the university of hard knocks(重击大学)-第16部分
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fortune to be sitting at table with her I wanted to ask her； 〃How did you
get your songs known？ How did you know what kind of songs the people
want to sing？〃
But in the hour she talked with her friends around the table I found the
answer to every question。 〃Isn't it good to be here？ Isn't it great to have
friends and a fine home and money？〃 she said。 〃I have had such a struggle
in my life。 I have lived on one meal a day and didn't know where the next
meal was coming from。 I know what it is to be left alone in the world upon
my own resources。 I have had years of struggle。 I have been sick and
discouraged and down and out。 It was in my little back…room； the only
home I had； that I began to write songs。 I wrote them for my own relief。 I
was writing my own life； just what was in my own heart and what the
struggles were teaching me。 No one is more surprised and grateful that the
world seems to love my songs and asks for more of them。〃
The woman was Carrie Jacobs…Bond； who wrote 〃The Perfect Day；〃
〃Just a Wearyin' for You；〃 〃His Lullaby〃 and many more of those simple
little songs so full of the pathos and philosophy of life that they tug at your
heart and moisten your eyes。
Anybody could write those songsjust a few simple words and notes。
No。 Books of theory and harmony and expression only teach us how to
write the words and where to place the notes。 These are not the song； but
only the skeleton into which our own life must breathe the life of the song。
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The woman who sat there clad in black； with her sweet； expressive
face crowned with silvery hair； had learned to write her songs in the
University of Hard Knocks。 She here became the song philosopher she is
today。 Her defeats were her victories。 If Carrie Jacobs…Bond had never
struggled with discouragement； sickness； poverty and loneliness； she never
would have been able to write the songs that appeal to the multitudes who
have the same battles。
The popular song is the song that best voices what is in the popular
heart。 And while we have a continual inundation of popular songs that are
trashy and voice the tawdriest human impulses； yet it is a tribute to the
good elements in humanity that the wholesome； uplifting sentiments in
Carrie Jacobs…Bond's songs continue to hold their popularity。
Theory and Practice
My friends； I am not arguing that you and I must drink the dregs of
defeat； or that our lives must fill up with poverty or sorrow； or become
wrecks。 But I am insisting upon what I see written all around me in the
affairs of everyday life； that none of us will ever know real success in any
line of human endeavor until that success flows from the fullness of our
experience just as the songs came from the life of Carrie Jacobs…Bond。
The world is full of theorists； dreamers； uplifters； reformers； who have
worthy visions but are not able to translate them into practical realities。
They go around with their heads in the clouds； looking upward； and half
the time their feet are in the flower…beds or trampling upon their fellow
men they dream of helping。 Their ideas must be forged into usefulness
available for this day upon the anvil of experience。
Many of the most brilliant theorists have been the greatest failures in
practice。
There are a thousand who can tell you what is the matter with things to
one person who can give you a practical way to fix them。
I used to have respect amounting to reverence for great readers and
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book men。 I used to know a man who could tell in what book almost
anything you could think of was discussed； and perhaps the page。 He was
a walking library index。 I thought him a most wonderful man。 Indeed； in
my childhood I thought he was the greatest man in the world。
He was a remarkable mana great reader and with a memory that
retained it all。 That man could recite chapters and volumes。 He could give
you almost any date。 He could finish almost any quotation。 His
conversation was largely made up of classical quotations。
But he was one of the most helpless men I have ever seen in practical
life。 He seemed to be unable to think and reason for himself。 He could
quote a page of John Locke； but somehow the page didn't supply the one
sentence needed for the occasion。 The man was a misfit on earth。 He was
liable to put the gravy in his coffee and the gasoline in the fire。 He seemed
never to have digested any of the things in his memory。 Since I have
grown up I always think of that man as an intellectual cold storage plant。
The greatest book is the textbook of the University of Hard Knocks；
the Book of Human Experience the 〃sermons in stones〃 and the 〃books in
running brooks。〃 Most fortunate is he who has learned to read
understandingly from it。
Note the sweeping； positive statements of the young person。
Note the cautious； specific statements of the person who has lived long
in this world。
Our education is our progress from the sweeping； positive； wholesale
statements we have not proved； to the cautious； specific statements we
have proved。
Tuning the Strings of Life
Many audiences are gathered into this one audience。 Each person
here is a different audience； reading a different page in the Book of
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Human Experience。 Each has a different fight to make and a different
burden to carry。 Each one of us has more trouble than anybody else！
I know there are chapters of heroism in the lives of you older ones。
You have cried yourselves to sleep； some of you； and walked the floor
when you could not sleep。 You have learned that 〃beyond the Alps lieth
Italy。〃
A good many of you were bumped today or yesterday； or maybe years
ago； and the wound has not healed。 You think it never will heal。 You came
here thinking that perhaps you would forget your trouble for a little while。
I know there are people in this audience in pain。
Never do this many gather but what there are some with aching hearts。
And you young people here with lives like June mornings； are not
much interested in this lecture。 You are polite and attentive because this is
a polite and attentive neighborhood。 But down in your hearts you are
asking； 〃What is this all about？ What is that man talking about？ I haven't
had these things and I'm not going to have them； either！〃
Maybe some of you are naturally bright！
You are going to be bumped。 You are going to cry yourselves to sleep。
You are going to walk the floor when you cannot sleep。 Some of you are
going to know the keen sorrow of having the one you trust most betray
you。 Maybe； betray you with a kiss。 You will go through your Gethsemane。
You will see your dearest plans wrecked。 You will see all that seems to
make life livable lost out of your horizon。 You will say； 〃God； let me die。 I
have nothing more to live for。〃
For all lives have about the same elements。 Your life is going to be
about like other lives。
And you are going to learn the wonderful lesson thru the years； the
bumps and the tears； that all these things somehow are necessary to
promote our education。
These bumps and hard knocks do not break the fiddlethey turn the
pegs。
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These bumps and tragedies and Waterloos draw the strings of the soul
tighter and tighter； nearer and nearer to God's great concert pitch； where
the discords fade from our lives and where the music divine and
harmonies celestial come from the same old strings that had been sending
forth the noise and discord。
Thus we know that our education is progressing； as the evil and
unworthy go out of our lives and as peace； harmony； happiness； love and
understanding come into our lives。
That is getting in tune。
That is growing up。
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Chapter VIII
Looking Backward
Memories of the Price We Pay
WHAT a price we pay for what we know！ I laugh as I look backward…
…and weep and rejoice。
I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth； altho it is quite
evident that I could have handled a pretty good…sized spoon。 But father
being a country preacher； we had tin spoons。 We never had to tie
