The University of Hard KnocksParlette, Ralph Albert
Philosophy
The University of Hard Knocks
Parlette, Ralph Albert
Character; Conduct of life; Success
Human life is the story of the Prodigal Son. We look over the fence of
goodness into the mystery of the great unknown world beyond and in that
unknown realm we fondly imagine is happiness.
Down the great white way of the world go the million prodigals, seeking
happiness where nobody ever found happiness. Their days fill up with
disappointment, their vision becomes dulled. They become anaemic
feeding upon the husks.
They just must get their coffee-pot!
How they must be bumped to think upon their ways. Every time we do
wrong we get a Needless Knock. Every time! We may not always get bumped
on the outside, but we always get bumped on the inside. A bump on the
conscience is worse than a bump on the "noodle."
"I can do wrong and not get bumped. I have no feelings upon the
subject," somebody says, You can? You poor old sinner, you have bumped
your conscience numb. That is why you have no feelings on the subject.
You have pounded your soul into a jelly. You don't know how badly you
are hurt.
How the old devil works day and night to keep people amused and doped
so that they will not think upon their ways! How he keeps the music and
the dazzle going so they will not see they are bumping themselves!
Consider the Sticky Flypaper
Did you ever watch a fly get his Needless Knocks on the sticky flypaper?
The last thing Mamma Fly said as Johnny went off to the city was,
"Remember, son, to stay away from the sticky flypaper. That is where
your poor dear father was lost." And Johnny Fly remembers for several
minutes. But when he sees all the smart young flies of his set go over
to the flypaper, he goes over, too. He gazes down at his face in the
stickiness. "Ah! how pretty I am! This sticky flypaper shows me up
better than anything at home. What a fine place to skate. Just see how
close I can fly over it and not get stuck a bit. Mother is such a silly
old worryer. She means all right, of course, but she isn't up-to-date.
We young set of modern flies are naturally bright and have so many more
advantages. You can't catch us. They were too strict with me back home."
You see Johnny fly back and forth and have the time of his naturally
bright young life. Afterwhile, tho, he stubs his toe and lands in the
stickiness. "Well, well, how nice this is on the feet, so soft and
soothing!"
First he puts one foot down and pulls it out. That is a lot of fun. It
shows he is not a prisoner. He is a strong-minded fly. He can quit it
or play in it, just as he pleases. After while he puts two feet down in
the stickiness. It is harder to pull them out. Then he puts three down
and puts down a few more trying to pull them out.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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