AN

THE

LIFE

CARLETON

H.

OF'
PARKER

By
CORNELIA

STRATTON

PARKER

if ^JPsf*

-.AsttSk'

BOSTON

THE

ATLANTIC

MONTHLY

PRESS

Firat

Inapre*"Ion,

Imar""aioix*

reprinted

"NTarch,

Irapresaion,

Aus**"t"

Tenth

Impresaaon,

October,

witH

rs"ai

ip"3

"93.4

her*

the

tH*

I9ai

Sex"temb"r,

Ninth

"**

1919

-Aug^uat,

Impre"fiion.

poem

1919

January,

Impression,

Eighth

The

October,

Impreseion,

Seventh

1919

September,

Impre"aion,

Fourth

Sixth

August,

Imprewion,

Third

Fifth

May,

Jmpre""on,

Second

JWONTTK1-Y

BY

19x9,

ezcprrss

cf

Yet,

heart,

stric"en

How

human

of

April
Breathed

the

Trod

Took

his

Jill

Came

have

that

Here,

he

boy,

And

of

th*
ere

day

sorrow

seeing,
ceased

when

melancholy

all

is

dream.

toil,

torture,

to

stream,

undiminished,

the

his,

and

treason,

but

him

all

departed

the

name.

were

singing

as

smile.

to

now

through
of

'while,

ever

and

death,
dwelt

being

and

undeparted

contains

dishonor,

Shame,

for

nor

the

his,

but

heart.

Spring,

thought

of

went,

gladness,

life

blithely

went,

crossed

pang,

Undecaying

All

and

and

stayed

the

Yours

joy

stayed

alone

You

music,

head
or

only

April

part.

December

the

upon

Winter,

ery

of

and

and

Came

flaw

better

dim

chill

not

remember,

the

never

killing

know

to

lived

and

bloom,
its

Doomed

he

days

to

came

remember,

season

ht
cam*.

finished,

Written

three

for

Dedicated

Carl

children.

our

all

to

*Parker

those

whether

kindred

they

souls^

friends

him

knew

not^

or

the

making

are

all

the

they

fight^

without

understanding,

for

possess^

bitterness

patience^

and

kindlier
a

saner

but

who

with

enthusiasm

and
'y

of

more

joyous

world.

jfnd

the
way*

to

those

especially

who

love

greatly

along

INTRODUCTION

TO

SEVENTH

WAS

it all

thousand

has

Time

that

it

two

was

between

white
that

of

the

matter

me

urged

the

friends

few

Carl

the

Nor

see

fit

books

are

published*

That
hurt

was

tny

actual

to

somewhat

of

jumped

publication

buying

it out

of

five

them.

of

the

hundred

in

ahead

It troubled

my

it

send

to

in

two

"

were

publisher
just

It

rather
to

I visioned
then

other

as

imagination

The

ting
get-

form

some

soutL

the
that

modest
other

And

was

three

the

thought.

manuscript.
copies.

it

after

form,

in

had

have

of

that

appalling

an

in
with-

interested

The

book

truth

suggested

in

guess

reasons

the

ever

must

be

copies.

the

Yet

three

might

best.

at

of

enthusiasm

the

read

ever

material

and

something

published

fifty

bring

pride.

edition

friends

ventured

might

the

of

months,

thought,

I perhaps

the

One

and

They

was

manuscript.

manuscript

hundred

bolder*

age
cleav-

black

would

it because

for

been
the

in

written.

with

anything

not

down

I thought

would

Parker's

entire

one

say

it

it

I wrote

Monthly.0

of

count

the

"

first

Who

years.

after

on.

read

'Atlantic

by

those

inconsequential

that

do

put

afterwards.

book

me

who

know

past

of

must

fifteen

hazy

was

had

reason

to

written,

and

courage

months

struggle

that

this

writing

Yet

it.

ten

the

of

was

first

act

for

of

record

record

We

and

conviction

the

with

worlds.

born

the

grew

ago?

do

to

years

two

Somehow,

EDITION

years

nothing

THE

saw

life of

the

ble
possibody
no-

Carl

INTRODUCTION

Parker, dusty and forgottenon

something of

taken

that had

Words

commercial
my

bookshelves.

very

life to

innermost
that told of warm,
things,growing
bookstores.
dark back shelves in corner

manuscript

The

feel that the

who
book

as

this must

only

can

say

finallytyped. There

was

of person

sort

who

be callous,devoid

that three different

could

mouldy
are

on

those

write such

of finer

times

write,

feelings.I

I almost

gave

thing,because it seemed so impossible to

a
be able to read the manuscript to the typist. It was
real sufferingto meet
nightlyordeal,which meant
very
and go through with. Some parts of it I typed myself.
to the world, if it
Then
why give such a document
seemed too close and near to share with one stenographer?
At any rate, I never
once
concretely
Why, indeed.
visioned peoplereadingit.
the whole

up

...

It

was

mailed.

Did

the

editor

of

the

"Atlantic

Monthly" think there was any part of it he could use

be at all suitable
at otherwise
in his magazine? Would
for

book?

Please, no

one

in the world

can

guess

how

I felt asking those questions.

foolishlypresumptuous
And
again,how fearfullysensitive. There would be an
that what I had put down on paper
acute pain to know
wondrous
thing in the world to me, would be
as the most
sent back direct,with a littleprintedslipstatingthat it
inadvisable to publishit.
deemed
was
ery
deliva special
Instead,on Christmas evening,came
letter,saying that two articleswould appear in the
Atlantic Monthly/1 and later the whole thing would be
broughtout in book form* For several days I lived in the
clouds* It had seemed
impossiblethat lifecould ever
hold such a thrill and excitement again!
the editor-pubAnd then, one day, came
a letter from
"

INTRODUCTION
lisher, saying that
in

copies
down
the

the

like

these

But

feeling

that

such

the
will

never

be

so

to

and

was

in
petuate
per-

I knew

man

of

"

it

unclad

on

great

should

never

Why,

pass

that

number
lose

the

consecrate

in

the

have

shared

would

many

I wanted

Was

folks

speak

been

thousand

after

it* That

wrote

meant

so

I had

that

Not

I had

the

moil
tur-

would

back

dark

on

much

to

me

opened

my

book,

dawn

on

shelves
book-

not

to
me

have

To

letters

get
that

people

as

Carf

Parker
of it

felt something

the tellingof it rejoiced

read

no;

of

anguish

spirit in which

man

I had

heart, and

the sensibilitie" of

the

such

that
who

those

so

The

in the

written

all, oh, goodness,

Imrt

the

first publication!

living with

as

be shared,

must

people

it meant

ago?

years

having read
slowly it began to

taking what

were

thousand

copies which

the

copies

of

me

it. Then

about

again

of

dusty

four

bookstores.

weeks
to

There

thinking

Those

corner

early

but

"

book.

over

all that

those

thought

the

read

bought.
in

have

to

people

understand,

quick

of dismay

had

of

came

people reading

of appearing

longed

others.

Then

not

have

that

lives!

two

personality

things

At

thousand

thousand

not

book.

our

I had

helpfulness

and

beauty

the
four

would

many

with

few

the

of

people

terrible.

loved.

so

publish four thousand

to

Four

experiences

was

for

of

thud.

nightmares
It

public.
and

with

inner

very

decided

first edition

earth

to

he had

xi

were

grateful.

all!

some

"

aia

sotry

sorry

that

for tbefar sakes

"'

*
''

and

mine,

that

to

them

the

worth

of

a^(5iHi^iTtmPN^^m^fm$tMJ?^fi ^P
^j^m^nft^ii'^i^i^f*30*O ll%it^tjl-ij!ro

ixopart.

I would

c"$i$Q^"^

man

Uke

rffi!mffitffi
A? 1

INTRODUCTION

xu

And

yet, no

matter

how

many

souls I have

pained,I am

For I know
that
this book!
glad,glad,glad I wrote
of the man,
enough
enough have caught the personality
his joy, to make
have felt his enthusiasm, his courage,
worth the fight.Just as in the flesh
lives more
their own
and they ever after had a
touched people's
this man
lives,
zest in living,so through this book, these printed
new

words, somehow

has been able to flow

ance,
littleof that radi-

which has left mankind

insight,
of how Carl Parker's
the richer. I gloryin every letter telling
spirithas taken hold of hearts, through my poor
and at the same
them lighter,
written words, and made
time more
filledwith a determination of accomplishment
have written and spoken
Boys and girlsnot yet in college
that age he longed to set
to me;
universitystudents
and women
toward the light;
startingout in
men
young
married couples,parents, old people
life,lovers,young
whose handwritingis no longersteady. They have caught
something of Carl Parker's ardor. They are cheered,and
that constructive

"

strong, because
which
that very telling

their faith made

"

Knowledge steadilyprogresses
where death forced Carl Parker

I did tellof

our

lifetogether

dismayed these others*

on
beyond that point
to cease

his work*

More

psychopathology,
concerning psychology,
concerning the techniqueof applying that knowledge to
That
is as it
the industrial problems, than he knew*
will
should be* Some day his ideae on labor-psychology
be considered out of date. They still,
tx"day,pointthe
and further developments*
way to new
Should Ma intellectualcontributions be totallysuperseded,
the spirit
of him will be fresh,poignant,
so long as
peoplelive who knew him. If this book could but per*
even
beyond that ttatf
petuate eomething of that spirit
is known

now

INTRODUCTION

into

or

knew

the

and
life

to

years

loved

when

come,

this

man

as

all
he

of

lived

us

his

are

who

gone

tered
unfet-

joyous

from

Sometimes,

us.

among

xiii

the

has

been

this

small

received,
book

I
will

be

bold

grow

able

to

feel

to

do

little

perhaps,
of

just

perhaps,
that.

C.
NEW

YORK

CITY,

January,

1921

it

way

...

S.

P.

PREFACE

IT

was

year

March

tribute

which

and
my

soul

One

and

most,

could

see

be

his

valuable

of

the

effects

Northwest

of

him,

labor

of

investigation,
in

shops

of

both

and

services

in

Thanks
.

to

him,

strikes

and
That

by

not

and

demic
aca-

woods,

confidence

and

trust

and

his

capital;

brewing.

was

averted;

were

mate
esti-

one

view.

mines

trouble

whenever

in

runs

of

labor

between

the

mable
inesti-

his

knowledge

in

the

in

war-

of

work

the

vital

most

and

has

told

of

sides.
could
was?

write

one

Would
of

aU

discontent,
who

one

every

but

threatened

importance,

smouldering

almost

But

he

disputes

called

were

had

He

progress;

of

gained,

working

by

farms.

on

sides

but

and

so

point
he

will

and

teacher.

"

its

understanding

that

knowledge,

and

outlet

was

unparalleled

his

best

some

and

and

comrade,

letters

disputes,

nation;

mediator,"

"all

"

understanding

the

Federal

as

what

labor

of

pay

tribute.

thought

mediation

to

him

give
my

of

on

in

knew

pay

economic

friend,

as

free
and

to

way
to

come

were

I who

"

no

throughout

qualities
gave

all,

March

"

have

press

written

to

his

of

the

chance

have

service

and

"He

of

no

another

would

in

had

"

died

students,

both

I alone

him

loved

his

him,

treasure.

Parker

birthday

friends,

to

Carl

that

fortieth

His

31.

their

to

His

1918.

17,

to-day

ago

side

of him,

it then

be

of

even

him,

so

on."

went

haa

and
out
to

ings
misunderstand-

by

for

written
there
of
the

were

place
manner

publication
such

less
count-

if I, his
of

wife,

husband

PREFACE

xvi

hesitated for

I have

months

some

do this. He

to

had

perhaps, as to
truly national a name,
would be acceptable.
warrant
any assumption that such a work
Many of his close friends have asked me to do
just this,however; for they realize,as I do so strongly,
that, even
full,so potential,
that his life was
as
so big,so
it would be worth the reading.
the story of a man,
And, at the risk of sharing intimacies that should be
kept in one's heart only, I long to have the world know
something of the life we led together.
An old friend wrote:
"Dear, splendid Carl, the very
of life,energizedand joyfulto a degree I
embodiment
have never
known. And the thought of the separationof
not

yet made

you

two

be the

so

makes
to

same

cold.

turn

me

can

never

of it. I loved his

Carl out

with

me

world

The

high

his humor, his adoration of you.

his helpfulness,
spirit,
has
Knowing you and Carl, and seeingyour lifetogether,
been one of the most
perfectthings in my life/'
An

from

Eastern

who
professor,

time

time

to

finest husbands

wrote:

I have

had

visited

have

"You

lost

Ever

known.

ever

at

home

our
one

of the

since I have

family,I have considered their home

lifeas ideal. I had hoped that the too few hours I spent
in your home
might be multipliedmany times in coming
the Parker

known

years.
a

never

than Carl

woman

I write of him

So
to

I have

...

ease

my

own

was

known
with

for these

you/'

hope

because
pent-up feelings;

writingabout; because
"Some
word to me:
day, when
you

because

reasons:

well worth
sent

will sit down

and

in love with

more

man

write

so

me

his lifewas

have

about

so

friends have

many

you

I must,

the time, I

Carl"

*"

the

about his earlier years,

asking especially
the older friends wishingto know of his later interests,
newer

friends

xvii

PREFACE

written
all

to

this

want

no

there

his

of

and

months,

what

have

"

death.

"

is

children

academic

to

day

to

know?

If

day.
of

And

know

can

them

answer

in

most

intimate
their

about

of

reason

father

public
live

the

till
tell

can

last

but

career,

they
them.

instance,

old

are

If

how

is

led

to

are

derstand,
un-

they

document

them.
C.
March

17,

1919

S,

just
he

enough

not,

this

life

the

all.

not

"

course,

so,

the

his

worth,

I,

for

last

yet

as

lastly,
our

from

to

one

the

way.

And,

his

of

especially

and

P.

honeymoon!"

my

itseh,"I'm

said,innocence

And

tillI find

marry

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

going

he said, "I'm

And

girlwho

to

not

Idaho

going

to go to Idaho

wants

on

to

her

on

honeymoon!" Then we both laughed.

when
in his eyes was
we
the deciding event
But
planned our first long walk in the Berkeley hills for a
22, and that morning it
certain Saturday, November
brought up on by my
One of the tenets I was
rained..
father

weather

that bad

was

postponing anything;so
would

start

on

our

walk

telephoned

Carl

was

I took

it for

for

excuse

an

granted that

we

planned.

as

and

anon

never

said, "Of

course

the

is off."

walk

I asked.

"But

why?"

"The

rain!" he answered*
if that makes

"As

he

At which
be around

in

any

difference!"

gasped a littleand said all right,he'd

minute;

which

he was, in his Idaho

fit,
out-

suggestedbeing entirelyresponsible
for bulging one
pocket. Off we started in the
rain, and such a day as we had! We climbed Grizzly
only we did not know it for the fog and rain,
Peak,
the summit, in the shelter of a veryand justover
tified
drippy oak tree, we sat down for lunch* A fairlysancthe lunch he had

"

"

expressioncame
forth

rather damp

over

and

Carl's face

as

he

drew

paper-bag
frayed-looking
"

king might look who uncovered the chest of his

a courtier deemed
most
preciouscourt jeweK-tJefore
worthy of that honor. And before my puasled and
doubtful eyes he spread his treasure
somewhat
jerked bear-meat, nothing but jerked bear-raeat* I
as

"

AN

had

never

AMERICAN

IDYLL

jerked anything,let alone tasted it. I

seen

used to the conventional

picnicsandwiches done
plusa stuffed egg, fruit,and cake.

was

up in waxed
paper,
I was
ready for a lunch after the conservative
here

and

pattern,

of most
gazed upon a mess
unappetizinglooking,wrinkled, shrunken, jerked bear-meat, the
rain dropping down on it through the oak tree.
I would
have gasped if I had not caught the look of
and reverence
Carl's face as he gazed eagerly,
awe
on
and with what respect, on bis offering.
I merely took a
hunk
of what was
supplied,set my teeth into it,and
pulled. It was
salty,very; it looked queer, tasted
walked
farther,
queer, was
queer. Yet that lunch! We
sat now
and then under other drippy trees, and at last
decided that we must
slide home, by that time soaked
the heel to one shoe.
to the skin, and I minus
I had

just got myself out of the bath and into dry

clothes when the telephonerang. It ;\vas Carl. Could
he come
to the house and spend the rest of the
over
It was
afternoon?
then ?iboutfour-thirty.
He came,
and from then on thingswere
decidedly different.
"

How

I should

Freshman

year

about
not

go

into detail

to marry

I have

it than

Junior Prom
me

love to go
of mine! I am

of my

"

Freshman
two

happierrightnow

been

only to

him, and

into the details of that

in six months.

say

that the

year

ing
writI shall

night of the

Carl Parker

asked

days later,up again in

our

hills,I said that I would. To think of that now

think of waiting two whole days to decide whether
"

would
years

many

from

Carl
the

Parker

day I

met

or

for fourteen

not!! And

him, there

to

was

never

one

AN

small

boresome,

oh,

time
for

our

let

the

The

that

for

Trail."

the

was

You

Lord

And

the

knows

what

Deuce

we're
own

down,
trail

we

days

us

would

that

be

not

Kipling

the

last

poem

both
of

knows

back

what

once

trail,

the

hull

that

more

is

on

of

us,

it:

always

dear

may

do

the

old

lass,
"

trail,

our

trail,

out

down,

we

find,

on

the
new!

Long

we

do

never

for

of

may

swer
an-

boresome

would

spirit

know

can

early

we

The

day.

new

it

those

we

"

commonplace
when

stupid,

"

The

We're

get

in

All

not

was

thing

one

each

most,

it

fact,

come

of

start

But

the

world

the

Long

In

it

that.

as

peace

stupid,

it!

from

never

the

such
not

consider

was

haps
Per-

parted.

were

would

who

in

was

vow

should

loved
"

far

to

was

it

that

how

took

live

to

is

people

are

we

that

day

one

when

except

"

there

IDYLL

misunderstanding,

of

moment

happiness

not

AMERICAN

Trail"

the

the

eager
we

was

CHAPTER

AFTER

decided

we

could,

we

ever

mature

with

Senior,

Our
as

main
we

recall

we

decided

the

in

picture

let

lives

our

Can

day,

Christmas

lose

father's

engaged?

(My

father

of

first

male

matrimony

most

too

He
of

prowling
girl-and-policeman

the

all

let

seldom,
time,

over

our

fashion*

and

since

in

at

of

Also,

boys

Parker

we

real
and
the

was

my

home

in

living

was

much

we

anyway,

end

him

have

me

Carl

March

conventional,

allowed

ever

rate.

told

interested

young!)

was

came

the

never

never

sunny
we

mained
re-

adventure,

any

that

being

become

who

person

evening.

Berkeley

lest

even,

think

had

who

at

flag

would
of

my

and

that

we

when

"

Carl

frock

love

the

face

it was,

"caller"

that

us

sion.
conclu-

sent

and

and

cannot

that

it,

for

never

graduation

behind

go.

could,

we

to

us

cussing
dis-

everybody

Persia?

intellectually

my

sort

life

sure

might

from

brought

Day

traditional

the

Why

Charter

"

were

stale,

see

you

Persia.

symbol

down/'

"settle

never

fullest

tucked

the

get

very

he

began

we

away

high-school

flag

always

far

as

first

that

where

and

that

frilled

Persian

the

now

know

get

on

steps

But

silk

live

and

do

and

even

we

"

as

years,

not

into,

soon

ripe

eighteen

prospects,
go

as

the

at

just

would

to

was

that

and

Freshman

might

could,

last

at

he

we

idea

being

particular

field

what

married,

get

mentioned,

as

no

what

yet

as

"

of,

age

to

II

ferred
pre-

creation,

servant*

when

married,

in

AMERICAN

AN

father it

IDYLL

preferably
a judge,with a
an
attorney of parts, about to become
Instead, at eighteen,I and this
large bank account.
accordingto

are

one,

some

before him

Senior stood

almost-unknown-to-him

said, "We

to be

was

going to

be

married/1

or

words

to

and
that

here is where I want you to think

generaleffect. And
of the expressionon my conservative father's face.
Fairly early in the conversation he found breath to
I ask, are your prospects?"
what, may
say, "And
"None, justat present."
"And
where, may I ask, are you planningto begin
this married career
to contemplate?"
you seem
"

"In

Persia."

Can

you

see

my

father? "Persia?"

"Yes, Persia."
"And
to do

what, for goodness'sake,

are

you

two

going

in Persia?"

"We

don't know

justyet, of

course,

but we'll find

something."
I
am

can

see

not

sure

my

but

daughter who
in Persia

pointof view now, though I

that I shall prefera son-in-law for our
would
contemplate absolute uncertainty
in preference
to an assured legal
fession
profather's

in Oakland, California* It
my

father became
was

me

him

say,

all sympathetic,
and that condition

few months

know, Cornelia,I

if I had

years before

two

far from enthusiastic* So it was

to have

"You

at

was

had the world

want

you

great joy to
before his death,
a

to understand

that

pick from I *d have chosen

husband. Your marriageis a con*
to

Carl Parker for your

of satisfaction to me."
stant
source

AN
I

IDYLL

AMERICAN

lose his temper once, and once

knew
that first year that we
each other.

Carl Parker

saw

only* It

was

Because

there

such

was

difference between

his age
lieve
house refused to besorority

and mine, the girlsin my

there could be anything serious about

our

going

me
togetherso much, and took great pains to assure
Carl meant
in privatethat of course
nothing by his
and they
to which I agreed volubly,
attentions,
man
scolded him in privatebecause it would spoila Freshattentive. We
to have
pared
always coma Senior so
"

"

later,and

notes

were

much

amused.

thing, actions another. Since

there could be nothing serious in our
relationship,
reason
no
why we should be left
naturallythere was
ior
to be a rally
or a concert, the Senalone. If there was
of the dinner-table would ask,
at the head
sitting
But

"

How

words

many

Then,

to

"

me,

Yes." "Then

it twice

"

going to-nightwith a man?" Hands.

of the girls
are
going together?" Hands.
"Are
going with Carl?" A faint
you
we'll allgo alongwith you." Carl stood
are

many

"How

one

were

twice he beheld

this cavalcade

bear away

wake; then he grittedhis teeth and announced,

"Never
again!"
The next collegeoccasion was
a rallyat the Greek
at the table that all
Theatre. Again it was announced
in

our

the unescorted

ones

would

I foresaw trouble. When

accompany
came

Carl and

me.

downstairs later,with

Carl,surrounded by
all hastilybuttoning their gloves,his
about six girls,
of the truth about Carl ami
who knew no more
sister,
than the others, being one of them. Never had I
me
my

hat and

coat

on,

there stood

seen

such

His feet

look

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

on

Carl's face, and

spread apart,

were

was

glaring.When

and

we

dashed

he

set, and he
jaw was
on!"
he said, "Come

for the door.

flew after

Sister Helen

did again.

never

his

me

saw

"But

us.

Carl

the other

"

"

girls!
Carl stuck

his head

the

around

the other

"Damn
door, called defiantly,
the door to, and

we

corner

again were

fled. Never

of the front
"

! banged
girls
we

molested.

Carl finished his Senior year, and a full year it was

sity
editor of the "Pelican/7 the Univerfor him. He was

funny paper, and of the University of California

the campus
on
Magazine/' the most serious publication
outside the technical journals;he made
every
"

organizationthere was to make (exceptthe

the
Phi Beta Kappa) ; he and a fellow student wrote
in
successful Senior Extravaganza; he was
a reader
economics, and graduated with honors. And he saw
me
singleday.
every
here a moment,
I feel like digressing
to assail that
less
old principle which my father,along with countothers, held so strongly that a fellow who is
reallyworth while ought to know by his Junior year
in collegejustwhat his life-work is to be. A few 'with
an
earlydeveloped specialaptitudedo, but very few.
Carl entered collegein August, 1896, in Engineering;
found that it had no further appeal
but after a term
fellow ought to stick to a thing,
for him. "But
a
be dogmatic,
whether he likes it or not!" If one must
work at anything
then I say, "A fellow should never
he does not like." One of the thingsin our case which
"honor"

"

"

AN

10

days

up

"

four in the

at

IDYLL

AMERICAN

pitch-darkand

snow,

to

job,with the blessingof a dear old Scotch

landlady and a "pastie"!He would tell our sons of
tamping in the sticks of dynamite, till their eyes
bulged.The hundreds of times these last six months
I 've wished I had in writing the stories of those days
early Vacaville times on!
of all his days, from
crawl to his

"

Sometimes
would
times

it would

appear,
Of the

Allen; of the
out-pray the

and

be

an

old Vacaville

stories would

crony

fly of those

who

boy

with Pee Wee

exploits
up Putah Creek
prayer-meetingwhen Carl bet he could
minister's son, and won; of the tediously

on
thought-out assaults upon an ancient hired man
the place,that would filla book and delightthe heart
of Tom
Sawyer himself; and how his mother used to
sighand add to it all, If only he had ever come home
time to his meals !" (And he has one son just like
on
him. Carl's brothers tell me:
Just give up tryingto
"

"

time. Mamma
on
get Jim home
could devise to make
a human

tried every

scheme

prompt for his

effect.Half
had the slightest
Carl

meals, but nothing ever

hour past dinner-time he'd stillbe five miles from
an

home.")
One

article that recently appeared in

New

York

began:
"They say of him that when he was a small boy he
displayedthe same tendencies that later on made him
tinct
great in his chosen field.His familypossesseda distendency toward conformityand respectability,
but Carl was
'alley-bum1in
a companion of every
him
Vacaville* His respectablefriends never
won
paper

"

AN
away

from

They

now

After
what
he

he had

Bradley, for his

I have

I not

can

him

seen

The

hold

with

"

which

remember
a

roomful

his Clearwater
tales! Three

those

coloring,to

be

objectedto. I have seen him

of staid facultyfolk sitting
breathless at

no

group

bit of Parker

first

Idaho

in Berlin absolutelyspellbound over

adventures

Hal

oh, why

"

for word?

word

of students

with

tell

could

left for Idaho, where

of theirs for years.

dream

"

under-dog.

mining days, he took

saved, and

his chum,

meet

stories he

sure,

valid his claim to achievement/'

British Columbia

the

trip

them

it makes

know

to

Idaho

IDYLL

his insatiable interest in the

money

was

AMERICAN

ever

one

and

how

and

yarns;

he loved to tell those

half months

he and

Hal

were

in

hunting, fishing,jerking meat, trailingafter lost

of Idaho come
true.
horses, having his dreams
(If
fail to have those dreams!)
our
sons
the Wanderlust
When
Hal returned to college,
was
stilltoo strong in Carl; so he stopped off in Spokane,
to try pot-luck.There
were
Washington, penniless,
tales to delighta gathering.In Spokane he took
more
at reporting,
claimingto be a person of large
a hand
experience,since only those of largeexperiencewere
desired by the editor of the "Spokesman Review."
He was
given sport, society,and the tenderloin to
"

cover,

at

nine dollars

week.

As

he

never

could go

anywhere without making folks love him, it was not

the "sports,"
long before he had his cronies among
kind souls in society who took him in,and at least
one
strong, loyalfriend, who called him "Bub/*
"

"

"

AN

12

AMERICAN

him much

and gave
to refer

to,

excellent advice that he often used

who

"

IDYLL

was

the

of the

owner

in town.

days, and
It

was

(Spokane was
"some town.")
the societyfriends who

his life,for nine dollars did not

have

"But

justten
who

used to

far, even

saved

then. I
he could

Carl considerable of his nine

save

then

into his own

home

dollars^

laundry.^*

Carl's older brother, Boyd, who

somewhat

fastidious,
ran

tells how

Carl insisted he
instead of

room

go

have

saving for it all day, with

pocket."I met a palof those day/^

by "smooching" his wash

his

to

seem

in those

I'd been

in my

cents

About

wide open

his hostesses tell of the meal

heard

consume.

biggestgambling-joint

"Is it far from

into him

in

Spokane,
should spend the nightat

going to

hotel,

here?"

"Oh, no!"
So

they started

walked

and

out

with

and
Boydfs suitcase,

walked

through the "darndest part of

town
saw." Finally,after crossing
ever
you
untoldh
railroad tracks and ducking around sheds and through
alleys,they came
to a rooming-house that was
"a
"It's all rightinside,"
holy fright."
Carl explained.
When
they reached his room, there was one not
*

'

over-broad

bed in the corner, and

red head

showing,

snoringcontentedly,
"Who's

"Oh,

that?"

the brother asked.

fellow I

pickedup somewhere/1
"Where
I to sleep?"
am
Right in here
the bed 's plentybigenough for
a

11

"

three!0

AN

AMERICAN

IDYLL

13

And

Boyd says, though it was 2 A.M. and miles from

anywhere, he lit out of there as fast as he could move;
and he adds,
I don't believe he even
that redknew
headed
"

boy's name!"
reportingwent

The

The

rather

lamely it seemed,

ever.
how-

editor said that it read amateurish, and

felt he would

have

files where

to make

change. Carl made

he

for

all the

daily papers were

kept,and
*read and re-read the yellowestof the yellow. As luck
kwould have it,that very night a big fire broke out
some

in

crowded

apartment

but
[["beat,"

he decided

house.

It

not

was

in Carl's

it

anyhow. Along
.with the firemen, he managed to get up on the roof; he
jumped here, he flew there,demolishingthe only suit
of clothes he owned.
in! The

to

But

cover

what

account

an

he handed

editor discarded

reporter

sent

word, and

to

cover

raised him

entirelythe story of the

the fire,
in Carl's,word for
ran

to twelve

dollars

week.

But

of reportorial
success
was
just as the crown
lightingon his brow, his mother made it plainto him
that she preferredto have him return to college.
He
bought a ticket to Vacaville, it was
just about
Christmas time,
purchased a loaf of bread and a
of sardines,and with thirtycents in his pocket,
can
the extent of his worldly wealth, he left for California,
travelingin a day coach all the way. I remember
his story of how, about the end of the second day of
threadand sardines,he cold-bloodedly
thought
and with aforecultivated a man
oppositehim, who looked
"

"

as
"

if he
came

afford

could

through

"

and

to

eat;

asked

and

Carl

how

the

if he would

man

have

of

depression

in

major"
May

the

in

Moran
and

him,

stopped

it

and

on

ate

doing

his
his

side

of

of

life,
in

both
economics.
it

spring,

next

to

was

jerked
for

this

from
meat

one

and
second.

in

underground
he

July

outing
loved

Nay

met

trip;

camping-

Idaho

second

his

return

that

In

Nanaimo.

for

Idaho

was

host.

them

field

worked

he

1903,

of

coal-mines

the

until

the

saw

the

and

subject.

that

June,

and

to

college

entered

he

when

And

interest

his

turned

Spokane,

he

as

what

over

dark

the

plus

society

with

contrasted

as

mind

never

"

experience,

mining

his

All

anyhow

him

tided

It

host!

paying

home,

reached

he

the

tell

expression

the

of

and

ordered,

him

hear

To

diner.

the

he

much

how

and

in

him

with

dinner

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

14

him,

that

and

met

never

CHAPTER

THERE

three

were

girl. Each
to

of

the

see

his

to

return,

Stephens

in

the

Parker

brothers

had

Europe,

serious

his

Carl
also

and

the

for

on

Professor
who

for

study

prepare

teen
four-

being,

to

work

to

was

one

planned

California,

of

and

encouraged

objective

Extension

organize

system

been

Secretary

University

California.

family,

Carl

turn

Extension

as

the

to

his

in

and

act

of

preparing
time

other

world,
in

in

boys

the

months

III

was

first

the

tension
Ex-

English
Extension

some

lecturing.
that

By
I had
to

time,

realized

marry

stay

trip

tent

in

Persia.

the

know

coming
I

Carl

future.
what

but

stopped

and

them

laid

the

accounts

always

him;

street

just

before

to

to

but

meeting

of

he

left

for

planning

to

do

"

energetic

I don't

up-and-

him!

dinners
"

They,
the

Webbs

pean
Euro-

I wanted

seven

three

London

Carl's

through

about
of

meant

on

recently

twinkle,

an

read

aside

in

have

Minor."

