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　a　new　church　would　do！　　So　I　took　the　ax　that　I　had　brought　with　me　and　began　chopping　the　place　down。　　In　a　little　while　a　man；　not　one　of　the　church　members；　came　along；　and　he　watched　me　for　a　time　and　said；　‘What　are　you　going　to　do　there？'

‘‘And　I　instantly　replied；　‘Tear　down　this　old　building　and　build　a　new　church　here！'

‘‘He　looked　at　me。　　‘But　the　people　won't　do　that；'　he　said。

‘‘　‘Yes；　they　will；'　I　said；　cheerfully；　keeping　at　my　work。　　Whereupon　he　watched　me　a　few　minutes　longer　and　said：

‘‘　‘Well；　you　can　put　me　down　for　one　hundred　dollars　for　the　new　building。　　Come　up　to　my　livery…stable　and　get　it　this　evening。'

‘‘　‘All　right；　I'll　surely　be　there；'　I　replied。

‘‘In　a　little　while　another　man　came　along　and　stopped　and　looked；　and　he　rather　gibed　at　the　idea　of　a　new　church；　and　when　I　told　him　of　the　livery…stable　man　contributing　one　hundred　dollars；　he　said；　‘But　you　haven't　got　the　money　yet！'

‘‘　‘No；'　I　said；　‘but　I　am　going　to　get　it　to…night。'

‘‘　‘You'll　never　get　it；'　he　said。　　‘He's　not　that　sort　of　a　man。　　He's　not　even　a　church　man！'

‘‘But　I　just　went　quietly　on　with　the　work；　without　answering；　and　after　quite　a　while　he　left；　but　he　called　back；　as　he　went　off；　‘Well；　if　he　does　give　you　that　hundred　dollars；　come　to　me　and　I'll　give　you　another　hundred。'　''

Conwell　smiles　in　genial　reminiscence　and　without　any　apparent　sense　that　he　is　telling　of　a　great　personal　triumph；　and　goes　on：

‘‘Those　two　men　both　paid　the　money；　and　of　course　the　church　people　themselves；　who　at　first　had　not　quite　understood　that　I　could　be　in　earnest；　joined　in　and　helped；　with　work　and　money；　and　as；　while　the　new　church　was　building；　it　was　peculiarly　important　to　get　and　keep　the　congregation　together；　and　as　they　had　ceased　to　have　a　minister　of　their　own；　I　used　to　run　out　from　Boston　and　preach　for　them；　in　a　room　we　hired。

‘‘And　it　was　there　in　Lexington；　in　1879；　that　I　determined　to　become　a　minister。　　I　had　a　good　law　practice；　but　I　determined　to　give　it　up。　　For　many　years　I　had　felt　more　or　less　of　a　call　to　the　ministry；　and　here　at　length　was　the　definite　time　to　begin。

‘‘Week　by　week　I　preached　there''how　strange；　now；　to　think　of　William　Dean　Howells　and　the　colonel…preacher！‘‘and　after　a　while　the　church　was　completed；　and　in　that　very　church；　there　in　Lexington；　I　was　ordained　a　minister。''

A　marvelous　thing；　all　this；　even　without　considering　the　marvelous　heights　that　Conwell　has　since　attaineda　marvelous　thing；　an　achievement　of　positive　romance！　　That　little　church　stood　for　American　bravery　and　initiative　and　self…sacrifice　and　romanticism　in　a　way　that　well　befitted　good　old　Lexington。

To　leave　a　large　and　overflowing　law　practice　and　take　up　the　ministry　at　a　salary　of　six　hundred　dollars　a　year　seemed　to　the　relatives　of　Conwell's　wife　the　extreme　of　foolishness；　and　they　did　not　hesitate　so　to　express　themselves。　　Naturally　enough；　they　did　not　have　Conwell's　vision。　　Yet　he　himself　was　fair　enough　to　realize　and　to　admit　that　there　was　a　good　deal　of　fairness　in　their　objections；　and　so　he　said　to　the　congregation　that；　although　he　was　quite　ready　to　come　for　the　six　hundred　dollars　a　year；　he　expected　them　to　double　his　salary　as　soon　as　he　doubled　the　church　membership。　　This　seemed　to　them　a　good　deal　like　a　joke；　but　they　answered　in　perfect　earnestness　that　they　would　be　quite　willing　to　do　the　doubling　as　soon　as　he　did　the　doubling；　and　in　less　than　a　year　the　salary　was　doubled　accordingly。

