the university of hard knocks-第20章

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Had　Ben　Hur　never　pulled　on　the　oar；　he　never　could　have　won　the　chariot　race。

Sooner　or　later　you　and　I　are　to　learn　that　Providence　makes　no　mistakes　in　the　bookkeeping。　As　we　pull　on　the　oar；　so　often　lashed　by　grim　necessity；　every　honest　effort　is　laid　up　at　compound　interest　in　the　bank　account　of　strength。　Sooner　or　later　the　time　comes　when　we　need　every　ounce。　Sooner　or　later　our　chariot　race　is　onwhen　we　win　the　victory；　strike　the　deciding　blow；　stand　while　those　around　us　falland　it　is　won　with　the　forearms　earned　in　the　galleys　of　life　by　pulling　on　the　oar。





That　is　why　I　thanked　God　as　I　stood　at　the　grave　of　my　classmate。　I　thanked　God　for　parents　who　believed　in　the　gospel　of　struggle；　and　for　the　circumstances　that　compelled　it。

I　am　not　an　example　of　success。

But　I　am　a　very　grateful　pupil　in　the　first　reader　class　of　The　University　of　Hard　Knocks。



Chapter　IX

Go　On　South！

The　Book　in　the　Running　Brook

THERE　is　a　little　silvery　sheet　of　water　in　Minnesota　called　Lake　Itasca。　There　is　a　place　where　a　little　stream　leaps　out　from　the　lake。

〃Ole！〃　you　will　exclaim；　〃the　lake　is　leaking。　What　is　the　name　of　this　little　creek？〃

〃Creek！　It　bane　no　creek。　It　bane　Mississippi　river。〃

So　even　the　Father　of　Waters　has　to　begin　as　a　creek。　We　are　at　the　cradle　where　the　baby　river　leaps　forth。　We　all　start　about　alike。　It　wabbles　around　thru　the　woods　of　Minnesota。　It　doesn't　know　where　it　is　going；　but　it　is　〃on　the　way。〃

It　keeps　wabbling　around；　never　giving　up　and　quitting；　and　it　gets　to　the　place　where　all　of　us　get　sooner　or　later。　The　place　where　Paul　came　on　the　road　to　Damascus。　The　place　of　the　〃heavenly　vision。〃

It　is　the　place　where　gravity　says；　〃Little　Mississippi；　do　you　want　to　grow？　Then　you　will　have　to　go　south。〃

The　little　Mississippi　starts　south。　He　says　to　the　people；　〃Goodbye；　folks；　I　am　going　south。〃　The　folks　at　Itascaville　say；　〃Why；　Mississippi；　you　are　foolish。　You　hain't　got　water　enough　to　get　out　of　the　county。〃　That　is　a　fact；　but　he　is　not　trying　to　get　out　of　the　county。　The　Mississippi　is　only　trying　to　go　south。

The　Mississippi　knows　nothing　about　the　Gulf　of　Mexico。　He　does　not　know　that　he　has　to　go　hundreds　of　miles　south。　He　is　only　trying　to　go　south。　He　has　not　much　water；　but　he　does　not　wait　for　a　relative　to　die　and　bequeath　him　some　water。　That　is　a　beautiful　thought！　He　has　water　enough　to　start　south；　and　he　does　that。

He　goes　a　foot　south；　then　another　foot　south。　He　goes　a　mile　south。　He　picks　up　a　little　stream　and　he　has　some　more　water。　He　goes　on　south。　He　picks　up　another　stream　and　grows　some　more。　Day　by　day　he　picks　up　streamlets；　brooklets；　rivulets。　Business　is　picking　up！　He　grows　as　he　flows。　Poetry！

My　friends；　here　is　one　of　the　best　pictures　I　can　find　in　nature　of　what　it　seems　to　me　our　lives　should　be。　I　hear　a　great　many　orations；　especially　in　high　school　commencements；　entitled；　〃The　Value　of　a　Goal　in　Life。〃　But　the　direction　is　vastly　more　important　than　the　goal。　Find　the　way　your　life　should　go；　and　then　go　and　keep　on　going　and　you'll　reach　a　thousand　goals。

We　do　not　have　to　figure　out　how　far　we　have　to　go；　nor　how　many　supplies　we　will　need　along　the　way。　All　we　have　to　do　is　to　start　and　we　will　find　the　resources　all　along　the　way。　We　will　grow　as　we　flow。　All　of　us　can　start！　And　then　go　on　south！

Success　is　not　tomorrow　or　next　year。　Success　is　now。　Success　is　not　at　the　end　of　the　journey；　for　there　is　no　end。　Success　is　every　day　in　flowing　and　growing。　The　Mississippi　is　a　success　in　Minnesota　as　well　as　on　south。

You　and　I　sooner　or　later　hear　the　call；　〃Go　on　south。〃　If　we　haven't　heard　it；　let　us　keep　our　ear　to　the　receiver　and　live　a　more　natural　life；　so　that　we　can　hear　the　call。　We　are　all　called。　It　is　a　divine　callthe　call　of　our　unfolding　talents　to　be　used。

Remember；　the　Mississippi　goes　south。　If　he　had　gone　any　other　direction　he　would　never　have　been　heard　of。