Asia

Webb's

with
for

room

here

and

Beatrice

forgotten

in

writing

from:

me

was

better

perhaps,

telling

he

had
could

was

answered

man

young

Carl

option,

what

there's

letters,
quote

him

asking

and

anyhow

young,

an

and

senses,

money

college.

get

the

our

no

so

from

on

to

was

was

friend

Carl

into

Europe

and

Europe

bit

there

since

graduate

to

running

come

since

and

and

his

for

that

on,

on

had

we

Sidney

at

what

knowing

perhaps,
and

to

have

Graham

English

that

and

Wallas
but

red-letter events

one

year

of

out

there

Then
there

by

to

enthusiast

economic

young

nothing

be

could

group

college,studying Trade-Unionism
his South-African

was

in

of Economics.

School

the London

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

x6

firm, to expert

London

mine

sent

was

nesburg.
Johan-

near

five times, said firm sent

he cabled

Although

trip.He

anguish of those
had much
neither of us ever
patienceunder
weeks
But he experted his mine, and
such circumstances.
found it absolutelyworthless; exploredthe veldt on a
cooked littlemeals of bacon and
second-hand bicycle,
himself,and wrote to me.
wherever he found
mush
he learned much, studied the coolie quesMeanwhile
tion,
mine-workings,was entertained by
investigated
in
his old college
mates
mining experts themselves
of the bull
Johannesburg*There was the letter telling
seafaring
fightat Zanzibar, or Delagoa Bay, or some
no

money.

bitter

The

disgust and

"

"

"

his heart, it was

port thereabouts, that broke

such

"it toade a Kappa tea look gory

disappointment
admitted
by comparison/'And the letter that regretfully
that perhaps,after all,Persia would not just
"

do to settle down
with

that time he wanted

in* About

fearful want,

and

eign parts, and declared that

for two
as

suited him

"

any

was

all done

fornia
Cali-

with for*

placejustbigenough

it did not need to be

Persia after all At last he borrowed

as

money

far away
to

get

Europe, claiming that "he had learned his

he came
home
lesson and learned ithard." And finally
he could reach Berkeley
did not stop
as fast as ever
back

to

"

even

to

telegraph*

to

be

bond-salesman
within

bottom

all out

for it anyway,

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

18

year,

mony
salary that assured matrithough in no affluence,and the
on

of the law business and

we

held

consultation

marriage. What

bonds

and

made!

Those

who

knew

and

enthusiasm
decided

knew

what

for
Carl

bond-salesman

him

no

has been

ferred
re-

and could
magic of his personality,"
he was
how
understand
having the whole of a small
country town askinghim to dinner on his second visit,
I somehow
got through my Senior year; but how
the days dragged! For all I could think of was
Carl,
Carl, Carl, and gettingmarried* Yet no one
no
one
this earth
had the fun out of their engaged
on
ever
days that we did,when we were together.Carl used to
for
say that the accumulated
expenses of courtingme
almost four years came
to $10.25,He justguessed at
$10.25,though any cheap figurewould have done. We
justdid not care about doing thingsthat happened to
We never
did care in our lives,
cost money.
and never
would have cared, no matter
what our income might
the main reason
be. Undoubtedly that was
we
were
so
blissful on such a small salaryin Universitywork
could never
think, at the time, of anything much
we
were
we
doing without. I remember that the happiest
"the

to as

"

"

"

Christmas

almost

ever

had

was

over

in the

try,
coun-

spent under two dollars for all of us. We

absolutelydown to bed-rock that year anyway.

when
were

we

(It was

we

just after we paid off our European debt*)

Carl gave me
Pastor's Wife/1 and we
a book, "The
gloatedover it togetherall Christinas afternoon! We
each of the boys a ten-cent cap-pistol
and five
gave

AN

AMERICAN

of caps

cents' worth

IDYLL

they

"

19

in their Paradise.

were

three shirts of Carl's that had

I mended

been

in my

to him,
long they were
reallylike new
them!
laundered
he'd forgottenhe owned
them,
and hung the trio,tied in tissue paper and red ribbon,

basket

so

"

"

on

the tree. That

was

Christmas!

claim,too, that, as I got

of gum-drops, there
five cents' worth
He

used

in

to

dollar's worth

excited

so
was

no

of French

mixed

of almost

every

use

over

vesting
in-

candy
if one
had n't the dollar. We always loved
especially
than anything else,and justprowling
tramping more
around
the streets arm-in-arm, ending perhaps with
ice-cream soda. Not over-costly,any of it. I have
an

kept

littlereminder

some

took in

four

our

engaged

years

it is a

"

"

spree we
book of sheer

Except always, always the

need of saying good-bye: it got so that it seemed
almost impossibleto say it.
it did not have to
the day when
then came
And
that day of days, September 7,
be said each time
married* Idaho for our honeymoon
we
were
1907, when
joy from

to

cover

cover.

"

had

to

be abandoned,

longestvacation

periodwe

bond-house*

But

as

three weeks

could

wring from

even

Idaho

not

was
a

could

the

less
soulhave

trip
brought us more joy than our seventy-five-mile
up the Rogue River In Southern Oregon. We hired an
ancient,almost immobile, socalled horses,
they needed scant attention, and
with provisions,
rods, and sleepmg-bags, we
gun,

old buckboard

and

two

"

"

started forth. The

the fish

were

woods

com
biting,

were

was

in their autumn

glory,

ripealong the road*

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

20

red
apples made
tree. "Help
yourselves!" the
blotches under
every
farmers would sing out, or would not sing out. It was

all one

"

he

married

an

married

had

boil rice. The

'You

other

that, along with his every

I had

"

to us.

I found

that

River

Rogue

apples

side, and

first

expert camp

cook.

who

could

person

night out

our

on

the rice while I tend

start

ment,
accomplish-

to

He

found

not

even

trip,Carl said,
the horses.*' He

planned to take a
Science on graduation
In Domestic
; however,
course
than
me
earlier,
inexperienced,
he preferredto marry
a
later,experienced.But evidently he thought even
I could

knew

low-grade

not

could

moron

heart did not

cook

know

I had

"

boil rice. The

that rice swelled when

hungry, we would
lots in, By the time Carl
We

were

want
came

it boiled.

lots of rice,so

I put

partly
owned, includingthe

rice in every utensil we

coffee-potand the wash-basin. And
cooked

bride of his

back

I had

stillhe loved

me

honeymoon! Lazy horses poking unprodded

along an almost deserted mountain road; glimpsesof
the river lined with autumn
reds and yellows;camp
made toward evening in any spot that looked appealing
and all spots looked appealing;two
fish*roda
leave-takingfor half an
out; consultation as to flies;
hour's parting,
while one went
up the river to try his
luck or
luck, one down. Joyous reunion, with much
littleluck,but always enough for supper: trout rolled
in cornrneal and fried,corn
the cob justgarnered
on
from a willing
or
unwilling farmer that afternoon,
corn-bread, the raoet luscious corn-bread in tht
That

"

"

AN

AMERICAN

IDYLL

21

of the party,
world, baked camper-styleby the man
and red, red apples,eaten by two peoplewho had
"

four years for justthat. Evenings in a sandy

by the river's edge, watching the stars come
out

waited
nook

the water.

above

olada, the
findingher
through a

Adventures, such as losingChocbrown

horse, and
seventy-eight-year-old
running
up to her neck in a deep stream
with perpendicular
banks
grassy meadow

either side.We

on

With
and

walked

miles tillwe

found

farmer.

the aid of himself and his tools,plusa stout rope

tree, in an afternoon's time we dug and pulled

yanked Chocolada up and out onto

nearly dead than ever by that time.
dry land, more
The ancient senile had justfallen in while drinking.
and

We

hauled and

made

to

the road

cut

camp

the river,in

five miles up

had

permanent

for

spot

through to

week

one

so

seventy-

deserted that

reach

it. There

we

we

change of overalls and odds and ends,

usingthe largestcooking utensil for boilingwhat was
boiled,and all the food tasted of Ivory soap for two
days; but we did not mind even that. And then,after
laundered

our

three weeks* back

to

skirts and

tion,
collars and civiliza-

honeymoon from Medford,

Washington,doingall the country
Oregon,to Seattle,
banks en route. In Portland we had to be separated
it seemed
for one
whole day
nothing short of
harrowing.
We
had a
Seattle and house-hunting*
Then came
and

continued

"

hundred dollars a month to liveon, and every apartment

looked at rented for from skty dollar
we
in despair,
we
Finally,

took two

wee

rooms,

AN

22

AMERICAN

IDYLL

kitchen, and bath, for forty dollars. It

was

just before

exorbitant. And
panic in 1907, and rents were
a
from
having seventy-fivedollars spending money
before I was
married, I jumped to keeping
month
left
what
was
of us on sixty dollars,which was
two
when
after the rent was
paid. I am not rationalizing
the

It
glad that we did not have a cent more.
both ends meet!
to make
real sportingevent
a
was
And
did it,and saved a dollar or so, justto show
we
to
could. Any and every thing we commandeered
we
help maintain our solvency. Seattle was quite given
days, and we kept a weather
to food fairs in those
for the
would eat no lunch, make
eye out for such. We
noon,
about three, nibble at samples all afterFood Show
well-fed about eight,having
home
and come
bought enough necessitieshere and there to keep our
consciences from hurting.
Much of the time Carl had to be on the road selling
hearts out over
almost grieved our
bonds, and we
Carl was
that. In fact,we got desperate,and when
offered an assistant cashiershipin a bank in Ellensburg, Washington, we were just about to accept it,
all for retrenchment
when the paniccame, and it was
in banks. Then we planned farming,planned it with
determination* It was
too awful, those good-byes.
I say

Each

got

am

worse

and

harder than

the last* We

divine days in between, to be sure, when

with a
out into the woods around the city,
or
we

had

we'd prowl

lunch,
picnic

buinmel

along the waterfront,ending at a counter

behind it proknew, which produced,or the man
duced,
delectable and

cheap clubhouse

sandwiches.

AMERICAN

AN

The

the

in

to

San

Carl's

better,
there

six

the

were

and

Northwest,

after

March,
back

business,

bond

IDYLL

still

of

was

separations.

conditions
and

worse

Seattle,

office.

Francisco

salary

business

got

months

23

raised

we

Business

erally
gen-

In

worse.

were

results

considerably,

called

were

but

IV

CHAPTER

ON

July

such

there

was

to

she

that

the

of

neighborhood,

of

report

day-old

fire-cracker

giant
Those
Instead
Once
saw

in

of

two

all

the

Carl

affairs,

stand

dislike

boy
put

it

and

Since

Webbs

raising

was
a

as

not

was

me

for
return

business

and

small

family

on

kind,

work,

it.

but

simply
But

the

he

"

we

one-

if

family

down

had

in
not
to

come

leaving

the

the

world
ing
meet-

"

had

had

were

own

could

financial

not

town

just
He

ever.

his

over

felt that

he

married

experience,

could
now

if

than

then,

whole

European

their

he

he

and

the

worth

his

University
so

business;

As

were

him

longer.

any

scornful

in

us

we

that

dash

of

harder

I met

day

each

At

waking

discouraged

announced

heartily

together.
the

he

bond

the

the

was

Fourth

bed!

of

years

very-

would

son.

if

see
a

being

consider

half

in

group

his

quite
to

heard.

our

Three

downright

and

separations

and

ten

in

Carl

away,

under

days.

and

"

that

and

Oakland

off

went

Parker

be

wake

admitted

were

would

to

ened
hard-

nurse,

crept

We

seriously

magic

were

he

day,

block

would

would

baby

pop

never

parenthood

next

protest

they

that

youngsters

night

vehemently

and

the

cap-pistol

take

one

the

and

experience,

any

yet
then

and

now

of

breathing.

surely

was

July,

out

in

trained

the

years

seen

times

Four

baby

quiet

had

never

hard.

so

by

born,

was

Even

father.

fathers

new

Son

Marvelous

the

3,

kering
han-

money

contemplate
desperate.

And

in Boston!

to be

We

took

with

room

bath

rived,
Copley Square Hotel. The first evening we arNandy (Carleton,Jr.)rolled off the bed; so
went
we
gallivantingabout Boston, shopping

in the

when

for the

home,

new

he could not
there

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

20

was

fall out. We

big window

we

now

and

in the bath-tub

then. And

where

padded it well with pillows,

lettingin plenty of fresh air,

the chambermaid

instructed

and

left him

we

there

to

would

we

peep

at

him

leave him, well-

asleep.(By the time that story had

been passed around
by enough people in the home
just
day the baby
town, it developed that one

nourished

and

"

seven

old, remember

months

the water, and

was

found

got up and turned on

the chambermaid
sinking
"

by

time-)
Something happened to the draft from the home
bank, which should have reached Boston almost at
time we
did* We
the same
gazed into the family
pocket-book one fine morning, to find it,to allintents
and purposes, empty. Hurried meetingof the finance
committee*
By unanimous consent of all present, we
for the third

decided

"

has decided

as

many

in

mortal

another

strange

the

town

pawnshop. I wonder if my dear

she probably will Carl
grandmother will read this
first submitted
his gold watch
the baby had
dropped it once, and it had shrunk therebyin the eyes
of the pawnshop man,
though not in ours* The only
other valuable we had along with us was
mother's
grandmy
wedding present to mef which had been my
grandfather'swedding present to her
a
glorious
old-fashioned breast-pin.
We were
allowed fifty
doi*
"

on

"

"

"

AMERICAN

AN

lars on

it,which
say

for
We

We

when

she

that

Boston

her

27
will my

mother
grand-

bridal giftresided

pawnshop?

tled
Cambridge in due time, and setBromley Court, on the very edge of the Yard.

thrilled

out

to

to

all of it

dignityand tradition
Western

day. What

knows

days in

some

moved
at

the

saved

IDYLL

souls

we

"

the

drank

in every

ounce

placeafforded,and
We

exulted.

knew

no

one

of

our

wild

when

we

Boston, but our first Sunday we were invited

to dinner in Cambridge by two
peoplewho were, ever
Mr. and Mrs.
after, our
cordial, faithful friends
Brooks. They made
that
John Graham
us feel at once
icy placeit is painted
Cambridge was not the socially
reached

"

I remember
the afternoon
in song and story. Then
that I had a week's wash strung on an improvisedline
back and forth from one end of our apartment to the

hung the last damp garment, the bell

gentleman in a
rang, and there stood an immaculate
old
to call
an
cutaway and silk hat, who had come
friend of my mother's. He ducked under wet clothes,
and we set two chairs where we could see each other,
either of our
and yet nothing was
dripping down
necks; and there we conversed, and he ended by in*
on
Marlborough Street,at
vitmg us both to dinner
have loved my mother very dearly to
that! He must
have sought further acquaintancewith folk who hung
in the hall and the living-room
and
the family wash

other.

Just as

"

"

dining-room.His house on Marlborough Street! We

boldlyand excitedlyfiguredup on the way home, that
than it
they spent on the one meal they fed us more
they hoaestlydid*
cost us to live for two weeks
"

there

Then

know

to

as

so

"

ket.
Jello"lady at the marwould somehow
happen to read this,
have
never
that we
forgotten her.

the dear

was

I wish she

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

28

Every Saturday the three of

went

us

Jellolady with

to

the market,

samples. The
helpingsshe dished for us each time! She brought the
she was
engaged to call on us justbefore
to whom
man
left. I wonder if they got married, and where they
we
the

and

there

are,

and if she stillremembers

was

half

her, but

to know

around

send

to

half

I do

block away.

pie,or
gratefulalso

our

kept

boarding-house

how

remember

not

came

used

of luscious dessert, and

littlebowls
hot

we

to it* She

good angel saw

some

some

She used to say she

coming. Then there

us.

justwaited for Saturdays and

dear Granny Jones, who
was

her

muffins. Then

was

always

good story, and it

uate
to the New
England wife of a fellow gradtrue
I told her we had
student who remarked, when
interesting
baby and another on the way, "How

was

for it made

"

such

"

one

just like the slums!

"

We
next

did
to

own

our

nothing.I

"

work, of
wonder

now

that year. Of course, we fed

should have,
accordingto
"

and

we

ate

the mutton

beef after the juicehad

and

course,

how

lived

on

kept so well
the baby everythinghe
Holt in those days,
we

"

left from
been

we

his broth

and

the

squeezed out of it for

bought storage eggs ourselves, and queer

butter out of a barrel*and were absolutely,
absolutely
food
blissful Perhaps we should have spent more
cm
and less on baseball I am
glad we did not. Almost
farad
we
every Saturday afternoon that firstsemester
him, and

AN

AMERICAN

forth

early,Nandy

front

row

IDYLL

29

in his go-cart, to get

seat

in the

of the baseball grandstand. I remember

one

late,front seats all taken* We had

Saturday we were
than half-way up to
to pack baby and go-cart more
the top. There we barricaded him, stillin the go-cart,
of the aisle.Along about

in the middle

exciting
particularly

waxed

the game

"

enthusiasm.

with

beside ourselves

the seventh

were

onlookers

they called out things

they seemed to be callingin our direction. Fine
there was
Nandy, go-cart and all,
parents we were
bumpety-bumping down the grandstand steps.
I remember
again the Stadium on the day of the
seemed

excited

Fellow

we

ing,
inn-

more

even

"

"

"

Every time the official announcer

would put the megaphone to his mouth, to call out
and
time
and
to a hushed
winners
eager throng,
Nandy, not yet a year old, would begin to squeal at
the top of his lungs for joy.Nobody could hear a word

big

track

the

official said. We
we,

"

meet.

too, had

run

got used
home

to

distressed

pencilspoisedto jot down

Carl studied very

we

as

were

minute, justto be

any

one

records.

firstfew weeks, until

of things,he used to
he had a spare
college whenever

the

from

hard* The

as

new

sure

wonder

he

was

that

near*

At that time

preparingto go into Transportationas

his main economic subject.But by the end of the year
he knew Labor would be his love. (His firstpublished
economic articlewas a short one that appeared in the
for May, 1910,
QuarterlyJournal of Economics"
"The Decline of Trade-Uni""i Membership/1)We
on
had a tragicsummer.
he

"

was

rather

AN

30

IDYLL

AMERICAN

take his Master's

degree,but
terrible,wicked,
he had no foreign language. Three
unforgivableprofessorsassured him that, if he could
vacation,he
six weeks during summer
be in Germany
Carl felt that he must

get enough German

could

We

the A.M.
all the

so

that

sure

He

went

had, that

ever

the last he

at

pass

the examination
he went;

believed them, and

partingswe

Almost

to

it would

third class

just could

was

not

solve the whole

on

German

though

for
of

the very worst.

were
go; but we
A.M.

steamer,

problem,
since

we

nothing better. The food did distress

sad offering
his unfinickysoul After a particularly
even
of salt herring,uncooked, on a particularly
rough
day, he wrote, "I find I am not a good Hamburger
The latter eat all thingsin ail weather."
German.
We
talked
never
Oh, the misery of that summer!
He went
it much.
about
to Freiburg,to a German
cobbler's family,but later changed, as the cobbler's
of Providence,
looked upon him as a dispensation
son
his Englishupon. His heart was break*
sent to practise
breaking,and he was working at
ing,and mine was
hard for him)
German
fearfully
(and languagescame
morning, afternoon, and night,with two lessons a
day, his only diversion being a daily walk up a hill,
with a cake of soap and a towel,to a secluded water*
fall he discovered* He wrote
a letterand a postcard
I have just re-read all of
and me.
a day to the babe
them, and my heart aches afresh for the homesickness
had

money

that

summer

for

meant

to both of us.

sary
He got back two days before our wedding anniverdays like those firstfew after our reunion are
"

AN

given

not

to

AMERICAN
mortals.

many

such

tasted

IDYLL

31

I would

say

no

had

one

joy. The

baby gurgled about, and

kissed within an inch of his life.The Jellolady
was
sent around
a dessert of sixteen different colors,
more
less,big enough for a family of eight,as her welcome
or
ever

home.
six weeks

About

from

later

banquet

in order to officiate at
as

we

called

beloved

our

Dr,

long looked forward to,

the birth of our second, known
he had

Thomas-Elizabeth

up

to

October

17, but

from

that night as James Stratton Parker.

ten-thirty
him after my
We
named
grandfather,for the simple
that we liked the name
reason
Jim. How we chuckled
in
father's congratulatorytelegram came,
when
my
which he claimed pleasureat having the boy named

about

after his father, but cautioned

to

I remember

be nicknamed*

who

used

before

call,week

to

meal,

us

and

"

we

the

in week
were

so

to

never

allow him

boresome

out,
hard

youth
always just

"

up, and

got

so

feedingsuch an impossibleperson so
times. He dropped in at noon
Friday the i/th,
many
for lunch. A few.days later Carl met him on the street
and announced
rapturouslythe arrival of the new
and stammered:
The impossible
son.
person hemmed
when did it arrive?" Carl, all beams,
"Why
er
"The
evening of the day you were at
replied,
very
that

resented

we

"

"

our

house for lunch!'* We

again! We
but

laid eyes

almost four months

were
never

I wish

never

some

on

that

man

bridge,
longer in Cam-

did he step foot inside our apartment*

could have psycho-analyzed
one

him, but it's too late now.

He died about

year

after

over

the shock

such

of having escaped

righthere I

expensive."We

have to

may

earth," said Carl,

doctors."
minor
when

never

got

Jim's arrival by

So

tellof Dr. J

must

the best doctor

as

on

he

margin.

narrow

And

felt that

I always

left Cambridge.

we

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

32

we

had

"

Dr.

He

was

ommended
rec-

in

Cambridge, but very

in everything
economize

we'll

but

economize

never

him

had

on

for all the

upsets that families need doctors

Jim was born; had him through

for; had

him

queer

fever

time; had him

Nandy developed that lasted some
mastime,
through a bad case of grippe I got (thiswas at Christof both babies, did all
and Carl took care

cooking,even to the Christmas turkey I was well

enough to eat by then, got up every two hours for
three nights to change an ice-packI had to have
he was!); had him vaccinate
that's the kind of man
both children;and then, justbefore we leftCambridge,
afraid to open the envelope*
sat and held his bill,
we
and gazed upon
At length we gathered our courage,
dollars for everything,with a
charges of sixty-five
wonderful note which said that,if we would be incon*
venienced in paying that, he would not mind at all if
he got nothing,
had expected two hundred
We
Such excitement!
dollars at the least ! We tore out and bought ten cents*
exclaimed
worth of doughnuts, to celebrate, When
we
of course
his goodness,
to him
over
we
paid the
Do you think
dollars, all he said was:
sixty-five
the

"

"

"

"

doctor

Europe

is blind? And
if he has

does

lot of money

steerage to
it*the bank?" Blew

man

go

man-sized

decent

"

letter

the

after

with

replied

it

that

Suppose

we

Bless
and
on

such

be

been

fathers!

matters,

raised

They

minus

may

sensible

"good

bless

but
"

till

heart!

his

he

tered
regis-

agreeing

six-per-cent

have

not

had

have

bless

Carl

enclosed,

should

lives

our

telling

and
"

father,

my

God-bless-you-my-children
check

could

wrote

we

without

mailed,

fat

with

then

him

wrote

was

letter,

And

job.

rather,

or,

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

34

that

that
scold
ideas
fathers!

to

ulation
stip-

my

business

money

of

pose
sup-

"

German
and

affair.

ence!
experifuss
their

at

own"

mance,
ro-

CHAPTER

finished

WE

for

idea

our

the

was

asked

but

it

in

big

the

Jim,
a

it

We

sailed

those

in

starting
last

of

to

brave.

joy
not

one

glorious
eager,

to

drain

had
to

were

not

to

it

be

"

true*

filled

day

to

to

one

Brave"?
the
the

brim

full*

the
the

Far

with

over

from
a

ings
build-

the

drop

just

have

city

together,
It

the

sensation

all.

was

of

was

perhaps

small

possible.

wrote

fears

after

that

Europe

see

dreamed

glowing,
every

hearts,

our

had

on

sunshine

and

think

"

Brave

again

back

world!

People

should

feel

can

in

concern,

We
we

in

was

!"
or

we

gazing

bathed

bridges

Exultant

forth,
I

York,

people

worried

we

it was,

As

brave

babies

with

York,

24.

two

fared

yet

New

and

worry,

Had

New

to

to

brought

the

February
two

with

use.

and

leaving

Boston

You

Europe

to

word

been

"

days:

anything,

from

that

bag

had

we

into

mastodon

Pennsylvania

the

if

as

bags,

about

that

into

look

to

one

fur-bags
were

"

22,

and

bundles,

we

shoved

lumpy
boat

by

on

began

very

went

Everything
got

Ripley

babies,

those

of

one

and

February

seventy-six

in

minute

under

two

A.M*

subject

every

forth

set

with

East.

surely

and

young

us

last

and

We

us.

was

the

in

in

the

up

fellowship

and

Jim

use

forget

for

hundred

presents.

babies

teaching

giving

A's

got

snowstorm,

six

thousand
and

take

Europe

was

1909,

Carl

present.
to

Harvard,

at

year

storm.

Not

sickness.
home-

of
years

seemed
it*

one

fore
betoo

Simply

determination

I discovered

I had
half

taken
a

that, while

day

myself a

unto
out

rice

(though she learned),

spouse

curled up green
stayed that way for

who

and

the ocean,

on

had married

husband

my

cook

could not

who

female

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

36

days. He tried so desperatelyto help with

If I had
the babies, but it always made
matters
worse.
out
But babies and I prospered withturned green, too
six

about

"

though
interruption,
Jim's scalpoff one night
called them. "They knew
We

fourteen

"

days

on

"

eat

the doctor

ants"

sugar

"

try to

their business/' our

dad

marked.
re-

burg
days late getting into Hamall told. And

the ocean,

then

in

member
Europe! I refirstmeal in the queer littlecheap hotel
our
the only word on the bill
rooted out. "Eier"
was

to be in

we

of fare

Hamburg

we

German

brought
and

in

"

make

could

Germany

out,

"

Carl brushed

so

up

his

and ordered four for us, fried.And the waiter

four each* He probably declared for years

all Americans

that

always

four fried eggs

eat

night for supper,

headed
for Leipzig at

each

every

We

unearthed
There
"

three

were

did

ants

some

far

we

too

the

Pension

had two
much

dollars
for fifty-five

Schr6ter

to eat,

us

month

there Carl

and

on

Sophien

and all the food

rooms

for

once,

and oh!

so

we

Plats.

could eat,

delicious,
"

for the entire family,al~

though Jim hardly ranked as yet, economicallyspeaking,

as
part of the consuming public.We drained
idiom* Carl
Leipzig to the dregs
a good German
worked at his German
almost frantically
"with
steadily,
work
a lesson every
day along with all his university
o'clock lecture by Bttcher every morning
a seven
"

"

AN

being the cheery

AMERICAN
start

IDYLL

for the day, and

37
we

blocks and

University. I think of Carl through

those days with extra pride,though it is hard to decide
that I was
ever
prouder of him at one time than
another. But he strained and labored without ceasing
at such an
uninspiringjob. All his hard study that
broken-hearted
at Freiburg had given him
summer
singleword of an economic vocabulary. In Leipzig
no
he listened hour by hour to the lectures of his German
not
understanding an important
professors,sometimes
lectual
intelfor several days, yet exerting every
word
muscle to get some
lightin his darkness. Then,
for hours each day and almost every
evening, it was
from

blocks

grammar,

the

grammar,

grammar,

till he

wondered

at

junctive
understanding of the subThen, littleby little,
rays of hope. I caught
*s lecture to-day! Then it was
five words in
ten,
then twenty. Never a lecture of any day did he miss,
for joy along the way. First,of
We stole moments
the opera
grand opera at twentycourse, there was
cept
five cents a seat. How
Wagner bored us at first extimes

if all life meant

an

"

"

"

"

all
the parts here and there that we had known
lives. Neither of us had had any musical education

our

speak of; each of us got great joy out of what we

evidently
considered "good" music, but which was
low-brow. And Wagner at firstwas too much for us*
That night in Leipzig we heard the "Walktire!"
utterlyaghast and rather impatientat so much nonwould drop down
understandable noise. Then
we
"Ewlttto
Carmen/1 "La Boh"ne," Hoffman's
ung," and think, "This is lifer1 Each night tfort
to

"

"

sparedfor a spree we
unfrequented a one
color

it

"

that, as long

Carl decided

Once

"

beer-hall
as
sought out some
as
possible,to get all the local

could.

we

far, I

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

38

as

we

had

come

so

glimpse of real European night-life

might startle me a bit,but would do no harm.
must

get

to the Cafe
So, after due deliberation,he led me
of
resort
Bauer, the reputed wild and questionable
though the pensionglanced ceilingLeipzignight-life,

wards

and

shook

sighed and

their heads.

I do

not

I know

know

justwhat

I did expect to see, but

what

countless stolid family parties

saw

we

"

on

ters,
grandpas and sons and daughand the babies in high chairs beating the tables
quite the most moral atmosphere
spoons. It was

all sides

with

was

that

ourselves in. That

found

ever

and

grandmas

settingout
deliberately

to see

is what

get for

you

the wickedness

of the

world!

Leipzigwe

From

Berlin

to go to

Just as
year

"

went

Jena

few months

there would

be but

in

Germany showed

us

nowhere*

We
~

us

Berlin. We
the spot

was

Harvard
a

mere

that

one

we

showed
start,
year

so

did
had
us
one

not

want

in mind.

that

one

semester

there would

get

stay longer, from one to two

but how, alas, how finance it? That
must

longer,
eternal question!
We
years

at

to

"

decided that, if we took

finally
in Berlinf Carl could earn
the next semester
or
so
enough coaching to keep us going without
money
So to Berlin we went.
We
having to borrow more*
accomplishedour financial purpose, but at too great
a

cost.

AN
In Berlin

AMERICAN
found

we

the ground floor of

Mommsen

"

find

to

to me

anything
he went

39

small furnished apartment on

Gartenhaus
in Charlottenburg

a
a

Strasse it was.

coaching;and how
an

IDYLL

At

Carl started out

once

he found

italways seemed

illustration of the way

he could succeed at
anywhere. We knew no one in Berlin. First

to the minister

him

of the American
of Americans

who

month, and

that

church

; he

in

might want
coaching, and then Carl looked up those people.In
about two months
he had all the coaching he could
itely
possiblyhandle, and we could have stayed indefinin Berlin in comfort, for Carl was
making over
turn

gave

hundred

one

names

dollars

in his spare

time.
But
and

the agony
of those months: to be in Germany
yet get so littleGermany out of it!We had splendid

letters of introduction

German
not

find

friends we
a

chance

had made

German

people, from
in Leipzig,
but we could

to

present them* Carl coached

in the three R's; he was
preparing
even

three youngsters

to

of the age just above, for college;he had

American
youth, who had ambitions to burst
two

monthly in the

"

one

out

Saturday Evening Post" stories;

there was
who
a class of five middle-agedwomen,
wanted Shakespeare,
and got it; two classes in Current
who put in
Events; one group of Christian Scientists,
for the historyof the world. I redemand
a modest
member
Carl had led them
up to Pepin the Short
when we left Berlin* He contracted everythingand
of
anything except one group who desired a course
lectures on Pragmatism* I do not think he had ever

of the

heard

then, but he took

term

lay of the land and said

such

became

he

when

think

day,
spare

and, of

German,

University,and

We

assumed

in

our

minute

every

and

year

half

at

of

German
we

household

have

day

hours at

numerous

Rothenburg,

aus

four dollars

month, who
and

ation
desper-

friends. Dear, crooked-

our

She adored

friends told

she would

"

lessons and

"

the amusement

was

Our German

her forever

into his head.

