the university of hard knocks-第5节

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es　would　try　to　hold　a　mass　meeting　at　the　bottom。

I　saw　that　for　thirty　years　before　I　saw　it。　Did　you　ever　notice　how　long　you　have　to　see　most　things　before　you　see　them？　I　saw　that　when　I　played　marbles。　The　big　marbles　would　shake　to　the　top　of　my　pocket　and　the　little　ones　would　rattle　down　to　the　bottom。

You　children　try　that　tomorrow。　Do　not　wait　thirty　years　to　learn　that　the　big　ones　shake　up　and　the　little　ones　shake　down。　Put　some　big　ones　and　some　little　things　of　about　the　same　density　in　a　box　or　other　container　and　shake　them。　You　will　see　the　larger　things　shake　upward　and　the　smaller　shake　downward。　You　will　see　every　thing　shake　to　the　place　its　size　determines。　A　little　larger　one　shakes　a　little　higher；　and　a　little　smaller　one　a　little　lower。

When　things　find　their　place；　you　can　shake　on　till　doomsday；　but　you　cannot　change　the　place　of　one　of　the　objects。

Mix　them　up　again　and　shake。　Watch　them　all　shake　back　as　they　were　before；　the　largest　on　top　and　the　smallest　at　the　bottom。




Lectures　in　Cans


At　this　place　the　lecturer　exhibits　a　glass　jar　more　than　half…filled　with　small　white　beans　and　a　few　walnuts。


Let　us　try　that　right　on　the　platform。　Here　is　a　glass　jar　and　inside　of　it　you　see　two　sizes　of　objectsa　lot　of　little　white　beans　and　some　walnuts。　You　will　pardon　me　for　bringing　such　a　simple　and　crude　apparatus　before　you　in　a　lecture；　but　I　ask　your　forbearance。　I　am　discovering　that　we　can　hear　faster　thru　the　eye　than　thru　the　ear。　I　want　to　make　this　so　vivid　that　you　will　never　forget　it；　and　I　do　not　want　these　young　people　to　live　thirty　years　before　they　see　it。

If　there　are　sermons　in　stones；　there　must　be　lectures　in　cans。　This　is　a　canned　lecture。　Let　the　can　talk　to　you　awhile。

You　note　as　I　shake　the　jar　the　little　beans　quickly　settle　down　and　the　big　walnuts　shake　up。　Not　one　bean　asks；　〃Which　way　do　I　go？〃　Not　one　walnut　asks；　〃Which　way　do　I　go？〃　Each　one　automatically　goes　the　right　way。　The　little　ones　go　down　and　the　big　ones　go　up。

Note　that　I　mix　them　all　up　and　then　shake。　Note　that　they　arrange　themselves　just　as　they　were　before。

Suppose　those　objects　could　talk。　I　think　I　hear　that　littlest　bean　down　in　the　bottom　saying；　〃Help　me！　Help　me！　I　am　so　unfortunate　and　low　down。　I　never　had　no　chance　like　them　big　ones　up　there。　Help　me　up。〃

I　say；　〃Yes；　you　little　bean；　I'll　help　you。〃　So　I　lift　him　up　to　the　top。　See！　I　have　boosted　him。　I　have　uplifted　him。

See；　the　can　shakes。　Back　to　the　bottom　shakes　the　little　bean。　And　I　hear　him　say；　〃King's　ex！　I　slipped。　Try　that　again　and　I'll　stay　on　top。〃　So　I　put　him　back　again　on　top。

The　can　shakes。　The　little　bean　again　shakes　back　to　the　bottom。　He　is　too　small　to　stay　up。　He　cannot　stand　prosperity。

Then　I　hear　Little　Bean　say；　〃Well；　if　I　cannot　get　to　the　top；　you　make　them　big　ones　come　down。　Give　every　one　an　equal　chance。〃

