the university of hard knocks-第20节

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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　south　to　the　greater　things；　and　get　so　enthused　and　absorbed　in　our　going　that　we'll　fool　the　〃committee。〃





All　the　multitudes　of　the　Children　of　Israel　died　in　the　Wilderness。　They　were　afraid　to　go　on　south。　Only　two　of　them　went　on　south　Joshua　and　Caleb。　They　put　the　giants　out　of　business。

The　Indians　once　owned　America。　But　they　failed　to　go　on　south。　So　another　crop　of　Americans　came　into　the　limelight。　If　we　modern　Americans　do　not　go　on　south　we　will　join　the　Indians；　the　auk　and　the　dodo。




The　〃Sob　Squad〃


I　am　so　sorry　for　the　folks　who　quit；　retire；　〃get　on　the　shelf〃　or　live　on　〃borrowed　time。〃

They　generally　join　the　〃sob　squad。〃

They　generally　discover　the　world　is　〃going　to　the　dogs。〃　They　cry　on　my　shoulder；　no　matter　how　good　clothes　I　wear。

They　tell　me　nobody　uses　them　right。　The　person　going　on　south　has　not　time　to　look　back　and　see　how　anybody　uses　him。

They　say　nobody　loves　them。　Which　is　often　a　fact。　Nobody　loves　the　clock　that　runs　down。

They　say；　〃Only　a　few　more　days　of　trouble；　only　a　few　more　tribulations；　and　I'll　be　in　that　bright　and　happy　land。〃　What　will　they　do　with　them　when　they　get　them　there？　They　would　be　dill　pickles　in　the　heavenly　preserve…jar。

They　say；　〃I　wish　I　were　a　child　again。　I　was　happy　when　I　was　a　child　and　I'm　not　happy　now。　Them　was　the　best　days　of　my　life　childhood's　palmy　days。〃

Wake　up！　Your　clock　has　run　down。　Anybody　who　wants　to　be　a　child　again　is　confessing　he　has　lost　his　memory。　Anybody　who　can　remember　the　horrors　of　childhood　could　not　be　hired　to　live　it　over　again。

If　there　is　anybody　who　does　not　have　a　good　time；　if　there　is　anybody　who　gets　shortchanged　regularly；　it　is　a　child。　I　am　so　sorry　for　a　child。　Hurry　up　and　go　on　south。　It　is　better　on　south。




Waiting　till　the　〃Second　Table〃


I　wish　I　could　forget　many　of　my　childhood　memories。　I　remember　the　palmy　days。　And　the　palm！

I　often　wonder　how　I　ever　lived　thru　my　childhood。　I　would　not　take　my　chances　living　it　thru　again。　I　am　not　ungrateful　to　my　parents。　I　had　advantages。　I　was　born　in　a　parsonage　and　was　reared　in　the　nurture　and　admiration　of　the　Lord。　I　am　not　just　sure　I　quoted　that　correctly；　but　I　know　I　was　reared　in　a　parsonage。　About　all　I　inherited　was　a　Godly　example　and　a　large　appetite。　That　was　about　all　there　was　to　inherit。　I　cannot　remember　when　I　was　not　hungry。　I　used　to　go　around　feeling　like　the　Mammoth　Cave；　never　thoroly　explored。

I　never　sit　down　as　〃company〃　at　a　dinner　and　see　some　little　children　going　sadly　into　the　next　room　to　〃wait　till　the　second　table〃　that　my　heart　does　not　go　out　to　them。　I　remember　when　I　did　that。

I　can　only　remember　about　four　big　meals　in　a　year。　That　was　〃quart'ly　meeting　day。〃　We　always　had　a　big　dinner　on　〃quart'ly　meeting　day。〃　Elder　Berry　would　stay　for　dinner。　His　name　was　Berry；　but　being　〃presiding　elder；〃　we　called　him　Elder　Berry。

Elder　Berry　always　stayed　for　dinner。　He　was　one　of　the　easiest　men　to　get　to　stay　for　dinner　I　ever　saw。

Mother　would　stay　home　from　〃quart'ly　meeting〃　to　get　the　big　dinner　ready。　She　would　cook　up　about　all　the　〃brethren〃　brought　in　at　the　last　donation。　We　had　one　of　those　stretchable　tables；　and　mother　would　stretch　it　clear　across　the　room　and　put　on　two　table…cloths。　She　would　lap　them　over　in　the　middle；　where　the　hole　was。

I　would　watch　her　get　the　big　dinner　ready。　I　would　look　over　the　long　table　and　view　the　〃promised　land。〃　I　would　see　her　set　on　the　jelly。　We　had　so　much　jellyred　jelly；　and　white　jelly；　and　blue　jelly。　I　don't　just　remember　if　they　had　blue　jelly；　but　if　they　had　it　we　had　it　on　that　table。　All　the　jelly　that　ever　〃jelled〃　was　represented。　I　didn't　know　we　had　so　much　jelly　till　〃quart'ly　meeting〃　day。　I　would　watch　the　jelly　tremble。　Did　you　ever　see　jelly　tremble？　I　used　to　think　it　ought　to　tremble；　for　Elder　Berry　was　coming　for　dinner。

I　would　see　mother　put　on　the　tallest　pile　of　mashed　potatoes　you　ever　saw。　She　would　make　a　hollow　in　the　top　and　fill　it　with　butter。　I　would　see　the　butter　melt　and　run　down　the　sides；　and　I　would　say；　〃Hurry；　mother；　it　is　going　to　spill！〃　O；　how　I　wanted　to　spill　it！　I　could　hardly　hold　out　faithful。

And　then　Elder　Berry　would　sit　down　at　the　table；　at　the　end　nearest　the　fried　chicken。　The　〃company〃　would　sit　down。　I　used　to　wonder　why　we　never　could　have　a　big　dinner　but　what　a　lot　of　〃company〃　had　to　come　and　gobble　it　up。　They　would　fill　the　table　and　father　would　sit　down　in　the　last　seat。　There　was　no　place　for　me　to　sit。　Father　would　say；　〃You　go　into　the　next　room；　my　boy；　and　wait。　There's　no　room　for　you　at　the　table。〃

The　hungriest　one　of　that　assemblage　would　have　to　go　in　the　next　room　and　hear　the　big　dinner。　Did　you　ever　hear　a　big　dinner　when　you　felt　like　the　Mammoth　Cave？　I　used　to　think　as　I　would　sit　in　the　next　room　that　heaven　would　be　a　place　where　everybody　would　eat　at　the　first　table。

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　sout