the university of hard knocks-第10章

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Preparing　Children　to　Live

THE　problem　of　〃preparedness〃　is　the　problem　of　preparing　children　for　life。　All　other　kinds　of　〃preparedness〃　fade　into　insignificance　before　this。　The　history　of　nations　shows　that　their　strength　was　not　in　the　size　of　their　armies　and　in　the　vastness　of　their　population　and　wealth；　but　in　the　strength　and　ideals　of　the　individual　citizens。

As　long　as　the　nation　was　young　and　growingas　long　as　the　people　were　struggling　and　overcomingthat　nation　was　strong。　It　was　〃prepared。〃

But　when　the　struggle　stopped；　the　strength　waned；　for　the　strength　came　from　the　struggle。　When　the　people　became　materially　prosperous　and　surrendered　to　ease　and　indulgence；　they　became　fat；　stall…fed　weaklings。　Then　they　fell　a　prey　to　younger；　hardier　peoples。

Has　the　American　nation　reached　that　period？

Many　homes　and　communities　have　reached　it。

All　over　America　are　fathers　and　mothers　who　have　struggled　and　have　become　strong　men　and　women　thru　their　struggles；　who　are　saying；　〃Our　children　shall　have　better　chances　than　we　had。　We　are　living　for　our　children。　We　are　going　to　give　them　the　best　education　our　money　can　buy。〃

Then；　forgetful　of　how　they　became　strong；　they　plan　to　take　away　from　their　children　their　birthrighttheir　opportunity　to　become　strong　and　〃prepared〃thru　struggle　and　service　and　overcoming。

Most　〃advantages〃　are　disadvantages。　Giving　a　child　a　chance　generally　means　getting　out　of　his　way。　Many　an　orphan　can　be　grateful　that　he　was　jolted　from　his　life…preserver　and　cruelly　forced　to　sink　or　swim。　Thus　he　learned　to　swim。

〃We　are　going　to　give　our　children　the　best　education　our　money　can　buy。〃

They　think　they　can　buy　an　educationbuy　wisdom；　strength　and　understanding；　and　give　it　to　them　C。　O。　D！　They　seem　to　think　they　will　buy　any　brand　they　seebuy　the　home　brand　of　education；　or　else　send　off　to　New　York　or　Paris　or　to　〃Sears　Roebuck；〃　and　get　a　bucketful　or　a　tankful　of　education。　If　they　are　rich　enough；　maybe　they　will　have　a　private　pipeline　of　education　laid　to　their　home。　They　are　going　to　force　this　education　into　them　regularly　until　they　get　them　full　of　education。　They　are　going　to　get　them　fully　inflated　with　education！

Toll　the　bell！　There's　going　to　be　a　〃blow　out。〃　Those　inflated　children　are　going　to　have　to　run　on　〃flat　tires。〃

Father　and　mother　cannot　buy　their　children　education。　All　they　can　do　is　to　buy　them　some　tools；　perhaps；　and　open　the　gate　and　say；　〃Sic　'em；　Tige！〃　The　children　must　get　it　themselves。

A　father　and　mother　might　as　well　say；　〃We　will　buy　our　children　the　strength　we　have　earned　in　our　arms　and　the　wisdom　we　have　acquired　in　a　life　of　struggle。〃　As　well　expect　the　athlete　to　give　them　his　physical　development　he　has　earned　in　years　of　exercise。　As　well　expect　the　musician　to　give　them　the　technic　he　has　acquired　in　years　of　practice。　As　well　expect　the　scholar　to　give　them　the　ability　to　think　he　has　developed　in　years　of　study。　As　well　expect　Moses　to　give　them　his　spiritual　understanding　acquired　in　a　long　life　of　prayer。

They　can　show　the　children　the　way；　but　each　child　must　make　the　journey。

Here　is　a　typical　case。




The　Story　of　〃Gussie〃


There　was　a　factory　town　back　East。　Not　a　pretty　town；　but　just　a　great；　dirty　mill　and　a　lot　of　little　dirty　houses　around　the　mill。　The　hands　lived　in　the　little　dirty　houses　and　worked　six　days　of　the　week　in　the　big　mill。

There　was　a　little；　old　man　who　went　about　that　mill；　often　saying；　〃I　hain't　got　no　book　l'arnin'　like　the　rest　of　you。〃　He　was　the　man　who　owned　the　mill。　He　had　made　it　with　his　own　genius　out　of　nothing。　He　had　become　rich　and　honored。　Every　man　in　the　mill　loved　him　like　a　father。

He　had　an　idolatry　for　a　book。

He　also　had　a　little　pink　son；　whose　name　was　F。　Gustavus　Adolphus。　The　little　old　man　often　said；　〃I'm　going　to　give　that　boy　the　best　education　my　money　can　buy。〃

He　began　to　buy　it。　He　began　to　polish　and　sandpaper　Gussie　from　the　minute　the　child　could　sit　up　in　the　cradle　and　notice　things。　He　sent　him　to　the　astrologer；　the　phrenologer　and　all　other　〃ologers〃　they　had　around　there。　When　Gussie　was　old　enough　to　export；　he　sent　the　boy　to　one　of　the　greatest　universities　in　the　land。　The　fault　was　not　with　the　university；　not　with　Gussie；　who　was　bright　and　capable。