So　I　say；　〃Yes；　sir；　Little　Bean。　Here；　you　big　ones　on　top；　get　down。　You　Big　Nuts　get　right　down　there　on　a　level　with　Little　Bean！〃　And　you　see　I　put　them　down。

But　I　shake　the　can；　and　the　big　ones　go　right　back　to　the　top　with　the　same　shakes　that　send　the　little　ones　back　to　the　bottom。

There　is　only　one　way　for　those　objects　to　change　their　place　in　the　can。　Lifting　them　up　or　putting　them　down　will　not　do　it。　But　change　their　size！

Equality　of　position　demands　quality　of　size。　Let　the　little　one　grow　bigger　and　he　will　shake　up。　Let　the　big　one　grow　smaller　and　he　will　shake　down。




The　Shaking　Barrel　of　Life


O；　fellow　apples！　We　are　all　apples　in　the　barrel　of　life　on　the　way　to　the　market　place　of　the　future。　It　is　a　corduroy　road　and　the　barrel　shakes　all　the　time。

In　the　barrel　are　big　apples；　little　apples；　freckled　apples；　speckled　apples；　green　apples；　and　dried　apples。　A　bad　boy　on　the　front　row　shouted　the　other　night；　〃And　rotten　apples！〃

In　other　words；　all　the　people　of　the　world　are　in　the　great　barrel　of　life。　That　barrel　is　shaking　all　the　time。　Every　community　is　shaking；　every　place　is　shaking。　The　offices；　the　shops；　the　stores；　the　schools；　the　pulpits；　the　homesevery　place　where　we　live　or　work　is　shaking。　Life　is　a　constant　survival　of　the　fittest。

The　same　law　that　shakes　the　little　ones　down　and　the　big　ones　up　in　that　can　is　shaking　every　person　to　the　place　he　fits　in　the　barrel　of　life。　It　is　sending　small　people　down　and　great　people　up。

And　do　you　not　see　that　we　are　very　foolish　when　we　want　to　be　lifted　up　to　some　big　place；　or　when　we　want　some　big　person　to　be　put　down　to　some　little　place？　We　are　foolishly　trying　to　overturn　the　eternal　law　of　life。

We　shake　right　back　to　the　places　our　size　determines。　We　must　get　ready　for　places　before　we　can　get　them　and　keep　them。

The　very　worst　thing　that　can　happen　to　anybody　is　to　be　artificially　boosted　up　into　some　place　where　he　rattles。

I　hear　a　good　deal　about　destiny。　Some　people　seem　to　think　destiny　is　something　like　a　train　and　if　we　do　not　get　to　the　depot　in　time　our　train　of　destiny　will　run　off　and　leave　us；　and　we　will　have　no　destiny。　There　is　destinythat　jar。

If　we　are　small　we　shall　have　a　small　destiny。　If　we　are　great　we　shall　have　a　great　destiny。　We　cannot　dodge　our　destiny。




Kings　and　Queens　of　Destiny


The　objects　in　that　jar　cannot　change　their　size。　But　thank　God；　you　and　I　are　not　helpless　victims　of　blind　fate。　We　are　not　creatures　of　chance。　We　have　it　in　our　hands　to　decide　our　destiny　as　we　grow　or　refuse　to　grow。

We　shake　down　if　we　become　small；　we　shake　up　if　we　become　great。　And　when　we　have　reached　the　place　our　size　determines；　we　stay　there　so　long　as　we　stay　that　size。

If　we　wish　to　change　our　place；　we　must　first　change　our　size。　If　we　wish　to　go　down；　we　must　grow　smaller　and　we　shall　shake　down。　If　we　wish　to　go　up；　we　must　grow　greater；　and　we　shall　shake　up。

Each　person　is　doing　one　of　three　things　consciously　or　unconsciously。

1。　He　is　holding　his　place。

2。　He　is　going　down。

3。　He　is　going　up。

In　order　to　hold　his　place　he　must　hold　his　size。　He　must　fill　the　place。　If　he　shrinks　up　he　will　rattle。　Nobody　can　stay　long　where　he　rattles。　Nature　abhors　a　rattler。　He　shakes　down　to　a　smaller　place。

