Russell ConwellAcres of Dia.docx
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Russell ConwellAcres of Dia.docx
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whengoingdownthetigrisandeuphratesriversmanyyearsagowithapartyofenglishtravelersifoundmyselfunderthedirectionofanoldarabguidewhomwehiredupatbaghdad,andihaveoftenthoughthowthatguideresembledourbarbersincertainmentalcharacteristics.hethoughtthatitwasnotonlyhisdutytoguideusdownthoserivers,anddowhathewaspaidfordoing,buttoentertainuswithstoriescuriousandweird,ancientandmodernstrange,andfamiliar.manyofthemihaveforgotten,andiamgladihave,butthereisoneishallneverforget.
theoldguidewasleadingmycamelbyitshalteralongthebanksofthoseancientrivers,andhetoldmestoryafterstoryuntiligrewwearyofhisstory-tellingandceasedtolisten.ihaveneverbeenirritatedwiththatguidewhenhelosthistemperasiceasedlistening.butirememberthathetookoffhisturkishcapandswungitinacircletogetmyattention.icouldseeitthroughthecornerofmyeye,butideterminednottolookstraightathimforfearhewouldtellanotherstory.butalthoughiamnotawoman,ididfinallylook,andassoonasididhewentrightintoanotherstory.saidhe,¡°iwilltellyouastorynowwhichireserveformyparticularfriends.¡±whenheemphasizedthewords¡°particularfriends,¡±ilistenedandihaveeverbeengladidid.ireallyfeeldevoutlythankful,thatthereare1,674youngmenwhohavebeencarriedthroughcollegebythislecturewhoarealsogladthatididlisten.
theoldguidetoldmethatthereoncelivednotfarfromtheriverindusanancientpersianbythenameofalihafed.hesaidthatalihafedownedaverylargefarm;thathehadorchards,grain-fields,andgardens;thathehadmoneyatinterestandwasawealthyandcontentedman.onedaytherevisitedthatoldpersianfarmeroneofthoseancientbuddhistpriests,oneofthewisemenoftheeast.hesatdownbythefireandtoldtheoldfarmerhowthisoldworldofourswasmade.
hesaidthatthisworldwasonceamerebankoffog,andthatthealmightythrusthisfingerintothisbankoffog,andbeganslowlytomovehisfingeraround,increasingthespeeduntilatlasthewhirledthisbankoffogintoasolidballoffire.thenitwentrollingthroughtheuniverse,burningitswaythroughotherbanksoffog,andcondensedthemoisturewithout,untilitfellinfloodsofrainuponitshotsurface,andcooledtheoutwardcrust.thentheinternalfiresburstingoutwardthroughthecrustthrewupthemountainsandhills,thevalleys,theplainsandprairiesofthiswonderfulworldofours.ifthisinternalmoltenmasscameburstingoutandcooledveryquickly,itbecamegranite;lessquicklycopper,lessquicklysilver,lessquicklygold,and,aftergold,diamondsweremade.saidtheoldpriest,¡°adiamondisacongealeddropofsunlight.¡±nowthatisliterallyscientificallytrue,thatadiamondisanactualdepositofcarbonfromthesun.
theoldpriesttoldalihafedthatifhehadonediamondthesizeofhisthumbhecouldpurchasethecounty,andifthehadamineofdiamondshecouldplacehischildrenuponthronesthroughtheinfluenceoftheirgreatwealth.alihafedheardallaboutdiamonds,howmuchtheywereworth,andwenttohisbedthatnightapoorman.hehadnotlostanything,buthewaspoorbecausehewasdiscontented,anddiscontentedbecausehefearedhewaspoor.hesaid,¡°iwantamineofdiamonds,¡±andhelayawakeallnight.earlyinthemorninghesoughtoutthepriest.iknowbyexperiencethatapriestisverycrosswhenawakenedearlyinthemorning,andwhenheshookthatoldpriestoutofhisdreams,alihafedsaidtohim:
"willyoutellmewhereifinddiamonds?
¡±
"diamonds!
whatdoyouwantwithdiamonds?
¡±
¡°why,iwishtobeimmenselyrich.¡±
¡°well,then,goalongandfindthem.thatisallyouhavetodo;goandfindthem,andthenyouhavethem.¡±
¡°butidon¡¯tknowwheretogo.¡±
¡°well,ifyouwillfindariverthatrunsthroughwhitesands,betweenhighmountains,inthosewhitesandsyouwillalwaysfinddiamonds.¡±
¡°idon¡¯tbelievethereisanysuchriver.¡±
¡°ohyes,thereareplentyofthem.allyouhavetodoistogoandfindthem,andthenyouhavethem.¡±
saidalihafed,¡°iwillgo.¡±
sohesoldhisfarm,collectedhismoney,lefthisfamilyinchargeofaneighbor,andawayhewentinsearchofdiamonds.hebeganhissearch,veryproperlytomymind,atthemountainsofthemoon.afterwardhecamearoundintopalestine,thenwanderedonintoeurope,andatlastwhenhismoneywasallspentandhewasinrags,wretchedness,andpoverty,hestoodontheshoreofthatbayatbarcelona,inspain,whenagreattidalwavecamerollinginbetweenthepillarsofhercules,andthepoor,afflicted,suffering,dyingmancouldnotresisttheawfultemptationtocasthimselfintothatincomingtide,andhesankbeneathitsfoamingcrest,nevertoriseinthislifeagain.
thenafterthatoldguidehadtoldmethatawfullysadstory,hestoppedthecameliwasridingonandwentbacktofixthebaggagethatwascomingoffanothercamel,andihadanopportunitytomuseoverhisstorywhilehewasgone.iremembersayingtomyself,¡°whydidhereservethatstoryforhis¡®particularfriends¡¯?
