　the　house　of　the　Lord；　but　also；　in　a　keenly　personal　sense；　the　house　of　those　who　built　it。

The　church　has　a　possible　seating　capacity　of　4；200；　although　only　3；135　chairs　have　been　put　in　it；　for　it　has　been　the　desire　not　to　crowd　the　space　needlessly。　　There　is　also　a　great　room　for　the　Sunday…school；　and　extensive　rooms　for　the　young　men's　association；　the　young　women's　association；　and　for　a　kitchen；　for　executive　offices；　for　meeting…places　for　church　officers　and　boards　and　committees。　　It　is　a　spacious　and　practical　and　complete　church　home；　and　the　people　feel　at　home　there。

‘‘You　see　again；''　said　Dr。　Conwell；　musingly；　‘‘the　advantage　of　aiming　at　big　things。　　That　building　represents　109；000　above　ground。　　It　is　free　from　debt。　　Had　we　built　a　small　church；　it　would　now　be　heavily　mortgaged。''



IV

HIS　POWER　AS　ORATOR　AND　PREACHER

EVEN　as　a　young　man　Conwell　won　local　fame　as　an　orator。　　At　the　outbreak　of　the　Civil　War　he　began　making　patriotic　speeches　that　gained　enlistments。　　After　going　to　the　front　he　was　sent　back　home　for　a　time；　on　furlough；　to　make　more　speeches　to　draw　more　recruits；　for　his　speeches　were　so　persuasive；　so　powerful；　so　full　of　homely　and　patriotic　feeling；　that　the　men　who　heard　them　thronged　into　the　ranks。　　And　as　a　preacher　he　uses　persuasion；　power；　simple　and　homely　eloquence；　to　draw　men　to　the　ranks　of　Christianity。

He　is　an　orator　born；　and　has　developed　this　inborn　power　by　the　hardest　of　study　and　thought　and　practice。　　He　is　one　of　those　rare　men　who　always　seize　and　hold　the　attention。　　When　he　speaks；　men　listen。　　It　is　quality；　temperament；　controlthe　word　is　immaterial；　but　the　fact　is　very　material　indeed。

Some　quarter　of　a　century　ago　Conwell　published　a　little　book　for　students　on　the　study　and　practice　of　oratory。　　That　‘‘clear…cut　articulation　is　the　charm　of　eloquence''　is　one　of　his　insisted…upon　statements；　and　it　well　illustrates　the　lifelong　practice　of　the　man　himself；　for　every　word　as　he　talks　can　be　heard　in　every　part　of　a　large　building；　yet　always　he　speaks　without　apparent　effort。　　He　avoids　‘‘elocution。''　　His　voice　is　soft…pitched　and　never　breaks；　even　now　when　he　is　over　seventy；　because；　so　he　explains　it；　he　always　speaks　in　his　natural　voice。　　There　is　never　a　straining　after　effect。

‘‘A　speaker　must　possess　a　large…hearted　regard　for　the　welfare　of　his　audience；''　he　writes；　and　here　again　we　see　Conwell　explaining　Conwellism。　　‘‘Enthusiasm　invites　enthusiasm；''　is　another　of　his　points　of　importance；　and　one　understands　that　it　is　by　deliberate　purpose；　and　not　by　chance；　that　he　tries　with　such　tremendous　effort　to　put　enthusiasm　into　his　hearers　with　every　sermon　and　every　lecture　that　he　delivers。

‘‘It　is　easy　to　raise　a　laugh；　but　dangerous；　for　it　is　the　greatest　test　of　an　orator's　control　of　his　audience　to　be　able　to　land　them　again　on　the　solid　earth　of　sober　thinking。''　　I　have　known　him　at　the　very　end　of　a　sermon　have　a　ripple　of　laughter　sweep　freely　over　the　entire　congregation；　and　then　in　a　moment　he　has　every　individual　under　his　control；　listening　soberly　to　his　words。

He　never　fears　to　use　humor；　and　it　is　always　very　simple　and　obvious　and　effective。　　With　him　even　a　very　simple　pun　may　be　used；　not　only　with…　out　taking　away　from　the　strength　of　what　he　is　saying；　but　with　a　vivid　increase　of　impressiveness。　　And　when　he　says　something　funny　it　is　in　such　a　delightful　and　confidential　way；　with　such　a　genial；　quiet；　infectious　humorousness；　that　his　audience　is　captivated。　　And　they　never　think　that　he　is　telling　something　funny　of　his　own；　it　seems；　such　is　the　skill　of　the　man；　that　he　is　just　letting　them　know　of　something　humorous　that　they　are　to　enjoy　with　him。