I　asked　him　if　he　had　found　it　hard　to　give　up　the　lucrative　law　for　a　poor　ministry；　and　his　reply　gave　a　delightful　impression　of　his　capacity　for　humorous　insight　into　human　nature；　for　he　said；　with　a　genial　twinkle：

‘‘Oh　yes；　it　was　a　wrench；　but　there　is　a　sort　of　romance　of　self…sacrifice；　you　know。　　I　rather　suppose　the　old…time　martyrs　rather　enjoyed　themselves　in　being　martyrs！''

Conwell　did　not　stay　very　long　in　Lexington。　　A　struggling　little　church　in　Philadelphia　heard　of　what　he　was　doing；　and　so　an　old　deacon　went　up　to　see　and　hear　him；　and　an　invitation　was　given；　and　as　the　Lexington　church　seemed　to　be　prosperously　on　its　feet；　and　the　needs　of　the　Philadelphia　body　keenly　appealed　to　Conwell's　imagination；　a　change　was　made；　and　at　a　salary　of　eight　hundred　dollars　a　year　he　went；　in　1882；　to　the　little　struggling　Philadelphia　congregation；　and　of　that　congregation　he　is　still　pastoronly；　it　ceased　to　be　a　struggling　congregation　a　great　many　years　ago！　　And　long　ago　it　began　paying　him　more　thousands　every　year　than　at　first　it　gave　him　hundreds。

Dreamer　as　Conwell　always　is　in　connection　with　his　immense　practicality；　and　moved　as　he　is　by　the　spiritual　influences　of　life；　it　is　more　than　likely　that　not　only　did　Philadelphia's　need　appeal；　but　also　the　fact　that　Philadelphia；　as　a　city；　meant　much　to　him；　for；　coming　North；　wounded　from　a　battle…field　of　the　Civil　War；　it　was　in　Philadelphia　that　he　was　cared　for　until　his　health　and　strength　were　recovered。　　Thus　it　came　that　Philadelphia　had　early　become　dear　to　him。

And　here　is　an　excellent　example　of　how　dreaming　great　dreams　may　go　hand…in…hand　with　winning　superb　results。　　For　that　little　struggling　congregation　now　owns　and　occupies　a　great　new　church　building　that　seats　more　people　than　any　other　Protestant　church　in　Americaand　Dr。　Conwell　fills　it！



III

STORY　OF　THE　FIFTY…SEVEN　CENTS

AT　every　point　in　Conwell's　life　one　sees　that　he　wins　through　his　wonderful　personal　influence　on　old　and　young。　　Every　step　forward；　every　triumph　achieved；　comes　not　alone　from　his　own　enthusiasm；　but　because　of　his　putting　that　enthusiasm　into　others。　　And　when　I　learned　how　it　came　about　that　the　present　church　buildings　were　begun；　it　was　another　of　those　marvelous　tales　of　fact　that　are　stranger　than　any　imagination　could　make　them。　　And　yet　the　tale　was　so　simple　and　sweet　and　sad　and　unpretending。

When　Dr。　Conwell　first　assumed　charge　of　the　little　congregation　that　led　him　to　Philadelphia　it　was　really　a　little　church　both　in　its　numbers　and　in　the　size　of　the　building　that　it　occupied；　but　it　quickly　became　so　popular　under　his　leadership　that　the　church　services　and　Sunday…　school　services　were　alike　so　crowded　that　there　was　no　room　for　all　who　came；　and　always　there　were　people　turned　from　the　doors。

One　afternoon　a　little　girl；　who　had　eagerly　wished　to　go；　turned　back　from　the　Sunday…school　door；　crying　bitterly　because　they　had　told　her　that　there　was　no　more　room。　　But　a　tall；　black…　haired　man　met　her　and　noticed　her　tears　and；　stopping；　asked　why　it　was　that　she　was　crying；　and　she　sobbingly　replied　that　it　was　because　they　could　not　let　her　into　the　Sunday…school。

