the university of hard knocks-第19节

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sdom　of　many　years　and　the　enthusiasm　and　〃pep〃　and　courage　of　youth。

The　preacher；　the　teachereveryone　who　gets　put　on　the　retired　list；　retires　himself。　He　quits　going　on　south。

The　most　wonderful　person　in　the　world　is　the　one　who　has　lived　years　and　years　on　earth　and　has　perhaps　gotten　gray　on　the　outside；　but　has　kept　young　and　fresh　on　the　inside。　Put　that　person　in　the　pulpit；　in　the　schoolroom；　in　the　office；　behind　the　ticket…window　or　on　the　benchor　under　the　hodand　you　find　the　whole　world　going　to　that　person　for　direction；　advice；　vision；　help；　sympathy；　love。





I　am　happy　today　as　I　look　back　over　my　life。　I　have　been　trying　to　lecture　a　good　while。　I　am　almost　ashamed　to　tell　you　how　long；　for　I　ought　to　know　more　about　it　by　this　time。　But　when　anybody　says；　〃I　heard　you　lecture　twenty　years　ago　over　at〃　I　stop　him。　〃Please　don't　throw　it　up　to　me　now。　I　am　just　as　ashamed　of　it　as　you　are。　I　am　trying　to　do　better　now。〃

O；　I　want　to　forget　all　the　past；　save　its　lessons。　I　am　just　beginning　to　live。　If　anybody　wants　to　be　my　best　friend；　let　him　come　to　me　and　tell　me　how　to　improvewhat　to　do　and　what　not　to　do。　Tell　me　how　to　give　a　better　lecture。

Years　ago　a　bureau　representative　who　booked　me　told　me　my　lectures　were　good　enough。　I　told　him　I　wanted　to　get　better　lectures；　for　I　was　so　dissatisfied　with　what　little　I　knew。　He　told　me　I　could　never　get　any　better。　I　had　reached　my　limit。　Those　lectures　were　the　〃limit。〃　I　shiver　as　I　think　what　I　was　saying　then。　I　want　to　go　on　south　shivering　about　yesterday。　These　years　I　have　noticed　the　people　on　the　platform　who　were　contented　with　their　offerings；　were　not　trying　to　improve　them；　and　were　lost　in　admiration　of　what　they　were　doing；　did　not　stay　long　on　the　platform。　I　have　watched　them　come　and　go；　come　and　go。　I　have　heard　their　fierce　invectives　against　the　bureaus　and　ungrateful　audiences　that　were　〃prejudiced〃　against　them。

Birthdays　are　not　annual　affairs。　Birthdays　are　the　days　when　we　have　a　new　birth。　The　days　when　we　go　on　south　to　larger　visions。　I　wish　I　could　have　a　birthday　every　minute！

Some　people　seem　to　string　out　to　near　a　hundred　years　with　mighty　few　birthdays。　Some　people　spin　up　to　Methuselahs　in　a　few　years。

From　what　I　can　learn　of　Methuselah；　he　never　grew　past　copper…toed　boots。　He　just　hibernated　and　〃chawed　on。〃

The　more　birthdays　we　have；　the　nearer　we　approach　eternal　youth！




Bernhardt；　Davis　and　Edison


The　spectacle　of　Sarah　Bernhardt；　past　seventy；　thrilling　and　gripping　audiences　with　the　fire　and　brilliancy　of　youth；　is　inspiring。　No　obstacle　can　daunt　her。　Losing　a　leg　does　not　end　her　acting；　for　she　remains　the　〃Divine　Sarah〃　with　no　crippling　of　her　work。　She　looks　younger　than　many　women　of　half　her　years。　〃The　years　are　nothing　to　me。〃

Senator　Henry　Gassaway　Davis；　West　Virginia's　Grand　Old　Man；　at　ninety…two　was　working　as　hard　and　hopefully　as　any　man　of　the　multitudes　in　his　employ。　He　was　an　ardent　Odd　Fellow；　and　one　day　at　ninety…twojust　a　short　time　before　his　passinghe　went　out　to　the　Odd　Fellows'　Home　near　Elkins；　where　he　lived。　On　the　porch　of　the　home　was　a　row　of　old　men　inmates。　The　senator　shook　hands　with　these　men　and　one　by　one　they　rose　from　the　bench　to　return　his　hearty　greetings。

