the university of hard knocks(重击大学)-第10部分
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Colleges Give Us Tools
After that a good many people said it was the college that made a fool
of Gussie。 They said Bill succeeded so well because he never went to one
of 〃them highbrow schools。〃 I am sorry to say I thought that way for a
good while。
But now I see that Bill went up in spite of his handicaps。 If he had had
Gussie's fine equipment he might have accomplished vastly more。
The book and the college suffer at the hands of their friends。 They say
to the book and the college； 〃Give us an education。〃 They cannot do that。
You cannot get an education from the book and the college any more than
you can get to New York by reading a travelers' guide。 You cannot get
physical education by reading a book on gymnastics。
The book and the college show you the way； give you instruction and
furnish you finer working tools。 But the real education is the journey you
make； the strength you develop； the service you perform with these
instruments and tools。
Gussie was in the position of a man with a very fine equipment of
tools and no experience in using them。 Bill was the man with the poor；
homemade； crude tools； but with the energy； vision and strength developed
by struggle。
The 〃Hard Knocks Graduates〃
For education is getting wisdom； understanding； strength； greatness；
physically； mentally and morally。 I believe I know some people liberally
educated who cannot write their own names。 But they have served and
overcome and developed great lives with the poor； crude tools at their
command。
In almost every community are what we sometimes call 〃hard knocks
graduates〃people who have never been to college nor have studied many
or any books。 Yet they are educated to the degree they have acquired these
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elements of greatness in their lives。
They realized how they have been handicapped by their poor mental
tools。
That is why they say； 〃All my life I have been handicapped by lack of
proper preparation。 Don't make my mistake； children； go to school。〃
The young person with electrical genius will make an electrical
machine from a few bits of junk。 But send him to Westinghouse and see
how much more he will achieve with the same genius and with finer
equipment。
Get the best tools you can。 But remember diplomas； degrees are not an
education； they are merely preparations。 When you are thru with the books；
remember； you are having a commencement； not an end…ment。 You will
discover with the passing years that life is just one series of greater
commencements。
Go out with your fine equipment from your commencements into the
school of service and write your education in the only book you ever can
knowthe book of your experience。
That is what you knowwhat the courts will take as evidence when
they put you upon the witness stand。
The Tragedy of Unpreparedness
The story of Gussie and Bill Whackem is being written in every
community in tears； failure and heartache。 It is peculiarly a tragedy of our
American civilization today。
These fathers and mothers who toil and save； who get great farms； fine
homes and large bank accounts； so often think they can give greatness to
their childrenthey can make great places for them in life and put them
into them。
They do all this and the children rattle。 They have had no chance to
grow great enough for the places。 The child gets the blame for making the
wreck； even as Gussie was blamed for wrecking his father's plant； when
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the child is the victim。
A man heard me telling the story of Gussie and Bill Whackem； and he
went out of my audience very indignant。 He said he was very glad his boy
was not there to hear it。 But that good； deluded father now has his head
bowed in shame over the career of his spoiled son。
I rarely tell of it on a platform that at the close of the lecture somebody
does not take me aside and tell me a story just as sad from that community。
For years poor Harry Thaw was front…paged on the newspapers and
gibbeted in the pulpits as the shocking example of youthful depravity。 He
seems never to have had a fighting chance to become a man。 He seems to
have been robbed of his birthright from the cradle。 Yet the father of this
boy who has cost America millions in court and detention expenses was
one of the greatest business generals of the Keystone state。 He could plat
great coal empires and command armies of men； but he seems to have
been pitifully ignorant of the fact that the barrel shakes。
It is the educated； the rich and the worldly wise who blunder most in
the training of their children。 Poverty is a better trainer for the rest。
The menace of America lies not in the swollen fortunes； but in the
shrunken souls who inherit them。
But Nature's eliminating process is kind to the race in the barrel
shaking down the rattlers。 Somebody said it is only three generations from
shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves。
How long this nation will endure depends upon how many Gussie
boys this nation produces。 Steam heat is a fine thing； but do you notice
how few of our strong men get their start with steam heat？
Children； Learn This Early
You boys and girls； God bless you！ You live in good homes。 Father
and mother love you and give you everything you need。 You get to
thinking； 〃I won't have to turn my hand over。 Papa and mamma will take
care of me； and when they are gone I'll inherit everything they have。 I'm
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fixed for life。〃
No； you are unfixed。 You are a candidate for trouble。 You are going to
rattle。 Father and mother can be great and you can be a peanut。
You must solve your own problems and carry your own loads to have a
strong mind and back。 Anybody who does for you regularly what you can
do for yourselfanybody who gives you regularly what you can earn for
yourself； is robbing you of your birthright。
Father and mother can put money in your pocket； ideas in your head
and food in your stomach； but you cannot own it save as you digest itput
it into your life。
I have read somewhere about a man who found a cocoon and put it in
his house where he could watch it develop。 One day he saw a little insect
struggling inside the cocoon。 It was trying to get out of the envelope。 It
seemed in trouble and needed help。 He opened the envelope with a knife
and set the struggling insect free。 But out came a monstrosity that soon
died。 It had an over…developed body and under…developed wings。 He
learned that helping the insect was killing it。 He took away from it the
very thing it had to havethe struggle。 For it was this struggle of breaking
its own way out of that envelope that was needed to reduce its body and
develop its wings。
Not Packhorse Work
But remember there is little virtue in work unless it is getting us
somewhere。 Just work that gets us three meals a day and a place to lie
down to sleep； then another day of the same grind； then a year of it and
years following until our machine is worn out and on the junkpile； means
little。 〃One day nearer home〃 for such a worker means one day nearer the
scrapheap。
Such a worker is like the packhorse who goes forward to keep ahead
of the whip。 Such a worker is the horse we used to have hitched to the
sorghum mill。 Round and round that horse went； seeing nothing； hearing
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nothing； his head down； without ambition enough to prick up his ears。
Such work deadens and stupefies。 The masses work about that way。 They
regard work as a necessary evil。 They are rightsuch work is a necessary
evil； and they make it such。 They follow their nose。 〃Dumb； driven cattle。〃
But getting a vision of life； and working to grow upward to it； that is
the work that brings the joy and the greatness。
When we are growing and letting our faculties develop； we will love
even the packhorse job； because it is our 〃meal ticket〃 that enables us to
travel upward。
〃Helping〃 the Turkeys
One time I put some turkey eggs under the mother hen and waited
day by day for them to hatch。 And sure enough； one day the eggs began to
crack and the little turkeys began to stick their heads out of the shells。
Some of the little turkeys came out from the shells all right； but some of
them stuck in the shells。
〃Shell out； little turkeys； shell out；〃 I urged； 〃for Thanksgiving is
coming。 Shell out！〃
But they stuck t