Bederke

nosed, one-good-eye Anna!

on.

of

littletime

of ourselves and

walked

idea

to

for sprees together.

prosperitythe luxury of a maid

so

unparalleledAnna
Kreis Bumps (?),
Posen,
a

very

used

of

subject under heaven,

continued grindingat his

the

for

the

every

on

course,

the

"

the

"bunk"

of such

often

we

of the strain it all meant

lessons every
and in every

at

worshiper at the shrine

John Dewey,
Berlin profanityover

laugh at his
getting a word
ever

look

one

so! In his last years,

not

"

and

James

William

But

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

40

never

us

the

ground

we

had ruined

be fitfor the

again.Since

lost all track of Anna.

discipline
firstdeclared

was

war

Was

we

her Poland

country? Did she marry a

soldier,and is she too, perhaps,a widow? Faithful
Anna, do not think for one minute you will ever be
forgottenby the Parkers*
home

With
I

was

in the devastated

Anna

to

leave the young

able to get in two

sprees

with
a

now

week

and then,
with

Carl*

I met him at
Every Wednesday and Saturday noon
the University
and we had lunch together.Usuallyon
Wednesdays we ate at the Cafe Rheingold,the spot I
think of with most

affection as ! look back

on

Berlin-

we

AMERICAN

AN

42

of

wanted

our

pride

my

good

enough
Heidelberg.

to

the

father,
to

in

coaching

before

conclusion

travel,

of

any

we

Berlin,

as

made

more

the

as

for

our

to

came

that
threw

breakdowns,

the

soon

we

"

borrowed

winds,
and

IDYLL

"

from

money

family

was

ever-to-be-adored

well

CHAPTER

I sit

HERE
a

back,
of

kaleidoscope

rushing

by

and

mortals

night

have

and

European

that

days,

and

lastly,

and,

of

every

in

Heidelberg,
had

live

year.

speaking,
we

lived

each

fellow
And

managed

ever

the

tale?

We

swore

to

in

As

it.

Carl

to

the

and

as

the

in

oath

far
I

and

children,
If

they

characteristic

kept

came

to

to

it

spoke
and

had
way

only

year
eyes.

full, and
of

story

in

just

would

we
no

"

lay

record

so

that

we

our

cards,
post-

own

year

us

the

that

our

Berlin

we

of

I had

as

the

programmes,

write

Germany

mean

countrymen

Carl,

an

down

all

believe

I could

Americans.

no

up

other

I wish

just

was

Then

"

pack

to

we

brate
cele-

mementos

we

not

so

dates

opera

"

When
could

just

Heidelberg

make

diary

my

Europe*

we

we

tell

to

that

in

day

and

"

could

pull

them

theatre
read

all

as

over

night

"

ourselves.

kept

we

wedding

up,

telephone,
by

given

anywhere,

we

of

went

memory-books,

How

way

ways
al-

going

going

happiest

evening

an

everything

out

of

heaped

the

plug

been

have

to
very

home,

at

stay

etc.,

tired

were

each

ever

eighth

had

as

both

we

was

our

most-to-be-celebrated

that

got

we

the

that

that

year

year

another,

that

memory

We

that

see

after

I remember

Berkeley,

me.

day

perfect

seemed

decided

blinds,

the

until

engagements

to

leaving
most

in

anniversary
after

joyful

earth.

on

fail

words

one

the

of

had,
to

and

VI

English-

our

power,

German
shunned

had

the

he

had,

to
our

plague.
set

out

get into them,

"

lifewe

lives with all the real German

fillour

to

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

44

waiting for that life to

not

could
of itself

come

have done.
might never
home
from the UniverOne afternoon, on his way
sity,
in a back alley the Weiser
he discovered
Boch,
it

which

little restaurant
"

that

it

real

for

hollered.
that.

beer-hall

and

It

"

No, it did
sombre

was

full of local color

so

not

holler: it

was

carved

up

and

too

whispered. Carl made immediate friends,in the

he had, with the portly Frau and Herr who ran
Weiser
to

Boch:

they desired to
the Kinder, and would

see

the Weiser

like to have

meet

me,

way

the

they desired

the Herr

not

it

"

Student

Boch

lady mention his name

of the German
students
to some
who
dropped in?
Carl left his card, and wondered
if anything would
of it.

come

The

"

of the Amerikaner

the Weiser

student, in his corps

trulyGerman
and ribbons,called at our
home
the sttffest,
German
decorous heel-clicking
student I ever

given,
cap

"

real

"

most

to

was

His

see.

discovered

embarrassment

that Carl

and

visit with

visited,and

wished
them

Herr
the

to

and

I could

scarce

for

ment
mo-

able

to

But
everything.
gather that his corps

Par-r-r-ker to have

followingevening*Then

backwards

sit down

He fellover

me*

was

Student

was

he
great when
I seemed to take it

was

out, and

was

quite for granted that he

we

glowing account
Boch
lady must have

such

afternoon,

next

very

out, and

beer with

he bowed

himself

fled,

wait for Carl to get home

too good to be true* And that was
but the

"

it

was

beginning

AMERICAN

AN

Invitation after invitation

corps,

night he

at least

and
the duels

to

chummier,

to

came

student-life first hand

one

in the Hirsch

the students
and

German

saw

45

Carl,firstfrom one
another; almost every Saturday

from

then

IDYLL

day

week

Gasse. Little

Wohnung;

our

tillwe

he

then
walk

would

we

up

where,
some-

invited

was

by littlewe

to

got

got chummier

Haupt

Strasse

salutinghere, passing a word there, invited to some

student
function one
night, another affair another
night*The students who lived in Heidelberg had us
their families,
and those who were
meet
batching in
We made
Heidelbergoften had us come to their rooms.
during that year that nothing could ever
friendships
mar.

It is two

from

any

And

think

war,

revelation
him

to me,

since

now

years

we

they all killed,perhaps?

communicate
again,after the
Are

Heidelberg chum.
when
of

we

what

to most

and

can

received the last letter

write them!

I must
of them

"

they would

ask if all Americans

were

Carl

was

talk about
like him,

so

so fullof fun, and,

so clean,so sincere,
spirit,
with it all,
doing the finestwork of allof them but one
in the University,

fresh in

The

economics

students tried to think of

some

way

of
Alfred Weber to give another course
influencing
in retirement at
lectures at the University*He was
nally,
Heidelberg,but stillthe adored of the students. Fithey decided that a committee of three should
representthem and make a personalappeal.Carl was
flew around,
of the three chosen. The report soon
one
of

in Weber's august presence, the Amerikaoer

had

with

stood

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

46

his hands

in his

pockets

"

even

sat

for

edge of Weber's desk. The two

formali
Germans, posed like ramrods, expected to see such inshoved out bodily.Instead, when
they took
Professor had actually patted
their leave, the Herr
the Amerikaner
the shoulder, and said he guessed
on
few

moments

he would
Then

on

the

give the lectures.

his report in Gothein's

Seminar, which

went

fairlyburst with pride.He had worked

him at eight
to meet
day and night on that. I was
bration.
after it had been given,and we
to have a celewere
versity
I was
standing by the entrance to the Unienthused group of
an
buildingwhen out came
jabberingGerman students, Carl in their midst. They
were
pattinghim on the back, shaking his hands
furiously;and when they saw me, they rushed to tell
so

well that I

me

of Carl's

success

and

how

Gotham

all that it had been the best paper

had

said before

presentedthat

semester.

I find

I was
too
myself smiling as I write this
happy that night to eat.
The Sunday tripswe
made up the Neckar; each
morning early we would take the train and ride to
where we had walked the Sunday previous;
then we
would
could, meaning until
tramp as far as we
have lunch at some
untouristed inn along the
dark,
road, or perhaps eat a picniclunch of our own
in some
"

"

"

old castle ruin, and

then ride home.

Oh, those Sun*

days! 1 tellyou no two peoplein all this world, since
days,
peoplewere, have ever had one day like those SunAnd we had them almost every week* It would

AN
have

been

those

days.

There
students

AMERICAN

worth

going

to

IDYLL

Germany

47
for

just one

of

the gay, glad party that the Economic

in Handschusheim
out
at the "zum
gave,

was

Bachlenz";

first,the banquet, with

big roomful of
Germans; then the play, in which Carl
jovialyoung
I both took part. Carl appeared in a mixture
and
of his Idaho outfit and a German
peasant'scostume,
beating a large drum. He represented "Materialindex," and called out loudly,"Ich bitte mich nicht
Ich bin auch da." I was
zu
"Methode,"
vergessen.
which nobody wanted
I wept. I am
to claim; whereat
looking at the flashlight
pictureof us all at this moment.
Then
the dancing, and then at about
came
four o'clock the walk home
in the moonlight,by the
old castle ruin in Handschusheim, singingthe German
student-songs.
There

was

Carnival

with

its masque
balls
FaschingsDienstag,when Haupt-

and

and
frivolity,
strasse
was
given over
trailingup
every one
street

season,

to

merriment
down

and

all

afternoon,

the middle

of the

in fantastic costume,
throwing
tootinghorns, Carl and I tootingwith

masked, and

confetti and
the rest.

As time went

on,

we

of nine students whom

others* As each of the

party to the
to

rest

of

us

came
we

men

to

to have
were

with

one
more

littlegroup
than

any

took his

degree,he gave a
celebrate it,every one
ing
try-

outdo the other in fun* Besides these most

portant
im-

degree celebrations,there were less dazzling

such as birthdayparties,
affairs,
dinners,or afternoon

AMERICAN

AN

48

coffee in honor

of

IDYLL

visitingGerman

parents, or merely

meeting togetherin our favorite cafe after a Socialist

lecture or a Max
Reger concert. In addition to such
functions, Carl and I had our Wednesday night spree
just by ourselves,when every week we met after his

budget allowed just twelve and a half

cents an
evening for both of us. I put up a supper at
home, and in good weather we ate down by the river
or in some
park.When it rained and was cold, we sat
of the third-class waiting-room by the
in a corner
stove, watching the people coming and going in the
station. Then, for dessert, we went
every Wednesday
and a half
Xante's Conditorei, where, for two
to
cents apiece,
we
got a lai^eslice of a specialbrand of
baked. Then, for two and
divine cake ever
the most
Our

seminar.

half cents,

the movies

saw

we

at

"

reduced

rate

presenteda certain number of street-car

transfers along with the cash, and then had to sit in

because

we

the first three

get up

far away

at

"

danger of running into

no

used to remark,

see, we

you

the opera, it's good to

real movies
close at something!Those were
to sit so

have

we

But

rows.

Chambers

scenario* It

developments.Then
and

could hold

there, for
a

was

the street

across
a

glassunder

cent
a

night-longRobert
in the days before

and

was

an

quarter

W*
such

mat,"
"Auto-

apiece,we

littlespigot,
press

button,

refreshments. Then we walked home.

and get
0 Heidelberg I love your every tree, every stone,
every blade of grass!
"

But
town

at

in

last

our

year

came

to an

bower of fruit-blossoms,
as

end. We
we

left the

had found it

CHAPTER

THE

next

idea

was

several

spent

that

would

that

was

The

border.

After

Carl

went

The

boys,

only

crash

my

the
Carl

place of

nearby

the
cost

top
of

diphtheria,
hall, with
was;

and

time

for

of

sixteen

reported

for

Jim

such

pensions,

racket

morning

Dtisseldorf,

fever.

going
took

place

afford
was

all

sive,
expen-

minute

Clive,
of

the

on

pension,

and

I found

in-

tombstones.

had

in

sprees.

On

on

small

dislocated

marks

We

What

heard

Eight

one

the

stone-cutter's

Cubist

Heidelberg

scarlet

to

when

tombstone!

two

one

next

in

(unconsciously

Christ

the

There

baggage,

ornate

that

down

mile

Bonn.

could

search

in

horror,

discovered

at

ing
com-

for

we

up

shelter
and

new

impecunious

and

figure of
from

drizzle.

filled with

closure,
was

moved

we

to

and

in

playing*

impulse

it started

the

be

some

at

pensions
by

wild

Dutch

would

up

babies.

was:

touring

children

the

first

place
the

for

in
work

off

country

always

report

automobiles

and

On

meant

suitable

fit and

nothing-

where

which

do,

Moselle

the

through

and

Rhine

searching

days

The

thereabouts,

and

stopped

We

family

research

did

he

Essen,

of

week-ends.

home

Carl

while

section

little

the

settle

Germany,

of

industrial

the

to

vicissitudes.

filled with

were

Carl

for

bit

rural

weeks

two

VII

loose

execution)

charges!
his

return,

quarantined
slept
all

over

night

first train

out

for
a

as

beer*
never

-~

this

AN
It is

AMERICAN

IDYLL

51

triflemomentous,

travelingwith two babies

around a country you
know
nothing about, and can
find no
to enlighten you.
one
At Diisseldorf Carl
searched
and suburbs
through the town
for a spot
to settle us in, gettingmore
and more
depressed at
the thought of leavingus anywhere. That Freiburg
had seared us both deep, and each of us
summer
dreaded another separation more
than either let the
other know. And then, one
less
night,after another fruithome and informed me that the
search,Carl came
a

whole

scheme

work,

we

an

off. Instead

was

would

of

doing his

all go to Munich, and

research

he would

take

unexpected semester there,working with Brentano.

What
As Carl reoh, what rejoicings!
rejoicings,
marked,
it may

be that "He

travels fastest who

els
trav-

not the only thing he was

alone"; but speed was
after* So the next
day, babies, bundles, baggage,
the Rhine, almost through
down
and parents went
ment
Heidelberg,to Munich, with such joy and content-

in

our

hearts

as

could not

we

describe. All those

days of unhappy searchingsCarl had beeti through

have sunk deep, for in his last days of fever
must
he would

tell me

of

form

searched again,with

leave the babies and

me.

I remember

our

in which

heart of lead,for

firstnight in Munich.

about supper-time,hunted
near

of delirium

up

placeto

We

cheap hotel

he

arrived
as

usual,

the station,fed the babies, and

for their retirement* This

started to pare
preprocess in hotels was

always effected by taking out two

and making a bed of each. While we

bureau-drawers
were

busy

over

AN

52

IDYLL

AMERICAN

justbusy. This time

that
they both crawled up into a largeclothes-press
there lay the
stood in our room, when, crash! bang!
front down, on the floor,boys inside it.
clothes-press,
from
Such a commotion
holleringsand squallings
agitatedscurryings
the internals of the clothes-press,
his wife,waiters,
from all directions of the hotel-keeper,
this,the boys

busy

were

over

-r-

"

"

we
managed to
together,
more
againstthe wall,
once
stand the clothes-press
and to extricate two sobered young
ones, the only
doors banged off their
damage beingtwo clothes-press

and

chambermaids.

All

hinges.
Heidelberg,Carl
hardest of all there, hardly ever
worked
going out
the feelingthat our
got over
nights;but we never
being there togetherwas a sort of giftwe had made
ourselves,and we were ever gratefulAnd then Carl
A report,
did so remarkablywell in the University.
Munich

is second

for instance, which

in my

heart

to

he read before Brentano's seminar

publishedby the University,Our relations with

Brentano
ries
always stood out as one of the high memoof Germany, After Cart's report in Brentano's

was

students called
class,that lovable idol of the German
him to his desk and had a long talk,which ended by

asking us both to tea at his house the following

day* The excitement of our pensionover that! We
his

were
were

looked upon as the anointed of the Lord* We

reallya bit overawed, ourselves. We discussed

neckties,and brushed and cleaned,and smelled con*

strutted forth,too proud
as we
siderablyof gasoline
because we were
to have tea with Brentano!
to tell,

AN
I

can

the

see

door; I

AMERICAN

their house

street

feel

can

IDYLL

53

was

again the little catch in

the bell. Then

their front

on,

breaths

our

the

and
charming warmth
color of that Italian home, the charming warmth
and
of that white-haired
hospitality
professor and his
kindlywife. There were justourselves there;
gracious,
as

we

rang

what

and

Parkers!

Carl

was

always had

he

way

give a sudden
when

me

time

momentous

the

to

was

little

simply radiatingjoy, and in the

when
especiallypleased,would!
from

beam
else

one

no

it

to

ear

ear, and

wink

at

looking.

was

invited for dinner,and

long after that we were
again for tea, this time, according to orders, bringing

Not

the

They both fellinto

sons.

rear

garden

soon

as

By my desk
prizedas one

is

now

went

we

as

Italian fountain in the

an

hanging

in for refreshments.

photograph we

have

ten:
great treasures. Below it is writfreundlichen Erinand Mr* Parker, zur
"Mrs.
Lujio Brentano/' Professor Bonn, another
nerrung
of

our

"

of Carl's
were

the

at
professors

kindness

itselfto

us*

old Peter, the Austrian

took

us

University,and

Then

student

there

was

at our

his wife,

Peter, dear

pension,who

and adored the

everywhere,brought us gifts,

babies until he almost

them.
spoiled

tudes
England. Vicissiagainin findinga cheap and fitplacethat would
do for children to settle in. After ever-hopeful
wanderings,
stumbled upon Swanage in Dorset
we
finally
the English Channel,
That was
a love of a place on

Munich

From

had

we

went

direct to

with the MebeiB

where

we

funny

littlebrick house, the "Netta"

two

rooms

in their

Simple

folk

with

worn

Meber

Mr.

they were:

constant

retired sailor,the wife rather

roomers,

working

other

the

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

54

daughter

one

"knittin"'

in the

maker,
dress-

shop.

cluded
Charges, six dollars a week for the family,which inwe
bought
cooking and servingour meals
"

ourselves.

the food
Here

worked
needed
worked
us

Carl
on

his thesis until it got to

Then

the British Museum.

He

when

he

wrote

eager

longed

examination, and
the point where he
he took

in London,

during the week

week-ends.

come

his Ph.D.

prepared for

coming down

to

letters,for the time had

get the preparatory

to

and

room

work

and

begin teaching.We
at the Universityof California
had an instructorship
waiting for us, and teachingwas to begin in January.
I now
feel like landingon my
In one letter he wrote:
that fierce to lay it out.11
like a Bulgarian;I am
exam,
than ever, in those days of work piling
We
felt more
and

examination

behind

him

"

up

behind

in another

us,

that

letter:

"

owned

we

the world;

We'll stick this out

as

Carl wrote

[this
beingthe

tripto London, whence he was

for Heidelberg and his examination, without
to start
another visit with us],for,Gott set dankf the time
is it? Gee!
is n't so fearful,fearful long,it is n't really,
I want
babies and
I *m glad I married you* And
more
for about
more
you, and then the whole gang together
ninety-twoyears. But lifeis so fine to us and we are
gettingso much love and big thingsout of life!"
for Heidelberg,He
November
i Carl left London

separationof

was

to

month

his last

take his examination

of November

was

there December
lullone

5, so the
for him* He stayed

AN

with

the

AMERICAN

IDYLL

55

dear

Kecks, Mother
Keck
pressingand
mending his clothes,hoveringover him as if he were
her

own

son.

He

wrote

leg of venison which

"

once:

To-day

I sneaked

we

had

small

in last

night.Every
time I note that I burn three quarters of a lampful of
the other thingsI cost them, it makes
oila day among
feel like buying out a whole Conditorei."
me
I lived for those dailyletters telling
of his progress.
Once he wrote:
Just saw Fleiner [Professor
in Law]
and he was fine,but I must
get his Volkerrecht cold.
It is fine reading,and is mighty good and interesting
word, and also stuff which a man
every
ought to
"

know.

This is the last man

to see.

only to study,and I am tickled,

study/1A few days later he wrote:

From
I do

now

on, it is

reallylike to
"It is just plain
sit and absorb these days, Some day I will explain
how tough it is to learn an entire law subjectin five
days in a strange tongue/1
And then, on the night of December
the
5, came
Dr. Parker/1 We both
to "Frau
telegramof success
knew he would pass, but neither of us was
prepared
laude" the highest
for the verdict of "Summa
cum
I went
the
accomplishmentpossible.
up and down
main street of littleSwanage, announcingthe tidings
rightand left*The community allknew that Carl was
in Germany to take some
kind of an examination,
Yet they
though it all seemed rather unexplainable.
with me,
the butcher,the baker, the candlestick-ma
rejoiced
without havingthe leastidea what
about* Mrs* Meber
tore up and
they were rejoicing
the
Osborne
Road to have the fun of telling
down
"

"

AMERICAN

AN

56

neighbors,all of whom

immediate

what

loss to know

herself

Meber

IDYLL

it meant,
in that

was

caught

utterlyat a
being tHat Mrs.

were

the truth

state.

same

But

she had

excitement, and anything to tell

in Swanage.
scarce
was
So the littlefamily that fared forth from Oakland,
California,that February r, for one year at Harvard
somehow

had

ended

summa

cum

thus

my

almost

"

laude

four

years

Heidelberg. Not

from

had

later

Ph.D.

Persia

as

we

a deeper,finer life
planned it nine years before
than anything we had dreamed.
We asked Professor
Miller, after we got back to California,why in the
world he had said just "one year in Europe/'
"

"If
you
once

I had

I was
said more,
afraid it would
and I knew
altogetherout of ever starting;

got

over

you'd stay
On

there and

on

for

December

of lectures in Munich

of the

if you

rightstuff,

Ph.D."

Carl

12

made

were

scare

to deliver one

was

of

series

for the

his
Handelshochschule,
subject being "Die Einwanderungs und Siedelungspolitikin Amerika
(Carleton Parker, Privatdocent,
St. Francisco)/*That
California-Universitat,
very
the
Prince
day, however,
Regent died,and everything
called off. We had our glory
was
and got our pay*
Carl was
tired from his examination,that he did
so
not
object to foregoingthe deliveryof a German
"

address before
read two

On

weeks

an

audience

later by

was

one

15 we
of it all.Carl took the
the

It

of the professors,
had our reunion and celebration

December

Hamburg;

of four hundred.

boys and

Amerika, second class,at

I at

Southampton,ushered

CHAPTER

WE

looked
in

the

had

We
four

back

to

consider

him

oasis

its

opened

arms

chaperoned

in

our

nights

Persia

to

welcome

student
From

alone

together.
used

as

him
parties

January

to

You

till

we

seemed

undergraduate
member;

heard

May

16,
we

rag-time
had

we

four

ate.
desper-

were

have

may

to

zation
organi-

faculty

know

can

pus
cam-

otherwise-to-be-

an
a

which

by

student

as

to

"We

say:

of

Every

belonged

friends,

not

whom

for

make

to

It

yet/*

The

red-letter

about

evenings,
and

it

happened,

said;

"I

thought

you

notice

in

we

degree
Again

quite
an

not
so

President

that

We

expect

like

you

expected
you

to

spree!

have
you

make

the

pleasure

receive
been
to

good

four

together,

the

will

you

of

home

at

after

Wheeler

one

"

were

I should

morning,

professor.
did

we

when,

was

seven,

though

personally,
the

term

teaching,

about

as

telling

assistant

of

evening

one

up

that

of

event

months

two

rang

had

knew

of

desert

old

swamped

was

term.

joys,

own

by

we

many

in

he

sleep.

Carl

Carl

ing
teach-

hectic

one

our

until

professors.

which

to

as

enveloped

were

friends,

unhuman

deplored,

we

we

students,

an

semester's

lives, found

addition,

by

"

California

own

new

In

turn.

affairs

but

by

first

our

on

of

here

and

years,

way

"

our

relatives,

by

always

University
lived

VIII

of

official
made

make
to

an

good,
such

soon,"

occasion

for

We

tore

out

hatleaa

AN

the campus,

across

the

Collegeof

He

must

IDYLL

59

nearly demolishing the head

of

Commerce
the

know

slippedhis
a

AMERICAN

as

rounded

we

excitement.

He

Library.
pleased. He

was

into his

hand

the

"

pocket saying, I must have

in this celebration/' And with a royal gesture,

hand
who

should

"What

the costs!"

slipped
into Carl's hand. "Spend it all to-night/'
a dime
started on
Thus
assistant professorour
we
were
ship.
But always before and always after,to the students
Carl was
just "Doc."
I remember
his chief stopped
a story he told of how
him one
afternoon at the north gate to the university,
and said he was
discouragedand distressed. Carl was
getting the reputation of being popular with the
as

students, and
hear

say,

that would

of the internals of

do. "I don't wish

never

to

Just then the remnants

Ford, hung togetherwith picture

rumors/'

of such

more

matter

painted white, whizzed around the corner.

Two
slouching,hard-working "studes" caught sight
and called,
of Carl, reared up the car
"Hi, Doc, come
in!" Then
on
they beheld the Head of the Department,
lever,and went hurrying
hastilypressed some

wire and

on.

To

the Head

his head
Carl
that he

and
was
was

it was

evidence

first-hand.He

his way*
popularwith the students,and

shook

went

too

much

so.

It

was

not

it is true

long before he

drawing unto himself the all"college bum/' and he rebelled.

too-lightly-handled
had given him too high an
and Germany
Harvard
sity
to have even
a traditional univeridea of scholarship
patiencewith the student who, in the University
discovered that he

was

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

60

of California jargon, was

"looking

for

meal."

He

by twelve students of the College of

petitioned
of
in the Economics
Agricultureto give a course
Agriculture,and they guaranteed him twenty-five
and
thirty enrolled,and as
students. One hundred
below him, he realized
Carl surveyed the assortment
and did not
did not know
that a good half of them
was

want

to

know

pear tree from

He

tractor.

stiffened

lip,stiffened his examinations, and cinched

Latin saying
forty of the class. There should be some
it.
that would justfit such a case, but I do not know
," and the exit would refer
It would start, "Exit
from Carl's
to the exit of the loafer in largenumbers

his upper

courses

and the exit from

the heart of the loafer of the

absorbinglove he had held for Carl His troubles were

laigelyover- Someone else could care for the maimed,
the halt,and the blind*
about this time, too, that Carl got into
It was
difficultieswith the intrenched powers
He had what has been referred to as

the campus,

on
"

passionfor
of campus
organization
justice."Daily the injustice
him; he saw democracy held high as an ideal
on
grew
run
by an
lip-homageonly. Student affairs were
it except its
autocracy which had nothing to justify
He had littlelove
supporters'claim of efficiency."
it is usuallybought at too great a
for that word
a

"

"

"

cost.

That

year,

as

usual! he had

small seminar of

pickedstudents* He got them to open their

carefully
When
they ceased to
eyes to conditions as they were.
accept those conditions just because they were, they,
the farce, of a democratic
too, felt the inequality,

AMERICAN

AN

institution
the

hours

61

such autocratic lines. After seminar

on

run

IDYLL

would

group

foregather at

The editor
plot as to ways and means.
I am
not
dailysaw their pointof view
not

was

member

to

of the campus

"

he

house

our

sure

that

now

of the seminar.

campaign of education followed. Intrenched

became
vited
outraged. Fraternities that had incould n't see
Carl almost weekly to lunch, now

A slow
powers

"

One

him."

to

that

thing
some-

the established order, took up the

gents
had a "warning" from one of the Re-

we

Carl's efforts
But

unwelcome.

of campus
probably is not
at

had

gain from

fight.Soon
were

influential alumnae, who

two

or

the

behalf of

on

within

was
politics
a

suggestionof
I

the entire ization

organthere
altered,and now

would

return

democracy"

year

who

student

"

to

not

the old system.

dwell for

Perhaps here is where

brand
Carl's particular

of democracy. I

of other kinds. He

wliat I should call an

unconscious

was

democrat.

He

can

never

feel outraged

framed

moment
see

so

on

much

utterly

in his

own

he
theory of "the brotherhood of man"
justlived it,without ever thinkingof it as something
heard him
in words. I never
that needed expression
everything
the term. To him the Individual was
use
mind

any

that every relation he had was

on
by that I mean
basis. He could not go into a shop to buy
a personal
without passinga word with the
a necktie hurriedly,
clerk;when he paid his fare on the street car, them
"

was

when

moment's
we

conversation

was

the

conductor;

evening,he asked the

the best thingon in the movies-

had ice-cream

waitress what

with

of

an

AMERICAN

AN

62

When

toothless maid
been

of the

hardest

the

brother

the

the

"Mr.

partially

Parker

had

her!"

to

which

his death

phases of
was

that

sobbed

had

we

like

more

One

for Harvard,

left Oakland

we

IDYLL

and

concern

struck
the

sorrow

home
small

the cobbler, the plumber, the

tradespeopleshowed
drug-store clerk. You hear men
say: "I often find it
interestingto talk to working-people and get their
view-point."Such an attitude was absolutelyforeign
He talked to
working-people" because he
to Carl
talked to everybody as he went
along his joyous way.
"

"

At

track

meet

football game, he was

intimate
on
within a conversational radius.
one

or

with every
wealthy friends would

terms

Our

tell

us

he

ruined

their

they got so that they did n't know their

constrained
as not, he would
joltsome
places.As likely
bank
tion
presidentby engaging him in genialconversachauffeurs

"

without

would,

as

an

introduction; at

matter

the butler when

with

at

of course,

have

formal
a

dinner

word

or

he
two

he

though
passed the cracked crab, altimes the butlers seemed somewhat
pained

of Carl's intimate friends were

thereby.Some
sionally
occa"He talks to everybody." He no
annoyed
could help talkingto everybody than he could
more
likingpumpkin-pie-He was born that way.
help
He had one manner
for every human
dent
Presibeing
of the University,students, janitors,society
cooks, small boys,judges.He never
had any
women,
material thing to hand out,
not even
for he
cigars,
did not smoke himself,
but, as one friend expressed
it,"he radiated generosity/1
"

"

"

"

"

AN

AMERICAN

Heidelberg givesone
to

after

year

63

passingthe

nation
exami-

get the doctor's thesis in final form for publicatio

The subjectof Carl's thesis was
"The Labor

Policy,of the American

after

vacation

IDYLL

Trust."

His

first

summer

Berkeley,he went on to
and
Wisconsin, chieflyto see
then to
Commons,
and
Chicago, to study the stockyards at first-hand,
"Have
the steel industry.He wrote:
mons,
just seen Comwho
was
fine.He said: 'Send me as soon
as
possiblethe outline of your thesis and I will pass upon
He is very interested
it according to my
lights/
in one
of my
principalsubdivisions,i.e. 'Technique
and Unionism,' or 'Technique and Labor/
Believes
it is a big new
consideration." Again he wrote:
"I
gration
Immihave justfinished working through a book on
by Professor Fairchild of Yale,
437 pages
lent me
by Professor
publishedthree weeks ago,
Ross. It is the very book I have been lookingfor and
how stimulatingthis looking
is superb.I can't get over
has been. It in itself
in on a group of Universitymen
I feel sure of my field of work; that
is worth the trip,
I am
not going off in unfruitful directions;that I am
keeping up with the wagon. I am now set on finishing
it out within a year from
want
my book rightaway
here with
From
December."
Chicago he wrote: "Am
the reek of the stockyards in my nose, and just four
blocks from them- Here lived,in this house, Upton
he wrote
'The Jungle.'" And
Sinclair when
Mary
McDowell, at the University Settlement where he
was
staying,told a friend of ours since Carl's death
about how he came
to the table that first night and
our

return

to

...

'

'

"

"

"

attention

nosing about.