¡±thereseemedtobenobeginning,nomiddle,noend,nothingtoit.
thatwasthefirststoryihadeverheardtoldinmylife,andwouldbethefirstoneieverread,inwhichtheherowaskilledinthefirstchapter.ihadbutonechapterofthatstory,andtheherowasdead.whentheguidecamebackandtookupthehalterofmycamel,hewentrightaheadwiththestory,intothesecondchapter,justasthoughtherehadbeennobreak.
themanwhopurchasedalihafed¡¯sfarmonedayledhiscamelintothegardentodrink,andasthatcamelputitsnoseintotheshallowwaterofthatgardenbrook,alihafed¡¯ssuccessornoticedacuriousflashoflightfromthewhitesandsofthestream.hepulledoutablackstonehavinganeyeoflightreflectingallthehuesoftherainbow.hetookthepebbleintothehouseandputitonthemantelwhichcoversthecentralfires,andforgotallaboutit.
afewdayslaterthissameoldpriestcameintovisitalihafed¡¯ssuccessor,andthemomentheopenedthatdrawing-roomdoorhesawthatflashoflightonthemantel,andherusheduptoit,andshouted:
¡°hereisadiamond!
hasalihafedreturned?
¡±
¡°ohno,alihafedhasnotreturned,andthatisnotadiamond.thatisnothingbutastonewefoundrightouthereinourowngarden.¡±
¡°but,¡±saidthepriest,¡°itellyouiknowadiamondwheniseeit.iknowpositivelythatisadiamond.¡±
thentogethertheyrushedoutintothatoldgardenandstirredupthewhitesandswiththeirfingers,andlo!
therecameupothermorebeautifulandvaluablegemsthenthefirst.¡°thus,¡±saidtheguidetome,¡°wasdiscoveredthediamond-mineofgolconda,themostmagnificentdiamond-mineinallthehistoryofmankind,excellingthekimberlyitself.thekohinoor,andtheorloffofthecrownjewelsofenglandandrussia,thelargestonearth,camefromthatmine.¡±
whenthatoldarabguidetoldmethesecondchapterofhisstory,hethentookoffhisturkishcapandswungitaroundintheairagaintogetmyattentiontothemoral.thosearabguideshavemoralstotheirstories,althoughtheyarenotalwaysmoral.asheswunghishat,hesaidtome,¡°hadalihafedremainedathomeandduginhisowncellar,orunderneathhisownwheatfieldsorinhisowngarden,insteadofwretchedness,starvation,anddeathbysuicideinastrangeland,hewouldhavehad¡®acresofdiamonds.¡¯foreveryacreofthatoldfarm,yes,everyshovelful,afterwardrevealedgemswhichsincehavedecoratedthecrownsofmonarchs.¡±
whenhehadaddedthemoralofhisstoryisawwhyhereserveditfor¡°hisparticularfriends.¡±butididnottellhimthaticouldseeit.itwasthatmeanoldarab¡¯swayofgoingaroundathinglikealawyer,tosayindirectlywhathedidnotdaresaydirectly,that¡°inhisprivateopiniontherewasacertainyoungmanthentravelingdownthetigrisriverthatmightbetterbeathomeinamerica.¡±ididnottellhimicouldseethat,butitoldittohimquick,andithinkiwilltellittoyou.
itoldhimofamanoutincaliforniain1847,whoownedaranch.heheardtheyhaddiscoveredgoldinsoutherncalifornia,andsowithapassionforgoldhesoldhisranchtocolonelsutter,andawayhewent,nevertocomeback.colonelsutterputamilluponastreamthatranthroughthatranch,andonedayhislittlegirlbroughtsomewetsandfromtheracewayintotheirhomeandsifteditthroughherfingersbeforethefire,andinthatfallingsandavisitorsawthefirstshiningscalesofrealgoldthatwereeverdiscoveredincalifornia.themanwhohadownedthatranchwantedgold,andhecouldhavesecureditforthemeretaking.indeed,thirty-eightmillionsofdollarshasbeentakenoutofaveryfewacressincethen.
abouteightyearsagoideliveredthislectureinacitythatstandsonthatfarm,andtheytoldmethataone-thirdownerforyearsandyearshadbeengettingonehundredandtwentydollarsingoldeveryfifteenminutes,sleepingorwaking,withouttaxation.youandiwouldenjoyanincomelikethat--ifwedidn¡¯thavetopayanincometax.
butabetterillustrationreallythanthatoccurredhereinourtownofpennsylvania.ifthereisanythingienjoyaboveanotherontheplatform,itistogetoneofthesegermanaudiencesinpennsylvania,andfirethatatthem,andienjoyittonight.therewasamanlivinginpennsylvania,notunlikesomepennsylvaniansyouhaveseen,whoownedafarm,andhedidwiththatfarmjustwhatishoulddowithafarmifiownedoneinpennsylvania-hesoldit.butbefo
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