the university of hard knocks-第21节

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uth。

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　floodsall　these　pour　into　the　Mississippi。

Day　by　day　the　Father　of　Waters　goes　on　south；　taking　them　over　and　purifying　them　and　making　them　a　part　of　himself。　Nothing　can　discourage；　divert　nor　defile　him。　No　matter　how　poisonous　he　becomes；　he　goes　a　few　miles　on　south　and　he　is　all　pure　again。





Wonderful　the　book　in　the　running　brook！　We　let　our　life　stream　become　poisoned　by　bitter　memories　and　bitter　regrets。　We　carry　along　such　a　heart　full　of　the　injuries　that　other　people　have　done　us；　that　sometimes　we　are　bank　to　bank　full　of　poison　and　a　menace　to　those　around　us。　We　say；　〃I　can　forgive；　but　I　cannot　forget。〃

Oh；　forget　it！　Drop　it　all。　Purify　your　life　and　go　on　south　all　sweet　again。　We　forget　what　we　ought　to　remember　and　remember　what　we　ought　to　forget。　We　need　schools　of　memory；　but　we　need　schools　of　forgettery；　even　more。

As　you　go　on　south　and　bless　your　valley；　do　you　notice　the　valley　does　not　bless　you　very　much？　Have　you　sadly　noted　that　the　people　you　help　the　most　often　are　the　least　grateful　in　return？

Don't　wait　to　be　thanked。　Hurry　on　to　avoid　the　kick！　Do　good　to　others　because　that　is　the　way　to　be　happy；　but　do　not　wait　for　a　receipt　for　your　goodness；　you　will　need　a　poultice　every　time　you　wait。　I　know；　for　I　have　waited！





We　get　so　discouraged。　We　say；　〃I　have　gone　far　enough　south。〃　There　is　nobody　who　does　not　have　that　to　meet。　The　preacher；　the　teacher；　the　editor；　the　man　in　office；　the　business　man；　the　father　and　motherevery　one　who　tries　to　carry　on　the　work　of　the　church；　the　school；　the　lyceum　and　chautauqua；　the　work　that　makes　for　a　better　community；　gets　discouraged　at　times。

We　fail　to　see　what　we　are　doing　or　why　we　are　doing　it。　Sometimes　we　sit　down　completely　discouraged　and　say；　〃I'm　done。　I'm　going　to　quit。　I　have　done　my　share。　Nobody　appreciates　what　I　do。　Let　somebody　else　do　it　awhile。〃

Stop！　You　are　not　saying　that。　The　evil　one　is　whispering　that　into　your　heart。　His　business　is　to　stop　you　from　going　south。　His　most　successful　tool　is　discouragement；　which　is　a　wedge；　and　if　he　can　get　the　sharp　edge　started　into　your　thought；　he　is　going　to　drive　it　deeper。

You　do　not　go　south　and　overcome　your　obstacles　and　bless　the　valley　for　praise　or　blame；　for　appreciation　or　lack　of　it。　You　do　it　to　live。　You　do　it　to　remain　a　living　river　and　not　a　stagnant；　unhappy　pond　or　swamp。

YOU　ARE　SAVING　YOURSELF　BY　SAVING　OTHERS。　GO　ON　SOUTH！





Almost　everybody　is　deceived。　We　work　from　mixed　motives。　We　fool　ourselves　that　we　are　working　to　do　good；　when　as　we　do　the　good；　if　we　are　not　praised　or　thanked　for　it；　if　people　do　not　present　us　a　medal　or　resolutions；　we　want　to　quit。　That　is　why　there　are　so　many　disappointed　and　disgruntled　people　in　the　world。　They　worked　for　outside　thanks　instead　of　inside　thanks。　They　were　trying　to　be　personal　saviours。　They　say　this　is　an　ungrateful　world。

O；　how　easy　it　is　to　say　these　things；　and　how　hard　it　is　to　do　them！




Reaching　the　Gulf


But　because　the　Mississippi　does　these　things；　one　day　the　train　I　was　riding　stopped　in　Louisiana。　We　had　come　to　a　river　so　great　science　has　not　yet　been　able　to　put　a　bridge　across　it。

I　watched　them　pile　the　steel　train　upon　a　ferry…boat。　I　watched　the　boat　crossing　a　river　more　than　a　mile　wide。　Standing　upon　the　ferry…boat；　I　could　look　down　into　the　lordly　river　and　then　far　north　perhaps　fifteen　hundred　miles　to　the　little　struggling　streamlet　starting　southward　thru　the　forests　of　Minnesota；　there　writing　the　first　chapter　of　this　wonderful　book　in　the　running　brook。

I　thank　God　that　I　had　gone　a　little　farther　southward　in　my　own　life。　Father　of　Waters；　you　have　fought　a　good　fight。　You　are　conquering　gloriously。　You　bear　upon　your　bosom　the　commerce　of　many　nations。　I　know　why。　I　saw　you　born；　saw　your　struggles；　saw　you　get　in　the　right　channel；　saw　you　learn　the　lessons　of　your　knocks；　and　saw　that　you　never　stopped　going　southward。

And　may　we　read　it　into　our　own　lives。　May　we　get　the　vision　of　which　way　to　go；　and　then　keep　on　going　southon　and　on；　overcoming；　getting　the　lessons　of　the　bumps；　the　strength　from　the　struggle　and　thus　making　it　a　part　of　ourselves；　and　thus　growing　greater。




Go　on　South　Forever！


Where　shall　we　stop　going　south？　At　the　Gulf　of　Mexico？

The　Mississippi　knows　nothing　about　the　gulf。　He　goes　on　south　until　he　reaches　the　gulf。　Then　he　pushes　right　on　into　the　gulf　as　tho　nothing　had　happened。　So　he　pushes　his　physical　banks　on　south　many　miles　right　out　into　the　gulf。

And　when　he　comes　to　the　end　of　his　physical　banks；　he　pushes　on　south　into　the　gulf；　and　goes　on　south　round　and　round　the　globe。

When　you　and　I　come　to　our　Gulf　of　Mexico；　we　must　push　right　on　south。　So　we　push　our　physical　banks　years　farther　into　the　gulf。　And　when　physical　banks　fail；　we　go　on　south　beyond　this　mere　husk；　into　the　great　Gulf　of　the　Beyond；　to　go　on　south　unfolding　thru　eternity。

WE　NEVER　STOP　GOING　SOUTH。



Chapter　X

Going　Up　Life's　Mountain

The　Defeats　that　are　Victories

HOW　often　we　say；　〃I