‘‘Be　absolutely　truthful　and　scrupulously　clear；''　he　writes；　and　with　delightfully　terse　common　sense；　he　says；　‘‘Use　illustrations　that　illustrate''　and　never　did　an　orator　live　up　to　this　injunction　more　than　does　Conwell　himself。　　Nothing　is　more　surprising；　nothing　is　more　interesting；　than　the　way　in　which　he　makes　use　as　illustrations　of　the　impressions　and　incidents　of　his　long　and　varied　life；　and；　whatever　it　is；　it　has　direct　and　instant　bearing　on　the　progress　of　his　discourse。　　He　will　refer　to　something　that　he　heard　a　child　say　in　a　train　yesterday；　in　a　few　minutes　he　will　speak　of　something　that　he　saw　or　some　one　whom　he　met　last　month；　or　last　year；　or　ten　years　ago　in　Ohio；　in　California；　in　London；　in　Paris；　in　New　York；　in　Bombay；　and　each　memory；　each　illustration；　is　a　hammer　with　which　he　drives　home　a　truth。

The　vast　number　of　places　he　has　visited　and　people　he　has　met；　the　infinite　variety　of　things　his　observant　eyes　have　seen；　give　him　his　ceaseless　flow　of　illustrations；　and　his　memory　and　his　skill　make　admirable　use　of　them。　　It　is　seldom　that　he　uses　an　illustration　from　what　he　has　read；　everything　is；　characteristically；　his　own。　　Henry　M。　Stanley；　who　knew　him　well；　referred　to　him　as　‘‘that　double…sighted　Yankee；''　who　could　‘‘see　at　a　glance　all　there　is　and　all　there　ever　was。''

And　never　was　there　a　man　who　so　supplements　with　personal　reminiscence　the　place　or　the　person　that　has　figured　in　the　illustration。　　When　he　illustrates　with　the　story　of　the　discovery　of　California　gold　at　Sutter's　he　almost　parenthetically　remarks；　‘‘I　delivered　this　lecture　on　that　very　spot　a　few　years　ago；　that　is；　in　the　town　that　arose　on　that　very　spot。''　　And　when　he　illustrates　by　the　story　of　the　invention　of　the　sewing…machine；　he　adds：　　‘‘I　suppose　that　if　any　of　you　were　asked　who　was　the　inventor　of　the　sewing…machine；　you　would　say　that　it　was　Elias　Howe。　　But　that　would　be　a　mistake。　　I　was　with　Elias　Howe　in　the　Civil　War；　and　he　often　used　to　tell　me　how　he　had　tried　for　fourteen　years　to　invent　the　sewing…machine　and　that　then　his　wife；　feeling　that　something　really　had　to　be　done；　invented　it　in　a　couple　of　hours。''　　Listening　to　him；　you　begin　to　feel　in　touch　with　everybody　and　everything；　and　in　a　friendly　and　intimate　way。

Always；　whether　in　the　pulpit　or　on　the　platform；　as　in　private　conversation；　there　is　an　absolute　simplicity　about　the　man　and　his　words；　a　simplicity；　an　earnestness；　a　complete　honesty。　　And　when　he　sets　down；　in　his　book　on　oratory；　‘‘A　man　has　no　right　to　use　words　carelessly；''　he　stands　for　that　respect　for　word…craftsmanship　that　every　successful　speaker　or　writer　must　feel。

‘‘Be　intensely　in　earnest；''　he　writes；　and　in　writing　this　he　sets　down　a　prime　principle　not　only　of　his　oratory；　but　of　his　life。

A　young　minister　told　me　that　Dr。　Conwell　once　said　to　him；　with　deep　feeling；　‘‘Always　remember；　as　you　preach；　that　you　are　striving　to　save　at　least　one　soul　with　every　sermon。''　　And　to　one　of　his　close　friends　Dr。　Conwell　said；　in　one　of　his　self…revealing　conversations：

‘‘I　feel；　whenever　I　preach；　that　there　is　always　one　person　in　the　congregation　to　whom；　in　all　probability；　I　shall　never　preach　again；　and　therefore　I　feel　that　I　must　exert　my　utmost　power　in　that　last　chance。''　　And　in　this；　even　if　this　were　all；　one　sees　why　each　of　his　sermons　is　so　impressive；　and　why　his　energy　never　lags。　　Always；　with　him；　is　the　feeling　that　he　is　in　the　world　to　do　all　the　good　he　can　possibly　do；　not　a　moment；　not　an　opportunity；　must　be　lost。

The　moment　he　rises　and　steps　to　the　front　of　his　pulpit　he　has　the　attention　of　every　one　in　the　building；　and　this　attention　he　closely　holds　till　he　is　through。　　Yet　it　is　never　by　a　striking　effort　that　attention　is　gained；　except　in　so　far　that　his　utter　simplicity　is　striking。　　‘‘I　want　to　preach　so　simply　that　you　will　not　think　it　prea