the university of hard knocks(重击大学)-第20部分
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do； because they have never gone south far enough to become efficient。
Many a professional man is in the same class。
Half of our life is spent in getting competents to repair the botchwork
of incompetents。
No matter how well equipped you are； you are never safe in your job if
you are contented to do today just what you did yesterday。 Contented to
think today what you thought yesterday。
You must go on south to be safe。
I used to know a violinist who would say； 〃If I were not a genius； I
could not play so well with such little practice。〃 The poor fellow did not
know how poor a fiddler he really was。 Well did Strickland Gillilan；
America's great poet…humorist； say； 〃Egotism is the opiate that Nature
administers to deaden the pains of mediocrity。
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This Is Our Best Day
Just because our hair gets frosty or begins to rub off in spots； we are
so prone to say； 〃I am aging rapidly。〃 It pays to advertise。 We always get
results。 See the one shrivel who goes around front…paging his age。 Age is
not years； age is grunts。
We say； 〃I've seen my best days。〃 And the undertaker goes and greases
his buggy。 He believes in 〃preparedness。〃
Go on south！ We have not seen our best days。 This is the best day so
far； and tomorrow is going to be better on south。
We are only children in God's great kindergarten； playing with our A…
B…C's。 I do not utter that as a bit of sentiment； but as the great fundamental
of our life。 I hope the oldest in years sees that best。 I hope he says； 〃I am
just beginning。 Just beginning to understand。 Just beginning to know about
life。〃
We are not going on south to old age； we are going on south to eternal
youth。 It is the one who stops who 〃ages rapidly。〃 Each day brings us a
larger vision。 Infinity； Eternity； Omnipotence； Omniscience are all on
south。
We have left nothing behind but the husks。 I would not trade this
moment for all the years before it。 I have their footings at compound
interest！ They are dead。 This is life。
Birthdays and Headmarks
Yesterday I had a birthday。 I looked in the glass and communed with
my features。 I saw some gray hairs coming。 Hurrah！
You know what gray hairs are？ Did you ever get a headmark in school？
Gray hairs are silver headmarks in our education as we go on south。
You children cheer up。 Your black hair and auburn hair and the other
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first reader hair will pass and you'll get promoted as you go on south。
Don't worry about gray hair or baldness。 Only worry about the location
of your gray hair or baldness。 If they get on the inside of the head； worry。
Do you know why corporations sometimes say they do not want to employ
gray…headed men？ They have found that so many of them have quit going
on south and have gotten gray on the insideor bald。
These same corporations send out Pinkertons and pay any price for
gray…headed mengray on the outside and green on the inside。 They are
the most valuable； for they have the vision and wisdom of many years and
the enthusiasm and 〃pep〃 and courage of youth。
The preacher； the teachereveryone who gets put on the retired list；
retires himself。 He quits going on south。
The most wonderful person in the world is the one who has lived years
and years on earth and has perhaps gotten gray on the outside； but has kept
young and fresh on the inside。 Put that person in the pulpit； in the
schoolroom； in the office； behind the ticket…window or on the benchor
under the hodand you find the whole world going to that person for
direction； advice； vision； help； sympathy； love。
I am happy today as I look back over my life。 I have been trying to
lecture a good while。 I am almost ashamed to tell you how long； for I
ought to know more about it by this time。 But when anybody says； 〃I
heard you lecture twenty years ago over at〃 I stop him。 〃Please don't
throw it up to me now。 I am just as ashamed of it as you are。 I am trying to
do better now。〃
O； I want to forget all the past； save its lessons。 I am just beginning to
live。 If anybody wants to be my best friend； let him come to me and tell
me how to improvewhat to do and what not to do。 Tell me how to give a
better lecture。
Years ago a bureau representative who booked me told me my lectures
were good enough。 I told him I wanted to get better lectures； for I was so
dissatisfied with what little I knew。 He told me I could never get any better。
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I had reached my limit。 Those lectures were the 〃limit。〃 I shiver as I think
what I was saying then。 I want to go on south shivering about yesterday。
These years I have noticed the people on the platform who were contented
with their offerings； were not trying to improve them； and were lost in
admiration of what they were doing； did not stay long on the platform。 I
have watched them come and go； come and go。 I have heard their fierce
invectives against the bureaus and ungrateful audiences that were
〃prejudiced〃 against them。
Birthdays are not annual affairs。 Birthdays are the days when we have
a new birth。 The days when we go on south to larger visions。 I wish I
could have a birthday every minute！
Some people seem to string out to near a hundred years with mighty
few birthdays。 Some people spin up to Methuselahs in a few years。
From what I can learn of Methuselah； he never grew past copper…toed
boots。 He just hibernated and 〃chawed on。〃
The more birthdays we have； the nearer we approach eternal youth！
Bernhardt； Davis and Edison
The spectacle of Sarah Bernhardt； past seventy； thrilling and gripping
audiences with the fire and brilliancy of youth； is inspiring。 No obstacle
can daunt her。 Losing a leg does not end her acting； for she remains the
〃Divine Sarah〃 with no crippling of her work。 She looks younger than
many women of half her years。 〃The years are nothing to me。〃
Senator Henry Gassaway Davis； West Virginia's Grand Old Man； at
ninety…two was working as hard and hopefully as any man of the
multitudes in his employ。 He was an ardent Odd Fellow； and one day at
ninety…twojust a short time before his passinghe went out to the Odd
Fellows' Home near Elkins； where he lived。 On the porch of the home was
a row of old men inmates。 The senator shook hands with these men and
one by one they rose from the bench to return his hearty greetings。
The last man on the bench did not rise。 He helplessly looked up at the
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senator and said； 〃Senator； you'll have to excuse me from getting up。 I'm
too old。 When you get as old as I am； you'll not get up； either。〃
〃That's all right。 But； my man； how old are you？〃
〃Senator； I'm old in body and old in spirit。 I'm past sixty。〃
〃My boy；〃 laughed Senator Davis； 〃I was an Odd Fellow before you
were born。〃
The senator at ninety…two was younger than the man 〃past sixty；〃
because he was going on south。
When I was a little boy I saw them bring the first phonograph that Mr。
Edison invented into the meeting at Lakeside； Ohio。 The people cheered
when they heard it talk。
You would laugh at it today。 It had a tinfoil cylinder； it screeched and
stuttered。 You would not have it in your barn today to play to your ford！
But the people said； 〃Mr。 Edison has succeeded。〃 There was one man
who did not believe that Mr。 Edison had succeeded。 His name was Thomas
Alva Edison。 He had gotten to St。 Paul； and he went on south。 A million
people would have stopped there and said； 〃I have arrived。〃 They would
have put in their time litigating for their rights with other people who
would have gone on south with the phonograph idea。
Mr。 Edison has said that his genius is mainly his ability to keep on
south。 A young lady succeeded in getting into his laboratory the other day；
and she wrote me that the great inventor showed her one invention。 〃I
made over seven thousand experiments and failed before I hit upon that。〃
〃Why make so many experiments？〃
〃I know more than seven thousand ways now that won't work。〃
I doubt if there are ten men in America who could go on south in the
face of seven thousand failures。 Today he brings forth a diamond…pointed
phonograph。 I am sure if we could bring Mr。 Edison to this platform and
ask him； 〃Have you succeeded？〃 he would say what he has said to
reporters and what he said to the young lady； 〃I have not succeeded。 I am
succeeding。 All I have done only shows me how much there is yet to do。〃
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That is success supreme。 N