The　fault　was　with　the　little　old　man；　who　was　so　wise　and　great　about　everything　else；　and　so　foolish　about　his　own　boy。　In　the　blindness　of　his　love　he　robbed　his　boy　of　his　birthright。

The　birthright　of　every　child　is　the　opportunity　of　becoming　greatof　going　upof　getting　educated。

Gussie　had　no　chance　to　serve。　Everything　was　handed　to　him　on　a　silver　platter。　Gussie　went　thru　that　university　about　like　a　steer　from　Texas　goes　thru　Mr。　Armour's　institute　of　packnology　in　Chicago。　Did　you　ever　go　over　into　Packingtown　and　see　a　steer　receive　his　education？

You　remember；　then；　that　after　he　matriculatesafter　he　gets　the　grand　bump；　said　steer　does　not　have　to　do　another　thing。　His　education　is　all　arranged　for　in　advance　and　he　merely　rides　thru　and　receives　it。　There　is　a　row　of　professors　with　their　sleeves　rolled　up　who　give　him　the　degrees。　So　as　Mr。　T。　Steer　of　Panhandle　goes　riding　thru　on　that　endless　cable　from　his　A…B…C's　to　his　eternal　cold　storage；　each　professor　hits　him　a　dab。　He　rides　along　from　department　to　department　until　he　is　canned。

They　〃canned〃　Gussie。　He　had　a　man　hired　to　study　for　him。　He　rode　from　department　to　department。　They　upholstered　him；　enameled　him；　manicured　him；　sugar…cured　him；　embalmed　him。　Finally　Gussie　was　done　and　the　paint　was　dry。　He　was　a　thing　of　beauty。





Gussie　and　Bill　Whackem　Gussie　came　back　home　with　his　education　in　the　baggage…car。　It　was　checked。　The　mill　shut　down　on　a　week　day；　the　first　time　in　its　history。　The　hands　marched　down　to　the　depot；　and　when　the　young　lord　alighted；　the　factory　band　played；　〃See；　the　Conquering　Hero　Comes。〃

A　few　years　later　the　mill　shut　down　again　on　a　week　day。　There　was　crape　hanging　on　the　office　door。　Men　and　women　stood　weeping　in　the　streets。　The　little　old　man　had　been　translated。

When　they　next　opened　up　the　mill；　F。　Gustavus　Adolphus　was　at　its　head。　He　had　inherited　the　entire　plant。　〃F。　Gustavus　Adolphus；　President。〃

Poor　little　peanut！　He　rattled。　He　had　never　grown　great　enough　to　fill　so　great　a　place。　In　two　years　and　seven　months　the　mill　was　a　wreck。　The　monument　of　a　father's　lifetime　was　wrecked　in　two　years　and　seven　months　by　the　boy　who　had　all　the　〃advantages。〃

So　the　mill　was　shut　down　the　third　time　on　a　week　day。　It　looked　as　tho　it　never　could　open。　But　it　did　open；　and　when　it　opened　it　had　a　new　kind　of　boss。　If　I　were　to　give　the　new　boss　a　descriptive　name；　I　would　call　him　〃Bill　Whackem。〃　He　was　an　orphan。　He　had　little　chance。　He　had　a　new　black　eye　almost　every　day。　But　he　seemed　to　fatten　on　bumps。　Every　time　he　was　bumped　he　would　swell　up。　How　fast　he　grew！　He　became　the　most　useful　man　in　the　community。　People　forgot　all　about　Bill's　lowly　origin。　They　got　to　looking　up　to　him　to　start　and　run　things。

So　when　the　courts　were　looking　for　somebody　big　enough　to　take　charge　of　the　wrecked　mill；　they　simply　had　to　appoint　Hon。　William　Whackem。　It　was　Hon。　William　Whackem　who　put　the　wreckage　together　and　made　the　wheels　go　round；　and　finally　got　the　hungry　town　back　to　work。




Colleges　Give　Us　Tools


After　that　a　good　many　people　said　it　was　the　college　that　made　a　fool　of　Gussie。　They　said　Bill　succeeded　so　well　because　he　never　went　to　one　of　〃them　highbrow　schools。〃　I　am　sorry　to　say　I　thought　that　way　for　a　good　while。

But　now　I　see　that　Bill　went　up　in　spite　of　his　handicaps。　If　he　had　had　Gussie's　fine　equipment　he　might　have　accomplished　vastly　more。

The　book　and　the　college　suffer　at　the　hands　of　their　friends。　They　say　to　the　book　and　the　college；　〃Give　us　an　education。〃　They　cannot　do　that。　You　cannot　get　an　education　from　the　book　and　the　college　any　more　than　you　can　get　to　New　York　by　reading　a　travelers'　guide。　You　cannot　get　physical　education　by　reading　a　book　on　gymnastics。

The　book　and　the　college　show　you　the　way；　give　you　instruction　and　furnish　you