Westerner

young

the whole

he had

meal

much

paid

one

no

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

64

group

him

to

"

Every

one

of

loved

us

some

by the end of the

leaning elbows on the
But

table,listeningto everything he had

added,

just

"

him

and

to say;

from

then

she

on."
"

seeing
visitingSwift's plant, of
illustrationsfor all the lectures on technique I have
He

after

wrote,

given,and Gee! it felt good. [I could not quote him

honestly and leave out his "gees"] to actuallylook
has orated about
the way
one
at things being done
to do here is to see,
'em being done. The thing for me
and see the things I 'm going to write into my thesis.
I want
to spend a week, if I can,
digging into the
fine information
about the
steel industry.With
my
ore
[he had just acquired that],I am anxious to fill
out
knowledge of the operationof smelting and
my
I can
industrial dope/'
orate
making steel Then
Later: "This morning I called on the Vice- President
the Treasurer of
of the IllinoisSteel Company, on
Crane of Crane
Armour
" Co.t and lunched with Mn
"

Ahem!

Co."
The

time

we

had when

of the thesis! It had

day, in order

to

make

it

came

to

be

to

the actual

finished

by

certain steamer,

ing
print-

certain

to

reach

of
promised. I got in a corner
Heidelberg when
and read proof just as fast as it came
printing-office
off the press, while Carl worked
can

guess

what

pressure,

to

at

home, under

you

complete his manuscript

with new
batches for me
to get
tearingdown
in shape for the type-setter,and then racinghome to
do more
writing. We finished the thesis about one
"

why

presence,

are

Don't
tongue,

the

at

we

you

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

66

threshold, of

that

know

for the nation, could

know

end

the other, believes that

opportunityit would
conscience to springup and
an

follow
What

me"

and

"

not

care

this whole

Don't

What

did

quent
elo-

country into a
that this country, from one

put

flame?
to

with

man

conscience, who

without

you

some

tion?
revolu-

lead

in

something
be for
say:

some

"This

is

wrong?
out
with-

man

is the way;

paths of destruction!'

does it mean?

problem of the social unrest must seek for its

! Two
in all three classes of society
classes are
source
employer and employee, the third is the great middle
is the relationship
between
class,looking on. What
the dominating employing figurein American
trial
indus"The

life and

the

men

who

work?

to the
antagonism to trade-unions,
idea of collective bargaining between
and emmen
ployer,
cannot
springfrom a temperamental aversion
of a mere
individual, however powerful,be he Carnegie,
Parry, or Post, or from the common
opinion
in a group
such as the so-called Beef Trust, or the
directorate of the United States Steel Corporation,
Such a hostility,
it does one of the
as
characterizing
in industrial producvitallyimportant relationships
tion,

"A

nation-wide

must

seek

its reason-to-be

Profits,market, financing,
are

in

economic

causes.

placed in certain jeopardy

and this risk is not conby such a labor policy,

tinued,
generationafter generation,as a casual indulgence
in temper.
Deep below the strong charges
against

the unions

of

narrow

self-interest and

un-

AN

AMERICAN

limitation

American

Alliance

IDYLL

67

dressed

of output,

by the

zens'
Citi-

in the

language of the Declaration of

for the
Independence, lies a quiet economic
reason
about
it
to go because
Just as slaverywas
hostility.
did not pay, and America
stopped buildinga merchant
marine because it was
cheaper to hire England
to transport American
goods, so the American
Trust,
as

soon

it had

as

abolished

power,

it costly.What

because it found

union

economic

causes

"What

the American

which

account

did the union stand

then

for the

trade-

are

these

hostility?

in the way

of?

What

conditions

did the trust desire to establish with which

the union

would

arise which

interfere? Or

allowed

the

did

employer

labor condition
the union

to wreck

with such ease, that he turned aside for a moment

to
do it,to commit
act desirable only if its performance
an
"The

money?
be found only after

littledanger

cost

answer

can

or

an

analysis

of certain factors in industrial production.These

three:
"

are

"

production.Not only,
has industrial capitalismfor the moment

(a)The control

in whose

hands

of industrial

fallen,but in what

direction does the evolution

of control tend?
"

Technique,
(b)The techniqueof industrial production.
at times,instead of being a servant, determines

by its own

characteristicsthe character of the labor

geographicallocation of the industry,and

even
destroys the danger of competition,if the
by it asks for a biggercapital
machinery demanded
than a raiding
competitor will risk.
investment
and

the

68

"

The

(c)

stationary

"If

AMERICAN

labor

market.

in

as

increase

or

AN

hostility

trust

in

is

of

the

moral

social

or

the

close

vacation
with

in
Hal

could

holes

planned
into
two

money

in

could

people

But

we.

the
and

three

wonderful

plannings.

the

was

more

trip

yean

we

national

for

granted.
which

be

can

rarely

so

here

he

for

sideration
con-

neglected

trip
of

one

of

fun

more

of

could

Anyway,

Our

in the

We

be
we

sure

had

we

"

trip

come

than

woods
and

figured
of

at

the

was

although

children
"

We

did

never

small

work

that

together.

vacations,

our

BruI6

Exposition

We

first

dreams

wanted.

detail.

his

the

up

our

the

we

and

took

canoe-trip
at

matter

babies
years

is

one
a

"

have

plained
ex-

responsibility

canoe-

"

the

be

morality

investigation,

combination
new

it

studied,

factor/*

remotest

in

taken

act

an

canoe

through

own

of

true

be

One

life. The

That

the

the

to

our

be

that

years

come

Ireland,

can

business

not

his

Bradley.

bought

looked

no

of

five

never

almost

is

in

factors

measure.

must

effect

It

error.

At

economic

decision,

be

can

as

labor-unions

economic

in
without

three

commercialized

American

guides

these

however,

the

market

diminish

can

American

terms

labor

England.
of

to

characteristic,
That

New

character

the

The

England,

in

as

IDYLL

no

that

least

one

joy of

our

CHAPTER

THE

second

way

when

Carl

however,
We

in

earthly

no

chance

of

We

figured

salary.
in

world

the

So

Carl

to

do

Into

accepted

the

contact

laborer

and

direction

zeal

less

that

never

unhappiness

The

over

for

California.

makeshifts

accommodations,

were

job.

first

I.W.W.

the

left

to

of
was

From

developed
designed

Carl's
the

We

with

then

need

It

and

fired

with

should

be

world.
with
of

clean-up

ordered

to

was

there

the

work

tory
migra-

first bent

was

that

him

the

which
he

thing

threw

his

him

and

unsanitary,

wise

with

time

in

again.

the

was

saw

square

and

out.

see

inequality

and

was

sity
Univer-

our

be

salary,

It gave

passion,
him,

offered

of

labor-psychology,

of

which,

"

trip, and

could

It

me.

University.

it out

turned
the

result

concrete

Commission
all

new

appeal

considerations

financial

Intellectual

his

become

$4000

matters

as

direct

the

in

by

anyway,

we

told
determined

European

that

the

well

and

the

at

Executive

so

salary

paying

on

year

The

under

Housing

have

small

our

ever

swayed

be

never

one

had

$1500

from

debt

of
and

would

case.

getting

were

$2000

were

end

the

not

position

midnight

itself

well

got

remember

about

work

was

$4000.

financial

the

if

even

us,

home
the

just

Immigration

California.

came

afraid

am

the

State

of

he

had

offered

the

Commission

California

was

in

Secretary

night

in

term

IX

gration
Immi-

the
labor

camps

fly-ridden,
sanitary

executed

by

dirty

housing
experts

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

7o

in their fields.Also

through countless

he awakened,

the State, some

talks up and down
understandingof
and his problem; although, judging from
the I.W.W.
the newspapers
to
seem
nowadays, his work would
almost
been
have
forgotten. As the phrase went,

"Carleton
I think
and

Ford

Parker

put the migratory

of the Wheatland

Suhr

which

case,

the

map."
Hop-Fields riot,or the
Carl was
appointed to
on

investigatefor the Federal government,

incident

which

focused

the dramatic

as

his attention

the

on

deeper approach to a sound understanding

of labor and its problems,and which, in turn, justified
Mr. Bru"re in statingin the "New
Republic":
the first of our
Parker was
Economists, not only to
of casual
analyse the psychology of labor and especially
his analysisthe basis for
labor, but also to make
an
struction/'
applied techniqueof industrial and social reconAlso,that was the occasion of his concrete
need

of

"

introduction

to

the LW.W.

He

wrote

it,later,for the "Survey/1 and

California Casual

and

His Revolt

an
n

an

article

for the

Journal of Economics/1 in November,

It is all interesting
enough, I feel,to
into

some

The

of

account

"The

on

"Quarterly

1915,

going

warrant

detail

settingof the riot is best given in the article

above

referred to, "The

California Casual

and

His

Revolt/'
"The
as

story of the Wheatland

simpleas the facts of it are new

histories.Twenty-eighthundred
on

treeless hill which

was

riot
hop-pickers1

is

and naive in strike

pickerswere

part of the

camped
ranch.

AN

AMERICAN

IDYLL

71

the largestsingleemployer of agricultural

labor in the
Some

state.

in tents,

were

in

some

toplesssquares

of

sacking, or with pilesof straw. There was no organization

for sanitation,no garbage-disposal.
The
perature
temduring the week of the riot had remained
mile from
near
105", and though the wells were
a
where

the

their

and

men,

bags could

hops, no water was

appeared at
wagon
to

be

owner.

concession
Local

children

and

women,
not

sent

be left for fear of theft of the

into the fields. A

the end

granted

Wheatland

picking,

were

lemonade

of the week, later found

to

stores

cousin

were

of

the

forbidden

ranch
to send

to the camp
grounds. It developed
deliverywagons
that the owner
of the ranch
in the state investigation
received half of the net profits
earned by an alleged
independent grocery store, which had been granted
located
in the
the 'grocery concession' and
was
of the camp
centre
ground.
"The pickersbegan coming to Wheatland
day,
Tueson
the wageand
by Sunday the irritation over
scale,the absence of water in the fields,
plus the persistent
heat and the increasing
indignityof the camp,
had
resulted in mass
meetings, violent talk, and a
generalstrike.
.

"The

ranch

owner,

nervous

man,

was

harassed

by the rush of work brought on by the too rapidly

ripeninghops, and indignantat the jeersand catcalls
the meetings of
which greeted his appearance
near
Confused
with a crisisoutside his slender
the pickers.
he acted true to his tradition,and
social philosophy,

pqrhaps his type, and called on

sheriffs posse. What

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

72

industrial relationshiphad

existed

too

was

insecure

procedure. It disappeared entirely,

leaving in control the instincts and vagaries of a mob
the one hand, and great apprehensionand inexperience
on
to

such

stand

on

the other.

''As if

set, the posse arrived in

'
the officially
wanted'
at the instant when

stage had

automobiles
strike-leader
men,

was

been

addressing
and

women,

mass

meeting

After

children.

of

cited
ex-

short and

typicalperiodof skirmishingand the minor and major

of arrestinga person under such circumstances,
events
of the posse standing outside fired a doublea member
the heads of the crowd, to
barreled shot-gun over
killed
sober them/ as he explainedit. Four men
were
'

of the posse
in their automobiles
"

two

and
to

strikers; the posse fled

two

seat, and

the county

all that

filled with
were
night the roads out of Wheatland
Eight months later,two
pickersleaving the camp.
hop-pickers,
proved to be the leaders of the strike and
in the first
its agitation,
convicted of murder
were
to life imprisonment, Their
degree and sentenced
trial was
denied/*
appeal for a new
In his report to the Governor, written in 1914, Carl
characterized
44

The

the

case

as

follows:

"

the Wheatland

Hop*
Fields riot took place on Sunday afternoon, August
the hop-pickers
3* *9*3* Growing discontent among
over
neglectedcamp-sanitationand absence
wages,
of water in the fieldshad resulted in spasmodic meetings
of protest on Saturday and Sunday morning, and
in a more
finally
by Sunday noon
or less involuntary
occurrence

known

as

"The

is

part-owner of the ranch

and

manager

example of

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

74

an

certain type of California employer.The

the social responsibilitie

refusal of this type to meet
beings for labor,
with the hiringof human
which come
ery
miscruellyunnecessary
nity
personalindigclass littleable to combat

only works

not

upon

and

concrete

adds

degradation,but

and

and

resentment

unrest

which

is

the uncared-for migratoryworker

fuel to

of

on

camp
women

his

and

own

ranch, which

children,is

fire of
in

beginning to burn

in California. That

could refuse his clear duty of real

a

the

of
trusteeship

contained

hundreds

social fact of miserable

have heard of unpreparedwe

import. The excuses
shamed
ness, of allegedignoranceof conditions, are
peated
sufferingand humiliation reby the proven human
each day of the week, from Wednesday to
Sunday. Even where the employer'sinnate sense of
fails to point out his duty, he should
moral obligation
and
have realized the insanityof stimulating unrest
bitterness in this inflammable
on

ranch

the

is

labor

force. The

California contribution

literature of the social unrest

to

riot
the

in America/'

Aspects" of the
"Legal and Economic
:
case, againquotingfrom the report to the Governor
"The positiontaken by the defense and their sympathizers
in the course
of the trial has not only an
economic
and social bearing,but many
arguments
As

to

the

"

made

before the court

are

distinct efforts to introduce

modifications of the law which will have

sociological
a
far-reachingeffect on the industrial relations of
law,
capitaland labor. It is asserted that the common

AN

on

AMERICAN

IDYLL

75

is founded, is known
jurisprudence
an
ever-developinglaw, which must adapt itself
and social conditions; and, in
changing economic

which American

as

to

this connection, it is claimed

of

legalcausation

economic

and

that the established theories

must

social factors

be

enlarged to include

in the

clfain of

leading to a result. Concretely,it is argued:

unsanitary conditions
First, That, when

"

lead

11

discontent

so

bloodshed, those

to

conditions

are

to

bloodshed,

as

well

"

excuse

the

be
as

can

to

incited

be

responsiblefor the unsanitary

for the
held legallyresponsible
the actual inciters of the riot.

Second, That, if the law will

to

as

that the crowd

intense

causes

not

reach out

far

so

tions
unsanitary,unlivable condiguiltyof bloodshed, at any rate such conditions
because inciters are
the inciters from liability,
hold

of

the creator

trollable
involuntary transmittingagents of an unconforce set in motion by those who created the

unlivable

conditions.
.

legalside,modifications of
ern
the law of property are urged.It is argued that modlaw no longer holds the rightsof privateproperty
lated
sacred, that these rightsare being constantly regu''Furthermore,

and

owner's
are

to

on

the

limited,and that in the Wheatland

traditional rightsin relation

be held subject to the

to his

case
own

the
lands

rightof the laborers

to

organizethereon. It is urged that a worker on land

in his job/ and that he cannot
has a 'propertyriglft
be made
to leave the job,or the land, merely because
he is trying to organizehis fellow workers to make
conditions. It is
to livingand economic
a protest as

AN

76

IDYLL

AMERICAN

be made
to
urged that the organizingworker cannot
leave the job because the job is his property and it is
all that he has/'
As
"It

to

"The

Remedy":

is obvious

that

"

the

violent

strike methods

which only
adopted by the I.W.W.
type agitators,
tend
to improve
although effectively,
incidentally,
conditions,are not to be accepted as a solution
camp

problem. It is also obvious that the conviction

of the agitators,
such as Ford and Suhr, of murder,
is not a solution,but is only the punishment or revenge
inflicted by organizedsocietyfor a past deed.
The Remedy lies in prevention.
"It is the opinion of your
that the
investigator
improvement of livingconditions in the labor camps
will have the immediate
effect of making the recurrence
of impassioned,violent strikes and riots not
only improbable,but impossible;and furthermore,
such improvement will go far towards eradicating
the
hatred and bitterness in the minds of the employers
and in the minds of the roving, migratory laborers.
This accomplished,the two conflicting
partieswill be
in a positionto meet
a
on
more
constructive
saner,
basis,in solvingthe further industrial problems arising
of the

between

them.
.

to realize that their own

"They must come
laxity
in allowingthe existence of unsanitaryand filthyconditions
gives a much-desired foothold to the very
agitatorsof the revolutionary
LW.W.
doctrines whom
they so dread; they must
learn that unbearable,
aggravatinglivingconditions inoculate the minds of

AMERICAN

AN

the otherwise
and

IDYLL

with

peaceful workers
violence, as

77
the

of

germs

well

exemplifiedat the
Wheatland
riot,giving the agitatorsa fruitful field
the seeds of revolt and preach the
wherein to sow
doctrine of direct action and sabotage.
the other hand, the migratory laborers must
"On
that revolts accompanied by force in scatbe shown
tered
and isolated localities not only involve serious
breaches of law and lead to crime, but that they
ing
accomplish no lastingconstructive results in advancbitterness

their

cause.

intends

Commission

furnish

clearinghouse
of both sides,
to hear complaintsof grievances,
act as a mediator
or
safety-valve."

"The

and

so

to

In the report to the Governor

writingson

Carl's first

the LW.W.

this entire labor force

"Of

appear

at

ranch, it
'card men/

the

had been LW.W.

100
appears that some
There
had had affiliationswith that organization.
or
is evidence

that

in this camp
a
loosely
local of the LW.W., with about

there

caught togethercamp

was

It is suggestivethat these 30 men,

spasmodic action,and with the aid of the

30 active members.

through a
deplorablecamp
mass

700

or

conditions,dominated

heterogeneous
of 2800 unskilled laborers in 3 days. Some
of the 'hobo' class,in
800 of the force were
a

strikers. At least 400

potentialLW.W.
tive
for them curiouslyattracknew in a rough way the
philosophyof the LW.W., and could also sing

every

sense

"

"

of its songs.
"Of the loo-odd

some

'card men'

of the LW.W.,

some

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

78

had been
some
through the San Diego affair,
soap-boxersin Fresno, a dozen had been in the Free
Speech fightin Spokane. They sized up the hop-field
as
a
ripe opportunity,as the principaldefendant,
'Blackie' Ford, puts it, 'to start something/ On
Friday, two days after picking began, the practical
agitatorsbegan working through the camp. Whether
had been

or

Ford

not

ranch

to the

came

five Fords

seems

immaterial.

There

camp

of seasonal

laborers

in

in these

weeks

ourselves

devoted
as

this: 'How

big a

seasonal labor force

strike?' 'How

conditions

when
are

Where

railroad

labor

California. We

the individuals of every

potential strikers.
many

are

sit around

fire under

of the group
can
the book. This was
not

LW.W.

have

such

to

bridge,many

body, with
fileknow

group

of hoboes

group

without

ago. The

are

in every

questions
per cent of California's migratory
know
the techniqueof an LW.W.
of the migratory laborers know
ripeto "start something"?' We

that among

convinced

fruit-farm

songs

many

are

trouble

to foment

in California is not

sing LW.W.
so

three years

closelyorganized

steady membership. The rank and

littleof the technical organizationof industrial

life which

their written

constitution

demands.

They listen eagerlyto the appeal for the 'solidarity*

of their class. In the dignifyingof vagabondage
through their crude but virile song and verse, in the
bitter vilificationof the jail turnkey and
county
i
n
their
condemnation
of the church and its
sheriff,
formal social work, they find the vindication of their
hobo status which they desire. They cannot
sustain

AN

AMERICAN

IDYLL

79

organizationunless they have a strike or freeIt is in their

speech fightto stimulate their spirit.
of warfare, not in their abstract philosophy
methods
hatred of law and judges,that danger lies for
or even
ers
organizedsociety.Since every one of the 5000 labora

live

in California who

with

have

the I.W.W.

delegate'with

walking

been

at

considers

time

some

himself

nected
con-

'camp

organize a camp
local,this small army is watching, as Ford did, for an
unsanitarycamp or low wage-scale,to start the strike
I.W.W.
which
will not only create a new
local,but
This common
bring fame to the organizer.
acceptance
of direct action and sabotage as the rule of operation,
the songs and the common
vocabulary are, we feel
convinced, the first stirringof a class expression.
"Class solidarity
they have not. That may never
for the migratory laborer has neither the force
come,
the vision nor tenacityto hold long enough to the
nor
is teachinga method
ideal to attain it.But the LW.W.
of action which will give this class in violent flare-ups,
such as that at Wheatland, expression.
of the organizationafter the out"The dying away
burst
is,therefore, to be expected.Their social condition
is

miserable

one.

to

papers

Their

work,

even

at

the

irregular.
They have nothing to lose in
a leader put it, A riot and
a chance
a strike,and, as
is about the only intellectual
to blackguard a jailer
best, must

be

'

fun

we

have/

"Taking into consideration the miseryand physical

privationand the barren outlook of this life of the
with all its
seasonal worker, the LW.W.
movement,

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

8o

motive and unlawful action,becomes in

irresponsible
this
and
the dignity which
realitya class-protest,
characteristic gives it perhaps alone explains the
of the organizationin the field.
persistence
"Those
attending the protest mass-meeting of the
Wheatland
hop-pickerswere singingthe LW.W.
song
'Mr.

Block/ when

automobiles.

The

the sheriff's posse came

up
had been harangued
crowd

iu its

by an
They

'Blackie' Ford,
orator
experiencedLW.W.
had been told, according to evidence, to 'knock
"

blocks off the

baby

from

scissor-bills.'Ford

its mother's

arms

had

taken

crowd

was

of

sick

and, holdingit before

the eyes of the 1500 people,had cried out:

the life of the kids we're doing this/ Not
of the

the

type normally

'It's for
a

quarter

venturesome

enough to strike,and yet, when the sheriffwent after

Ford, he was knocked down and kicked senseless by
infuriated

In the

bloody riot which then ensued,

District Attorney Manwell, Deputy Sheriff Riordan,
a
shot
negro Porto Rican and the English boy were
and killed. Many were
wounded.
The posse literally
remained
fled,and the camp
practically
unpoliced
until the State Militia arrived at dawn the next day.
"The question of social responsibility
is one of the
The posse was, I am
deepestsignificance.
convinced,
over-nervous
This
and, unfortunately,
over-rigorous.
be explainedin part by the state-wide apprehencan
sion
the I.W.W.; in part by the normal
over
fornia
Calicountry posse'sattitude toward a labor trouble.
A deputy sheriff,
critical moment,
at the most
fired
a shot in the air,as he stated, 'to sober the crowd'
men.

82

ganda

unlawful

will be carried out, whether

have

We

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

not.

leaders,and

the LW.W.

hours with

talked

or

absolutelyconscious of their positionin the

is that they are
eyes of the law. Their only comment
glad, if it must be a conspiracy,that it is a criminal
conspiracy.They have volunteered the beginning of
it is to clean up the housing and wage
problem
a cure;

they

are

of the seasonal

found

we

shrewdest

worker. The

LW.W.

leader

less
agitatein the country unenough to bringthe crowd along.

said: 'We

can't

'

thingsare rotten
in Wheatland."
They evidentlywere
He was high ace with the Wobbly for a while. They
invited him to their Jungles,they carved him presents
I remember
in jail.
some
a talk he gave
on
phase
of the California labor-problemone
Sunday night,at
the Congregationalchurch in Oakland. The last three
filled with unshaven
hoboes, who filed up
were
rows
afterwards, to the evident distress of the clean regular
their
to clasphis hand. They withdrew
church-goers,
allegianceafter a time, which naturallyin no way
tile
phased Carl's scientificinterest in them. A paper hoson

to

Carl's attitude

the

clean-upof
him

an

as

interest in the

was

at

heart and

possessor
year.

Some

of

an

on

the LW.W.

camps

and

his insistence

published an

double-faced

article traying
porindividual who feigned

under-dog reallyto undo him, as he

pocket-book a capitalist,
being the
independent income of $150,000 a

LW.W.'s

took

this up,

and

convinced

largemeeting that he was

reallytrying to sell them
out. It is not only the rich who
fickle.Some
of
are
his firm friends always, however.
them remained

AN

That

fund

and

IDYLL

of his students

two

summer

83

hoboed

it tillthey

with malaria, in the meantime

down

came

AMERICAN

of invaluable

turningin
facts regardingthe migratory

his life.

later, in his article in the

Quarterly
Journal,"and, be it remembered, after his study of
"

year

psychologyhad begun, Carl wrote:

is here, beyond a doubt, a great laboring
"There
populationexperiencinga high suppression of normal
"

instincts and
of

traditions. There

can

desirable existence

be

than

no

greater perversion
this insecure,

under-nourished,wandering life,with its sordid sexSuch a life

expressionand reckless and rare pleasures.
leads to one
of two consequences:
either a sinkingof
the class to a low and hopelesslevel,where they become,
conduct
and economic
through irresponsible
a
charge upon
inefficiency,
society;or revolt and
labor warfare.
guerrilla
"The
ished
migratory laborers,as a class,are the finwhich seems
product of an environment
cruelly
efficient in turning out beings moulded
after all the
standards societyabhors. Fortunately the psychologists
it unnecessary
have made
to explainthat there
is nothing willful or personallyreprehensiblein the
of these vagrants. Their histories show that,
vagrancy

startingwith the long hours and dreary winters of the

farms they ran
from, through their characteraway
debasing experiencewith irregularindustrial labor,
on

to

the vicious economic

their
Nurture

life of the winter

trainingpredetermined but
has

triumphedover

one

ployed,
unem-

come.
out-

nature; the envi*

84

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

has

produced its type. Difficult though

organizationof these people may be, a coincidence
favoring conditions -may place an opportunity in
hands
of a super-leader.If this comes,
can
one
ronment

sure

that California will be both

very

misused/'

here

out
professor,

in

to

Carl, but

see

told

was

had

we

asked

at

moved

to

to

be

"

and

sure

be

colleaguesin Belgium asked me

Professor Parker, he said,"as we

Seattle. "My

the

astonished and

with aviation. He

officialbusiness connected
once

of

Belgian economics
California during the war, on

only recentlyof

told

was

very

the

see

the

him

one

in America

man

who

sider
con-

understands

migratory laborer."
That winter Carl got the cityof San Jose to stand
behind a model
unemployed lodging-house,one of
the two students who had
hoboed"
during the summer
taking charge of it. The unemployed problem,
problem

the

of the

"

as

he

into it

ran

depths. At

at

time

every

he

turn, stirred Carl to his

felt it

stronglythat he
wanted
in Berkeley,himself,
to start a lodging-house
just to be helpingout somehow, even though it would
be only surface help.
It

also about

was

treated

one

this time

so

that California

was

the

spectacle of an Unemployed Army,

which
driven from pillarto post,
was
or, in this
each tryingto outdo the
to town,
case, from town
last in protestationsof unhospitality.Finally,in
to

"

"

Sacramento
At

the fire-hoses were

that Carl flamed

himself in

no

with

turned

on

the army.

and expressed
indignation,
mincing terms, both to the publicand

AN

AMERICAN

IDYLL

85

the reporter who

sought his views. He

but I did come
across
keep clippings,

to
to

interviews

milder
of March

San

Francisco

no
one

"

hand
of his

Bulletin"

n,

1914.
California's

''That

method

unscientific attitude
is the
H.

Carleton

of

with

handlingthe
the

societyon

'

ployed
unem-

cruel
careless,

the labor question/

made

to-day by Professor

Parker, Assistant

Professor of Industrial

statement

and

economy,

of

is in accord

problem
and

in the

was

secretary of the

State

Immigration

Committee.
"'

There

are

two

of

ways

looking at

this winter's

unemployed problem,'said Dr. Parker; 'one is fatally

bad and the other promises good. One way
is shallow
and biased; the other strives to use the simple rules
of science for the analysisof any problem. One way
the army
is to damn
of the unemployed and the irresponsibl
irritating
vagrants who will not work. The
is to admit
other way
that any such social phenomenon
this army
is just as normal
as
a
product of our

social organizationas
"

'Much

street-car

that I have
created

its

overheard

our

and

university.
ferryanalysisof this problem

seems

own

to believe that this army

degraded self,that a vagrant is a

vagrant from personal desire and perversion. This
analysisis as shallow as it is untrue. If unemployment
the product of our careless,indifferand vagrancy
ent
are
the half-century,
then its cure
will
societyover
careful regretfulsocial
come
only by a half-century's
labor by this same
tardy society.
*
The riot at Sacramento
is merely the appearance
11

own

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

86

problem from the back streets into the strong

light.The handling of the problem there is unhappily
cruel attitude of societyon
in accord with the careless,
this question-We
are
willingto respect the anxiety
sponsible
in the night with this irreof Sacramento, threatened
the city
reckless invasion; but how
can
of the law, when they
of vagrants observance
demand
drop into mob-assertion the minute the problem comes

of the

them?1

to

up

"

illustration he always used

The

solution of

of the average
from

of his

paper

springof

on

that

to express

his

unemployment,
subject,written

ion
opin-

I quote
in the

1915.

insanitywhich is made
follows: the suspect is given a cup, and is told
is running from
empty a bucket into which water
is an

"There

faucet.

If the suspect turns

begins to bail
the

current

faucet

"The

old test for

the

out

solutions

running.

off the water

bucket, he is sane.
of

unemployment

as

to
a

before he

Nearly all
leave

the

heart of the

problem, the cause, one might

well say, of unemployment, is that the employment
of men
regularlyor irregularlyis at no time an
important consideration of those minds which control
industry.Social organizationhas ordered it that
these minds shall be interested only in achieving a
reasonable profitin the manufacture
and the sale of
demanded
that industries
goods. Society has never
in part to give men
be run even
employment. Rewards
held out for such a policy,and therefore it is
not
are
unreasonable
to expect such a performance.Though

AMERICAN

AN

popular belief

favorite

live,'we
This

have

there

winter

is that

we

adage of

current

no

IDYLL

shoeless

are

closed shoe-factories,and

87
must

'work

to

'rightto work.'

men

and

women,

destitute shoemakers; children

halfEngland with no woolen clothing,

time woolen
mills, and unemployed spinners and
turn
Why? Simply because the mills cannot
weavers.
and since that is
business profit;
out the reasonable
ity,
the only promise that can galvanizethem into activmuch
how
humanity
they stand idle,no matter
in New

ment
misery and death in this decision. This stateis not a perorationto a declaration for Socialism.
It seems
logic
a fair renderingof the matter-of-fact
of the analysis.
"It seems
hopeless,and also unfair,to expect outof-work insurance, employment bureaus, or philanthropy,
force of profitthe controlling
to counteract
to believe that profitseeking.There is every reason
stimulus to economic
seekinghas been a tremendous
activityin the past. It is doubtful if the present great
ence
into existaccumulation of capitalwould have come
it were
to be
without it.But to-day it seems
as
It is hard
social consequences.
caught up by its own

finds of

to escape

from

the money

the

upkeep

workman

be met

makes

in

situation in which

year

fails to

cover

family; and this impairment of the

through unemployment has largely

of his

father's income
to

the insistence of

by child- and woman-labor*

The

Federal

report shows that in not

Immigration Commission's
industry can the average
a
singlegreat American
yearly income of the father keep his family.Seven

AN

88
and

hundred

maintenance

IDYLL

AMERICAN

for the
fiftydollars is the bare minimum
industrial
American
of the average-sized
yearly earnings of the heads of
average

family.The
families working in the United States in the iron and
coal-mining
steel industry is $409; in bituminous
$451; in the woolen industry $400; in silk $448; in
cotton
$470; in clothing$530; in boots and shoes
$549; in the
$573; in leather $511; in sugar-refining
meat
industry $578; in furniture $598, etc.
"He who decries created work, municipal lodginghouses, bread-lines,or even sentimental charity,in the
face of the winter's destitution,has

an

unsocial soul.
of

despicablething to-day is the whine

cities lest their inadequate catering to their own

The

most

draw
agony

of

a
our

few

vagrants

winter

from

afar.

But

less
home-

when

makeshiftingis by, will

our

the
cient
suffi-

minority of our citizens rise and demand that the

brains in
best technical,economic, and sociological
age
wealthy nation devote themselves with all courand honesty to the problem of unemployment?"
Carl was
no
diplomat,in any sense of the word
above all,no political
diplomat. It is a wonder that
hind
stood bethe Immigration and Housing Commission
rabid at every
him as long as it did. He grew
appointment which, in his eyes, hampered
political
his work. It was
not
evident, so they felt,that he was
our

"

tactful in his relations with

Commission.

