the university of hard knocks-第3节
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？ He 〃pussyfooted〃 it along so carefully。 He bumped his hand against a seat。 Then he did what every blind man does； he lifted his hand higher and didn't bump any more seats。
I looked down my nose。 〃Ralph Parlette；〃 I said to myself； 〃when are you going to learn to see as well as that blind man？ He learns his lesson with one bump； and you have to go bumping into the same things day after day and wonder why you have so much ‘bad luck'！〃
Are You Going Up or Down？
Let me repeat； things that go downward will run themselves。 Things that go upward have to be pushed。 Going upward is overcoming。 Notice that churches； schools； lyceums； chautauquas； reform movementsthings that go upwardnever run themselves。 They must be pushed all the time。
And so with our own lives。 Real living is conscious effort to go upward to larger life。
If you are making no effort in your life； if you are moving in the line of least resistance； depend upon it you are going downward。 Look out for the bumps！
Look over your community。 Note the handful of brave； faithful； unselfish souls who are carrying the community burdens and pushing upward。 Note the multitude making little or no effort； and even getting in the way of the pushers。
Majorities do not rule。 Majorities never have ruled。 It is the brave minority of thinking； self…sacrificing people that decides the tomorrow of communities that go upward。 Majorities are not willing to make the effort to rule themselves。 They are content to drift and be amused and follow false gods that promise something for nothing。 They must be ledsometimes drivenby minorities。
People are like sheep。 The shepherd can lead them to heavenor to hell。
Bumping the Prodigals
Human life is the story of the Prodigal Son。 We look over the fence of goodness into the mystery of the great unknown world beyond and in that unknown realm we fondly imagine is happiness。
Down the great white way of the world go the million prodigals； seeking happiness where nobody ever found happiness。 Their days fill up with disappointment； their vision becomes dulled。 They become anaemic feeding upon the husks。
They just must get their coffee…pot！
How they must be bumped to think upon their ways。 Every time we do wrong we get a Needless Knock。 Every time！ We may not always get bumped on the outside； but we always get bumped on the inside。 A bump on the conscience is worse than a bump on the 〃noodle。〃
〃I can do wrong and not get bumped。 I have no feelings upon the subject；〃 somebody says； You can？ You poor old sinner； you have bumped your conscience numb。 That is why you have no feelings on the subject。 You have pounded your soul into a jelly。 You don't know how badly you are hurt。
How the old devil works day and night to keep people amused and doped so that they will not think upon their ways！ How he keeps the music and the dazzle going so they will not see they are bumping themselves！
Consider the Sticky Flypaper
Did you ever watch a fly get his Needless Knocks on the sticky flypaper？
The last thing Mamma Fly said as Johnny went off to the city was； 〃Remember； son； to stay away from the sticky flypaper。 That is where your poor dear father was lost。〃 And Johnny Fly remembers for several minutes。 But when he sees all the smart young flies of his set go over to the flypaper； he goes over； too。 He gazes down at his face in the stickiness。 〃Ah！ how pretty I am！ This sticky flypaper shows me up better than anything at home。 What a fine place to skate。 Just see how close I can fly over it and not get stuck a bit。 Mother is such a silly old worryer。 She means all right； of course； but she isn't up…to…date。 We young set of modern flies are naturally bright and have so many more advantages。 You can't catch us。 They were too strict with me back home。〃
You see Johnny fly back and forth and have the time of his naturally bright young life。 Afterwhile； tho； he stubs his toe and lands in the stickiness。 〃Well； well； how nice this is on the feet； so soft and soothing！〃
First he puts one foot down and pulls it out。 That is a lot of fun。 It shows he is not a prisoner。 He is a strong…minded fly。 He can quit it or play in it； just as he pleases。 After while he puts two feet down in the stickiness。 It is harder to pull them out。 Then he puts three down and puts down a few more trying to pull them out。
