Acres of Diamonds

Russell H. Conwell
pg. 73 of 107

most need a pleasure and a stimulus, and he still goes out, man of well over seventy that he is, to tiny towns in distant states, heedless of the discomforts of traveling, of the poor little hotels that seldom have visitors, of the oftentimes hopeless cooking and the uncleanliness, of the hardships and the discomforts, of the unventilated and overheated or underheated halls. He does not think of claiming the relaxation earned by a lifetime of labor, or, if he ever does, the thought of the sword of John Ring restores instantly his fervid earnestness.

How he does it, how he can possibly keep it up, is the greatest marvel of all. I have before me a list of his engagements for the summer weeks of this year, 1915, and I shall set it down because it will specifically show, far more clearly than general statements, the kind of work he does. The list is the itinerary of his vacation. Vacation! Lecturing every evening but Sunday, and on Sundays preaching in the town where he happens to be! 

   June 24 Ackley, Ia.      July 11  *Brookings, S. D.
   " 25  Waterloo, Ia.         " 12   Pipestone, Minn.
   " 26  Decorah, Ia.          " 13   Hawarden, Ia.
   " 27  *Waukon, Ia.          " 14   Canton, S. D
   " 28  Red Wing, Minn.       " 15   Cherokee, Ia
   " 29  River Falls, Wis.     " 16   Pocahontas, Ia
   " 30  Northfield, Minn.     " 17   Glidden, Ia.
   July 1  Faribault, Minn.    " 18   *Boone, Ia.
   " 2   Spring Valley, Minn.  " 19   Dexter, Ia.
   " 3   Blue Earth, Minn.     " 20   Indianola, Ia
   " 4   *Fairmount, Minn.     " 21   Corydon, Ia
   " 5   Lake Crystal, Minn.   " 22   Essex, Ia.
   " 6   Redwood Falls,        " 23   Sidney, Ia.
        Minn.                  " 24   Falls City, Nebr.
   " 7   Willmer, Minn.        " 25   *Hiawatha, Kan.
   " 8   Dawson, Minn.         " 26   Frankfort, Kan.
   " 9   Redfield, S. D.       " 27   Greenleaf, Kan.
   " 10  Huron, S. D.          " 28   Osborne, Kan.
   July 29 Stockton, Kan.       Aug. 14 Honesdale, Pa.
   " 30  Phillipsburg, Kan.    " 15   *Honesdale, Pa.
   " 31  Mankato, Kan.         " 16   Carbondale, Pa.
    En route to next date on " 17   Montrose, Pa.
     circuit.                " 18   Tunkhannock, Pa.
   Aug. 3  Westfield, Pa.      " 19   Nanticoke, Pa.
   " 4   Galston, Pa.          " 20   Stroudsburg, Pa.
   " 5   Port Alleghany, Pa.   " 21   Newton, N. J.
   " 6   Wellsville, N. Y.     " 22   *Newton, N. J.
   " 7   Bath, N. Y.           " 23   Hackettstown, N. J.
   " 8   *Bath, N. Y.          " 24   New Hope, Pa.
   " 9   Penn Yan, N. Y.       " 25   Doylestown, Pa.
   " 10  Athens, N. Y.         " 26   Phoenixville, Pa.
   " 11  Owego, [ Continue » ]