It all galledhim

various

members

of the

and after much

terribly,
consultation at home, he handed in his resignation.
ber
from OctoDuring the first term of his secretaryship,
to December, he carried his full-time University

CHAPTER

IN

January,

real

the

have

with

electric

my

in

deep

and

never

in

to

all

the

anklethe

over

ourselves.

for

he

I with

and

toast

to

ask

we

road

home;

sometimes

making

I
all

the

down

torch,

together,

in

supper

coming

his

with

did

night.

little

him

absolutely

lives

our

every

prowl

meet

supper,

evening

an

would

back

again

the

and

distance

then

mud;

coals,

torch,

walk

the

Then

mine.

the

in

signal

would

then

teaching

Alamo

bed

in

his

up
to

boys

fire;

the

by

ready

took

commuting

earnest,

would

Carl

1915,

And

joy

more

than

that.
That

spring

that

could

we

again,
the

us

hills, where

we

if

built!

else:

We

two

were

around

as

the

window
suppers

friends

the

longer

in

almost

years

happiness

stand

other

no

redwood

we

overhanging

the

the

gathered
very

two

has
in

the

around

Canyon

us.

of

of

There,
itself

had

hope
the

on

we

by

we

and

nest

had

such

There,

living-room,

us

anywhere

seen.

Gate,
to

reach

years

ever

Golden

joy

love
than

"

privacy

could

The

house

day

home

much

meant

the

that

table

overlooking
that

to

climb.

in

the

on

up

friends

our

lot

much

as

things

of

high

feel

us

afford

we

realize

where

yet

made

centre

bought

could

we

and

could

they

could
we

so

the

home

own

very

had

in

be

to

matter,

things;

possible,

was

"

that

of

centre

bear

our

Alamo

in

months

never

for

nor,

Berkeley
as

The

Berkeley.

in

building

began

we

the
the

to

the

porches
our

Sun-

AN

AMERICAN

IDYLL

91
"

(Each time Carl would plead, I don't

day tea-parties.
do I?" and he knew
have to wear
that I
a stiff collar,
would

"You

anything you want,

a blue soft shirt.)
little swimming-tank in back,

answer,

usually meant
had

We

wear

"

which

for the

boys.
then,

And

wonderful

most

of all, came

the

day

June-Bug was born, the daughter who was

to be the very lightof her adoring father's eyes, (Her
is Alice Lee.) "Mother, there never
real name
really
the

when

such

was
a

day. She

not

was

from

back

were

we

baby, was

there?"

I
more

Balch

Nurse

ask ten

times

born up on the hill; but in ten days

the hospitaland out day and night

through that gloriousJuly,on

overlooking the bay and the
adored

he would

as

some

one

hills.And

friend of the

of the

porches

added

we

our

family forever-

always think of Nurse Balch as the person

than any other, perhaps, understood
to

who
some

degree just what happiness filledour lives day in and

anything before a trained
day out. No one assumes
nurse
they are around too constantly for that.
They see the misery in homes, they see what joy
"

there

is. And

Nurse

Balch

because

saw,

practicallyall the time

there was
nothing but joy every

around

she

for six weeks,

minute

was

that

of the

day
make
how I can
in our home. I do not know
people
understand, who are used to just ordinary happiness,
not just that
what sort of a lifeCarl and I led. It was
an
active,not a passivestate.
we
got along. It was
at lunch-time,
There was
a home-coming, say
never
that did not

seem

an

event

"

when

our

curve

of

hap-

AN

92

AMERICAN

IDYLL

joyous occasions
piness abruptly rose. Meals were
ners
always; perhaps too scant attention paid to the manbut much
of the young,
gurglings,and "Tell
of
daddy," and always detailed accounts
some
more,
little happening during the last few hours of
every
separation.
the difficulty
of good-byes,
there was
Then
ever
though it meant
only for a few hours, until supper.
And at supper-timehe would come
up the front stairs,
I waiting for him at the top, perhaps limping. That
littlefamily jokes.
had many
his littlejoke
we
was
that I was
to look in every
pocket
Limping meant
until I unearthed a bag of peanut candy. Usually he
shoes from the
laden with bundles
provisions,
was
"

"

cobbler, a tennis-racket

peer
never

such
It

an

armful

of

greetings,
always the question,"How's
June-Bug?" and a family processionupstairsto
And
"Mother, there
a crib at a fat gurgler.
over
reallywas such a baby, was there?" No, nor

books.
my

and

restrung,

a
was

After

father*
that first summer

back

in

Berkeley, the

year

the

ing
teachborn, when Carl was
June-Bug was
in Summer
had our
definite
School, that we
enthusiasm
labor-psychology aroused. Will
over
School that
Ogburn, who was also teaching at Summer
lectures I attended, introduced
to
us
year, and whose
Hart's "Psychology of Insanity,"several books by
Freud, McDougall's "Social Psychology," etc. I remember
Carl's seminar
the followingspring1 his
last seminar
at the Universityof California. He
had
before

"

started with

nine

seminar

students

three years

be-

AN

AMERICAN

there

IDYLL

93

three. They were

all such
thirtyseniors,mostly graduates,
superiorpicked lot,some

fore; now
a

out.

felt there

he

that

was

no

the

on

and

could ask
I

could

campus

discussions

excited

he

one

I visited it all the term,

else

and

were

have

am

sure

to

stay

that

where
no-

quite such heated

been

heard

"

Carl simply

sittingat the head of the table,directinghere,

leading there.
The generalsubject was
Labor-Problems.
The students
had

read

to

book

one

week

"

such

books

as

''Psychologyof Insanity,"Keller's "Societal

Freudian
Evolution," Holt's
Wish," McDougall's
"Social Psychology,"
weeks
two
to that,
Lipp"Preface
mann's
to Politics,"Veblen's "Instinct of
Wallas's "Great
Workmanship,"
Society," Thorndike's Educational
Psychology,"Hoxie's "Scientific
and his Country,"
Management," Ware's "The Worker
G. H. Parker's "Biology and Social Problems,"
and
and so forth
ending, as a concession to the
with Royce's "Philosophy of Loyalty."
idealists,
One of the graduate students of the .seminar wrote
Hart's

"

"

"

"

"

three years I sat in his seminar on LaborProblems, and had we both been there ten years longer,
"For

me:

each

would

season

influence

on

have

found

me

intellectual life was

my

in his class. His

by far the

most

I have known.
stimulating and helpfulof all the men
his spiritand influence will live on
in the
But
.

lives of those who

The

seminar
so

Carl

after

was
a

sat

at his feet

and

learned."

cussion
large,really,for intimate disfew weeks several of the boys asked
too

if they could have

littlesub-seminan

It

was

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

94

him, but he said that, if they

them
all the details,he would
save
would arrange
Tuesday evenings*So every Tuesday night about a
dozen boys climbed our hill to rediscuss the subject of
and everything else
the seminar of that afternoon
for

time

rushed

very

"

dear

to

the male

midnight

about

and

wiches,
sand-

banqueting from the

students told me
graduation that
on
the

heard

be

kitchen. Three

of

sounds

Tuesday nights at

those

edible

some

coffee to be warmed,

heart, and
could

or

sausages,

or

ham

I laid out

beyond.

and

the heavens

under

intellectual stimulus

had

house

our

anything

than

meant

that

more
came

ever

into their lives.

One
11

and

of these

boys wrote

to

had

I heard that Doc

When

cleanest

I have

men

very

when

have

we

to live and
men

somewhat

same

the
at

privilegeof
stopped thinking.
I

can

remember

world

like Doc.

man

associated with

were

manner

another

one

then I guess
of an
much

who

lose

as

I was,

and

we

this is
I have

him

impressionon

our

man

who

minds

had

drove

in

simply

after the first sentences,

the thoughts of

"

of the finest

one

rotten

the

and

me,

clearlyof thinking,what

talked to two

looked

had

to have

possibleto

seem

gone,

ever

associatingwith, I seemed
It did n't

after Carl's death

me

made

and
so

coherent

I have had the opportunitysince

speech away.
of experiencingsomething real besides
leavingcollege
college life and I can't remember
during all that
how Dr. Parker would
period of not having wondered
handle this or that situation. He was
simplyimmense
to me
kind
at all times,and if love of a man-to-man
...

AN

AMERICAN

IDYLL

exist,then I truthfully
can

does

95
that I had

say

that

love for him."

Of the letters received from

like to quote

I should

in France

aviator

An

students of those years

here and there.
passage
writes:

in my
figurein all we

"

There

was

no

man

like him

collegelife.Believe me, he has been a

do over
who knew him,
here,
we
for our
and a reason
doing, too. His loss is so great
He was
fine he will always push us
to all of us!
so
to findingthe truth about
on
things.That was his
n't it?"
great spark, was
"

"

...

From
He

second

far

lieutenant

"

in France:

I loved

than

CarL

he was
just a friend
father,brother,and friend all in one. He influenced,as
him
you know, everything I have done since I knew
was

for it was

"

which
the

bottom
of

From

"When

which

have

to

thingswhen
told

Wednesday,

the word

I carried

I could

out

simply

once

could

more,

so

I left some

was

void within

me

Carl's
him

see

whole

to me."

Camp

was

great

flowers and

went

leave Seattle without

not

I made

undertaker's. The

idea, but it

and

of my

And

Lewis:

illness last
the

coming

my

day before Carl's death.]It

so

work.

my

just came

about

to go

the force

resolution,only to find
neither him nor
[This was the
you.

see

to me,

of

officers at

me

I resolved

has been

fallen out

of the young

"

the direction

seemed

one

week-end.

me

his enthusiasm

determined

scheme

that

to

more

up

my

friends I

was

mind
with

to go

ment
disappointaway.

seeingCarl
out

to

the

discouragedthe

There was
strong within me.
a
which could only be filled by seeing
too

friend

my

once

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

96

I went

more.

stood

by
happy days

I recalled the

quite a while.

his side for

there and

out

I thought of his kindliness,

the campus.
shall
his loyalty,his devotion. Carl Parker

spent with him

always
as

on

place in the recesses

It was
example of nobility.

true

of his

one

hard

for

to

me

students:

women

him

I knew

the first day when

memory

better/'

leave, but I felt much

From

of my

occupy

"Always from
seemed
to give me

he

which no other
to work
inspiration
given me. And it is a joy and
person or thing has ever
I shall always keep. I seldom
to
come
an
inspiration
stumbling-block in my work that I don't stop to
a
do were
he solving
what Carl Parker would
wonder
that problem."
a

lifeand

joy of

letter I have

Another

by

written

much

to

myself by

...

your

great

sorrow

yours.

For

indeed

who

do

not

us.

come

side

which
I

am

him.
a

almost

as

much

you,
as

was

"

too

meant

friend to put

young
to

that, after
as

He

and

moment

from

quote

in Paris:

now

as

is mine

Carl

to

without
now

sure

loved

chosen

student

former

could

"We

an

try

share

to

much

there

it is

as

few

were

I.

"Oh, I am remembering a hundred things! the

firstday I found you both in the littlehouse on Hearst
"

Avenue
I used

the dinners

"

we

used

to have

the times

Sunday morning to find you both,

and the youngsters
the day justbefore I graduated
when mother and I had lunch at your house
and,
that day I left you, and you said,both of you,
finally,
to

come

on

"

Don't

come

back

without

seeing some

of the cities

XI

CHAPTER

who

Max

had
a

of

spring

call

fortune

for

prepare

him,
when

besides

call

San

paying

Francisco

made

was

I
be

wondered

to

message

book.

time
he

He

for

proposed

absence

and

up

what
the

friend's

formal

me

was

give

head.
the

the

book

under
Carl
Max

minute

he

ways,

from

up

before

swering
an-

appointment

but
he

might

told

left

idea

felt

that

Carl

that

he

He

and

that
the

it

was

Max

finance

take
him

"

we

what

he

that

ever

real

should

impossible

to

"

had

circumstances.

should

Carl

And

mean.

wonderful

world,

realized

let

So

seriously

we

an

luncheon,

most

also

that

use

study.

him

and

and
to

rang

see

afternoon.

hard

so

mean

entered

at

call

to

sure

did

be

to

was

to

not

several

Max"

University,

that

and
in

discouraged

salary,

Carl

by

had

It

us

"Uncle

asked

other

to

In

meet

Carl

read

to

larger

then

and

for

left

much

ends

outside.

appealed

it. About

this

that

came

considered

time

no

Dr.

really

was

coming,

lecturing

friend

developed.

both

make

to

once

tempted

$1700

"

June-Bug's

had

he

for

and

on,

minute

spare

every

had

somewhat

were

we

Parkers

lecture

good

our

lives

our

the

to

Carl

heard

friendship

University

the

things

through

him

1916

live

to

had

into

come

great

mean

warm

another

to

friend

He

met

and

Brown,
the

to

Rosenberg.

twice,

or

had

we

destined

was

"

time

this

ABOUT

write
to

find

Therefore

year's
not

leave

only

of

just

'

AN

AMERICAN

IDYLL

him, but allow for

99

tripthroughout the East

of contact
for him to get the inspiration
with other
in his field;and enough withal, so that there
men
should be no skimping anywhere and the littlefamily
should have everything they needed.
at home
It seemed
to us something too wonderful
to believe.
I remember
going back to that lunch-table,after Carl
had telephonedme
wondering
only the broadest details,
finance

if it

the

were

of

dreamed

more

than

world.

same

writing that

book

That

for

Book
so

"

many

we

years

had
"

be in it

but always
changed continually,
the longing to write, and no time, no hopes of
the June-Bug coming, and
chance
to do it. And

the material

any

to

for money

need

I have

ever.

article that

fact which

of

out

came

his

outside lectures

more

love for the

no

I think

when

hence

"

fornia
Universityof Calithat $1700. (I quote from an

in New

York:

"

It is an

ing
astound-

explain,that he,
his wide
teacher and leader,
training,received from the
of service there a salaryof

Universitymust

with his great abilitiesas

experienceand
Universityin his last year
$1700 a year! The West does not repay commercial
genius like that/') For days after Max's offer we
much
earth. It was
so very
on
hardly knew we were
wonderful
the most
thing that could have happened
friends had long ago adopted the phrase
to us. Our
just Parker luck," and here was an example if there
travel and

II

ever

This
Carl

one.

was

all meant,

must

East. At

"Parker

make
first he

luck"

indeed it was!

get the fulness out of it,that

tripof at least four months in the
to

plannedto

return

in the middle

of it

then

and

spent

we

marvelous,
that

joy

dread

of

parting

for
a

we

months

four
again; but somehow
planned it out for him seemed

back

go

as

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

ico

him

opportunity of

an

"

was

separation.It
had

ever

in

greater

"

different from

was

had.

lifetime,

bound

was

than

soul

my

lutely
abso-

so

any

that

the
other

I would

though
singletear when I saw him off,even
had experienced.
the longest time apart we
it meant
Three
nights before he left, being a t"it blue about
side
things,for all our fine talk, we prowled down our hillfirst Charlie
to our
Chaplin
and found
our
way
we
really did. So
film. We
laughed until we cried
shed

not

"

that

night, seeing Carl off,we

went

over

that

Charlie

Chaplin film in detail and let ourselves think and talk

of nothing else. We
again, and Carl
laughed all over
I waved
off laughing, and
went
good-bye laughing.
Bless that Charlie Chaplin film!
much
take
It would
not
imagination to realize
and through him to
what
that trip meant
to Carl
the time he first felt the importance of the
From
me.
psychology to the study of
application of modern
and more
more
economics, he became
intellectually
his colleagues. They had no interest in,
isolated from
no
sympathy for, no understanding of, what he was
ber,
May, when
driving at. From
collegeclosed, to Octowhen
he left for the East, he read prodigiously.
"

He

had

mind

for

assimilation

"

he

knew

where

piece of knowledge he acquired,

and
kept thereby an orderly brain. He read more
than a book
a week:
everything he could lay hands
in psychology, anthropology, biology, philosophy,
on
to

store

every

new

AN

AMERICAN

psycho-analysis

field which

every

"

IDYLL

101

he

uted
felt contrib-

growing conviction that orthodox

economics
had served its day. And how he gloriedin
since he had been
that reading! It had been years
able to do anything but just keep up with his daily
lectures,such was the pressure he was working under.
Bless his heart, he was
thing
somealways coming across
that was
justtoo good to hold in, and I would
hear him come
upstairstwo steps at a time, bolt into
he
the kitchen, and say: "Just listen to this!" And
his

to

read

would

that would

one

two

or

understood
and

of

University.He
ounce

and

only able to
and
skimmings,
was

"

there

was

driving at.

he waxed

Economics

of intellectual

more

was

As

his

and

who

one

no

handled

after

student

saw

merest

most,

was

grew,

the way

at

at

he

what

treasure

glow.

myself,
by the

others

new-found

some

"

him

convictions

every

him

make

with

up

from

extract

an

outside

But

keep

own

reading
raged
out-

more

in his

own

having

student

curiosityground

out

of

by a process of economic education that would

stultifya genius. Any student who continued his
studies did so in spiteof the introductory
economic
them

work,

not

enthusiasm
floor with

because

he

aroused
his

hands

had

had

in his soul

in his

one

little ounce

Carl would

pockets when

walk

of

the

kindred

spirits especiallystudents who had gone through

the mill, and as seniors or graduates looked back
they had had to flounder
outraged at certain courses
brought up the subjectof Economics at
through
the University of California,
"

"

AMERICAN

AN

102

Off he went

then

Magnificent,
he hoped
man
Veblen.

his

his Research

pilgrimage,
to
absolutelyunknown

"

he made

IDYLL

on

"

before his return.

to see

almost

The

Columbia, Missouri, to
quaked a bit beforehand,
at

was

He

might

firststop
his idol

see

had

"

every

heard

but the second letter

him,
from
Missouri
began, "Just got in after thirteen
hours with Veblen. It went
wonderfully and I am
tickled to death. He O.K.s my idea entirely
and said
I could not go wrong.
Gee, but it is some
grand

Veblen

not

see

"

againsthim."
In the next letter he told of a graduate student who
out to get his advice regardinga thesis-subject
came
in labor.
I told him to go to his New
England home
and study the reaction of machine-industry on
the
lifeof the town. That is a typicalVeblen subject.It
experienceto

go

up

"

the student

scared
over

to

advice."

my

In

death, and
Wisconsin

Veblen
he

was

chuckled

especially

Guyer. Of his visit with him he wrote:

"It was
is just my meat." At
a whiz of a session. He
Yale he saw
is a wonder
Keller. "He
and is going to
anxious

do

lot for

Then
every

from

to see

me

in criticism."

began the dailyletters from New

not
singleletter
only from New
"

York, and
York

but

other

more,
place he happened to be in: Baltitold of at least one
Philadelphia,
Cambridge
: with
intellectual Event
a
capitalE
a day. No
lived who had a more
one
ever
stimulatingexperience.
every

"

"

Friends would
And
new

I would

ask

me:

"

"What

is the

news

from Carl?

"

justgasp. Every letter was so full of the

influences coming into his life,that it was
im-

AMERICAN

AN

to give even
possible

that

idea of the

an

going

was

IDYLL

103

historyin the

ing
mak-

with the Parkers.

on

In the firstdays in New

York

he

T. H.

Morgan.
introduced myself

saw

in on
him and
just walked
talker,with
baldly,and he is a corker. A remarkable
like a flash. I am
to see him again.To-morrow
a mind
I '11see Hollingworth, and
will be a big day for me
thing
probably Thorndike, and I '11know then somevery
"I

"

"

Called

Thorndike.

over

He

work.
.

was

small

day:

"

Thorndike.

my

Next

Hollingworth to-day. He gave me some

I see
data and opinions.
To-morrow
the next day: "I'm
And
so
joyfuland

on

invaluable

excited

York."

of New

I'll get out

of what

right
"

and very

He

at once

that strikes
human

was

had

so

enthusiastic

brass-tack

over

ideas. Said

usuallystarted because

violations of man's

of

innate dispositio

'

Later
went

he called

on

Professor W.

thesis very
into my
Mitchell knows more

C. Mitchell

fullyand is all
than

any

one

"He

for it. Professor

the

tance
impor-

psychology to economics and he is all for my

study. Gee, but I get excited after such a session.
I bet I'll get out a real book, my
girl!"
"The
York
week in New
he wrote:
After one
trip
has paid for itself now, and I 'm dead eager to view
the time when I begin my writing."Later: "Just got
in from
session with the most
a six-hour
important
of employers in New
York. I sat in on a*meetgroup
gates
ing of the Building Trades Board where labor deleand employers appeared. After two hours of it
the Board .tookme
to dinner and
(awfullyinteresting)
of

labor stuff till ten-thirty.

Gee, it was

talked

we

and

I got

Then

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

104

of stuff."

oceans

Boas, and

came

fine,

visits with Thorndike.

more

To-night I put in six hours with Thorndike, and am

Under
his friendlystimulus
pleasedplum to death.
I developed a heap of new
ideas; and say, wait
tillI begin writing!I '11have ten volumes
at the present
"

This

rate.

visit with

trip."(And

the whole

Thorndike

in turn

Thorndike

worth

was

wrote

me:

days that he and I spent togetherin New York

talkingof these things are one of my finest memories
and I appreciatethe chance that let me
meet
him.")
He wrote from the Harvard
Club, where Walter Lipp"The

put him

mann

"The

up:

Dad

is

man.'
'prominent club-

with animals
Just lolled back at lunch, in a room
all around
the walls, and waiters flying
(stuffed)
Later: "I just
about, and a ceiling
up a mile. Gee!"
had

National
and

wonderful

most

Committee

he is

Next

wiz,

for Mental

A.M.

in New
and

of the

Hygiene, Dr. Solman,

remarkable

is

one

He

York

and

the mental

worked

the Director

wiz!"

day: "Had

Gregory this

visit with

up

visit with

of the greatest
on

Dn

trists
psychia-

balkings,business

effect of monotonous

sion,
ten-

work.

He

explanationof unrest (a
mental
status) through instinct-balkings
other than
consider using his big
sex, that he asked if I would
ward as a laboratoryfield for my
psychopathic
own
was

work.

so

Then

three of the

up

over

he dated

my

me

up

biggestmental

will be present, to

talk

over

for

luncheon

at

in New
specialists
the

manner

which
York

in which

106
the

wind

his

around

almost

crowd

great, and pure

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

finger.It

say, fool

psychology;and

was

and

women

blithelyas if every
intellectual giant." That
night a dinner
an
one
was
Churchill. Next letter: "Had
with Winston
a simply
fool men;

some

but

superb talk with

T.R.

went

Hollingworth
.

and

for two

dinner

The

this afternoon.

hours

on

the

was

half
four

York and Dad. Made

in New
me
biggestpsychiatrists
book
for my
It was
simply
simply yell,it did.
superb. All is going so wonderfully. Next day: Now
I can't
dinner: it was
about the Thorndike
grand.
tell you how much
these talks are maturing my ideas
about the book. I think in a different plane and am
...

"

"

...

certain that my

ideas

are

There

surer.

have

come

up

problems touching the conflict,so-called,

between
and instinct,
and these I 'm getintelligence
ting
thrashed
New
out grandly/' After the second
Republic dinner he wrote : Lots of important people
there
Felix Frankfurter, two judges, and the two
Goldmarks, Pierce Bailey,etc., and the whole staff.
Had
been all day with Dr. Gregory and other
Police Commissioner
psychiatristsand had met
Woods
I must
a
wonderfully rich day.
run
lot of odd

"

"

"

...

for

date with

...

Professor

Robinson

and

then

to meet

Howe, the Immigration Commissioner."

Then
a tripto Ellis Island,and
at midnight that
date he wrote:
same
"Just had a most trulyremarkable
"

to
eight-thirty

Robinson, he who

twelve

wrote

"

that

bought in Germany." Then

being dined and entertained

visit with

Professor

European historywe
a
trip to Philadelphia,
of
by various members

AN

AMERICAN

IDYLL

107

School

the Wharton

faculty.Then the Yale-Harvard

followed by three days and two nights in the
game,
psychopathicward at Sing Sing. "I found in the
at the prisona true wonder
Dr. Glueck.
psychiatrist
instincts which differs from
He has a viewpoint on
that I have met." The
next
one
day, back in
any
York:
New
"Just had a most remarkable visit with
Mott Osborne." Later in the same
Thomas
day: Just
had an absolutelygrand visit and lunch with Walter
it was
about the best talk with regard
Lippmann
"

"

to

my

book

that

I have

intellectual wonder
for him

boy. I'm

and
a

had
a

in the East.

He

is

an

big,good-looking,friendly

million."

his visit with

John Dewey. "I put up to him

portance
regular questions the main one being the immy
of the conflict between
MacDougall and
He
the Freudians.
was
cordialityitself. I am
expectingred-letter days with him. My knowledge of
visit with
the subject is increasingfast." Then
a
Haven.
The next night "was
Irving Fisher at New
Irving Fisher took him to a
simply remarkable."
French dignitaries,
banquet in New York, in honor of some
Then

"

...

with
dollars

President

plate!" As

"at
present
President Wilson, "He

Wilson
to

"

seven
was

almost
the greatest, in fact is the
simply great
heard."
greatest, speaker I have ever
Then a run down to Cambridge, every day crammed
"

breakfast with Felix Frankfurter.

edges."Had
and does so finelyappreciate
He has the grand spirit
down
to see
He walked me
what my subject means.
sort of marvel
a
a friend of his,Laski, intellectually
to the

io8

AN

knows

AMERICAN

psychology

IDYLL

and

philosophy cold
grand
talk. Then
I called on
Professor Gay and he dated
for a dinner to-morrow
me
night.Luncheon given to
that was
Then
me
by Professor Taussig
fine.
I flew to see E. B. Holt for an hour [hissecond visit
there].Had a grand visit,and then at six was taken
with Gay to dinner with the visitingDeans
at the
Boston
Harvard
Club/'
"I met
(Mr. Holt wrote:
Mr. Parker briefly
in the winter of 1916-17, briefly,
but so very delightfully!
I felt that he was
an
allyand
a brilliant one/')
I give these many
details because you must
ate
appreci"

"

"

what

this

considered

was

Then

nobody much

day

one

in which

mere

meant

by his

to

who

man

University.
"This is honestlya day

card:

minutes

two

no

of free

own

time

exist

"

so

has

it gone
and
fruitful for the
so
the best of all yet. One of the biggestmen
in

superbly grand
book

wonder-world

new

"

the United

(Cannon of Harvard) asked me to

thesis to be analyzed by a group
of exarrange
my
perts
in the field/' Next
day he wrote:
"Up at sixand
at seven-thirtyI was
forty-five,
at Professor
Cannon's.
one

States

I put my

thesis up

to

him

strong and

got

of the most
I

encouraging and stimulatingreceptions

have had. He took me
in to meet
his wife,and

said: 'This young

has stimulated and aroused
man
me
greatly.We must get his thesis formallybefore a

group/" Later, from New York:

to eleven-thirty
I argued with
translated
I

came

all of Freud

home

at twelve

!!!and
and

"From
Dr.

it was
wrote

seven-thirty
A. A. Brill,who
simplywonderful

up

lot/'

AN

he

Later

AMERICAN

went

IDYLL

Washington

to

They ran into Colonel House

talked foreignrelations for two and

with

mann.

hair stood
From
Great

days
before
Social

end

on

at

109
Walter

the train,and

on
a

Lipp"

half hours.

the

importance of what
"Am
wrote:
having

My

he said."

Washington he
of the
one
life.M Hurried
Experiences of my
full
young
in Philadelphia,with
successful
talk
most
a
the University of Pennsylvania Political and
Science
Conference
the
("Successful/'was

report

to

later of several who

me

present) and

were

kindness

and

hospitalityfrom all the WharHe rushed to Baltimore, and at midnight,

ton group.
December
"I had from eleven-thirtyto
31, he wrote:
absolute
P.M.
an
one
supergrand talk with Adolph
erner
southMeyer and John Watson. He is a grand young
and simply knows
his behavioristic psychology

extreme

in

to

way

one's hair stand

make

We

up.

talked

my

plan clear out and they are enthusiastic.

Things
ner
are
going grandly." Next day: "Just got in from dinwith Adolph Meyer. He is simply a wonder.
At nine-thirty I watched
Dr. Campbell give a girl
.

Freudian

for

treatment

in

worker

suicide mania.

She had

been

straw-hat

trial
factory and had a true industhe kind I am
psychosis
looking for." Then,
is absolutely no
later: "There
that the trip
doubt
has been my
ground,
making. I have learned a lot of backthings, and standards, that will put their
development."
stamp on my
a

"

Almost
which

every

"alone

Christmastime

letter would
was

worth

the

tell of

some

trip East/'

home-longings got

extra

visit

one

Around

strong

"

he

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

no

wrote

five letters in three

quote

some

"My,

but it is good for

them

from

days. I reallywish

he said for instance:

where

"

I could

fellow to be with his

family

from it" And

be away
again: "I want
I do. I 'm all for that. I remember
to be interrupted,

awful

and

to

Jim and Nand used to

kiss and then go hastilyout
how

for that.

I've got my

folk and

own

Then

one

blessedness

pale. The

simply having
here."

In

begin

full to
the

time

talk when

to

life
.

asked

was
"

at

quote from

of my

he

of

wife

it"

on

Convention

the Economic

came

letters too

"

in

can't start

the

they make

babies is beyond words, but the blessedness of

is such that

for

study

urgent affairs. I 'm

upon

thin and

of the world

rest

into my

come

to

Columbus

them.

"I 'm

every

one

fillin

at

is

the

why tradeable
unions alone could not be depended on to bring desirchange in working conditions through collective
bargaining: one, because they were
numerically so
last

minute, he presented

few

in contrast

to

two

arguments

of industrial workers,

the number

and, two, because the reforms about to be demanded

technical,medical, and generally of scientific
were
character, and skilled experts employed by the state
would

be

necessary."
again in New York,

Back

hair

my

to

feel I *m

not

where

he wrote:
a

Dad

"It

just raises

ought

to

be.

My

blessed,preciousfamily! I tell you

in this world
that
to

life that puts

last

tripmakes

heap
me

there is n't thing

anywife and babies and I 'm for

like

me

close. I 'm

near

smart

enough

of years. Though when

I see how
my
feel alive in my head and enthusiastic,

AMERICAN

AN

it has been

I know

IDYLL

worth

while.

uary
Along in Janin writing."Last night
/'

his thesis up
to the Robinsons

he worked
I read my
they had

paper

and

in

after the dinner and

John Dewey there. A most

superb and grand discussion followed, the Deweys
and I stayed to talk to
going home at eleven-thirty
I sleptdreaming wildlyof the discussion.
A.M.
one
had an hour and a half with Dewey on certain
Then
moot
even
more
points.That talk was
superb and
and I 'm just about ready to quit.
resultful to me
I need

Mr.

to

now

I quote
in New

Mrs.

write and

".

read."

bit here and

there

from

this paper

ten
writ-

in 1917,

because, though hurriedly

for publication,
it describes
meant
put together and never
Carl's n6wer
and especially
approach to Economics
to the problem of Labor.
asked to investigate
"In 1914 I was
riot among
a
2800
migratory hop-pickersin California which had
resulted in five deaths, many-fold more
wounded,
fear,and a strange orgy of irresponsible
hysteria,
secution
perand, on the
by the county authorities
side of the laborers, conspiracy, barn-burnings,
sabotage,and open revolutionarypropaganda. I had
been
teaching labor-problemsfor a year, and had
in two
American
under
studied them
universities,
in London, and in four universities of
Sidney Webb
York

"

I found

Germany.
could be

called

analysisof

that I had

good

tools with

this riot. And

if astonished
abnormal

but

no

I felt

onlooker

fundamentals
which

which

begin my
ventional
myself merely a conto

cally
before the theoreti-

manifestly natural

emotional

AN

ii2

AMERICAN

which swept
activity
have been

over

IDYLL
California. After what

must

usual intellectual cycleof,first,

lessnes
help-

most

then conventional

alizing,
ration-

some
cataloguing,

moralizing,and an extensive feelingof

shallowness and inferiority,
I called the job done.
loaned two
"By accident,somewhat
later,I was
books of Freud, and I felt after the reading,that I
had found a scientificapproach which might lead to
the discoveryof important fundamentals
for a study
of unrest
and violence. Under this stimulation,I read,
during a year and a half,general psychology,physiology
and
anthropology, eugenics, all the special
material I could find on Mendelism, works on mental
hygiene, feeblemindedness, insanity,evolution of
morals
and character,and finally
found a restingto be best designatedas
place in a field which seems
Abnormal
and Behavioristic Psychology. My
quest
throughout this experienceseemed to be pretty steadily
some

search for those irreducible fundamentals

I could
on

in

use

that riot. In

gettinga technicallydecent opinion

grand phrases,I was searchingfor the

Scientific Standard
Human

which

of Value

to

be used in

analyzing

Behavior.