Three　wonderful　things　develop　as　the　Mississippi　goes　on　south。

1。　He　keeps　on　going　on　south　and　growing　greater。

2。　He　overcomes　his　obstacles　and　develops　his　power。

3。　He　blesses　the　valley；　but　the　valley　does　not　bless　him。




Go　On　South　and　Grow　Greater


You　never　meet　the　Mississippi　after　he　starts　south；　but　what　he　is　going　on　south　and　growing　greater。　You　never　meet　him　but　what　he　says；　〃Excuse　me；　but　I　must　go　on　south。〃

The　Mississippi　gets　to　St。　Paul　and　Minneapolis。　He　is　a　great　river　nowthe　most　successful　river　in　the　state。　But　he　does　not　retire　upon　his　laurels。　He　goes　on　south　and　grows　greater。　He　goes　on　south　to　St。　Louis。　He　is　a　wonderful　river　now。　But　he　does　not　stop。　He　goes　on　south　and　grows　greater。

Everywhere　you　meet　him　he　is　going　on　south　and　growing　greater。

Do　you　know　why　the　Mississippi　goes　on　south？　To　continue　to　be　the　Mississippi。　If　he　should　stop　and　stagnate；　he　would　not　be　the　Mississippi；　river。　he　would　become　a　stagnant；　poisonous　pond。

As　long　as　people　keep　on　going　south；　they　keep　on　living。　When　they　stop　and　stagnate；　they　die。

That　is　why　I　am　making　it　the　slogan　of　my　lifeGO　ON　SOUTH　AND　GROW　GREATER！　I　hope　I　can　make　you　remember　that　and　say　it　over　each　day。　I　wish　I　could　write　it　over　the　pulpits；　over　the　schoolrooms；　over　the　business　houses　and　homesGO　ON　SOUTH　AND　GROW　GREATER。　For　this　is　life；　and　there　is　no　other。　This　is　educationand　religion。　And　the　only　business　of　life。

You　and　I　start　well。　We　go　on　south　a　little　ways；　and　then　we　retire。　Even　young　people　as　they　start　south　and　make　some　little　knee…pants　achievement；　some　kindergarten　touchdown；　succumb　to　their　press　notices。　Their　friends　crowd　around　them　to　congratulate　them。　〃I　must　congratulate　you　upon　your　success。　You　have　arrived。〃

So　many　of　those　young　goslings　believe　that。　They　quit　and　get　canned。　They　think　they　have　gotten　to　the　Gulf　of　Mexico　when　they　have　not　gotten　out　of　the　woods　of　Minnesota。　Go　on　south！

We　can　protect　ourselves　fairly　well　from　our　enemies；　but　heaven　deliver　us　from　our　fool　friends。

Success　is　so　hard　to　endure。　We　can　endure　ten　defeats　better　than　one　victory。　Success　goes　to　the　head　and　defeat　goes　to　〃de　feet。〃　It　makes　them　work　harder。




The　Plague　of　Incompetents


Civilization　is　mostly　a　conspiracy　to　keep　us　from　going　very　far　south。

The　one　who　keeps　on　going　south　defies　custom　and　becomes　unorthodox。

But　contentment　with　present　achievement　is　the　damnation　of　the　race。

The　mass　of　the　human　family　never　go　on　south　far　enough　to　become　good　servants；　workmen　or　artists。　The　young　people　get　a　smattering　and　squeeze　into　the　bottom　position　and　never　go　on　south　to　efficiency　and　promotion。　They　wonder　why　their　genius　is　not　recognized。　They　do　not　make　it　visible。

Nine　out　of　ten　stenographers　who　apply　for　positions　can　write　a　few　shorthand　characters　and　irritate　a　typewriter　keyboard。　They　think　that　is　being　a　stenographer；　when　it　is　merely　a　symptom　of　a　stenographer。　They　mangle　the　language；　grammar；　spelling；　capitalization　and　punctuation。　Their　eyes　are　on　the　clock；　their　minds　on　the　movies。

Nine　out　of　ten　workmen　cannot　be　trusted　to　do　what　they　advertise　to　do；　because　they　have　never　gone　south　far　enough　to　become　efficient。　Many　a　professional　man　is　in　the　same　class。

Half　of　our　life　is　spent　in　getting　competents　to　repair　the　botchwork　of　incompetents。

No　matter　how　well　equipped　you　are；　you　are　never　safe　in　your　job　if　you　are　contented　to　do　today　just　what　you　did　yesterday。　Contented　to　think　today　what　you　thought　yesterday。

You　must　go　on　south　to　be　safe。

I　used　to　know　a　violinist　who　would　say；　〃If　I　were　not　a　genius；　I　could　not　play　so　well　with　such　little　practice。〃　The　poor　fellow　did　not　know　how　poor　a　fiddler　he　really　was。　Well　did　Strickland　Gillilan；　America's　great　poet…humorist；　say；　〃Egotism　is　the　opiate　that　Nature　administers　to　deaden　the　pains　of　mediocrity。




This　Is　Our　Best　Day


Just　because　our　hair　gets　frosty　or　begins　to　rub　off　in　spots；　we　are　so　prone　to　say；　〃I　am　aging　rapidly。〃　It　pays　to　advertise。　We　always　get　resu