the university of hard knocks-第6章

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！


　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　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。