"Economics

holds the analysisof

(which officially
labor-problems)has been allowed to devote itself
almost entirelyto the production of goods, and to
the consumption of goods and human
neglectentirely
organic welfare. The lip-homagegiven by orthodox
economics

to

the field of

to be
consumption seems
inspiredmerely by the feelingthat disaster might
overcome
productionifworkers were starved or busi-

AN

114

IDYLL

AMERICAN

through any
of repression,
of the conventional
instruments
such
religiousorthodoxy, universitymental
discipline,
as
economic
figurem
imprisonment, physical disinferiority,
such as short stature, hare-lip,
etc.,
repress the full psychologicalexpression in the field
of these tendencies, then a psychic revolt, slipping
into abnormal
mental
functioning,takes place, and
the revolutionist of being either willfully
societyaccuses
alcoholic,a syndicalist,
inefficient,
supersensitive,an agnostic,or insane."
I hesitate somewhat
to give his programme
set
as
forth in this paper. I have alreadymentioned
that it
written in the spring of 1917, and hurriedly.In
was
referringto this very paper in a letter from New York,
''Secondly,that if the environment

"

"

he said, " Of
and

so

in part to call out

it is written

course

the statements

strong and

are

that fact,then, be borne

Let

in

ments,
com-

fied."
unmodi-

mind, and also

have altered his views somewhat

the fact that he may
in the lightof his further studies and readings
though
al"

again, such studies

the following ideas. I
memory

for what

only have

may
cannot

discussions

we

now

may

ened
strength-

trust

have

to

had

my
on

the subject.
"Reform

Trotter,

means
a

small

Herd.

and
council,relief,
members
the

militant
This

minority,or,
little Herd

to follow

would

recuperationto its members.

of the Herd

convention-ridden

will be under

merciless

members

of general

give
The

fire from

society.
They will be branded
outlaws, radicals,agnostics,
impossible,
crazy. They will be lucky to be out of jail

AMERICAN

AN

IDYLL

115

They will work by trial and study,

and
gainingwisdom by their errors, as Sidney Webb
the Fabians did. In the end, after a long time, parts
it did in England,
will collapse,
of the social sham
as
milestones of progress.
and small promiseswill become
"From
where, then, can we gain recruits for this
in existence
the
seem
minority? Two real sources
universities and the field of mental-disease speculation
ties,
and hospitalexperiment. The one, the universiwith rare if wonderful exceptions,
are
fairlyhopeless;
the other is not only rich in promise, but few
realize how fullin performance* Most of the literature
land
which is grippingthat great intellectual no-man's
of the silent readers,is basingits appeal,and its story,
of the time.

most

"

on

the rather uncolored

from

and

bald

facts which

come

Freud, Trotter, Robinson, Dewey, E. B. Holt,

Prince, Pierce, Bailey, Jung,

Hart, Overstreet, Thorndike, Campbell, Meyer and
Watson, Stanley Hall, Adler, White. It is from this

Lippmann,

Morton

comparative or abnormal
challenge to industrialism and
change will come.
fieldof

"But
an

idea of such

"Take
for that

you

suppose
a

ask

me

to

psychology that the

the

programme

be concrete

and

of

give

programme.

take childhood,
simply the beginningof life,
is where

the human

material

is least protected,

and where
most
injury to-day
plastic,,
is done. In the way of generalsuggestion,I would say,
formal
exclude children from
life,such
disciplinary
that of all industry and most
schools, up to the
as
age of eighteen.After excludingthem, what shall we
most

AN

u6

IDYLL

AMERICAN

John Dewey, I suggest, or read

cation.'
his 'Schools of To-morrow/ or
Democracy and EduIt means
tremendous, unprecedented money
active trial and error-learning
to ensure
an
expense
the racial
a chance
naturallyto recapitulate
activity;
trial and error-learning
a study and
experience;
ration
prepaof those periodsof lifein which fall the ripening
of the relatively
late maturing instincts;a general
that wisdom
only from experience,
come
can
realizing
culated
caland not from the Book. It means
psychologically
childhood
opportunity, in which the now
stifled instincts of leadership,workmanship, heroworship, hunting, migration, meditation, sex, could
and take their foundation place in the psychic
grow
equipment of a biologically
promising human
being.
To illustratein trivialities,
father,with knowledge
no
of the meaning of the universal bent towards
manship,
workwould give his son a puzzleifhe knew of the
Mecano
or Erector
toys, and no father would give the
if he had grasped the educational potentialMecano
ity
of the giftto his child of $10 worth of lumber
and
tools. There
is now
a set of good carpenter's
enough
loose wisdom
around devoted to childhood,its needed
liberties and experiences,both to give the children
of this civilization their first evolutionarychance, and
do with

them?

Ask

'

to send

"In

most

the

teachers

back

to

the farm.

age-period of 18 to 30 would fall that

pseudo-educationalmonstrosity,the undergraduate
university,and the degrading popular activities of
'beginninga business' or 'pickingup a trade.' Much
be spent here. Perhaps few fields of ao
must
money

AN

tivityhave

been

AMERICAN

IDYLL

conventionalized

as

117
much

sity
univer-

as

education.

Here, just where a superficial

theorist
would
expect to find enthusiasm, emancipated minds,
and hope, is found fear,convention, a mean
instinctin general
no
life,
spiritof adventure, littlecuriosity,

promise of preparedness. No

no

idealism flourishes and

''The

first two

devoted

to

years

wonder

philosophical
Darwin
is forgotten.
of Universitylife should be

the Science of Human

Behavior.

Much

of

if it is interpretive,
to-day'sbiology,zoology,history,
psychology, if it is behavioristic,
philosophy,if it is
if it had been written involuntarily,
pragmatic,literature,
would

find its

place here. The last two years

could be profitably
mate
spent in appraisingwith that ultistandard
of value gained in the first two years,
institutions and
the various
instruments
used by
be objective,
All instruction would
civilized man.
and emancipated from convention
derful
wonscientific,
prospect!
In industrial labor and in business employments
going philosophy must be unreservedly
a new
concept, a new
accepted,which has, instead of the ideal
of forcingthe human
beings to mould their habits to
"

"

assist the continued

of

things, an

of the inherited order

ideal of moulding

all business

tions
institu-

tific
prosperityin the interests of scienpleasures.
evolutionary aims and large human
has its children as
Pigou has said, 'Environment
and

As

existence

well

as

ideas of

men/

Monotony

in labor, tedium

in office-

the boredom
work, time spent in business correspondence,
of running a sugar
refinery,would be asked to

ii8

AN

IDYLL

AMERICAN

affairs and

step before the bar of human

get

health

To-day industry produces goods

than they are
that cost more
worth, are consumed
who
are
degraded by the consuming; it
by persons
is destroying permanently the raw-material
source
which, science has painfullyexplained,could be made
standardization.

inexhaustible. Some

intellectual revolution must

come

^-emphasize business and industry and

re-emphasize most other ways of self-expression.
"In Florence, around
ture,
painted a pic1300, Giotto
and the day it was
to be hung in St. Mark's, the
closed down
for a holiday,and the people,with
town
garlands of flowers and songs, escorted the picture
which

from

will

the

artist's studio

I stood, in company
Wall
at a corner
on
men,

ago

to

the

church.

Three

weeks

500 silent,sallow-faced

with

Street,a colcland

wet

corner,

issued from

pany,
J. P. Morgan " Comand walked
feet to his carriage. We
20
duce,
proin weight
probably,per capita,1000 times more
of ready-made clothing,Irish lace, artificial flowers,
and printed matterra
ter
cotta, movie-films,telephones,
than those Florentines did, but we
have, with our
inhabitants,yet to produce that little
100,000,000
del Sarto, her Michael
town, her Dante, her Andrea
da Vinci, her Savonarola, her
Angelo, her Leonardo
Giotto, or the group who followed Giotto's picture.
tillyoung

Morgan

"

Florence
All
young
are

had
our

marvelous

energy

re-lease

"

industrial formalism, our

manhood,

instruments

our

of balk and

schematized

thwart,

are

ence.
experi-

ized
conventional-

universities,
machines

to

produce protestingabnormality,to block efficiency.

AMERICAN

AN

problem

the

So

of

problem

of

the

is

it

human

is

final

of

standard
break

is

cure

the

the

the

the

ferent
indif-

immoral

ister
min-

between
ordered

fixed

The

world.

racial-perversion,

gaining

the

with

one

man,

wife,

insanity,

morality;

down

business

carelessly

suffering,

The

danger.

is

maladjustment

and

119

labor

unhappy
of

one

nature

result

industrial

discontented

the

student,
"

IDYLL

first

for

acceptance
towards

step

mores-inhibitions

free

to

and
a

new

is

this

to

experimental

thinking."
If

the

only

He

message.

day

on

when

the

work

and
to

get

that

It

his

of

who

have

but
that

unique,

the
not

so

the

few

much

Psychology

to

"

and

enough
be

that

book
is

the

done.

in

be
on

almost

together
have

whole

to

of

Labor
an

mediation

third

Carl's

new,

in

men

ground

so

into

Crags,

time

There

services

words

find

articles.

is

field

one

great

ever

publication,

their

offered

he

for

ready

shorter

did

about

now

him

Book
a

Castle

at

summer,

word

stands

third

some

Book,

another

had

thousand

called

the

only
he

For

about

following

if

"

finished!

Department

not

it.

add

the

War

longer

writing

was

it

been

been

have

could

itself

had

time

to

shall
with

been

many

completing

the

contribution

so

country

stand
under-

service.

It

as

on

unexplored

was

Laborfield.

CHAPTER

Carl

after

days

THREB

Washington

of

Economics

Dean

and

seemed

Suzzallo.

allowed

men

wished,

imagine

than

sition

will

let

the

give

can

he

one

put

what

Industrial

Organization,

from

York,

"Have

in

even

sandwiched

So,

again

the

over

locating
I
he

like

new

to

think

they
above,

and

As

of

anywhere

to

the

say

them
for

one

expressed
that

man."

of

telegraphed
Suzzallo:

seen

Details

of

Seattle

doubtful,

were

it to

Cbnf
three

his

Between

views
inter-

and

about

Washington.

Pennsylvania

him.

the

of

excursions

three

the

visits

University

about

before

talk

the

many

the

they

"

every

the

and

before."

all

were,

what

them

to

heard

one

of

had

away

for

men

wanted

far

Book,

way.

Labor,

offer.

between

in

itself

own

he

Later,

than

satisfactory

more

cannot

job

my

and

had

the

job

The

and

Washington's

accepted

call

better^propo-

he

very,

I should

five.

me.

etc."

where

am

and

nor

Economics,

Introductory

New

to

wish

that

least

at

with

up

autumn.

"

wished

as

work

ministration
Ad-

call

to

man

teach

me

work

could

and

better

the

plan

to

of

Business

of

said

He
.

sity
Univer-

following

the

in

Department

Rewrote:

be

begin

to

the

arrival

the

to

College

the

of

his

on

him

of

opportunity.

by

attracted

very

Head

work

ideal

an

east,

called

as

his
It

started

Suzzallo

President

Seattle,

XII

seemed

referred

accepted

that

very

Then

very.

erence

wife

men

later:

his
"

Seattle

to

call,

I 'd

go

call

AMERICAN

AN

122

IDYLL

that, in the place of the primitiveconcepts of

man

singletruckingsense,

or

stimulated
free and
for

any

"

activityby

to

force called

uninfluenced

soul, or

'desire

lished
independence/ psychology has estabinstincts than
a human
beingpossessedof more
ties
animal, and with a psychicalnature whose activifall completely within the causal law.
financial

be

It would

through

current

great task and a useless

literature and
economic

one

to work

gather the

dispositions
strange and mysticalcollection of human
the springsof human
which economists
have named
activity.They

have

into human

moral
"But

no

relation to

behavior

the modern

searches
re-

of

psychology or physiology.
relation only to the
They have an interesting
attributes postulatedin current
religion.
caturing
more
important and injuriousthan the carihas been the disappearancefrom
of wants

Economics
behavior
Economic

of
and

any

the

life.This

treatment

evolution
is

or

interest in human

of human

character

in

explainedin largepart by the

self-divorce of Economics
from
the biological
field;
but also in an important way
by the exclusion from
Economics
of considerations of consumption.
cational
"Only under the influence of the social and edubehaviorists could childand
psychologists
labor,the hobo, unemployment, poverty, and criminality
be given their just emphasis; and it seems
accurate
to ascribe the social sterility
of Economic
theory and its programme
to its ignorance and lack
of interest in modern
comparative psychology.
"A
instincts would
deeper knowledge of human

AN
have

never

AMERICAN

allowed

their faith in

labor

In

IDYLL

American

simple rise of

economists
wages

with

England,

123

as

keep

to

all-cure for

an

homogeneous labor
class,active in politics,
maintaining universityextension
spending their union's income on intricate
courses,
unrest.

betterment
there

rise in wages

in the

But

schemes, and

United

meant

wealthy in tradition

the

uprooting from

increase

an

States, with

class, bereft of their social

their

norms

"

in welfare.

heterogeneous labor
by the violence of

old world,

dropped into

an

ous
life,with its insidiunprepared and chaotic American
could and
does
prestige here a rise in wages
"

often

ostentation, social climbing, superficial

added

mean

vice. This

polishing,new
in the

of the

ken

of the

consuming

economist.

of it,for he has

no

perversion

wage-increase is without

He

mental

into the

for entrance

social

cannot,

if he

tools,no

would, think

applicable

norms

medley of human

the

motives

called

consumption.
"For

been
of

these

weak

and

haphazard

economic

thinking has

problems

of conservation,

reasons

many

futile in the

invention, of unrestricted

advertising,
of anti-social production, of the inadequacy of income,
of criminality,These are problems within the zone
of
the intimate life of the population. They are economic
efficiencies within the whole
problems, and determine
economic
life.The divorcing for inspectionof the field
zation
of production from the rest of the machinery of civilihas brought into practicea false method, and
the values arrived at have been unhappily half-truths.
America

to-day is

monument

to

the

truth

that

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

124

for national welfare

growth in wealth becomes significant
only when it is joinedwith an efficient and social
policyin its consumption.
itself through an alliance
will only save
"Economics
with the sciences of human
behavior,psychology,and
biology,and through a complete emancipation from
The sin of Economics
has been
prosperitymores.
of announcing an
the divorce of its work from reality,
element
activitywith the human
analysisof human
'

left out."
One

other

point remained

ever

sore

spot with

the American

universityand its
his writings,I find
accomplishments. In going over
scattered through the manuscripts explosionson the
Carl, and

ways,

United

that

means,

was

ends, of academic

and

States. For

in

our

instance,
"

of the

versity
rigidityof the uniof study, and the vagaries
student's scheme
of the scholarlyemotion.
whims
and
Contemplate
delicate of human
the forcingof that most
attributes,
interest,to bounce forth at the clang of a gong.
i.e.,
is confidentlyexpected to
To illustrate: the student
lose himself in fine contemplation of Plato's philosophy
and
then at 11.07, with
to eleven o'clock,
up
no
important mental cost, to take up a profitableand
into the banking problems of
scholarlyinvestigation
the United States. He will be allowed by the proper
academic
committee
German
Composition at one
"Consider

the

education

paradox

o'clock,diseases of citrus fruit

three he is asked

Religionsand

to

exhibit

Customs

trees

fine

at

two, and

at

sympathy in the

of the Orient. Between

4.07

AN
and

in

AMERICAN

IDYLL

five it is calculated that he

gymnasium

counts

recreation,led by

loud

out

can

and

waves

his

125

with
an
arms

profitindulge

instructor who
in time

to

mechanical

five and six,this student,

piano.Between
led by a yell-leader,
applauds football practice.The
students to
growing tendency of American
university
spend their eveningsin extravagant relaxation,
at the
moving pictures,or in unconventional
dancing, is
said to be willful and an
indication of an important
moral sag of recent years. It would
be interesting
also
if Arkwright, Hargreaves,Watt, or Darwin,
to know
Edison, Henry Ford, or the Wrights, or other persons
of desirable if unconventional
mechanical
tion,
imaginawere
encouraged in their scientificmeditation by
scholastic experiencesof this kind. Every American
universityhas a department of education devoted to
the most
effective methods
of imparting
establishing
beings."
knowledge to human
article:

From

the

"The

break in the

same

"

which an irregusystematization
lar
and unpredictablethinker brings arouses
a persistent
if unfocused
Hence
have the
displeasure.
we
accepted and cultivated institutions,such as our
with
universities,our churches, our clubs,sustaining
of experimental thought.
mediocre
standards
care
European critics have long compared the repressed
and uninspiringintellect of the American
uate
undergradwith the mobile state of mind

German

of the Russian

and

tutions
undergraduates which has made their instithe centre of revolutionarychange propaganda.
To

one

who

knows

in any

intimate way

the

AMERICAN

AN

126

life of the American

IDYLL

student, it becomes

only an

comfortable
un-

visualize any of his campuses

the originsof social protests. The largeindustry
humor

as

to

of American

collegeathletics and its organization-forvictory concept, the tendency to set up an efficient

sive
corporationas the proper universitymodel, the extenand unashamed
and conuniversityadvertising,
sequent
apprehensionof publicopinion,the love of
size and largeregistration,
that strange psychological
abnormality,organizedcheering,the curious companionship
of state universitiesand militarydrill,
regular
examinations
work
all these
and rigidly
prescribed
characteristics are, as is natural in character-for
interesting
"

both

and effect. It becomes

cause

prophecy within behaviorism

easy

to

an

forecast that

universitieswill continue

American

in mental

intellectual bent

ocre
regularand mediactivityand reasonably devoid of
toward experimentalthinking.
"

Perhaps here is where I may quote a letter Carl

received justbefore leavingBerkeley,and his answer
to it. This
correspondencebrings up several points
which

on

should

the

Carl

like to

at

times

give the

point of view

received

two

criticism,and

sides,each

so

typicalof

it represents.

February 28, 1917

MY

CARLETON

DEAR

When

PARKER,

casually meet

"

it is

it
distressing
as
is amusing to me, to know
that the God I intuitively
defend presents to you the image of the curled and
scented monster
of the Assyrian sculpture*
we

so

as

AMERICAN

AN

He

was

that to

never

IDYLL
and

me,

127

the visualization of

imaginativechild is a remarkable thing.From the

the word "God," spoken in the comfortable (alfirst,
most
smug) atmosphere of the old Unitarian congregation,

an

of

breath and tranced me

into a vision
took my
and only light.
great flood of vibratinglight,

if,in

childhood,

frightening
old book was
not the thing that you
picturein some
stillfighting
against?So that,emancipated as you
are
still a little afraid, and must
are
perforce
are, you
of youth
with a remainder of the brave swagger
set up
a barrier of authorities to fightbehind, and,
quite unconsciously,you are thus building yourself
I wonder

your

some

"

"

vault in which

into

you

have

sealed

flowers

no

high window

the

can

bloom
of the

"

because

imagination

frighteningGod may not look in upon

window
this same
through which simple men
you
their lives,and in the
get an illumination that saves
kindly, one with
light of which they communicate
the other, their faith and hopes?
I am
impelled to say this to you, first,because of
in your relawhich rests upon
tion
the responsibility
you
minds; and, second, I like you and your
to young
that the

so

"

and

eagerness

You
you

are

afford

Yet

up

dedicated
us

to

that you transmit.

pursuit of Truth, and

the zest for Truth

to

the

the dramatic

this

acceptingTruth

at

moment

incidents of your
it seems
to me

pursuit.
you

are

second-hand.
"authorities*'

quoted, chapter
the enumeration),in
and verse
(and then abandoned
the free talk of the other evening; and asked myself
I counted

seventeen

AN

128
if this
that

of the student

reverence

whom

for the master,

ultimatelyto have

were

we

IDYLL

AMERICAN

we

had

counted

so

was

of that vivid
as

upon

all
vidual
indi-

Carl Parker?

opportunity that
has come
to you, those simple country boys and girls
to
were
to be thus deprived,
of Washington were
too, if,in the great

I wondered,

"

find not

you

but your

"

"

authorities,

because

"

Carl

modestly) to learn that

Truth, denied the aid of the free imagination,takes
her disciple,
by shutting off from him
revenge
upon
is made
of life by which
a
man
free,
the sources
his rich,variable,potential
and reducing his mind
mind
operationof a repetitious
to the mechanical
refused

Parker

(even

ever

so

"

"

machine.

danger for you, and for the youths you

to write
educate, so poignantlythat I venture

I feel this
to

are

with

this frankness.

Your

present imprisonment is not

a life
necessarily

but your satisfaction in it

of the routine of your treadmill

sentence;

your

"

"

is

ance
accept-

to
chilling

hopes of those who have waited upon your progress;

future
well as that
and it imperilsyour
as
planted
hope we have in the humanities that are to be imin the minds of the young
people you are to
the

"

instruct

We

would

not

have

you

remain

under

the

ever
serve
misapprehension that Truth alone can
Truth
remains sterile until it is married
humanity
That
in the
to Goodness.
marriage is consummated
is of
high flightof the imagination,and its progeny
beauty.
You need beauty
need verse
and color and
you
"

"

ination"

works

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

130

in

out

world

our

such

as

force for

thing,it divorces man

egotism; it is a self-captivating
it bringsan
from the plainand bitter realitiesof life,
anti-social emancipation to him. I can sincerely
make
this terrible charge against the modern
world, and
towards

mysticism, its
which makes
possible
blindingitselfthrough hysteria,
in its civilization its desperate inequalities
of lifeexpression,its tortured children, its unhappy men
We
have not
its wasted
and women,
potentiality.
that

is, that

it is its bent

been

humble

and

our

powers

look

We

because

And

that

of

eyes

us

on

bringsme
because

concept of

to my

of

our

bundle

in the main

notices that

something for acts. Our God

only in retrospect.We
Overstreet

others, and,

as

fightsat

our

shoulder. He

fine

He

one.

not

the street.

and

God.

God

assertions of

substituting
should be a thing discovered
know
live,we fight,
we
we

our

says,
may

of social brother-

Contemplation and cryingout

belief are

have

high in ecstasy, and fail to be on flame

of the sufferingof those whose wounds
are

our

acts.

we

on

bare to

exists in

is man;

It is in such a use
weigh sorrow.
imagination could be brotherly.

allowed ourselves to
that

what

asked

be

is limited in his stature

are

God

God

mean

by

sins and

our

or

service.

God, because I think he is a product of

that he has a
bad psychounhelpful,
logical
that he fills
past/'that he is subtlyegotistical,

I fear your
the unreal and

the vision and

"

leaves

for the

simple and
patientdeeds of brotherhood, a heavenly contemplation
taking the place of earthlydeeds,
no

room

AN

feel

You

hobbled

it.

the

train

other

of

places

also

their

thing,

Washington"

does

time

lives

for
it

in

only

me

am

that

effort.

and
to

shut
But

very

the
social

that

others.

of

"simple

that

beauty

from

my

glad

verse

you

denies

human

to

and

girls

boys
is

thought.

neglect

of

day
that

antecedents;
will

improve

effort,

and

that

And

with

and

it

color

all

and

tell
of

honest

"luck"

world

only
lives

there

are

will

music

be
far

"

these

they

thinkers

stand

pect,
sus-

knows

the

but

to-day

who
of

of

borrow,

have

events

thoughtful

happy

evolution

have

them.

to

such

me

and

experiences

failures

To

to

humans

thinker"

who

know

exist;

not

the

want

to

that

through

be

those

sources.

science;

times.

and

from

turn

and

devoted

am

talking

"original

am

ship
companion-

other

their

and

the

of

like

experiments

promising

that
I

the

of

little

which

the

dread,

in

now

lives

is

minds

books.

the

them

131

many

just
their

of

read

even

too

delight

thought

To

IDYLL

quote

facts

of

started*

through

men

knowing
the

that

by
of

AMERICAN

out

of

my

own

instruments,

are

life
not

wrote.

Sincerely

yours,

CAKLETON

H.

PARKER.

or

the

butes.
attri-

XIII

CHAPTER

IN

May

first

our

had

the

the

among

days

work

"

together
he

trip

in, day
with

in

got

three

The

thankful.

Each

They

fish,
had

they

because
and

lo !

the

fish,

to

bear

little

in

licking

family

little

extra

with

am

their

girls"

with

sheltered
for

the

the

fly.
spot,

me

to

night

and

fat

so

ing-bags
sleep-

"the

trout

home

down
to

the

which

cool

carried

came

addition

in

first

in

cleaned,

cherished

leaving

days,
his

be

log-cabin

one

off

we

before

and

for

went

two

in

was

sons,

caught

son

the

put

two

for

before,

years

a-plenty,

them

of

rods

and

behind.

the

married

unbelievably

There

out.

vacation

been

There,

play

and

honeymoon,

our

passed

we

a-plenty,

day

ten

Oregon.

pines,

had

we

of

Berkeley

months*

almost

days

Southern

into

going

since

five

first

in

nest

three

where,

Crags,

spent

for

vacation

real

Castle

at

"

hill

loved

our

stopping

north,

started
"

sold

we

all

see;

ate

off

the

frying-pan.
like

Then,

from

telegram
in

bolt

there

the

Book,
without

of

the

once

Book
fail

he

packed

week!

Surely
just

the

before

he

enough

Lewis

Perhaps

would
for

that
work

new

be
a

fateful

difficulties
would

"

he

Mediator.

Book

the

began!

Washington

in

"

labor

Government

as

the

came

"

Camp

at

at

blue,
D.C.

Washington,

construction-work

report

the

from

week,

he

back
and

the

off

ished
fin-

sity
Univerbe

would

in

be

to

was

at

Oh!

back
So

week!
he

went.

AN
week!

One
no

AMERICAN

When,

IDYLL

after four weeks, there

in his mediation

let up

133

packed

duties,

in fact

"

still

was

crease
they in-

the

family and we left for

Seattle. I had rewound
his fishing-rod
with orange silk,
had revarnished
and
it,as a surprisefor his homecoming
to Castle Crags. He never
fished with it again.
How
that man
loved fishing!
How
he loved every
"

sport, for that

up

matter.

thoroughness and

same

cause

any

near

with

"

with

the

gave

to

he

he played

(alsohe could recite "Casey

gusto that many

them

allegiancethat

his heart. Baseball

high-schoolteam
Bat"

he loved

And

on

at

his
the

friend of the earlier

And
here I am
reminded
of his
days will remember.
I recentlyran
"Christopher Columnibus."
across
a
Carl from Italy years
sent
postcard a collegemate
of Columbus
it.On
on
ago, with a pictureof a statue
the

reverse

side the friend had

written,quoting from
Joe!'says the king;which

"

Carl's

monologue: 'Boom
is being interpreted,
'I see you first/ 'Wheat
cakes/
is the Egyptian for 'Boom
says Chris, which
Joe").
He loved football,
he won
three gold medals
track,
broad- jumping,
canoeing,swimming, billiards,
he won
a
loving cup at that,
tennis,ice-skating,
hand-ball; and yes, ye of finer calibre,quiver if you
will
he loved a prize-fight
and played a mighty
of poker, as well as bridge
good game
though in
"

"

"

"

"

"

the ten

and

remember

half years
that he

that

we

were

"

married

not
can-

played poker once or bridge

than
five times. He did, however, enjoy his
more
wfoen
bridge with Simon Patton in Philadelphia
; and
he played, he played well

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

134

could
hardly anything the man
do. He could draw the funniest picturesyou ever
there

I tell you
not
saw

reproduce the letters he sent his

He was
the
a good carpenter

I wish I could

"

the East.

from

sons

was

"

to his soul to add

joy it meant

second-hand

tool

ever

Sunday morning was special

carpenter-time new shelves here,a bookcase there,
new
steps up to the swimming- tank, etc. I have heard
so

often to his collection!

"

many

man

they

one

say
ever

that he told

heard.

He

was

story better than

expert woodsman.
did love babies! That
an

gracious! how he
hardly fitsin justhere,but I think of it now.

And,

my

for children
"

his whole

colored

any

economic

His love

viewpoint.

the
thing that possessed Parker
of the reperceptionof the destructive significance
pressed
and balked instincts of the migratory worker,
the casuals,the hoboes, the womanless,
the unskilled,
There

is the

voteless
jobless,
to the tragedy
cities. More
talk to
that

me

centred

"

men.

him

To

their

of child-life in

often

than

of

of the fatuous
its economic

our

tragedy was

akin

commercialized

anything else,he
blindness of

used

to

civilization

activities in

placeswhere
child-life was
perpetuallyrepressed and imperiled.
The last time I saw
him he was
flamingindignation
at the ghastlyrecord of children killed and
maimed
by trucks and automobiles. What business had automobiles
where children should be free to play? What
could be said for the human

wisdom

of

civilization

placed traffic above child-life?In our denial to

and women,
of the means
children,to millions of men
for satisfying
their instinctive desires and innate disthat

AN

positions,he

saw

labor-unrest,the

AMERICAN

IDYLL

135

the

principalexplanation of crime,
violence of strikes,
the ghastly violence

of war/*1
He

could

never

word

of

pass

out
youngster anywhere withfrom friend to friend. I remember

any

greetingas
with him in
being in a crowded
car
days. He was
sittingnext to a woman
most
the ways
baby who was
unhappy over
a

Carl

world.

mother

The

looked

her child. Within

Carl's

on

if he

asked

could

hold

our

gaged
en-

with

of the

the

bit doubtful, but

minutes

was

squaller.
relinquished

two

knees, clutching one

not

the babe
of his

content

fingersin

fat

leaned over
sucking his watch. The woman
about
later,as she was
to depart with a very
asleep offspring. Is he as lovely as that to his

fist and
to

me

"

sound
own?"
The
the
any

and

tenderness

of him

his own!

over

Any hour

of

day or night he was alert to be of any service in

trouble, big or little.He had a collection of tricks
stories

on

along. The

hand

for any

special pet of

youngster

who

happened

"The
boys was
Submarine
Obo
Bird1'
a largeflapper (Dad's arms
fairlyrent the air),which was
especiallyactive early
in the morning, when
small boys appeared to prefer
Bird went
staying in bed to getting up. The Obo
"Pak!
Pak!"
and lit on numerous
objectsabout the
sleeping porch. Carl's two hands would plump stiff,
ing
stickfingersdown, on the railing,
a small
or on
screw
our

own

"

out
more

somewhere.

Scratches.

Then

flaps. This time the Obo Bird would

1

Robert

Bruere, in the New

Republic,May

"Pak!"

and

lighta trifle
18, 19x8.