〃Really；〃 says Johnny Fly bowing to his comrades also stuck around him； 〃really； boys； you'll have to excuse me now。 Good…bye！〃 But he doesn't pull loose。 He feels tired and he sits down in the sticky flypaper。 It is a fine place to stick around。 All his young set of flies are around him。 He does like the company。 They all feel the same waythey can play in the sticky flypaper or let it alone； just as they please； for they are strong…minded flies。 They have another drink and sing； 〃We won't go home till morning。〃
Johnny may get home； but he will leave a wing or a leg。 Most of them stay。 They just settle down into the stickiness with sleeping sickness。
The tuition in The College of Needless Knocks is very high indeed！
〃Removed〃 or 〃Knocked Out〃？
The man who goes to jail ought to congratulate himself if he is guilty。 It is the man who does not get discovered who is to be pitied； for he must get some more knocks。
The world loves to write resolutions of respect。 How often we write； 〃Whereas； it has pleased an all…wise Providence to remove；〃 when we might reasonably ask whether the victim was 〃removed〃 or merely 〃knocked out。〃
There is a good deal of suicide charged up to Providence。
Chapter III
The College of Needful Knocks
The Bumps That Bump Into Us
BUT occasionally all of us get bumps that we do not bump into。 They bump into us。 They are the guideboard knocks that point us to the higher pathway。
You were bumped yesterday or years ago。 Maybe the wound has not yet healed。 Maybe you think it never will heal。 You wondered why you were bumped。 Some of you in this audience are just now wondering why。
You were doing rightdoing just the best you knew howand yet some blow came crushing upon you and gave you cruel pain。
It broke your heart。 You have had your heart broken。 I have had my heart broken more times than I care to talk about now。 Your home was darkened； your plans were wrecked； you thought you had nothing more to live for。
I am like you。 I have had more trouble than anybody else。 I have never known anyone who had not had more trouble than anyone else。
But I am discovering that life only gets good after we have been killed a few times。 Each death is a larger birth。
We all must learn； if we have not already learned； that these blows are lessons in The College of Needful Knocks。 They point upward to a higher path than we have been traveling。
In other words； we are raw material。 You know what raw material ismaterial that needs more Needful Knocks to make it more useful and valuable。
The clothing we wear； the food we eat； the house we live in； all have to have the Needful Knocks to become useful。 And so does humanity need the same preparation for greater usefulness。
I should like to know every person in this audience。 But the ones I should most appreciate knowing are the ones who have known the most of these knockswho have faced the great crises of life and have been tried in the crucibles of affliction。 For I am learning that these lives are the gold tried in the fire。
The Sorrows of the Piano
See the piano on this stage？ Good evening； Mr。 Piano。 I am glad to see you。 You are so shiny； beautiful； valuable and full of music； if properly treated。
Do you know how you got upon this stage； Mr。 Piano？ You were bumped here。 This is no reflection upon the janitor。 You became a piano by the Needful Knocks。
I can see you back in your callow beginnings； when you were just a treea tall； green tree。 You were green！ Only green things grow。 Did you get the meaning of that； children？ I hope you are green。
There you stood in the forest； a perfectly good； green young tree。 You got your lessons； combed your hair； went to Sunday school and were the best young tree you could be。
That is why you were bumpedbecause you were good！ There came a man into the woods with an ax； and he looked for the best trees there to bump。 He bumped youhit you with the ax！ How it hurt you！ And how unjust it was！ He kept on hitting you。 〃The operation was just terrible。〃 Finally you fell； crushed； broken； bleeding。
It is a very sad story。 They took you all bumped and bleeding to the sawmill and they bumped and ripped you more。 They cut you in pieces and hammered you day by day。
They did not bump the little； crooked； dissipated； cigaret…stunted trees。 They were not worth bumping。
But shake； Mr。 Piano。 That is why you are on this stage。 You were bumped here。 All the beauty； harmony and value were bumped into you。
The Sufferings of the Red Mud
One day I was up the Missabe road about a hundred miles north of Duluth； Minnesota； and came to a hole in the ground。 It was a big holeabout a half…mile of hole。 There were steam…shovels at work throwing out of that hole what I thought was red mud。
〃Kind sir； why are they throwing that red mud out of that h
