○  russell conwell : acres of diamonds  ○

the best thing i can do is to illustrate by actual facts well known to you all. a.t. stewart, a poor boy in new york, had $1.50 to begin life on. he lost 87½ cents of that on the very first venture. how fortunate that young man who loses the first time he gambles. that boy said, “i will never gamble again in business,” and he never did.

how came he to lose 87½ cents? you probably all know the story how he lost it-because he bought some needles, threads, and buttons to sell which people did not want, and had them left on his hands, a dead loss. said the boy, “i will not lose any more money in that way.” then he went around first to the doors and asked the people what they did want. then when he had found out what they wanted he invested his 62½ cents to supply a known demand. study it wherever you choose-in business, in your profession, in your housekeeping, whatever your life, that one thing is the secret of success. you must first know the demand. you must first know what people need, and then invest yourself where you are most needed. a.t. stewart went on that principle until he was worth what amounted afterward to forty millions of dollars, owning the very store in which mr. wanamaker carries on his great work in new york. his fortune was made by his losing something, which taught him the great lesson that he must only invest himself or his money in something that people need. when will you salesmen learn it? when will you manufactures learn that you must know the changing needs of humanity if you would succeed in life? apply yourselves, all you christian people, as manufactures or merchants or workmen to supply that human need. it is a great principle as broad as humanity and as deep as the scripture itself.

the best illustration i ever heard was of john jacob astor. you know that he made the money of the astor family when he lived in new york. he came across the sea in debt for his fare. but that poor

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