In　order　to　stay　the　same　size　he　must　grow　enough　each　day　to　supply　the　loss　by　evaporation。　Evaporation　is　going　steadily　on　in　lives　as　well　as　in　liquids。　If　we　are　not　growing　any；　we　are　rattling。




We　Compel　Promotion


So　you　young　people　should　keep　in　mind　that　you　will　shake　into　the　places　you　fit。　And　when　you　are　in　your　placesin　stores；　shops；　offices　or　elsewhere；　if　you　want　to　hold　your　place　you　must　keep　growing　enough　to　keep　it　tightly　filled。

If　you　want　a　greater　place；　you　simply　grow　greater　and　they　cannot　keep　you　down。　You　do　not　ask　for　promotion；　you　compel　promotion。　You　grow　greater；　enlarge　your　dimensions；　develop　new　capabilities；　do　more　than　you　are　paid　to　dooverfill　your　place；　and　you　shake　up　to　a　greater　place。

I　believe　if　I　were　so　fortunate　or　unfortunate　as　to　have　a　number　of　people　working　for　me；　I　would　have　a　jar　in　my　office　filled　with　various　sizes　of　objects。　When　an　employee　would　come　into　the　office　and　say；　〃Isn't　it　about　time　I　was　getting　a　raise？〃　I　would　say；　〃Go　shake　the　jar；　Charlie。　That　is　the　way　you　get　raised。　As　you　grow　greater　you　won't　need　to　ask　to　be　promoted。　You　will　promote　yourself。〃




〃Good　Luck〃　and　〃Bad　Luck〃


This　jar　tells　me　so　much　about　luck。　I　have　noted　that　the　lucky　people　shake　up　and　the　unlucky　people　shake　down。　That　is；　the　lucky　people　grow　great　and　the　unlucky　people　shrivel　and　rattle。

Notice　as　I　bump　this　jar。　Two　things　happened。　The　little　ones　shook　down　and　the　big　ones　shook　up。　The　bump　that　was　bad　luck　to　the　little　ones　was　good　luck　to　the　big　ones。　The　same　bump　was　both　good　luck　and　bad　luck。

Luck　does　not　depend　upon　the　direction　of　the　bump；　but　upon　the　size　of　the　bump…ee！




The　〃Lucky〃　One


So　everywhere　you　look　you　see　the　barrel　sorting　people　according　to　size。　Every　business　concern　can　tell　you　stories　like　that　of　the　Chicago　house　where　a　number　of　young　ladies　worked。　Some　of　them　had　been　there　for　a　long　time。　There　came　a　raw；　green　Dutch　girl　from　the　country。　It　was　her　first　office　experience；　and　she　got　the　bottom　job。

The　other　girls　poked　fun　at　her　and　played　jokes　upon　her　because　she　was　so　green。

Do　you　remember　that　green　things　grow？

〃Is　not　she　the　limit？〃　they　oft　spake　one　to　another。　She　was。　She　made　many　blunders。　But　it　is　now　recalled　that　she　never　made　the　same　blunder　twice。　She　learned　the　lesson　with　one　helping　to　the　bumps。

And　she　never　〃got　done。〃　When　she　had　finished　her　work；　the　work　she　had　been　put　at；　she　would　discover　something　else　that　ought　to　be　done；　and　she　would　go　right　on　working；　contrary　to　the　rules　of　the　union！　Without　being　told；　mind　you。　She　had　that　rare　faculty　the　world　is　bidding　forinitiative。

The　other　girls　〃got　done。〃　When　they　had　finished　the　work　they　had　been　put　at；　they　would　waitO；　so　patiently　they　would　waitto　be　told　what　to　do　next。

Within　three　months　every　other　girl　in　that　office　was