The　last　man　on　the　bench　did　not　rise。　He　helplessly　looked　up　at　the　senator　and　said；　〃Senator；　you'll　have　to　excuse　me　from　getting　up。　I'm　too　old。　When　you　get　as　old　as　I　am；　you'll　not　get　up；　either。〃

〃That's　all　right。　But；　my　man；　how　old　are　you？〃

〃Senator；　I'm　old　in　body　and　old　in　spirit。　I'm　past　sixty。〃

〃My　boy；〃　laughed　Senator　Davis；　〃I　was　an　Odd　Fellow　before　you　were　born。〃

The　senator　at　ninety…two　was　younger　than　the　man　〃past　sixty；〃　because　he　was　going　on　south。





When　I　was　a　little　boy　I　saw　them　bring　the　first　phonograph　that　Mr。　Edison　invented　into　the　meeting　at　Lakeside；　Ohio。　The　people　cheered　when　they　heard　it　talk。

You　would　laugh　at　it　today。　It　had　a　tinfoil　cylinder；　it　screeched　and　stuttered。　You　would　not　have　it　in　your　barn　today　to　play　to　your　ford！

But　the　people　said；　〃Mr。　Edison　has　succeeded。〃　There　was　one　man　who　did　not　believe　that　Mr。　Edison　had　succeeded。　His　name　was　Thomas　Alva　Edison。　He　had　gotten　to　St。　Paul；　and　he　went　on　south。　A　million　people　would　have　stopped　there　and　said；　〃I　have　arrived。〃　They　would　have　put　in　their　time　litigating　for　their　rights　with　other　people　who　would　have　gone　on　south　with　the　phonograph　idea。

Mr。　Edison　has　said　that　his　genius　is　mainly　his　ability　to　keep　on　south。　A　young　lady　succeeded　in　getting　into　his　laboratory　the　other　day；　and　she　wrote　me　that　the　great　inventor　showed　her　one　invention。　〃I　made　over　seven　thousand　experiments　and　failed　before　I　hit　upon　that。〃

〃Why　make　so　many　experiments？〃

〃I　know　more　than　seven　thousand　ways　now　that　won't　work。〃

I　doubt　if　there　are　ten　men　in　America　who　could　go　on　south　in　the　face　of　seven　thousand　failures。　Today　he　brings　forth　a　diamond…pointed　phonograph。　I　am　sure　if　we　could　bring　Mr。　Edison　to　this　platform　and　ask　him；　〃Have　you　succeeded？〃　he　would　say　what　he　has　said　to　reporters　and　what　he　said　to　the　young　lady；　〃I　have　not　succeeded。　I　am　succeeding。　All　I　have　done　only　shows　me　how　much　there　is　yet　to　do。〃

That　is　success　supreme。　Not　〃succeeded〃　but　〃succeeding。〃

What　a　difference　between　〃ed〃　and　〃ing〃！　The　difference　between　death　and　life。　Are　you　〃ed…ing〃　or　〃ing…ing〃？




Moses　Begins　at　Eighty


Moses；　the　great　Hebrew　law…giver；　was　eighty　years　old　before　he　started　south。　It　took　him　eighty　years　to　get　ready。　Moses　did　not　even　get　on　the　back　page　of　the　Egyptian　newspapers　till　he　was　eighty。　He　went　on　south　into　the　extra　editions　after　that！

If　Moses　had　retired　at　seventy…nine；　we'd　never　have　heard　of　him。　If　Moses　had　retired　to　a　checkerboard　in　the　grocery　store　or　to　pitching　horseshoes　up　the　alley　and　talking　about　〃ther　winter　of　fifty…four；〃　he　would　have　become　the　seventeenth　mummy　on　the　thirty…ninth　row　in　the　green　pickle…jar！

