the university of hard knocks(重击大学)-第3部分
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Chapter III
The College of Needful Knocks
The Bumps That Bump Into Us
BUT occasionally all of us get bumps that we do not bump into。 They
bump into us。 They are the guideboard knocks that point us to the higher
pathway。
You were bumped yesterday or years ago。 Maybe the wound has not
yet healed。 Maybe you think it never will heal。 You wondered why you
were bumped。 Some of you in this audience are just now wondering why。
You were doing rightdoing just the best you knew howand yet
some blow came crushing upon you and gave you cruel pain。
It broke your heart。 You have had your heart broken。 I have had my
heart broken more times than I care to talk about now。 Your home was
darkened； your plans were wrecked； you thought you had nothing more to
live for。
I am like you。 I have had more trouble than anybody else。 I have never
known anyone who had not had more trouble than anyone else。
But I am discovering that life only gets good after we have been killed
a few times。 Each death is a larger birth。
We all must learn； if we have not already learned； that these blows are
lessons in The College of Needful Knocks。 They point upward to a higher
path than we have been traveling。
In other words； we are raw material。 You know what raw material is
material that needs more Needful Knocks to make it more useful and
valuable。 The clothing we wear； the food we eat； the house we live in； all
have to have the Needful Knocks to become useful。 And so does humanity
need the same preparation for greater usefulness。
I should like to know every person in this audience。 But the ones I
should most appreciate knowing are the ones who have known the most of
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these knockswho have faced the great crises of life and have been tried
in the crucibles of affliction。 For I am learning that these lives are the gold
tried in the fire。
The Sorrows of the Piano
See the piano on this stage？ Good evening； Mr。 Piano。 I am glad to
see you。 You are so shiny； beautiful； valuable and full of music； if properly
treated。
Do you know how you got upon this stage； Mr。 Piano？ You were
bumped here。 This is no reflection upon the janitor。 You became a piano
by the Needful Knocks。
I can see you back in your callow beginnings； when you were just a
treea tall； green tree。 You were green！ Only green things grow。 Did you
get the meaning of that； children？ I hope you are green。
There you stood in the forest； a perfectly good； green young tree。 You
got your lessons； combed your hair； went to Sunday school and were the
best young tree you could be。
That is why you were bumpedbecause you were good！ There came a
man into the woods with an ax； and he looked for the best trees there to
bump。 He bumped youhit you with the ax！ How it hurt you！ And how
unjust it was！ He kept on hitting you。 〃The operation was just terrible。〃
Finally you fell； crushed； broken； bleeding。
It is a very sad story。 They took you all bumped and bleeding to the
sawmill and they bumped and ripped you more。 They cut you in pieces
and hammered you day by day。
They did not bump the little； crooked； dissipated； cigaret…stunted trees。
They were not worth bumping。
But shake； Mr。 Piano。 That is why you are on this stage。 You were
bumped here。 All the beauty； harmony and value were bumped into you。
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The University of Hard Knocks
The Sufferings of the Red Mud
One day I was up the Missabe road about a hundred miles north of
Duluth； Minnesota； and came to a hole in the ground。 It was a big hole
about a half…mile of hole。 There were steam…shovels at work throwing out
of that hole what I thought was red mud。
〃Kind sir； why are they throwing that red mud out of that hole？〃 I
asked a native。
〃That hain't red mud。 That's iron ore； an' it's the best iron ore in the
world。〃
〃What is it worth？〃
〃It hain't worth nothin' here； that's why they're movin' it away。〃
There's red mud around every community that 〃hain't worth nothin'〃
until you move itsend it to college or somewhere。
Not very long after this； near Pittsburgh； Pennsylvania； I saw some of
this same red mud。 It had been moved over the Great Lakes and the rails to
what they call a blast furnace； the technological name of which being The
College of Needful Knocks for Red Mud。
I watched this red mud matriculate into a great hopper with limestone；
charcoal and other textbooks。 Then they corked it up and school began。
They roasted it。 It is a great thing to be roasted。
When it was done roasting they stopped。 Have you noticed that they
always stop when anything is done roasting？ If we are yet getting roasted；
perhaps we are not done！
Then they pulled the plug out of the bottom of the college and held
promotion exercises。 The red mud squirted out into the sand。 It was not
red mud now； because it had been roasted。 It was a freshman pig iron；
worth more than red mud； because it had been roasted。
Some of the pig iron went into another department； a big teakettle；
where it was again roasted； and now it came out a sophomoresteel； worth
more than pig iron。
Some of the sophomore steel went up into another grade where it was
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roasted yet again and rolled thin into a junior。 Some of that went on up and
up； at every step getting more pounding and roasting and affliction。
It seemed as tho I could hear the suffering red mud crying out； 〃O；
why did they take me away from my happy hole…in…the…ground？ Why do
they pound me and break my heart？ I have been good and faithful。 O； why
do they roast me？ O； I'll never get over this！〃
But after they had given it a diplomaa pricemark telling how much it
had been roastedthey took it proudly all over the world； labeled 〃Made in
America。〃 They hung it in show windows； they put it in glass cases。 Many
people admired it and said； 〃Isn't that fine work！〃 They paid much money
for it now。 They paid the most money for what had been roasted the most。
If a ton of that red mud had become watch…springs or razor…blades； the
price had gone up into thousands of dollars。
My friends； you and I are the raw material； the green trees； the red
mud。 The Needful Knocks are necessary to make us serviceable。
Every bump is raising our price。 Every bump is disclosing a path to a
larger life。 The diamond and the chunk of soft coal are exactly the same
material； say the chemists。 But the diamond has gone to The College of
Needful Knocks more than has her crude sister of the coal…scuttle。
There is no human diamond that has not been crystallized in the
crucibles of affliction。 There is no gold that has not been refined in the
fire。
Cripple Taught by Bumps
One evening when I was trying to lecture in a chautauqua tent in
Illinois； a crippled woman was wheeled into the tent and brought right
down to the foot of the platform。 The subject was The University of Hard
Knocks。 Presently the cripple's face was shining brighter than the
footlights。 She knew about the knocks！
Afterwards I went to her。 〃Little lady； I want to thank you for coming
here。 I have the feeling that I spoke the words； but you are the lecture
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itself。〃
What a smile she gave me！ 〃Yes； I know about the hard knocks；〃 she
said。 〃I have been in pain most of my life。 But I have learned all that I
know sitting in this chair。 I have learned to be patient and kind and loving
and brave。〃
They told me this crippled woman was the sweetest…spirited； best…
loved person in the town。
But her mother petulantly interrupted me。 She had wheeled the cripple
into the tent。 She was tall and stately。 She was well…gowned。 She lived in
one of the finest homes in the city。 She had everything that money could
buy。 But her money seemed unable to buy the frown from her face。
〃Mr。 Lecture Man；〃 she said； 〃why is everybody interested in my
daughter and nobody interested in me？ Why is my daughter happy and
why am I not happy？ My daughter is always happy and she hasn't a single
thing to make her happy。 I am not happy。 I have not been happy for years。
Why am I not happy？〃
What would you have said？ Just on the spur of the momentI said；
〃Madam； I don't want to be unkind； but I really think the reason you are
not happy is that you haven't been bumped enough。〃
I discover when I am unhappy and selfish and people don't use me
right； I need another bump。
The cripple girl had traveled ahead
