the university of hard knocks-第6节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ey　would　waitto　be　told　what　to　do　next。

Within　three　months　every　other　girl　in　that　office　was　asking　questions　of　the　little　Dutch　girl。　She　had　learned　more　about　business　in　three　months　than　the　others　had　learned　in　all　the　time　they　had　been　there。　Nothing　ever　escaped　her。　She　had　become　the　most　capable　girl　in　the　office。

The　barrel　did　the　rest。　Today　she　is　giving　orders　to　all　of　them；　for　she　is　the　office　superintendent。

The　other　girls　feel　hurt　about　it。　They　will　tell　you　in　confidence　that　it　was　the　rankest　favoritism　ever　known。　〃There　was　nothing　fair　about　it。　Jennie　ought　to　have　been　made　superintendent。　Jennie　had　been　here　four　years。〃




The　〃Unlucky〃　One


The　other　day　in　a　paper…mill　I　was　standing　beside　a　long　machine　making　shiny　super…calendered　paper。　I　asked　the　man　working　there　some　questions　about　the　machine；　which　he　answered　fairly　well。　Then　I　asked　him　about　a　machine　in　the　next　room。　He　said；　〃I　don't　know　nothing　about　it；　boss；　I　don't　work　in　there。〃

I　asked　him　about　another　process；　and　he　replied；　〃I　don't　know　nothing　about　it；　I　never　worked　in　there。〃　I　asked　him　about　the　pulpmill。　He　replied；　〃No；　I　don't　know　nothing　about　that；　neither。　I　don't　work　in　there。〃　And　he　did　not　betray　the　least　desire　to　know　anything　about　anything。

〃How　long　have　you　worked　here？〃

〃About　twelve　years。〃

Going　out　of　the　building；　I　asked　the　foreman；　〃Do　you　see　that　man　over　there　at　the　supercalendered　machine？〃　pointing　to　the　man　who　didn't　know。　〃Is　he　a　human　being？〃

The　foreman's　face　clouded。　〃I　hate　to　talk　to　you　about　that　man。　He　is　one　of　the　kindest…hearted　men　we　ever　had　in　the　works；　but　we've　got　to　let　him　go。　We're　afraid　he'll　break　the　machine。　He　isn't　interested；　does　not　learn；　doesn't　try　to　learn。〃

So　he　had　begun　to　rattle。　Nobody　can　stay　where　he　rattles。　It　is　grow　or　go。




Life's　Barrel　the　Leveler


So　books　could　be　filled　with　just　such　stories　of　how　people　have　gone　up　and　down。　You　may　have　noticed　two　brothers　start　with　the　same　chance；　and　presently　notice　that　one　is　going　up　and　the　other　is　going　down。

Some　of　us　begin　life　on　the　top　branches；　right　in　the　sunshine　of　popular　favor；　and　get　our　names　in　the　blue…book　at　the　start。　Some　of　us　begin　down　in　the　shade　on　the　bottom　branches；　and　we　do　not　even　get　invited。　We　often　become　discouraged　as　we　look　at　the　top…branchers；　and　we　say；　〃O；　if　I　only　had　his　chance！　If　I　were　only　up　there　I　might　amount　to　something。　But　I　am　too　low　down。〃

We　can　grow。　Everybody　can　grow。

And　afterwhile　we　are　all　in　the　barrel　of　life；　shaken　and　bumped　about。　There　the　real　people　do　not　often　ask　us；　〃On　what　branch　of　that　tree　did　you　grow？〃　But　they　often　inquire；　〃Are　you　big　enough　to　fill　this　place？〃




The　Fatal　Rattle！


Now　life　is　mainly　routine。　You　and　I　and　everybody　must　go　on　doing　pretty　much　the　same　things　over　and　over。　Every　day　we　appear　to　have　about　the　same　round　of　duties。

But　if　we　let　life　become　routine；　we　are　shaking　down。　The　very　routine　of　life　must　every　day　flash　a　new　attractiveness。　We　must　be　learning　new　things　and　discovering　new　joys　in　our　daily　routine　or　we　become　unhappy。　If　we　go　on　doing　just　the　same　things　in　the　same　way　day　after　day；　thinking　the　same　thoughts；　our　eyes　glued　to　precedentsjust　turning　round　and　round　in　our　places　and　not　growing　any；　pretty　soon　we　become　mere　machines。　We　wear　smaller。　The　joy　and　juice　go　out　of　our　lives。　We　shrivel　and　rattle。

The　success；　joy　and　glory　of　life　are　in　learning；　growing；　going　forward　and　upward。　That　is　the　only　way　to　hold　our　place。

The　farmer　must　be　learning　new　things　about　farming　to　hold　his　place　this　progressive　age　as　a　farmer。　The　merchant　must　be　growing　into　a　greater；　wiser　merchant　to　hold　his　place　among　his　competitors。　The　minister　must　be　getting　larger　visions　of　the　ministry　as　he　goes　back　into　the　same　old　pulpit　to　keep　on　filling　it。　The　teacher　must　be　seeing　new　possibilities　in　the　same　old　schoolroom。　The　mother　must　be　getting　a　larger　horizon　in　her　homemaking。

We　only　live　as　we　grow　and　learn。　When　anybody　stays　in　the　same　place　year　after　year　and　fills　it；　he　does　not　rattle。

Unless　the　place　is　a　grave！

I　shiver　as　I　see　the　pages　of　school　advertisements　in　the　journals　labeled　〃Finishing　Schools；〃　and　〃A　Place　to　Finish　Your　Child。〃　I　know　the　schools　generally　mean　all　right；　but　I　fear　the　students　will　get　the　idea　they　are　being　finished；　which　finishes　them。　We　never　finish　while　we　live。　A　school　finishing　is　a　commencement；　not　an　end…ment。

