Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-14
BY DR.. RUSSELL H. CONwELL
CHAPTER III
The Darn Of a New DAY


" able faces. and the inspiration OF
the Temple University had its EN-.
phatic beginning with them. One was
the face OF a young laborer, who was
a fatherless boy and who had earned
his living from twelve years of age.
However dignifled and handsome he
may be now, with his white hair he
was then rough specimen OF the
crudest humanity. He came into the
first class some months later il was
opened and the teacher kindly told
him he could come in and sit" while
the recitations were going on.
He went to his work at in the morn.
ing with a milk and vegetable wagon,
and slept when he could His Ian.
guage was full of slang and the droll ex.
was full of slang and the droll ex.
4. pressions he drove from his mouth
/ were irresistibly laughable. lie had
saved up 800 and had sent money
regularly TO his mother out West. He
was sensitively honest and apparently
repaired his own clothes lie did not
know what he would like to study,
but would like to come in with the
boys and learn something" When the
question arose concerning a textbook
in grammar he said his mother had
one which had been used by his de.
ceased uncle who was a school teach
er. That uncle was the boys perfect
ideal. He had graduated from Yale
College and had taught in a high
school. So the new scholar wrote 10
his mother for his uncle's grammar
When It arrived and he proudly pro.
duced it at the evening class the laugh
ter was long and hilarious. It was a
Latin grammar. The teacher settled
the matter by exchanging the Latin
grammar at Leary's secondhand book
store for an English grammar. But
the face which remains so clearly in
the foreground of memory was the
cleaning countenance OF that youth
one evening after a month Of study
He had not learned much nor shown
hopeful capacity for intellectual
achievement until that night.
Sounded Like a Joke
Some kind neighbor who took kind
Z ly interest in the "milkmans boy" told
him that he should not have eX
changed his uncle's Latin grammar
as he would need it for his own stud!
erelong. 1t was not said as a joke
although it had that sound then. Blu
that word Of hope lifted the gate ant
let in food of power. He evidentl,
had not been able to get away from
the suggestion that he might som
time be as learned as his uncle ha,
been. He mentioned his regret tina
he had no education to a clerk in hi
employers office and was carelessl
told that many men had learned from
e books after they were nineteen year
old" This led the ignorant youth L
call on the teacher early in the eve
ming to ask If there was a remote pos
sibility for him TO be a college grad
hate in book knowledge. When h
was told decidedly that II could b.
done if he would make the sacrifice h
seemed dazed and went out the doc
with clenched hands and muttering t
himself.
There are times when the religion
leader sees a converts flushed cheel
and shining eyes after the consciou
sinner turns suddenly around and de
cides TO leave the path of sin and wal
with God and it is often described a
"the face of an angel" The chang
In that milk boys features and b,
havior was so like the teryor of tn
religious enthusiast that the teaChe
described it TO his friends as a "Nev
Birth" The youths appearance whe
he entered the class the next evenin
( was so changed that those who ha
seen him only once could easily b
Z persuaded that It was not the same pc
son. The eyes were darker, the for
head seemed higher and the confidenC
of his step and other gestures all tol
in eloquent terms of the rise of
new ambition. 1t is said that he af
erward sought for his uncle's Lati
grammar. determined TO master ii
same book as he went on to his uncle
scholastic skill. But some other SEEK
Z after wisdom had taken the book ava
IA A Face TO Remember
That facel II was a creation abol
all art and beyond description. Whe
he said II will" Il was said with a
I, impelling eloquence which caused OF
TO bow in reverence. Good cheer, |
= tent power. beaming hope and a masc
line iron will were recognized as II
companions. He had burst forth fro
the chrysalis Of ignorance and hop
lessness and felt that he could fiy.
new creaturel II his mother preserv,
the misspelled letter he must ha'
written the next day II would be wor
y u frame in the gallery of historic C
rios. 1t leads one to speculate on Ii
U probability that millions of men I
n main undeveloped all their lives, al
\. perhaps never know their power
~ glory till death bursts the shell.
~ That face! No one who saw 1t douI
"a ed the youths success. All things wo
|[ together for such a man Men sa
| that he was coming and quickly ga
him the right OF way. Thousands
NJ lives have changed as suddenly a
completely since that day and maj
y faces have been transfigured with I
rnme hope. but the first experien
nth such demonstration is inde
NV Impressed on the observers mir
&f iii not "a. yet TO make Ifyidic
211nnn naNong 30 r1nay hero
4# 40 .3IMnn& con IoI0o 4 I