the university of hard knocks-第24章

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e　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　wish　I　had　a　million！〃　Perhaps　it　is　a　blessing　that　we　have　not　the　million。　Perhaps　it　would　make　us　lazy；　selfish　and　unhappy。　Perhaps　we　would　go　around　giving　it　to　other　people　to　make　them　lazy；　selfish　and　unhappy。

O；　the　problem　is　not　how　to　get　money；　but　how　to　get　rid　of　money　with　the　least　injury　to　the　race！

Perhaps　getting　the　million　would　completely　spoil　us。　Look　at　the　wild　cat　and　then　look　at　the　tabby　cat。　The　wild　cat　supports　itself　and　the　tabby　cat　has　its　million。　So　the　tabby　cat　has　to　be　doctored　by　specialists。

If　the　burden　were　lifted　from　most　of　us　we　would　go　to　wreck。　Necessity　is　the　ballast　in　our　life　voyage。

When　you　hear　the　orator　speak　and　you　note　the　ease　and　power　of　his　work；　do　you　think　of　the　years　of　struggle　he　spent　in　preparing？　Do　you　ever　think　of　the　times　that　orator　tried　to　speak　when　he　failed　and　went　back　to　his　room　in　disgrace；　mortified　and　broken…hearted？　Thru　it　all　there　came　the　discipline；　experience　and　grim　resolve　that　made　him　succeed。

When　you　hear　the　musician　and　note　the　ease　and　grace　of　the　performance；　do　you　think　of　the　years　of　struggle　and　overcoming　necessary　to　produce　that　finish　and　grace？　That　is　the　story　of　the　actor；　the　author　and　every　other　one　of　attainment。

Do　you　note　that　the　tropics；　the　countries　with　the　balmiest　climates；　produce　the　weakest　peoples？　Do　you　note　that　the　conquering　races　are　those　that　struggle　with　both　heat　and　cold？　The　tropics　are　the　geographical　Gussielands。

Do　you　note　that　people　grow　more　in　lean　years　than　in　fat　years？　Crop　failures　and　business　stringencies　are　not　calamities；　but　blessings　in　disguise。　People　go　to　the　devil　with　full　pockets；　they　turn　to　God　when　hunger　hits　them。　〃Is　not　this　Babylon　that　I　have　builded？〃　says　the　Belshazzar　of　material　prosperity　as　he　drinks　to　his　gods。　Then　must　come　the　Needful　and　Needless　Knocks　handwriting　upon　the　wall　to　save　him。

You　have　to　shoot　many　men's　eyes　out　before　they　can　see。　You　have　to　crack　their　heads　before　they　can　think；　knock　them　down　before　they　can　stand；　break　their　hearts　before　they　can　sing；　and　bankrupt　them　before　they　can　be　rich。

Do　you　remember　that　they　had　to　lock　John　Bunyan　in　Bedford　jail　before　he　would　write　his　immortal　〃Pilgrim's　Progress〃？　It　may　be　that　some　of　us　will　have　to　go　to　jail　to　do　our　best　work。

Do　you　remember　that　one　musician　became　deaf　before　he　wrote　music　the　world　will　always　hear？　Do　you　remember　that　one　author　became　blind　before　writing　〃Paradise　Lost〃　the　world　will　always　read？

Do　you　remember　that　Saul　of　Tarsus　would　have　never　been　remembered　had　he　lived　the　life　of　luxury　planned　for　him？　He　had　to　be　blinded　before　he　could　see　the　way　to　real　success。　He　had　to　be　scourged　and　fettered　to　become　the　Apostle　to　the　Gentiles。　He；　too；　had　to　be　sent　to　prison　to　write　his　immortal　messages　to　humanity。　What　throne…rooms　are　some　prisons！　And　what　prisons　are　some　throne…rooms！

Do　you　not　see　all　around　you　that　success　is　ev