the university of hard knocks-第23章

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I　would　watch　them　thru　the　key…hole。　It　was　going　so　fast。　There　was　only　one　piece　of　chicken　left。　It　was　the　neck。　O；　Lord；　spare　the　neck！　And　I　would　hear　them　say；　〃Elder　Berry；　may　we　help　you　to　another　piece　of　the　chicken？〃

And　Elder　Berry　would　take　the　neck！

Many　a　time　after　that；　Elder　Berry　would　come　into　the　room　where　I　was　starving。　He　would　say；　〃Brother　Parlette；　is　this　your　boy？〃　He　would　come　over　to　the　remains　of　Brother　Parlette's　boy。　He　would　often　put　his　hand　in　benediction　upon　my　head。

My　head　was　not　the　place　that　needed　the　benediction。

He　would　say；　〃My　boy；　I　want　you　to　have　a　good　time　now。〃　Now！　When　all　the　chicken　was　gone　and　he　had　taken　the　neck！　〃My　boy；　you　are　seeing　the　best　days　of　your　life　right　now　as　a　child。〃

The　dear　old　liar！　I　was　seeing　the　worst　days　of　my　life。　If　there　is　anybody　shortchangedif　there　is　anybody　who　doesn't　have　a　good　time；　it's　a　child。　Life　has　been　getting　better　ever　since；　and　today　is　the　best　day　of　all。　Go　on　south！




It's　Better　on　South


Seeing　your　best　days　as　a　child？　No！　You　are　seeing　your　worst　days。　Of　course；　you　can　be　happy　as　a　child。　A　boy　can　be　happy　with　fuzz　on　his　upper　lip；　but　he'll　be　happier　when　his　lip　feels　more　like　mine　like　a　piece　of　sandpaper。　There　are　chapters　of　happiness　undreamed　of　in　his　philosophy。

A　child　can　be　full　of　happiness　and　only　hold　a　pint。　But　afterwhile　the　same　child　will　hold　a　quart。

I　think　I　hold　a　gallon　now。　And　I　see　people　in　the　audience　who　must　hold　a　barrel！　Go　on　south。　Of　course；　I　do　not　mean　circumference。　But　every　year　we　go　south　increases　our　capacity　for　joy。　Our　life　is　one　continual　unfolding　as　we　go　south。　Afterwhile　this　old　world　gets　too　small　for　us　and　we　go　on　south　into　a　larger　one。

So　we　cannot　grow　old。　Our　life　never　stops。　It　goes　on　and　on　forever。　Anything　that　does　not　stop　cannot　grow　old　or　have　age。　Material　things　will　grow　old。　This　stage　will　grow　old　and　stop。　This　hall　will　grow　old　and　stop。　This　house　we　live　in　will　grow　old　and　stop。　This　flesh　and　blood　house　we　live　in　will　grow　old　and　stop。　This　lecture　even　will　grow　oldand　stop！　But　you　and　I　will　never　grow　old；　for　God　cannot　grow　old。　You　and　I　will　go　on　living　as　long　as　God　lives。

I　am　not　worried　today　over　what　I　do　not　know。　I　used　to　be　worried。　I　used　to　say；　〃I　have　not　time　to　answer　you　now！〃　But　today　it　is　such　a　relief　to　look　people　in　the　face　and　say；　〃I　do　not　know。〃

And　I　have　to　say　that　to　many　questions；　〃I　do　not　know。〃　I　often　think　if　people　in　an　audience　only　knew　how　little　I　know；　they　would　not　stay　to　hear　me。

But　some　day　I　shall　know！　I　patiently　wait　for　the　answer。　Every　day　brings　the　answer　to　something　I　could　not　answer　yesterday。

It　will　take　an　eternity　to　know　an　infinity！

What　a　wonderful　happiness　to　go　on　south　to　it！




Overcoming　Obstacles　Develops　Power


As　the　Mississippi　River　goes　on　south　he　finds　obstacles　along　the　way。　You　and　I　find　obstacles　along　our　way　south。　What　shall　we　do？

Go　to　Keokuk；　Iowa；　for　your　answer。

They　have　built　a　great　concrete　obstacle　clear　across　the　path　of　the　river。　It　is　many　feet　high；　and　many；　many　feet　long。　The　river　cannot　go　on　south。　Watch　him。　He　rises　higher　than　the　obstacle　and　sweeps　over　it　on　south。

Over　the　great　power　dam　at　Keokuk　sweeps　the　Mississippi。　And　then　you　see　the　struggle　of　overcoming　the　obstacle　develops　light　and　power　to　vitalize　the　valley。　A　hundred　towns　and　cities　radiate　the　light　and　power　from　the　struggle。　The　great　city　of　St。　Louis；　many　miles　away；　throbs　with　the　victory。

So　that　is　why　they　spent　the　millions　to　build　the　obstacleto　get　the　light　and　the　power。　The　light　and　the　power　were　latent　in　the　river；　but　it　took　the　obstacle　and　the　overcoming　to　develop　it　and　make　it　useful。

That　is　exactly　what　happens　when　you　and　I　overcome　our　obstacles。　We　develop　our　light　and　power。　We　are　rivers　of　light　and　power；　but　it　is　all　latent　and　does　no　good　until　we　overcome　obstacles　as　we　go　on　south。