‘‘I　lifted　her　to　my　shoulder；''　says　Dr。　Conwell；　in　telling　of　this；　for　after　hearing　the　story　elsewhere　I　asked　him　to　tell　it　to　me　himself；　for　it　seemed　almost　too　strange　to　be　true。　　‘‘I　lifted　her　to　my　shoulder''and　one　realizes　the　pretty　scene　it　must　have　made　for　the　little　girl　to　go　through　the　crowd　of　people；　drying　her　tears　and　riding　proudly　on　the　shoulders　of　the　kindly；　tall；　dark　man！　　‘‘I　said　to　her　that　I　would　take　her　in；　and　I　did　so；　and　I　said　to　her　that　we　should　some　day　have　a　room　big　enough　for　all　who　should　come。　　And　when　she　went　home　she　told　her　parentsI　only　learned　this　afterwardthat　she　was　going　to　save　money　to　help　build　the　larger　church　and　Sunday…school　that　Dr。　Conwell　wanted！　　Her　parents　pleasantly　humored　her　in　the　idea　and　let　her　run　errands　and　do　little　tasks　to　earn　pennies；　and　she　began　dropping　the　pennies　into　her　bank。

‘‘She　was　a　lovable　little　thingbut　in　only　a　few　weeks　after　that　she　was　taken　suddenly　ill　and　died；　and　at　the　funeral　her　father　told　me；　quietly；　of　how　his　little　girl　had　been　saving　money　for　a　building…fund。　　And　there；　at　the　funeral；　he　handed　me　what　she　had　savedjust　fifty…　seven　cents　in　pennies。''

Dr。　Conwell　does　not　say　how　deeply　he　was　moved；　he　is；　after　all；　a　man　of　very　few　words　as　to　his　own　emotions。　　But　a　deep　tenderness　had　crept　into　his　voice。

‘‘At　a　meeting　of　the　church　trustees　I　told　of　this　gift　of　fifty…seven　centsthe　first　gift　toward　the　proposed　building…fund　of　the　new　church　that　was　some　time　to　exist。　　For　until　then　the　matter　had　barely　been　spoken　of；　as　a　new　church　building　had　been　simply　a　possibility　for　the　future。

‘‘The　trustees　seemed　much　impressed；　and　it　turned　out　that　they　were　far　more　impressed　than　I　could　possibly　have　hoped；　for　in　a　few　days　one　of　them　came　to　me　and　said　that　he　thought　it　would　be　an　excellent　idea　to　buy　a　lot　on　Broad　Streetthe　very　lot　on　which　the　building　now　stands。''　　It　was　characteristic　of　Dr。　Conwell　that　he　did　not　point　out；　what　every　one　who　knows　him　would　understand；　that　it　was　his　own　inspiration　put　into　the　trustees　which　resulted　in　this　quick　and　definite　move　on　the　part　of　one　of　them。　　‘‘I　talked　the　matter　over　with　the　owner　of　the　property；　and　told　him　of　the　beginning　of　the　fund；　the　story　of　the　little　girl。　　The　man　was　not　one　of　our　church；　nor　in　fact；　was　he　a　church…goer　at　all；　but　he　listened　attentively　to　the　tale　of　the　fifty…seven　cents　and　simply　said　he　was　quite　ready　to　go　ahead　and　sell　us　that　piece　of　land　for　ten　thousand　dollars；　takingand　the　unexpectedness　of　this　deeply　touched　me　taking　a　first　payment　of　just　fifty…seven　cents　and　letting　the　entire　balance　stand　on　a　five…per…cent。　mortgage！

‘‘And　it　seemed　to　me　that　it　would　be　the　right　thing　to　accept　this　unexpectedly　liberal　proposition；　and　I　went　over　the　entire　matter　on　that　basis　with　the　trustees　and　some　of　the　other　members；　and　all　the　people　were　soon　talking　of　having　a　new　church。　　But　it　was　not　done　in　that　way；　after　all；　for；　fine　though　that　way　would　have　been；　there　was　to　be　one　still　finer。

‘‘Not　long　after　my　talk　with　the　man　who　owned　the　land；　and　his　surprisingly　good…hearted　proposition；　an　exchange　was　arranged　for　me　one　evening　with　a　Mount　Holly　church；　and　my　wife　went　with　me。　　We　came　back　late；　and　it　was　cold　and　wet　and　miserable；　but　as　we　approached　our　home　we　saw　that　it　was　all　lighted　from　top　to　bottom；　and　it　was　clear　that　it　was　full　of　pe