"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God,and he shall be my son"—Revelation 21:7.
"Sweet are the uses of adversity;
Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous,
Wears yet a precious jewel in his head;
And thus our life, exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks
Sermons in stones, and good in everything."
Shakespeare
MORE than a million people have sat in audiences in all parts of theUnited States and have listened to "The University of Hard Knocks." Ithas been delivered to date more than twenty-five hundred times uponlyceum courses, at chautauquas, teachers' institutes, club gatherings,conventions and before various other kinds of audiences. Ralph Parletteis kept busy year after year lecturing, because his lectures deal withuniversal human experience.
"Can I get the lecture in book form?" That continuous question fromaudiences brought out this book in response. Here is the overflow ofmany deliveries.
"What is written here is not the way I would write it, were I writing abook," says Ralph Parlette. "It is the way I say it. The lecture tookthis unconscious colloquial form before audiences. An audience makes alecture, if the lecture survives. I wish I could shake the hand ofevery person who has sat in my audiences. And I wish I could tell thelecture committees of America how I appreciate the vast amount ofaltruistic work they have done in bringing the audiences of Americatogether. For lecture audiences are not drawn together, they are pushedtogether."
The warm reception given "The University of Hard Knocks" by the public,has encouraged the publishers to put more of Mr. Parlette's lecturesinto book form, "Big Business" and "Pockets and Paradises" are now inpreparation as this, the third edition of "The University of HardKnocks" comes from the press.
SOME PRELIMINARY REMARKS—The lecturer the delivery wagon—The sorghumbarrel—Audience must have place to put lecture—Why so many words
I. THE BOOKS ARE BUMPS—Every bump a lesson—Why the two kinds ofbumps—Description of University—"Sweet are the uses ofAdversity"—Why children are not interested
II. THE COLLEGE OF NEEDLESS KNOCKS, the bumps that we bumpinto—Getting the coffee-pot—Teaching a wilful child—Bumps make us"stop, look, listen"—Blind man learns with one bump—Going up requireseffort—Prodigals must be bumped—The fly and the stickyfly-paper—"Removed" and "knocked out"
III. THE COLLEGE OF NEEDFUL KNOCKS, the bumps that bump into us—Oursorrows and disappointments—How the piano was made—How the "red mud"becomes razor-blades—The world our mirror—The cripple taught by thebumps—Every bump brings a blessing—You are never down and out
IV. "SHAKE THE BARREL"—How we decide our destinies—Why the