Obstacles　are　the　power　stations　on　our　way　south！

And　where　the　most　obstacles　are；　there　you　find　the　most　power　to　be　developed。　So　many　of　us　do　not　understand　that。　We　look　southward　and　we　see　the　obstacles　in　the　road。　〃I　am　so　unfortunate。　I　could　do　these　great　things；　but　alas！　I　have　so　many　obstacles　in　the　way。〃

Thank　God！　You　are　blessed　of　Providence。　They　do　not　waste　the　obstacles。　The　presence　of　the　obstacles　means　that　there　is　a　lot　of　light　and　power　in　you　to　be　developed。　If　you　see　no　obstacles；　you　are　confessing　to　blindness。

I　hear　people　saying；　〃I　hope　the　time　may　speedily　come　when　I　shall　have　no　more　obstacles　to　overcome！〃　When　that　time　comes；　ring　up　the　hearse；　for　you　will　be　a　〃dead　one。〃





Life　is　going　on　south；　and　overcoming　the　obstacles。　Death　is　merely　quitting。

The　fact　that　we　are　not　buried　is　no　proof　that　we　are　alive。　Go　along　the　street　in　almost　any　town　and　see　the　dead　ones。　There　they　are　decorating　the　hitching…racks　and　festooning　the　storeboxes。　There　they　are　blocking　traffic　at　the　postoffice　and　depot。　There　they　are　in　the　hotel　warming　the　chairs　and　making　the　guests　stand　up。　There　they　arerows　of　retired　farmers　who　have　quit　work　and　moved　to　town　to　block　improvements　and　die。　But　they　will　never　need　anything　more　than　burying。

For　they　are　dead　from　the　ears　up。　They　have　not　thought　a　new　thought　the　past　month。　Sometimes　they　sit　and　think；　but　generally　they　just　sit。　They　have　not　gone　south　an　inch　the　past　year。

Usually　the　deadest　loafer　is　married　to　the　livest　woman。　Nature　tries　to　maintain　an　equilibrium。

They　block　the　wheels　of　progress　and　get　in　the　way　of　the　people　trying　to　go　on　south。　They　say　of　the　people　trying　to　do　things。　〃Aw；　he's　always　tryin'　to　run　things。〃

They　do　not　join　in　to　promote　the　churches　and　schools　and　big　brother　movements。　They　growl　at　the　lyceum　courses　and　chautauquas；　because　they　〃take　money　outa　town。〃　They　do　not　take　any　of　their　money　〃outa　town。〃　Ringling　and　Barnum　&　Bailey　get　theirs。

I　do　not　smile　as　I　refer　to　the　dead。　I　weep。　I　wish　I　could　squirt　some　〃pep〃　into　them　and　start　them　on　south。

But　all　this　lecture　has　been　discussing　this；　so　I　hurry　on　to　the　last　glimpse　of　the　book　in　the　running　brook。




Go　on　South　From　Principle


Here　we　come　to　the　most　wonderful　and　difficult　thing　in　life。　It　is　the　supreme　test　of　character。　That　is；　Why　go　on　south？　Not　for　blessing　nor　cursing；　not　for　popularity　nor　for　selfish　ends；　not　for　anything　outside；　but　for　the　happiness　that　comes　from　within。

The　Mississippi　blesses　the　valley　every　day　as　he　goes　on　south　and　overcomes。　But　the　valley　does　not　bless　the　river　in　return。　The　valley　throws　its　junk　back　upon　the　river。　The　valley　pours　its　foul；　muddy；　poisonous　streams　back　upon　the　Mississippi　to　defile　him。　The　Mississippi　makes　St。　Paul　and　Minneapolis　about　all　the　prosperity　they　have；　gives　them　power　to　turn　their　mills。　But　the　Twin　Cities　merely　throw　their　waste　back　upon　their　benefactor。

The　Mississippi　does　not　resign。　He　does　not　tell　a　tale　of　woe。　He　does　not　say；　〃I　am　not　appreciated。　My　genius　is　not　understood。　I　am　not　going　a　step　farther　south。　I　am　going　right　back　to　Lake　Itasca。〃　No；　he　does　not　even　go　to　live　with　his　father…in…law。

He　says；　〃Thank　you。　Every　little　helps；　send　it　all　along。〃　Go　a　few　miles　below　the　Twin　Cities　and　see　how；　by　some　mysterious　alchemy　of　Nature；　the　Mississippi　has　taken　over　all　the　poison　and　the　defilement；　he　has　purified　it　and　clarified　it；　and　has　made　it　a　part　of　himself。　And　he　is　greater　and　farther　south！

He　fattens　upon　bumps。　Kick　him；　and　you　push　him　farther　south。　〃Hand　him　a　lemon；〃　and　he　makes　lemonade。

Civilization　conspires　to　defeat　the　Mississippi。　Chicago's　drainage　canal　pollutes　him。　The　flat；　lazy　Platte；　three　miles　wide　and　three　inches　deep；　the　peevish；　destructive　Kaw；　and　all　those　streams　that　unite　to　form　the　treacherous；　sinful；　irresponsible　lower　Missouri；　the　big；　muddy　Ohio；　the　Arkansas；　the　Red；　the　black　and　the　blue　fl