Imagine　Moses　living　today　amidst　the　din　of　the　high　school　orations　on　〃The　Age　of　the　Young　Man〃　and　the　Ostler　idea　that　you　are　going　down　hill　at　fifty。　Imagine　Moses　living　on　〃borrowed　time〃　when　he　becomes　the　leader　of　the　Israelite　host。

I　would　see　his　scandalized　friends　gather　around　him。　〃Moses！　Moses！　what　is　this　we　hear？　You　going　to　lead　the　Israelites　to　the　Promised　Land？　Why；　Moses；　you　are　an　old　man。　Why　don't　you　act　like　an　old　man？　You　are　liable　to　drop　off　any　minute。　Here　is　a　pair　of　slippers。　And　keep　out　of　the　night　air。　It　is　so　hard　on　old　folks。〃

I　think　I　would　hear　Moses　say；　〃No；　no；　I　am　just　beginning　to　see　what　to　do。　Watch　things　happen　from　now　on。　Children　of　Israel；　forward；　march！〃

I　see　Moses　at　eighty　starting　for　the　Wilderness　so　fast　Aaron　can　hardly　keep　up。　Moses　is　eighty…five　and　busier　and　more　enthusiastic　than　ever。　The　people　say；　〃Isn't　Moses　dead？〃　〃No。〃　〃Well；　he　ought　to　be　dead；　for　he　is　old　enough。〃

They　appoint　a　committee　to　bury　Moses。　You　cannot　do　anything　in　America　without　a　committee。　The　committee　gets　out　the　invitations　and　makes　all　the　arrangements　for　a　gorgeous　funeral　next　Thursday。　They　get　ready　the　resolutions　of　respect　〃Whereas；Whereas；Resolved；Resolved。〃

Then　I　see　the　committee　waiting　on　Moses。　That　is　what　a　committee　doesit　〃waits〃　on　something　or　other。　And　this　committee　goes　up　to　General　Moses'　private　office。　It　is　his　busy　day。　They　have　to　stand　in　line　and　wait　their　turn。　When　they　get　up　to　Moses'　desk；　the　great　prophet　says；　〃Boys；　what　is　it？　Cut　it　short；　I'm　busy。〃

The　committee　begins　to　weep。　〃General　Moses；　you　are　a　very　old　man。　You　are　eighty…five　years　old　and　full　of　honors。　We　are　the　committee　duly　authorized　to　give　you　gorgeous　burial。　The　funeral　is　to　be　next　Thursday。　Kindly　die。〃

I　see　Moses　look　over　his　appointments。　〃Next　Thursday？　Why；　boys；　every　hour　is　taken　next　Thursday。　I　simply　cannot　attend　my　funeral　next　Thursday。〃

They　cannot　bury　Moses。　He　cannot　attend。　You　cannot　bury　anybody　who　is　too　busy　to　attend　his　own　funeral！　You　cannot　bury　anybody　until　he　consents。　It　is　bad　manners！　The　committee　is　so　mortified；　for　all　the　invitations　are　out。　It　waits。

Moses　is　eighty…six　and　the　committee　'phones　over；　〃Moses；　can　you　attend　next　Thursday？〃　And　Moses　says；　〃No；　boys；　you'll　just　have　to　hold　that　funeral　until　I　get　this　work　pushed　off　so　I　can　attend　it。　I　haven't　even　time　to　think　about　getting　old。〃

The　committee　waits。　Moses　is　ninety　and　rushed　more　than　ever。　He　is　doing　ten　men's　work　and　his　friends　all　say　he　is　killing　himself。　But　he　makes　the　committee　wait。

Moses　is　ninety…five　and　burning　the　candle　at　both　ends。　He　is　a　hundred。　And　the　committee　dies！

Moses　goes　right　on　shouting；　〃Onward！〃　He　is　a　hundred　and　ten。　He　is　a　hundred　and　twenty。　Even　then　I　read；　〃His　eye　was　not　dim；　nor　his　natural　force　abated。〃　He　had　not　time　to　stop　and　abate。

So　God　buried　him。　The　committee　was　dead。　O；　friends；　this　is　not　irreverence。　It　is　joyful　reverence。　It　is　the　message　to　all　of　us；　Go　on