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

136

round
boy whose "turn" it was
sive
eyes, and an agitatedgrin from ear to ear, plusexplogigglesand gurglings emerging from the covers.
Bird. Gigglierand
the Obo
Nearer
and nearer
came
gigglier
got the small boy. Finally,with a springand
the small

nearer

last

"

Pak!

Pak!

Pak!"

under

the

pinched the small

(Rather a premium on not
Obo
Bird.) Final ecstatic
and

boy who would not get up.

the
risingpromptly was
squealsfrom the pinched.Then,
daddo!"

Bird dove

the Obo

the side of the bed

at

covers

"

the other

from

son.

"

it's my

"Now

turn,

Submarine

The

Obo

Spooka biscuits. There

was
just developinga wee Obo Bird, that made less
vehement
"paks!" and pinched less agitatedly a
specialJune-Bug Obo Bird. In fact,the baby was not
than three months old when the boys demanded
more
Obo Bird that ate little Spooka biscuits
a Submarine
Bird

and

lived in Alaska

ate

"

for sister.

His

tripto Camp

lumber

of the

which

lasted for months.

on

when

him

The

into the

at once

difficulties of the

midst

industrywas

threw

Lewis

Northwest,

big strike in the lumber

he arrived. He

strike to better conditions. The

"It

wrote:

I.W.W.

is

only the
display feature. The main body of opinion is from
who
sick of the filthy
a lot of unskilled workers
are
bunk-houses
and rotten grub." He wrote
later of a
conference with the big lumbermen, and of how they
would
not
the
stay on the point but "roared over
I.W.W.

I told

them

that

are

condemnation

but what
solution,or businesslike,

we

was

wanted

not

was

AN

138

conditions

Labor
strikes

AMERICAN

IDYLL

in the

Northwest

grew

worse,

general,and finallyCarl wrote that he

the job. I am
sick
homeon
just must be indefinitely
so
for you that I feel like packing up and coming.
I literally
feel terribly.
But with all this feeling
I don't
how I can.
Not only have I been telegraphedto
see
stay on the job, but the situation is growing steadily
Last night my
worse.
proposal(eight-hourday, nonpartisan complaint and adjustment board, suppression
of violence by the state)was
turned down
by the
President Suzzallo and I fought
operators in Tacoma.
more

"

for six hours but it went

driftinginto

"This

Later:

think

don't

state

of

is the

down.

The

situation

whole

is

incipient
sympathetic strikes."

most

bull-headed

affair and

it is going to get

anywhere." Still later:

"Things are not going wonderfullyin our mediation.
Employers demanding everything and men
granting
much
but not that/' Again: "Each
day bringsa new
crisis. Gee, labor is unrestful
and gee, the pig.

headedness

of bosses! Human

nature

is sure

one

dred
hun-

psychology." Also he wrote, referring

to the general situation at the Universityand in the
community: "Am
gettingabsolutelycrazy with enthusiasm
It is too vigorous
over
job here.
my
and resultful for words."
And again:"The
mediation
between employers and men
blew up to-day at 4 P.M.
per

cent

...

and

now
.

hard
about
An

host of nice

There

shells."

are

Again:

new

strikes show

on

zon.
the hori-

lot of fine operators but

"Gee, I'm learning!And

some

talk

material for the Book!"

article

appeared in

one

of the New

York

papers

AMERICAN

AN

recently,entitled
Strikes":
"It
year,

as

contribution

settled,and

they

trouble. They

would

quietlydeduce
in the

use

lief
re-

was

leaders of all sorts

of class-hatred

stand

were

to

bitter,welteringmass,

would

Settled

lay the basis for permanent

along.

he went

Labor
.

Parker

his

in the Pacific Northwest

"Parker's
.

H.

leadershipthat, in less than a

ment
twenty-seven disputeswhich concerned Governunder

was

his method

was

Carleton

How

i39

"

work
it

"

IDYLL

in the method
would

he used.

flock to him

in

mouthing the set phrases

in stirring
so
effectually
up

state

their

case.

And

Parker

the irritation pointsthat seemed

jumbled testimony.
it would be almost laughable to the observer
"Then
to hear the employer'sside of the case.
Invariablyit
was
just as bitter,just as unreasoning, and just as
of their case by the workers.
violent,as the statement
endeavor
Parker
would
to find, in all this heap of
words, the irritation points of the other side.
when
"But
a
finished,his diagnosis
study was
of treatment
made, and his prescription
completed,
Parker always insisted in carryingit straightto the
workers.
And
he did not just tell them results. He
often took several hours, sometimes
several meetings
of several hours each. In these meetings he would
go
over
every detail of his method, from start to finish,
explaining,answering questions,meeting objections
with reason.
And he always won
them oven
But, of
it must
be said that he had a tremendously
course,
compellingpersonalitythat carried him far."
to

out

CHAPTER

the

AT

end
in

again
I

have

of

the

beam

that

days,

especially,

and

married!"

Every

In

of

one

"The

do

time

Carl's

'Atlantic
the

"It's
were

we

is

Hell

line

pealed
ap-

separated

of

the

to

be

father

happily

separated

ever

the

always

were

anguish

utter

the

letters

and

such

article

subject!
off

floor
her

to

down

more

I 'd

go

about

she

had

in

up

felt

we

the

typed.

We

his

Miss
the

Van

he

dously
tremen-

were

country

the

radical.

And

on

end,

get

the

to

the

afternoon.

it off.

read
Carl

on

Doren

the
went

would

some

Monthly'*

from

and

reading

to

about

the

study

had

at

Sunday

typed

article

an

chuckling

young
at

written:

write

"Atlantic

guest-room

from

Then

that

one

she

it while

that.

had

work

stenographer

two

while
copy

over

The

of

the

tore

we

time!

on

came

the

How

piece

knew

at

by

stuff

to

me

over

we

outraged

print

to

got

people

feel

stooping

was

never

moss-grown

would

first

settled

he

Seattle

wants

the

So

got

we

from

Monthly'

I.W.W.!!"

after

who

on

father

and

the

that

the

and

There

us.

Carl

scanned

station,

Twig"

remarked,

he

spied

"Bent

to

excited,
of

he

as

of

that.

just

on

face

he

the

at

united

was

picture

which

car

mother

The

us.

few

his

family

clearest

with

our

Canfield's

to

for

of

out

lit up

Dorothy

the

look

eager

little

the

Almost

stepping

people

in

August

Seattle.
is

XIV

the

versity
UniI

sat

script
manu-

would

rush

third

floor.

over

begin

what

again.

AMERICAN

AN
hated

We

IDYLL

141

stop for supper, all three of us were

so
get the job done. It had to be at the main
to

excited to

that night by eleven, to arrive in Boston

post-office
when
promised. At ten-thirtyit was in the envelope,
three limp people tore for the car, we
put Miss Van
Doren

on,

home,

she

"

and

"

for

Carl
if

treat

to

was

and

mail

I, knowing this
there

ever

sleepy drug-store clerk and

Sunday ice-cream supply.
I

can

article

never
was

influence

The

was

ate

her way

on

was

an

routed

one,

the remains

how

express

written

the article

and

gratefulI am
published before

of it ramified

in many

sion
occa-

out

of his

that that
Carl

died.

the most

and

still hearing of it. We

unexpected directions. I am
at the time. There
probably
expected condemnation
On
wrote.
was
plenty of it,but only one condemner
from
the other hand, letters streamed in by the score
friends and strangers bearing the general message,
"

bless you for it!"

article is particularly
That
as
significant

God

his method
the

of

approach

I.W.W., after

some

to
two

the

whole

years

of

showing

problem of
psychological

study.
conventional American social
of much
futility
analysisis due to its descriptionof the given problem
unimportant
to some
relatively
in terms of its relationship
"The

or

artificialinstitution. Few

analyses of strikes

or

of tihe

labor violence inafce

^se

"ft" intention which

basic srtaadaa"te-ofJtoraan ctesire
.A strifceand ite 4eraa"ds
coirtiolth"m tpheroosiesm,
are

eco"omior
usually praisedas fo""g 4g^r-rf"i4ing*

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

142

as
being unlawful,
cally bearable, or are condemned
confiscatory. These four attributes of a strike are
or

important only as incidental

thus

of Americans
the

birth

law

and

to

legal institutions, long

national belief that passing a

our

forcing obedience

*or

to

old

an

to

less accidental

or

more

problems

and

of traditions

scheme

measure

temporary,

current,

gave

to

habit

The

consequences.
up social

one

was

ago
new-

specific

analysis of the I.W.W.

and its activities is an example of this perverted and
I.W.W.
The
analysis,which has
unscientific method.
given both satisfaction and a basis for treating the
follows: the organization is unlawful
as
organization,runs
in its sabotage,
in its activity, un-American
unpatrioticin its relation to the flag,the government,
for any

and

the

has
is

The

war.

are

of the condemnation

rest

it is now

so

and

proper

the

problem

obvious

that any
preparedness would

out

of national

approach

to

is

play

cient
suffi-

so

analysisbecome, that it

this condemnatory

risky matter
angle. But

affairs

current

three attributes. So

these

upon

The

unrest.

of gear,

that

from

our

other
an-

internal

comprehensive scheme
that

demand

full and

be

ing
given to all forces determinthe degree of American
unity, one force being this
tabooed
organization.
honest

"

consideration

It would

be best to

dogmatic hypothesis to
adhere:
rather

which

maturing

of

man

years

and
are

the

behavior

human

simple, arithmetical
nature

his

that

here

announce

more

writer

or

will steadfastly

results from

combination

of

the environment

passed* Man

less

will

the

the

herited
in-

in which

behave

AN

accordingto

AMERICAN

IDYLL

which

the hints for conduct

143
the accidents

mechanism*
stamped into his memory
A slum produces a mind which has only slum incidents
with which to work, and a spoiledand protectedchild
rises to
seldom
aggressive competitive behavior,
simply because its past life has stored up no memory
to vigorouslife
imprints from which a predisposition
be built. The particularthings called the moral
can
attributes of man's conduct
are
conventionallyfound
trained
and
of
by contrastingthis educated
way
and social needs or dangers
acting with the exigencies
of the time. Hence, while his immoral
or
unpatriotic
prisonin
in imbehavior
fullyjustifyhis government
may
or
eliminatinghim when it stands in some
this
danger which his conduct intensifies,
particular
punishment in no way either explainshis character
or
points to an enduring solution of his problem.
and necessary
while very often justified
Suppression,
in the flux of human
always carries a
relationship,
fire
and also a backbe liquidated,
social cost which must
danger which must be insured against.The human
being is born with no innate proclivityto crime or
specialkind of unpatriotism.Crime and treason are
mental
into man
educated
by environhabit-activities,
influences favorable to their development.
viewed
I.W.W.
be profitably
"The
only as a
can
psychologicalby-product of the neglectedchildhood
It is discouragingto see the
of industrial America.
from the
problem to-day examined almost exclusively
ventional
point of view of its relation to patriotismand concommercial
morality.
of his lifehave

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

144

It is perhapsof value to quote the language of the

influential of the I.W.W. leaders.
most
"

'"You

ask

United

the

the I.W.W.

why

me

States.

If you were
left your wife and

blanket; if you

to
patriotic

is not
a

bum

without

kids when

went

you

located them
since; if
job, and had never
job never
kept you long enough in a place to
your
qualifyyou to vote; if you sleptin a lousy,sour bunkhouse, and ate food just as rotten as they could give
shot your
you and get by with it;if deputy sheriffs
grub on
cooking-cansfull of holes and spilled
your

West

for

the

ground; if your wages

bosses thought they

one

law for Ford, Suhr, and

the

Harry Thaw;
order and

lowered

were

had

you

on

you

down; if there

Mooney,

and another

we

be

the nation

This
patriotic?

don't

order

to

see

why

save

was

for

law and
person who represented
beat you up, railroaded you
to

ifevery

jail,and the good Christian peoplecheered and

in hell do you
them
to go to it,how
expect a
to

when

war

we

is a business man's

should

go

out

and

man

and

get shot in

of affairs that

the lovely state

war

told

we

now

enjoy.'
"The

argument

was

because

difficult to keep productive,

that material prerequisite

rather

gratitude
to patriotism seemed
wanting in their attitude
toward
the American
government. Their state of
mind could be explainedonly by referringit,as was
The dominating
earlier suggested,
to its major relationships.
"

"

concern

of the I.W.W.

is what

Keller calls

is,in its
problem. Their philosophy
and their
simple reduction, a stomach-philosophy,
the maintenance

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

146

tive
by an unconventional and destrucsocial philosophy.It is merely a commonplace
dominated

group

attitude

such

not

"

of mind

state

Robespierre possessed, but

or

lowest, most
who

industrialism

have

casual

seen

at

and

produces. To

outlook
those

the life of the western

first-hand

laborer, any

Machiavelli

stamped by the

one

labor-conditions

miserable

American

which

as

reflections

his

on

gratitudeor

ironical humor.
spiritual
buoyancy seem
"An
altogetherunwarranted
importance has been
philosophy of the I.W.W. A
given to the syndicalist
Of these few, not half
few leaders use its phraseology.
the meaning of French
know
a dozen
syndicalismor
English guild socialism. To the great wandering rank
the I.W.W. is simply the only social break in
and file,
that they have ever
the harsh search for work
had;
its headquarters the only competitor of the saloon
in which they are welcome.
...

11

It is

conventional

industrialism

economic

truism

is guaranteeingto

that American
half of the

some

forty millions of our industrial population a life of

such limited happiness,of such restrictions on personal
development,and of such misery and desolation
when

sickness

childish

or

accident

comes,

that

we

should

be

scientists not to see that from such

political
environment littleself-sacrificing
an
love of country,
little of ethics,littleof gratitudecould come.
It is
unfortunate that the scientific findingsof our
social
condition must use words which sound strangely like
the phraseology
of the Socialists.This similarity,
ever,
howshould logically
be embarrassing to the critics

AMERICAN

AN

IDYLL

147

of these

not
to the scientists.Those
findings,
who
have investigatedand studied the lower strata
of
American
labor have long recognized the LW.W*
as
of a certain distressing
purely a symptom
of
state
affairs. The casual migratory laborers are the finished
product of an economic environment which seems
elly
cruefficient in turning out human
beings modeled
after all the standards
which societyabhors. The history
of the migratory workers
shows that, starting

with

the long hours

and

dreary winters on the farms

bunk-house
they ran away from, or the sour-smelling
in a coal village,
through their character-debasing
experiencewith the drifting'hire and fire' life in the
economic
life
to the vicious social and
industries,
on

of the

winter

but

unemployed,

one

outcome,

their

trainingpredetermined

the environment

and

duced
pro-

its type.
"The

LW.W.

of

has

importance only

stable American

economic

as

an

process.

tion
illustraIts

pitiful

syndicalism,its street-corner
oppositionto the war,
the inconsequential
trimmings. Its strike alone,
are
faithful

as

type, is an

it is to the American

ing
illuminat-

thing.The LW.W., like the Grangers, the Knights

of Labor, the Farmers'
Alliance, the Progressive
Party, is but a phenomenon of revolt. The cure lies
in taking care
of its psychic antecedents; the stability
of our
age
Republic depends on the degree of courwisdom

and

In

this

article:
"No

same

with which
connection

we

move

I quote

to

the task."

from

another

"

one

doubts

the full

proprietyof

the govern-

suppressing

ment's

with

LW.W.
as

the

normal

will

be

neither

basis

that

is

valuable

watch,

bitterness

democracy,

guidance
I

reminded

am

place
to

just

dinner

have

also

people,

rang.

"R

that?"
have

while

this

at

can't

"He's
your

he's

of

time.

An

us

were

to

Carl

went.

come

to

Kant's
in

jail."

of

justice

position

rich

your

About
Irish

"Critique

of

to

of

wants

Pure

t'

out

faculty
the

noon

brogue

took

come

friends,

phone
tele-

announced

to-night.1'

party
he

that

was

other

An*

pinched.

for

incident

LW.W.

there.
A

with

sanity

passion

little

some

"

be

labor

long,

and

in

of

times.

here

with

depth

somewhere

troublous

these

for

growth
of

and

his

with

be

to

the

fortunate,
un-

trialism."
indus-

treatment

his

with

coupled

understanding,

the

country,

our

Carl,

for

others,

and

in

our

an

diseased

others,

many

throughout

spreading
many

with

hysteria

and

of

symptom

along

remains

LW.W.

the

done,

in

is removed.

LW.W.

the

of

of

There

LW.W,

prosperity

nor

peace

revolt

the

of

activities

should

suppression

all

against

the

of

patriots

All

protest

permanent

till the
until

interference

any

war-preparation.

protest

country
And

ruthlessly

vehemently

just

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

148

know

Reason*

is

"Why
can

to

he
read

XV

CHAPTER

University

the

University
just

the

Department

last

at

time

his

The

the

front

and

illustrated
very

day.

theory

of

that
His

subject

any

in

the

theory

in

seniors

or

only
of

his

to

his

that

for

Economics

was

that,

graduates;
He

insisted

on

work.

by

he

too
no

discussion

pinned

the

board,

felt

for

note-taking
the

news

in

step

and

osity
curi-

that

pure

but

any

it

soon,

by

of

first

difficult

given

he

interest

keen

too

Wallas's

item

an

the

that

ment.
experisemester

time
on

as

same

an

and

paper

reason

allowed

his

first

the

of

was

awaken

student;

discourage.
courses,

education

every

the

of

the

in

subject-matter

to

was

part

in

at

nature

morning

the

of

the

to

given

Psychology"

During

page

of

realizing

used

"Social

working

Economics

"

in

were

textbooks

two

Society."

'Great

of

plans

McDougall's

were

given

it

everything

thing

big

Introductory

see

have

to

that

making

lege
Colbut

interested

keenly

was

for

could

wanted

he

had

he

ambition
He

who

ditch,

last

of

the

was

in

him

backed

Head

campus,

He

well.

as

who

President

the

on

power

machine.

of

Dean

and

community

the

in

power

the

and

Commerce,

of

left
fessor,
Pro-

only

not

Economics

of

He

huge

Washington,

in

died.

at

Assistant

in

morsel

experience

he

young

rebellious

himself

found

under

California

of
one

He

before

Washington

of

the

his

had

Carl

that

grateful

forever

AM

tended
in

class,

any
no

how

matter

large it

instead

planned

was,

examinations

written

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

150

with

away

stitutin
scholarship,sub-

oral discussion

short

of

test

as

do

to

with

"

each
"

individually,grading them
passed and
passed/' As it was, because of the pressure of

student
"not

Government
The

work, he had

proportionof
which

looked
as

same

must

have

the papers

over

to written

tests.

tion,
first sections in the final examina-

large that Carl was

marked
and
too leniently,

difficult,
was

was

the reader

sure

resort

to

so

His

himself.

results

the reader's,and, he felt,could

were

the

be
justifiably

proof of his theory that, if a student is

interested in the subject,you
cannot
keep him from
doing good work.
I quote here from two letters written by Washington
used

as

some

students

who

had

been

under

his influence but

five months.

"May I, as only a student, add my inadequate

the most
eral
libsympathy for the loss of Dr. Parker
I have known.
While his going from my educative
man
life can be nothing as compared to his loss from
beautiful family group,
a very
yet the enthusiasm,
the radiance of his personality freelygiven in his
classes during the semester
I was
privilegedto know
him
made
possibleto me a greater realization of
the fascination of humanity than I obtained during
previousfour years of collegestudy. I stilllook
my
for him to enter the classroom,nor shall I soon
forget
his ideals,his faith in humanity." From
the second
"

"

"

letter: "To
makes

me

have

known

feel that I

was

Mr*

Parker

indeed

as

well

as

and
privileged,

I did
I shall

AMERICAN

AN

IDYLL

151

always carry with me the charm and

The
his gloriouspersonality.
campus
sad

death

the

on

as

it seemed

"

which

day

impress of

his character

Besides

in

capital;and

labor and

both

left

to live on!!

oh it did matter

had

We

"

in

man

an

body."

addition,he stood
in

had

we

as

ments
labor-adjust-

of lesser

ourselves

made

one

the campus,
he
of the business world,

"

but

of his

news

on

of the Government
representative
it was
and disputes.And

the

so

indelible

so

the student

on

confidence

the respect and

had

have

real influence

being of

never

incredible that

could

months

was

brought the

almost

five short

inspirationof

quence,
conse-

enough
honestly think
money

on
just about everything we wanted
what we got, plus outside lectures,in California. But
freedom
of truly
had tasted of the new-found
we
once
forever the stirring
there was
enough; once
gone
around to pick up a few extra dollars here and there

that

to

had

we

both

make

time

the

ends

meet;

to

for the first

knew

we

added

satisfaction and

responsibleperson

some

once

joy that

come

from

help with the housework

soaringthrough lifewith
feet hardly touching the ground.
of the day in
of my
Instead
spending most
had
kitchen and riding herd on the young,
we

"

we

felt that

we

were

Mrs.
dropped-straight-from-heaven
what

that meant.

Every morning

Willard. And
at

our

the
our
see

nine I left the

together to the
University.As I think of those dailywalks now, armof
in-arm, rain or shine, I 'd not give up the memory

house

them

with

Carl, and

we

for all creation. Carl

walked

would

go

over

what

he

AN

152
to

was

talk about

(how
some

would

Carl

IDYLL

that

in

it would

Econ.I
talked

AMERICAN

morning
have

raised the hair of the

teacher!),and

of what

marvelous

begin: "Tell

nomics
IntroductoryEco-

me

of

course

children
some

more

we
we

thodox
or-

always

possessed.
about

the

June-Bug !"
He
my

would

go

ten-o'clock

to

his nine o'clock, I to mine.

class,and

o'clock lecture,I always

on

ran

After

the way
to my
elevenin to his office a second,

gossip over what mail he had got that morning

and how thingswere
going generally.Then, at twelve,
in his office again. "Look
at this telegram that just
to

came

in." "How

shall I

answer

Mr.

's about

that

job?" And then home together;not once a week, but

every day.
Afternoons, except the three afternoons when
I

played hockey, I was at home; but always there was

that Carl would ring up about five. "I
a
possibility
at a meeting down-town.
Can't get thingssettled,
am
continue this evening.Run down
and have supso we
per
with me, and perhaps, who
knows, a Bill Hart
film might be around
town!"
There was
Mrs. Willard
who knew just what to do, and off I could flyto see
husband. You can't,on $1700 a year.
my
I hear people nowadays scold and roar
the
over
getting,and how they
pay the working classes are
and not saving a cent.
are
spending it all on nonsense
I stand it as long as I can and then I burst out. For
I, too, have tasted the joy of at last being able to get
thingswe never
and of feeling
thought we would own
the wings of financial freedom
feather out where, be.

idea how

remotest

the whole, he
more

much

spent for. So far

it was

money

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

154

was

than

he

possessed or what

we

money

of mind

his peace

as

knew

He
capitalist.

at the

making

was

on

needed

we

Universityof

all he could

California,therefore he made

went,

the outside,

on

it in my

lap.From
year'send to the next, he spent hardly five cents
and then, a new
suit now
himself
hat,
a new
and

one
on

dumped

and

home

came

"

shirts at

new

sale,but

never

that

penny

not

was

essential.
On

the rest of

us

"

there he needed

curbinghand !
a set of jade

negotiatingto buy me
he was
when
gettingone hundred dollars a month.
He would
bring home a box of peaches or a tray of
first in the market
and eaten
berries,when they were
only by bank presidentsand railway magnates, and
beam
and say, "Guess what surpriseI have for you!"
than to have him sugmore
Nothing hurt his feelings
gest
I should buy something for myself,and have me
that we
could not afford it. "Then
I'll dig
answer
the side!" he would exclaim. "You
sewers
on
buy it,
I discovered

him

I '11find the money

for it somewhere."
If he had
turned off at an angle of fiftydegrees when
he first
and

started

his

earthlycareer, he would

example of the individual who

hands together and murmurs,
I

never

knew

man

who

have

presses

was

"The

so

been

star

the palms of his

Lord

will provide!"

far removed

from

the traditional ideas of the proper positionof the male

head of a household. He felt,as I have said,that he
was

not

the

one

to

have

control

over

finances

"

that

AMERICAN

AN

IDYLL

the wife's

was

province.Then he had
certainlydid not jibe with
idea. Perhaps there would

which
Manor
wanted

would

He

happen.

that I held his

hands
and

on

to

the
be
ask

Then
coat-lapels.

Lord-of-the-

something I
thing would
and

he would

all over,

it

about

him

same

hands

two

attitude

another

eyes

put them

place his
twinkling,

"

boss of this household, anyway?"

"Who's
And

take my

shoulders,beam

my
:

say

wait

Invariablythe

he got home.

when

so

I would

do, and

to

155

I had

"Who

to

gets her

am."

"I

answer,
own

hundred

one

way

cent?"

per

"I do."
"Who

gets his

never

get his

own

and

way

never

wants

to

way?"

own

"You."

"Well, then, you

anything

this world

perfectlywell
want

you

add, "Think

he would

chuckle
in my

in

know

to

of it

"

you

do."
not

to do

are

With
a

look-in

home!"

own

Seattle,as I look back

it,meant

the

unexpected
Our little sprees together were
in every
not
way.
the day
of former years. From
the planned-out ones
his own;
Carl left Castle Crags, his time was
we
never
could never
count
on
anything from one day to the
on

"

next

"

strike

here,

an

arbitration

there,

ment
govern-

investigationneeded for
that. It was
harassing,it was wearying. But always
be that telephone ring
few days there would
every
orders

which

I grew

for this, some

both

to

dread and

to love. For

as

often

it said, "I've

as

"You

Girl,put

come

down

to

got
on

hat and

while

it also

Tacoma,"

to

go

your

town

we'll have

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

156

this minute

coat

I have

few

minutes

said,
and
off

togetheranyhow."
left us
the feelingof the courtingdays never
And
that almost sharp joy of being togetheragain when
for a block and said almost nothing
we
justlocked arms
the good-bye that
nothing to repeat. And
always meant a wrench, always, though it might mean
being togetherwithin a few hours. And always the
waving from the one on the back of the car to the
Nothing, nothing,ever
one
standing on the corner.
"

supper

"

"

After

got tame.
a

little

ten

early to

years,

catch

if Carl

the

train

ever

for

found

himself

Tacoma,

say,

though he had said good-bye but a half an hour before

that evening, he would
and was
find a
to be back
telephone-boothand ring up to say, perhaps,that he
said
was
glad he had married me! Mrs. Willard once
talk to the other over
that after hearing Carl or me
the telephone,it made
other husbands
and
wives
when
they telephoned sound as if they must be contemplating
divorce. But telephoningwas
event:
an
it was
little extra
a
present from Providence, as it
were.

I think

And
on

of two

the street

when

times

in Seattle

"

we

tally
acciden-

met

it seemed

something

the war,
hardly believe: all the world
tried to
industry stopped while we
commerce,
realize what had happened.
Then, every night that he had tci be out,
and he
had to be out night after night in Seattle,
I would
we

could

"

"

"

"

AN

hear

his

wake

me,

AMERICAN

IDYLL

157

footstepcoming down the street; it would

rubber heels. He would fix
though he wore

the catch

on

the front-door lock, then

upstairs,

come

I
He always knew
callingout softly,"You awake?"
Then, sittingon the edge of the bed, he would
was.
tell all the happenings since I had seen
him last.
Once in a while he'd sigh and say, "A littleranch up

the Clearwater

on

wouldn't
"Oh

it,my

dear, would

I remember

got home

one

the door

to our

would

go

pretty well about

I would

girl?"And

sigh,and

when

once,

afternoon

of the universe.

"

we

were

first married, he

before I did. When

absolutelythat

me,

there he
had

dropped

we

days. Carl would

house in

had

get

never

oh, I

"

the Theta

was,

awful twenty
''simplyterrible.Promise

before you do. To

then open the door into empty rooms
lived through such a twenty minutes!"

at

opened

will you let me

expect to find you home

never,

home

lark's whistle that

I've had the most

minutes," he informed
me

say,

n't it?"

littleSeattle apartment,
walking the floor,
lookingas if the bottom
out

now,

used

We

since before

whistle it under
and
college,

never

had
our

a
gaged
en-

window

my

I would

and

run

down

disgustof my wellbred
marks
sisters,"who arranged to make
cuttingreat the table about it in the hope that I would
reform my
tactics." That whistlewas
"servant-girl
whistled through those early Seattle days, through
berg,
Oakland, through Cambridge, Leipzig,Berlin,Heidelin the
Munich, Swanage, Berkeley, Alamo
country, Berkeley again (he would start it way down
and

out
"

the side door, to the utter

hill

the

so

surely hear), Castle Crags, and

in the house, it
of us were
any

I could

Seattle. Wherever
meant

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

158

for all to the front door

dash
home.

the Dad

article

scanning some
evening I was
it was
by the fire in Seattle

One

that Carl

too

at

was

home

and

on

riage
mar-

of those

one

"

times

welcome

to

"

rare

tures
lec-

going over

day. It held that, to be successful,

a givingin here
marriage had to be an adjustment
by the man, there by the woman.
for the next

"

doing

fit in,or

or

doing

one
relinquish

IVe

know,

I know

IVe

as

the

gettingmore

to count

It

was

both

give up,
you've been
to

answered:

wondered

that way,

about

it.

the merest

to

even

the
likingidentically

that I could not

We

same

both

details,such
soned
thingsto eat, sea-

liked to do the identical

singleexception.Perhaps
fondness
share.

in his heart

anything alive

with

one

for firearms

in his eyes
often to clean

(The gleam

he got out his collection every so

oil iti)I liked guns, provided I did not
at

"You

on."

"

shoot

had

given up nothing, made no 'adjustments.'

always to have
contrary, I seem
than a human
being had any right

things,without
exception he had

and

then

moment,

the identical way.

when

have been

little thing,so

that too, and

heard

On

been

must

it all."

thought for

He

For

"

If that is true, you

have
all the adjusting;I never

I said to Carl:

have

to

them; but pistolsI just

plain did not like at all. We rarelycould pass one

these shooting-galleries
without
trying our luck

of
at

AN
five cents

for

AMERICAN

so

wanted

ever

liked the

We

on

to

books, the

at

"

get with

or

bits
rab-

was

as

gun.

friends without

same

159

claypigeons
whatnots; but that

turns

many

whirlingaround
wild* as

IDYLL

exception,the

the same
pictures,
music. He
"We
wrote
once:
(thetwo of us) love each other,like
to do thingstogether(absolutely
anything),don't need
want
or
anybody else,and the world is ours." Mrs.
same

Willard

same

told

once

life together in
it. She did not

book, she would

know

like that.

Perhaps

tell about

it

of

wfere

we

that any
that is one

because

"

day in,day
record

that if she had

me

exceptionof

reason

just so

was

fourteen years,

togetherwe

not

on

have

to each

wrote

our

believed

earth could live

to
why I want
ful
plain wonder-

I feel,too, that I have

out.

life.For

our

it

one

not

about

read

complete
day that

every

other, with the

short

camping-tripsthat Carl made,

mail could be sent out only by chance returning

where

two

campers.

