Life, 1916-04-06 · page 19 of 80
Life — April 6, 1916 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines religious poetry with satirical commentary on Dr. Russell Conwell, a prominent Philadelphia preacher largely unknown to the general public despite his considerable achievements. **The Poetry:** A reverent Easter meditation questioning divine justice—why suffering exists, why some know pain while others don't—concluding that ultimate answers depend on whether "God be God." **The Satire:** Life magazine had confessed ignorance of Dr. Conwell, prompting his publisher (Harper & Brothers) to defend him as "the best known Unknown in this country." The piece mocks how Conwell, despite founding a college and delivering his famous lecture "Acres of Diamonds" (about making money through modest home industry) to countless audiences, remains relatively anonymous outside his denomination and hometown. **The Point:** The irony is that Conwell's obscurity is actually advantageous—he gains "advertisement without the bother of it." The cartoon captioned "The Church Was Crowded" (Easter Sunday) underscores the contrast between his genuine influence and his lack of public recognition.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
IX Galilee, close by the sea, There was a man, the wise men say, Who lived and died for you and me— If God be God—He lives to-day! We who are weak, we know not why, Who suffer long, we do not know Why sin is ours until we die— If God be God—He made us so! So many lose, so many fall, The reason why no man can tell; So many know not pain at all— If God be God—He knows it well! The answer to Gethsemane, The misery where man has trod, Why all? His handiwork are we— We yet shall know—if God be God HRD. —— The Best Known Unknown HERE was a paragraph in Lire the other day confess- ing ignorance of Dr. Conwell of Philadelphia, rated in the Public Ledger as the greatest living American preacher. Harper & Brothers, publishers of “ Acres of Diamonds,” a book that he wrote, write to say: ‘ We are not surprised that Lire had never heard of Dr. Conwell, as he is, without doubt, the best known Unknown in this country. His achievements have escaped the press to a remarkable degree. He seems to be just taken for granted in his denomination, in his home town, and in the tall timber where his name is a houschold word. The book gives a version of Dr. Conwell’s famous lecture, delivered with many variations to innumerable audiences, and which brought him in the money which he used to found a college. It seems to explain the quality of Dr. Conwell’s eminence, and indicates that his relation to preaching is like that of Bryan to politics, or of a best- seller to literature. His lecture discloses in lively and eny tertaining discourse how to make money by staying at home and doing the next thing. Lrresrre There may be those who will condole with the Phila- delphia minister in having got so little personal advertise- ment out of his copious and successful labors. Rather congratulate him. He has had all the good of advertisement without the bother of it. EASTER SUNDAY “—THE CHURCH WAS CROWDED” comicbooks.com