The University of Hard Knocks

in

Becom

. But so many are trying to grow great on the outside with

emselves, bu

tness. All outside greatness is merely

not measured in inches, dollars, acres, votes, hurrahs,

piritual terms. It is educ

selfishness to

om impurity

unhappiness

om weakness

low ideals t

ittle vision to

m foolishnes

from fear

ignorance to

crifice, struggle and overcoming. We push out our own skyline. We ris

tchen or blacksmith shop. We take the kitchen or blacksmith shop right up with us

eater. There is a th

ng to

high we rise, we discover infinite distances above. The higher we rise, the bette

itles, great applause, great fame, and folderol. Afterwhile the poor old world hears the empty rattle of the inside, and wails, "All is vanity. I find

often they are the sordid story of a few scrambling over the heads of the weaker ones. Sometimes t

ret of

t Teacher. His mission

top." Those two sons of Zebedee wanted to have the greatest plac

d that they were half so busy preparing for greatness.

e my two sons may sit, the one on thy right ha

" Then he gave the only definition of greatness that can ever stand: "Whosoever will be great amo

ust upon" us. We must "achieve greatness" by developing it

arm must become a great serva

r mind must become a great ser

haracter. It is earned

st Step

ed, getting greatness on the inside. Getting greatness on

rest at hand. We do not have to go off to New York or Chicago or go chasing around the world to become gr

or the thousandth step now. We want to make some spectacular stride of a t

e and dissolve the difficulties and turn our burdens into blessings, we find love, the universal solvent, shining out of our lives. We find our spiritual influences going upward. So the winds of earth are born; they rush in from the cold lands to the warm upw

row smaller, for we see them thru

hat is, we begin to see them. They are around us all

we admire what we have accomplished and "point with pride." The g

after giving the world a new science who looked back over it and said, "I seem to have been only a boy playing on t

idow'

who had cast in much more. "This poor widow hath cast in more than they all. For all these have of their a

as all she had. The Master cared little what the footings of the money were in the treasury. That is not why we

is life shall lose it, but he that loseth his life for the advancement

n the percentage of our output to our resources. Upon doing with our might what our hands find to do. Quit worrying about what you can

into the treasury of right service, there is an alchemy that transmutes every gift into gold. Ev

the Grea

and upon this floor. But I do know that the one who made the floor-and the one who sweeps it-is just as great as anybod

oster of the great people of a community. You will find the community heart in

rrow. They are the faithful few who get behind the churches, the school

higher by unselfish service. They are discovering that their sweetest pay comes from doing many things they are not paid for. They r

's lamp in his cap, could possibly have to do with the lyceum course. But I learned that he had all to do with it. He had sold the tickets and had done all the managing. He was superintendent of the Sund

w places. Few of them are "prominent clubmen." You rarely find their names in the society pa

se of G

s and runs a college he founded by his own preaching. He is the mainspring of so many uplift movements that his

ees or letting the mind become a blank. But this Chicago preacher went from one chautauqua town to another, and took his vacation going up

dy of unusual attainment. He made every town an unusual town. He turned the humdrum travel map into a wonderland. He scolded lazy towns and praised enterprising ones. He stopped young fellows

out other people's business. He did not once ask the price of land, nor where there was a goo

take care of himself, instead of taking care of everybody else? He wears himself out

ey were righ

glorious. This man's preaching did not make him great. His college did not make him great. His books did not make him great.

comes the fuel to make the steam to accomplish the wonderful things he

vance every cent he was to get and writing it all down in the contract, most likely Dr. Frank W. Gun

e I

are going to give great things and do great things. Give it now! Give your dollar now, rathe