I　am　sorry　for　the　one　who　says；　〃I　know　all　there　is　to　know　about　that。　You　can't　tell　me　anything　about　that。〃　He　is　generally　rattling。

The　greater　and　wiser　the　man；　the　more　anxious　he　is　to　be　told。

I　am　sorry　for　the　one　who　struts　around　saying；　〃I　own　the　job。　They　can't　get　along　without　me。〃　For　I　feel　that　they　are　getting　ready　to　get　along　without　him。　That　noise　you　hear　is　the　death…rattle　in　his　throat。

Big　business　men　keep　their　ears　open　for　rattles　in　their　machinery。

I　am　sorry　for　the　man；　community　or　institution　that　spends　much　time　pointing　backward　with　pride　and　talking　about　〃in　my　day！〃　For　it　is　mostly　rattle。　The　live　one's　〃my　day〃　is　today　and　tomorrow。　The　dead　one's　is　yesterday。




We　Must　Get　Ready　to　Get


We　young　people　come　up　into　life　wanting　great　places。　I　would　not　give　much　for　a　young　person　（or　any　other　person）　who　does　not　want　a　great　place。　I　would　not　give　much　for　anybody　who　does　not　look　forward　to　greater　and　better　things　tomorrow。

We　often　think　the　way　to　get　a　great　place　is　just　to　go　after　it　and　get　it。　If　we　do　not　have　pull　enough；　get　some　more　pull。　Get　some　more　testimonials。

We　think　if　we　could　only　get　into　a　great　place　we　would　be　great。　But　unless　we　have　grown　as　great　as　the　place　we　would　be　a　great　joke；　for　we　would　rattle。　And　when　we　have　grown　as　great　as　the　place；　that　sized　place　will　generally　come　seeking　us。

We　do　not　become　great　by　getting　into　a　great　place；　any　more　than　a　boy　becomes　a　man　by　getting　into　his　father's　boots。　He　is　in　great　boots；　but　he　rattles。　He　must　grow　greater　feet　before　he　gets　greater　boots。　But　he　must　get　the　feet　before　he　gets　the　boots。

We　must　get　ready　for　things　before　we　get　them。

All　life　is　preparation　for　greater　things。

Moses　was　eighty　years　getting　ready　to　do　forty　years　work。　The　Master　was　thirty　years　getting　ready　to　do　three　years　work。　So　many　of　us　expect　to　get　ready　in　〃four　easy　lessons　by　mail。〃

We　can　be　a　pumpkin　in　one　summer；　with　the　accent　on　the　〃punk。〃　We　can　be　a　mushroom　in　a　day；　with　the　accent　on　the　〃mush。〃　But　we　cannot　become　an　oak　that　way。

The　world　is　not　greatly　impressed　by　testimonials。　The　man　who　has　the　most　testimonials　generally　needs　them　most　to　keep　him　from　rattling。　A　testimonial　so　often　becomes　a　crutch。

Many　a　man　writes　a　testimonial　to　get　rid　of　somebody。　〃Well；　I　hope　it　will　do　him　some　good。　Anyhow；　I　have　gotten　him　off　my　hands。〃　I　heard　a　Chicago　superintendent　say　to　his　foreman；　〃Give　him　a　testimonial　and　fire　him！〃

It　is　dangerous　to　overboost　people；　for　the　higher　you　boost　them　the　farther　they　will　fall。




The　Menace　of　the　Press…Notice


Now　testimonials　and　press…notices　very　often　serve　useful　ends。　In　lyceum　work；　in　teaching；　in　very　many　lines；　they　are　often　useful　to　introduce　a　stranger。　A　letter　of　introduction　is　useful。　A　diploma；　a　degree；　a　certificate；　a　license；　are　but　different　kinds　of　testimonials。

The　danger　is　that　the　hero　of　them　may　get　to　leaning　upon　them。　Then　they　become　a　mirror　for　his　vanity　instead　of　a　monitor　for　his　vitality。

Most　testimonials　and　press…notices　are　frank　flatteries。　They　magnify　the　good　points　and　say　little　as　possible　about　the　bad　ones。　I　look　back　over　my　lyceum　life　and　see　that　I　hindered　my　progress　by　reading　my　press…notices　instead　of　listening　to　the　verdict　of　my　audiences。　I　avoided　frank　criticism。　It　would　hurt　me。　Whenever　I　heard　an　adverse　criticism；　I　would　go　and　read　a　few　press…notices。　〃There；　I　am　all　right；　for　this　clipping　says　I　am　the　greatest　ever；　and　should　he　return；　no　hall　would　be　able　to　contain　the　crowd。〃

And　my　vanity　bump　would　again　rise。

Alas！　How　often　I　have　learned　that　when　I　did　return　the　hall　that　was　filled　before　was　entirely　too　big　for　the　audience！　The　editors　of　AmericaGod　bless　them！　They　are　always　trying　to　boost　a　home　enterprisenot　for　the　sake　of　the　imported　attraction　but　for　the　sake　of　the　home　folks　who　import　it。

We　must　read　people；　not　press…notices。

When　you　get　to　the　place　where　you　can　stand　aside　and　〃see　yourself　go　by〃when　you　can　keep　still　and　see　every　fibre　of　you　and　your　work　mercilessly　dissected；　shake　hands　with　yourself　and　rejoice；　for　the　kingdom　of　success　is　yours。




The　Artificial　Uplift


There　are　so　many　loving；　sincere；　foolish；　cruel　uplift　movements　in　the　land。　They　spring　up；　fail；　wail；　disappear；　only　to　be　succeeded　by　twice　as　many　more。　They　fail　because　instead　of　having　the　barrel　do　the　uplif