Somehow

I find

ding
myself thinking here of our wedhalf the globe,
anniversaries, spread over
the joy we
got out of just those ten occasions.
first one
back in Oakland, after our return
was
"

and
The

"

from

Seattle. We

stillhad

in

then,

rather, I stillhad

us

Carl

dressed
and
gone

had

in

"

had

our

streak

very

clothes,and

went

some;

I don't

ever,

so

"

best clothes, dress-suit and

wedding

home, I nursed

of convention

of it in him

dinner at the Key

after the

rushed

or,

elements

Route

year

we

before. After dinner

lieve
bewe

all,
had
we

ural
changed into natthe circus. I had misgivings

the son,
to

Inn, where

left

we

i6o

about

the circus

being a fittingwedding-anniversary

celebration;but what
to town

comes

The

second
to

one

had

one

told

dreamed

never

the circus

night in the year?

ways
anniversary was in Cambridge. We alGracious!
laugh each year and say:
but

September seventh!"
we

to do when

one

was

"

used
if any

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

we

us

year

ago

be here this

we'd

Every

year

would

be. That

we

were

somewhere

first September

to be in
seventh, the night of the wedding, we were
fearful
Seattle for years
a
sellingbonds. What
prospect in retrospect, compared to what we really
did! The
second
September, back in Oakland, we
business for years
to be in the bond
thought we were
in Oakland.
horrible thoughts as I look back
More
it. The
third September seventh, the second
upon
chusetts!
lo and behold,was
in Cambridge, Massaanniversary,
Whoever
would have guessed it,in all the
"

It

world?

was

three

days after Carl's

left

return

from

Nandy with
ton,
a kind-hearted
neighbor,and away we spreed to Bosand something good to eat.
to the matinee
Then, whoever would have imagined for a moment
in Berlin
that the next year we would
be celebrating
dinner at the Caf6 Rheingold, with wine! The
fourth anniversary was
of the
at Heidelberg
one
red-letter days, as I look back upon
those magic
left home
early,with our lunch, which we
years. We
ate on a bed of dry leaves in a fairybirch forest back
and a good ways
in the OdenwakL
Then
up
walked
and walked
almost twenty-five miles
we
all told
through little forest hamlets, stopping now
that

awful

Freiburg

summer

"

we

"

"

"

"

"

"

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

162

Berkeley, and one Saturday we fared forth, plus

and a rifle.We
frying-pan,fishing-rod,
sleeping-bags,
"

rode

the end

to

got off the train

dozen

from

eggs

another

on

the line, in utter

we

should

Half

Moon

train,and

for supper.

Then

stepped off

at the

darkness.
find

We

of

for the dark

us

decided

for the
see

nook

night.We

end of
where
some-

where
bled
stum-

inch in front

another

the thick fog; so

and

got

we

that

suitable wooded

could sequester ourselves

along until we could not

we

but first

"

Bay, bought half a

female, made for the
lonely-looking

at

fried said eggs

beach, and
back

Line

Shore

of the Ocean

made

camp

in what
spreading out two bags
findable. When
looked like as auspicious
a spot as was
covered
we
opened our eyes to the morning sunlight,we disbarren open ploughed
on
a perfectly
we
were
pieceof land, and had sleptso near the road that if a
machine passingalong in the night had skidded out a
which

"

meant

"

bit to the side,it would

have

removed

feet.

our

That

day, Sunday, was our anniversary,and the

with us early and late, though not obtrusively.
was
We got a farmer out of bed to buy some
eggs

Lord

for

our

breakfast. He

wanted

to

know

what

we

were

early,anyhow. We told him, celebrating

sixth wedding anniversary.Whereat
he positively
our
refused to take a cent for the eggs
wedding present,
he said. Around
noon
we
passed a hunter, who
stopped to chat, and ended by presentingus with a
doing out

so

"

cotton-tail rabbit to cook

"

by a bit of a stream
late, we stumbled

for dinner. And

up
on

such

in the hills.That
a

deserted

ner!
din-

noon,
after-

farmhouse

AN

almost

at

AMERICAN

the summit

"

IDYLL
trees

laden with

163
apples and
few peaches

ground red with them, pears and a

for the picking,and a spring of ice-cold
the

one

lost fat trout

water

in it that I tried for hours

with

to catch

his tail
foul; but he merely waved
or
by fair means
slowly,as if to say, "One wedding present you don't
hay left in an old
get!" We sleptthat night on some
barn
lots of mice and gnawy
things about; but I
could not get nearly as angry
at a gnawy
as
mouse
who
refused to be caught*
at a fat conceited trout
Next
a
day was
holiday,so we kept on our way
and sleptthat night under great redwoods,
rejoicing,
"

beside

stream

where

had

better

manners.

potted a tin can full of holes

with the rifle,
and then bore down
and
circuitously
Redwood
on
City and the Southern Pacific
regretfully
Railway, and home and collegeand dishes to wash and
socks to dam
but uproariousand joyfulsons
to
After

fish breakfast

trout

we

"

compensate.
The

but that
anniversarywas less exciting,
could not be helped-We were
in Alamo, with my
over
father,small brother,and sistervisiting
us at the time
the placewas
theirs to begin
or rather,of course,
seventh

"

with.

There

was

no

one

to

leave the blessed

sons

with;also,Car! was working for the Immigrationand

But he manHousing*Commission, and no holidays*
aged
to get home
had an earlysupper,
a bit early;we
got the sons in bed, hitched up the old horse to the
old cart, and off we fared in the moonlight,married
ing
seven
years and not sorry* We justpoked about, endat

Danville with Danville ice-cream and Danville

AN

164

IDYLL

AMERICAN

the horse all the way

pumpkin pie;then walked

to

Alamo

back

and home.

Our
very

the

eighthanniversary,as mentioned, was in our

home in Berkeley,with the curtains drawn,
own
telephoneplugged, and .our Europe spread out

before
The

our

eyes.

ninth

still too

anniversarywas

June-Bug'sarrival

for

soon

after the

to get off the hill and

back,
and seventeen
hundred
two
steps home, so
up our
celebrated under our own
this time
roof again
we
with a roast chicken and ice-cream dinner, and with
the entire familyparticipating except the June-Bug,
who did almost nothing then but sleep.I tell you, if
had chicken, the bones were
ever
vaging
salwe
not worth
by the time we got through. We made it last
at least two meals, and a starvingtorn cat would pass
by what was left with a scornful sniff.
me

"

"

Our

tenth

and

last

in Seattle,
anniversary was
Carl had to be at Camp Lewis all day, but he got
back in time to meet
in the lobby of
at six-thirty
me
the Hotel Washington. From
there we
went
to our
favorite place
own
Blanc's
for dinner. Shut
away behind a green latticearbor-effect,
celebrated
we
ten years
of joy and riches and deep contentment,
and as usual asked ourselves,"What
in the world
shallwe be doing a year from now? Where in the world
"

shall

we

be?"

future what
in heaven

There

or

was

And

earth

usual

as

it may,

we
can

another

"

we

have
rob

answered, "Bring the

ten years

that

no

power

"

us

of !

occasion in

our

lives that I want

AN

in black

put down

to

under

come

"

"

Uncle

got

had

we

and

young,

the

about

off

go

white,though it does

Parkers

never

Nurse
a

at

spree

Del Monte!

Balch

whole

even

out

brand-new
our

with

Monte!

ourselves

seen

when

on

Del

"

size of

without,we

165

to

green

The
That

not

such

'lowed that before

imagine!

beloved

our

Max"

must

and-a-half-cent

spot

and

IDYLL

wedding anniversaries*But it was

celebration!

Berkeley we
suggested

AMERICAN

we

left

him, and
twelvewas

one

ridingby. We
stay with

the

Pierce Arrow,

living-room,honked

ready,bag and baggage,for a spree

such as we
had never
imagined ourselves having in
this world or the next. We called for the daughter of
the head of the PhilosophyDepartment. Max
had
said to bringa friend along to make four;so, four,we
whisked the dust of Berkeley from our wheels and
were

"

presto

Del Monte!

"

Parents

of three

besides,do
those four days
work

know

home;
to

what
nor

who do
children,

not

of their own

to be told in detail what

Parents

meant.

of three children

the hours of,say, seven

to nine mean,
at
does work stop at nine* It is one mad whirl

get the family ears

"Chew

need

most

mush!"

washed

aad

teeth deaned, and

"Wipe your mouth!'1 and

Where's your speller?"
back here
and "Jim, come
and put on your rubbers I ("Where ate my rubbers?
Ach Gott ! where?)Try six times to get the butcher
line busy, Breakfast dishes to clear up; baby to bathe,
dress,feed* Count the laundry.Forget all about the
butcher until fifteenminutes before dinner. Laundry
calls.Telephone rings seven
times. Neighbor calls to
your

and

44

"

"

borrow

an

Telephone the

egg.

the beds,

of butter. Make

middle,

lunch. Wash
while

times

beds

two

"

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

166

the

do not

for

milkman

pound

telephone rings in the

"

tillthree. Start

get made

baby's clothes. Telephone ringsthree

basement.

in the

are

you

Rice

burns.

Telephone rings.
Patch boys' overalls. Water-bill. Stir the pudding.
Telephone rings.Try to read at least the table of
turn
New
of the
Republic. Neighbor calls to recontents
flour. Stir the pudding again. Mad
ing
stampsome
Sons home. Forget to scrape
up the front steps.
Door-bell

"

electric bill.

and

gas

"

"

Forget to take
whistle. Hurray! Lunch."
their feet.

and

to Del

return

is where

This

would

be

"

I do

off their

Dad's

rubbers.

stop

about

here,

help.The

Home

motif

Let's

Monte.

music
not

would

know

those

musical

terms,

but

jumpy notes up and down the piano,fast and

never
catchingup. Del Monte motifslow,lazymelody
ending with dance-music for night-time.In plain
meant
a
care-free,
was
English, what Del Monte
absolutelycare-free,jaunt into another world. It was
could have been happy forever
not our
we
world,
and yet, oh,
did we
never
lay eyes on Del Monte,
it was
such fun! Think of lazing in bed till eight or
then taking a leisurely
ing
bath, then dresseight-thirty,
and deliberatelyusing up time doing it
put
shoe on and look at it a spell;
one
then,when you are
good and ready, put on the next. Just feelingsort
of spunky about it
justwanting to show some
one
that time is nothing to you
what's the hurry?
Then
oh, what motif in music could do a Del
a

lot of

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

167

justice?Just yesterday you were

gulpingdown a bite,in between gettingthe family
fed and off. Here you were, holdinghands under the
not dreaming, while you
table to make
sure
you were
breakfast

Monte

took minutes
eggs

there
you

and

coffee

and

was

stillso

much

nothing

to eat

fruit and

waffles,and
on

the

groaned

mush
to

and

think

that would

menu

cost

keep on consuming, but where, oh,

After rocking a spellin the sun on the

to

where, put it?

front

minutes

and

porch,the

Pierce Arrow

green

off for the

appears, and all

boxes of picniclunch

four
day
stowed
by a gracious waiter; not a piece of
away
bread for it did you have to spreadyourself.
Basking
in the sun under cypress trees, talkingover every subject
under heaven; back in time for a swim, a rest
before dinner; then dinner (why, oh, why has the
Then a concert,
such biological
human
limitations?)*
then dancing, then
crowning gloryof an unlimited
and
bed.
bank-account
Napa soda lemonade
Oh, what a four days!
the intimate things of our
life
In thinking over
what the finest
in deciding
I have difficulty
together,

honk

"

"

"

"

features of it were.

There

rich,so much to make

else,that I am
anyone

me

was

so

much

that made

it

blessed beyond
indebted to the world forever
realizeI was

livingwith Carl Parker gave to

memories
existence- Perhaps one of the most helpful
is the thought of his absolute faith in me*
to me
now
firstin love,it meant
From the time we were
a new
that Carl firmlybelieved there
zest in life to know
was
nothing I could not do, For all that I hold no
for the color that

orthodox
from

why

I can't

four

days

the
fail

would

his

n't

is n't

give

but

exaggerated

it

I had

wonderful!
but

it makes

feel

that

you.

you

from

dress

to

the

way

the

party!

home,

dish

and

not

just

know

of

only
sample.

it's the

love

will

incentive

for

in

party

please will honestly

before
say

Give
best

of

it is

not

is

are

bit,

heart

to

proud

of

your

world

relative, knowing

fun

like

that

vowing

justify it all.

dressing

that

in

was

world

you

conceited,

very-

thinks

you

in the

but

who

the

in

Oh,

one

best

is always

The
set

make

it is true;

the

that.

singing feeling

you

some

most

every

one

clay
fun

some

happy

there

The

want

not

in

for

that

thinking

of

one

reasons

It does

the

no

was

"You

taking

indeed

had

he

as

once

your

delirious,

though

way

there

with

And

some

the

me

country

without

was

expressed,

sound

He

the

"

About

seriously,

so

in

now

me!

at

up

said,

Ph.D.

it."

live

to

looked

university
your

form,

wonderful

and

I knew

but

him,

pillow

for

nevertheless

somebody!

he

anything
in

get

more

no

faith

of Carl's

died,

you

examination

an

think
he

could

if I fail in

that,

"

before

there

know,

IDYLL

immortality,

idea

arranging

was

in

belief

away

AMERICAN

AN

168

of

cooking

for

is the

best

him

it, but
me

act
a

pudding

real
I

the

one

you

believe, and

say

best-looking

one

that
dish
ever

hand-me-down

that

the

were

you

who

man

food
way.

of

he

ever

now

tasted!")

at

thinks
ate

(''That
it,

on

"

was

that

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

170

their main

being to compromise on
sidered
nothing. On the other hand, be it said that he conthe employers he had to deal with here the
fairest,most
open-minded, most anxious to compromise
of all the groups
of emin the name
of justice,
ployers

members,

he

ever

had

idea

to deal

with. The

whole

affair

was

nerve-racking,as is best illustrated by the fact that,

able to hold the peace as long as he
while Carl was
tion
job, three days after his death the situablew up."
On his way
East he stopped off in Spokane, to talk
with the lumbermen
east of the mountains.
There, at
able to put over
the eight-hour
a big meeting, he was
in Seattle
was
day. The Wilson Mediation Commission
the time. Felix Frankfurter
at
telephoned out his
consider it
congratulations to me, and said: "We
the singlegreatest achievement
of its kind since the

was

the

on
"

United

the war."

States entered

of it and

papers

were

full

high. President Wilson was

telegraphedto by the Labor Commission, and he in
turn
telegraphedback his pleasure.In addition,the
East Coast lumbermen
agreed to Carl's scheme of an
for their industry,and detailed
employment manager
him to find a man
for the job while in the East, My,
but I

excitement

The

excited!

was

Not

only that, but they bade fair

a

any

chance

big scale his

The
for

men

ran

system

which

he could
theories

were

their needs

to

come

let him
nearer

augura
in-

than

have
on

have
and

would

to

expected to try out on a

the proper
handlingof labor.

the sanest

interests

"

recreation devisable
out-of-door

sports,

AN

AMERICAN

IDYLL

171

movies, housing that would

permit of dignified
family
recreation
life,
centres, good and proper food, alteration
in the old order

control

the

over

of "hire and
Most

men.

forget that the type of

won't

camps

how

suggest, and

you

forget that
of

man

by

your

men

to

which

won't
at

give a
have

change
once

if your

general
"

Don't

in the lumber

of

use

old conditions

in five years,

see,

make

would

long shot, but it will

and

have

we

Carl

have. This

you

employers argued

probably won't

thing." To

whole

"

know

fire,"and

singlereform
for the

straw

reply:"Don't
drawn

the type

over-night

men

relieve the tension

type itself has

not

undergone a change."
From
Washington, D.C., he wrote: "This city is
of men,
mad mess
desolate,and hunting for folks
one
they should see, overcharged by hotels,and away
The

their wives."

red-letter event

of

Washington
he was
taken for tea to JusticeBranwhen
was
talked I.W.W., unemployment, etc., and
deis's. "We
he was
oh, so grand!" A few days later,two days
Brandeis
before Christmas, Mrs.
telephoned and
from

him

event

in the Parker
been

wrote:

He

shares

hero

annals
among

is all he

"He

in turn

dinner!

for Christmas

asked

wrote

with

you

me

is

"

us

That

was

great

ing
JusticeBrandeis havfor

supposed

some

to

years.

be and

after Carl's death: "Our

the great loss. Your

Carl

more."
country

husband

was

possessedthe
sable
character,knowledge,and insightwhich are indispenwith our
in dealing effectively
labor-problem.
Appreciationof his value was coming rapidly,and
among

the

very

few

Americans

who

AN

IDYLL

AMERICAN

enforcinghis teachings.His journey to

the East brought inspiration
and
I seek
to many;
the students at
comfort
in the thought that, among
the University,there will be some
at least who
are
events

eager

were

There

his work."

forward

to carry

sessions with

Gompers, Meyer Bloomfield,Secretary Baker, Secretary Daniels, the Shipping

others.
Board, and many
the most
Then, at Philadelphia,
came
telling
single
were

of

event

economic

our

the Economic
Life." At

Association

few

Carl's

"Motives

views he held

repeatingto
previouspapers, I
this one,

from

statements

"Our

on

"

the risk of

ideas quoted from

a

lives

on

in Economic
extent

the

shall record

here

some

it

as

before

paper

gives the

last

his field of work.

conventional

economics

to-day analyzes no
phase of industrialism or the wage-relationship,
or
in pecuniarysociety,
in a manner
citizenship
to offer
and complex problems as
a
key to such distressing
this.Human
riots to-daythrough our economic
nature
structure, with ridicule and destruction;and we economists
look on helpless
and aghast. The menace
of the
does not seem
war
potent to quietrevolt or stillclass
cries. The anxietyand apprehensionof the economist
should not be produced by this cracking of his economic
system, but by the poverty of the criticism of
industrialism
economists
crisisin

our

which

mute

his

science

in the presence

offers.
of

industrial society?Why

of industrialism no

unhappy evolution? Why

most

have

Why

are

obvious
our

cisms
criti-

sturdy warnings about this

does an agitatedofficialdom

AMERICAN

AN

IDYLL

173

tific
search to-day in vain among
our
writings,for scienadvice touching labor-inefficiency
industrial
or
for propheciesand plans about
disloyalty,
our

industrialism

and

hostile?

"The

fair

littleon

of economic

the rise in

classes unharmonious

this: We

answer

seems

human

motives. We

economists

are

late
specu-

curious about

not

the great basis of fact which dynamic and behavioristic psychology has gathered to illustrate the instinct
stimulus

ested
activity.Most of us are not interfull or satisfying
think of what a psychologically
human

to

to

life is. We

are

not

curious

to know

that

great

has
analysis called the Freudian
the analysisof the energy outbursts
been built around
brought by society'sbalking of the native human
school

of behavior

instincts. Our
but

rarely curious

suited
turn

these

to

rules

are

to

know

inherited

man's

will do to

literature shows

economic

our

whether
nature,

rules of economic

The
repressive.

that

are

we

industrialism
what

or

conduct

motives

to

man

in

is

in
case

economic

dox
major service in orthoand teachings have been either
economic
texts
and
middle-class virtues of thrift,justice,
the vague
moral
sentiments of
solvency, or the equally vague
'strivingfor the welfare of others/ 'desire for the
largerself/ 'desire to equip one's self well/ or, lastly,

activitywhich

have

done

the

is stimulated in
labor-savingdeduction that man
all things economic by his desire to satisfyhis wants
effort. All this gentleparody
with the smallest possible
in motive
theorizing continued contemporaneously
the

with

the

output of the rich literature of social awl

AN

174

IDYLL

AMERICAN

almost entirely
psychology which was
motives in
addressed
to this very
problem of human
modern
economic society.
Noteworthy exceptionsare
series of books by Veblen, the articles
the remarkable

behavioristic

criticisms of Mitchell

and

the most

Patten, and

and

'

small book by Taussig, entitled Inventors

significant
and
Money-makers.' It is this complementary field
of psychology to which the economists must
turn, as

turned, for

these writers have

basic

hypotheses.There

array

of studies of the

awaits

vitalization of their
them

bewildering

ways
motives, emotions, and folk-

pecuniary civilization. Generalizations

experiment statistics abound, ready-made for any
of

and

structure

our

of economic

criticism. The

human

motives

described,compared. Business confidence,

isolated,
the release of work-energy,advertising
appeal,market
vagaries,the basis of value computations,decay of
are

workmanship, the labor unrest, decline in the thrift

habit, are the subjectstreated.
"All human
activityis untiringlyactuated by the
demand

for realization of the instinct wants.

limited
artificially
economic

truth,no

economic

instincts for their

economic

life are

the

motives
same

as

as

hark

directly

There
origin.

such. The

an

be called

endeavor

life,all its so-called motives

back to the human

in

field of human

If

motives

are,

of

those of the life of art,

vanity and ostentation,of war and crime, of sex.

instinct
life is merely the life in which
Economic
is allegedto take on a rational pecuniary
gratification
is not less a father,with a father's
habit form. Man
the
parental instinct,just because he passes down
of

AN

his home

from

street

AMERICAN

IDYLL

his office.His

business

has

naive

to

into

his rival's market

that

tickled the heart of his remote

the

night

he

rushed

175

the

same

the herds of

ancestor
a

charm

when

in

near-by clan.

tries to tell a conventional

manufacturer

raid

world

that

he resists the closed

shop because it is un-American,

it loses him

or

ago

he

was

his business
to tell him

true

money,

honest,when

more
as

what

it is inefficient. A

he wished
to do.

and

few

he said he would
would

His instinct of

allow

no

years
run
man

leadership,
inforced
re-

sion
powerfully by his innate instinctive revulof the closed shop, gave the
to the confinement
stimulus. His opposition is psychological,
not

ethical."
lowing
catalogueand explainthe folinstincts which he considered of basic importance
in any study of economics:
(i) gregariousness;
(2) parental bent, motherly behavior, kindliness;
manipulation,workmanship; (4)acquisition,
(3)curiosity,
collecting,ownership; (5) fear and flight;
tling
thought; (7) the housing or set(6) mental activity,
instinct; (8) migration, homing; (9) hunting
ing
("Historicrevivals of hunting urge make an interestrecital of religious
witch-burnings,
inquisitions,
of the
collegehazings,persecutionof suffragettes,
All this goes
I.W.W., of the Japanese, or of pacifists.
and
often under naive rationalization about justice
on
but it is pure and innate lust to run something
patriotism,
down
and hurt it1');(10) anger, pugnacity;
(n) revolt at confinement, at being limited in liberty
of action and choice; (12) revulsion;(13)leadership
He

then

goes

on

to

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

176

play,
(14)subordination, submission; (15)disvanity,ostentation; (16) sex.
ing
After quoting from Professor Cannon, and discuss-

and mastery;

that his studies have

the contributions
the

subjectof

man's

reaction to his immediate

he continues:

conclusion

"The

made

to

ronment,
envi-

"

both

seems

scientific and

logical,
hunger is a

in anger, fear, pain, and

basicallydifferent behavior from behavior

that behavior

under

pose
re-

The emotions generated

security.
to make
seem
under the conditions of existence-peril
and motives
the emotions
generative in quiet and
impossibleto avoid
peace pale and unequal. It seems
and

the

economic

that

conclusion

which

inheritance is one

myriads of

some

the

years

vital part of man's

destines him to continue for
most

ever

certain conditions exist in

fightinganimal when
his environment.
Though,
a

be habituated in social and

through education, man
in sexual debaucher
behavior or, through license,
intelligent
his lifeor liberty
at those times when
still,
is threatened, his instinct-emotional

either social

thought

or

sex

hibit
will in-

nature

ideas,and

present

fightinganimal.
instincts and their emotions, coupled with
"The
in scientific and exact
the obedient body, lay down
and will determine
descriptionthe motives which must
human
conduct. If a physicalenvironment
set
itselfagainstthe expressionof these instinct motives,
the human
organism is fullyand efficiently
prepared
for a tenacious and destructive revolt against this
the organenvironment; and if the antagonism persist,
him

as

merely

an

irrational

178

don't

why

see

houses

to

we

into

than
the

into

after

wrote,

more

as

it

dazed

were

let

cannot

plans

we

leave

life

had.

so

Somehow

bit

to

by

It

us.

it.

It

think

ever

to

see

it

did

one

We

he

could

of

large
en-

if

as

looked

could

that

of

publishing

seem

seem

almost

was

is

it

if

most

the

ahead

good

as

too

good

things
future

now

and

"

just
the

"

Anything
utterly

if

the

was

Six

ours.

was

wondered

did

myself

paper,

world

and

future,

He

Convention."

that

the

ever

spoiled.

n't

the

book.

one

any

at

man

it

is

Parker

talked-about

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

dull

can

by

ever

do

comparison.

now

would

still

CHAPTER

the

of

ONE

month

about

friend

of

before

died,

ours

the

by

corner

old

Carl

and

in

of

to

the

was

great

funeral

stood

so

and

that

most

father

late,

hands,

seemed

in
to

we

funerals

of

own

Afterwards

day.

talking

streets,

of

I went

got

hard

the

The

and

held

think

end.

We

door,

around

prowled

and

especially

other

each

that

the

afternoon.

Sunday

one

Seattle

in

days

XVII

and

age.

haired

when

the

of

around
of

by

stood

have

of

the

rate

wants

moving

that

gives

and

the

than

more

and

can't

we

friends

who

It

out.

is

you

one

move

place, neither

first

second

place,

it takes

years

years

when

in the

in

old

year

sacrifice
But

for

of

old,

and

you

do.

Seattle

gray-

something

the

"

were

friends
is

in

life

funeral,

the

die

we

in

"That

year

us

phases
at

us

and

afternoon

lived

were

said:

you

that

had

these

Carl

back.

have

there

family

and

years,

years

people

the

"

and

the

of

Most

away

feel

we
so

"

we

satisfied."

are

Then
it in

detail.

faithfully
I

sixty.

hanging

grow

on

"

in
that

own

I want

too

and

students

the
does

teacher

parade*
n't

of

has
I feel

mean

old

age

you

to

teaching

stop

me

much

the

because

behind

"

make

seen

and

on

old

will

have

our

declared:

Carl
you

sacrificed
fallen

about

talked

we

planned

"

promise
when

the

tragedy

and

education
his

lost
now

that

as

of

fire
if I 'd

won't.

me
am

men

being
has

"

never

So,

no

"

so,

and

"

our

"

England

be

me

plans: by that time the

be looking out for themselves,
very
could plan as we
pleased.It was
we

discussed

we

children would

to

going at sixty,make

promise."

stop
Then

much

be

strong I may

how

matter

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

i8o

suburb

some

"

outside

of London,

get into big things,and yet where

could be peacefuland by ourselves, and read and

where
we

could

we

the

have

write, and

economists

young

who

were

travelingabout, out to spend week-ends with us; and

then we could keep our grandchildrenwhile their parents
from
travelingin Europe! About a month
were
that

day, he

dead.

was

daily to my work at
ical
college,which passes through the UniversityBotanbrace myself for it,
Garden.
Every day I must
for there, growing along the path, is a clump of oldfashioned morning glories.
Always, from the time we
back to teach in Berkeley and passed along
firstcame
that same
path to the University,we planned to have
the odor came
to meet
morning glorieslike those
growing along the path to the
yards away
you
There

is

path

take

I must

"

"

littlehome

would

we

old. We

at

last settle down, in when

used always

we

remark

picturesin the
of So-and-so
their "golden anniversary/'
on
newspapers,
and would plan about our own
ding-day"
"golden wedold age togetheralways seemed so good

were

to

"

to

think

plan
when

to
we

about.
live in

There
a

was

time

lighthouse,
way

got old. It made

when

we

used

to

point,
strong appeal,it really
out

on

some

AN

AMERICAN

IDYLL

181

not
growing old
talked of it often, perhaps twice a year, but
that we
Strange,
always, always it was, of course, together.

planned

did. We

that

neither of

without
And

many

ever

us

of

ways

dreamed

"

one

would

old

grow

the other.

yet, too, there is the other side. I found

written during

just after

we

Carl left for

our

back in

first summer

had said good-bye

Chicago. Among

at

other

ter
let-

Berkeley,

the station when

thingshe

wrote:

just makes me feel bad to see other folks living

put-inlives,when we two (four)have loved through
Harvard and Europe and it has only commenced, and
I am
is lovingso hard or livingso happily.
one
no
(ifyou die with me), for we
most
willingto die now
have lived one
complete life of joy already." And
if only the adding of it could have
then he added
have fiftyyears yet of
it come
made
true: "But we
"It

...

"

love/'

packed into ten years

the happiness that could normally be considered to
it seems
last a lifetime
a long lifetime. Sometimes
have guessed it was
to end so
almost as if we must
could
soon, and lived so as to crowd in all the joy we
while our time togetherwas
given us. I say so often
in the world
the richest woman
that I stand rightnow
why talk of sympathy? I have our three precious,
marvelously healthy children,I have perfecthealth
than I can handle of big
myself,I have all and more
with a chance to see them
ambitious maturing plains,
carried out, I have enough to liveon, and* greatest of
nmnorks"
Aud yet, to
all,fifteen y"^ym of perfect
Oh, it

was

so

"

"

true

that

we

182
hear

AMERICAN

AN
snatch

of

tune

IDYLL

and

that the last time

know

together perhaps it was the

left the theatre armvery music they played as you
in-arm that last night;to put on a dress you have not
for some
time and remember
that, when you
worn
the nightyou went, just the two
last had it on, it was
of you, to Blanc's for dinner; to meet
unexpectedly
some
friend,and recall that the last time you saw
him it was
that night you two, strolling
with hands
clasped,met him on Second Avenue
accidentally,
it you

you

heard

and

chatted

in

trunk,

"

the

on

to

were

read

corner;
a

book

to

come

he had

across

marked,

necktie

to see

his

handwriting perhaps just the address on an old

baggage-check Oh, one can sound so much braver
than one feels! And
then, because you have tried so
hard to live up to the pride and faith he had in you,
I am
know
to be told: "You
surprisedthat you
"

"

have

n't taken

just the

Carl's death

harden

You

seem

to

be

exactly."
What
is seeming? Time
and
time again, these
months, I have thought, what do any of us know
"about what another person feels?A smile
a laugh
I used to think of course
they stood for happiness.
There
be many
can
smiles, much
laughter,and it
means
nothing.But surelyanything is kinder for
same

"

"

"

friend to
When

was

than

see

than

tears!

Carl returned

rushed

more

with

ever

cost
on

of

than

from
ever

the East
"

in

his time

January, he
more

strike mediations, street-car

filled

tions,
arbitra-

livingsurveys for the Government, conferences

lumber production.In all,he had mediated

AN

AMERICAN

IDYLL

183

arbitration boards,
thirty-two strikes,sat on two
made three cost-of -living
surveys for the Government.

he grew
(Mediations did gall him
intellectually
this eternal patching
impatient over
he
up of what
"

to call "a

wont

was

need

the war-emergency
wanted to work

what

on

of

the campus

On

give

with

on

course

train

to

was,

he

course

of it just then, but what

why

social and

absence

ensure

system." Of

rotten

were

mediations

economic

ever

saw

he
essary?
nec-

order would

best

friction?)
work piledup. He had promised to
Employment Management, especially
to go

men

into the lumber

industries

vision.

(Each big company

east of the
mountains
to send a representative.)
It was
was
also
and a splendidgroup it was,
open to seniors in college,
almost every
one
pledged to take up employment
their vocation
as
on
management
graduation
no
fear that they would take it up with a capitalist
bias.
his friends and I had to laugh,it was
Then
so like
him
the afternoon of the morning he arrived,he
a

new

"

"

"

'"

was

in the

thick of

principlehe
the one-year
in his

held

to

the campus
a
over
tenaciously the abolition of
scrap

on

"

modern-language requirement for students

college.To use his own
expression,he
went
to the bat on it,"and at a facultymeeting that
afternoon it carried. He had been working his little
campaign for a couple of months, but in his absence
in the East the other side had been busy. He returned
just in time for the fray*Every one knows what a
farce one year of a modem
language is at college;
even
several of the language teachers themselves were
"

AN

184

enough

frank

to

admit

"

and
efficiency"

too

often

harm

as

than

an

excuse

it. But

it

was

an

academic

that upset Carl most

both being used
"tradition"

tradition! I think the two

were

IDYLL

AMERICAN

words

"

for

practicesthat

did

more

good.

Tuesday, the fifth of March.

He had his hands full all morning with the continued
threatened
upheavals of the longshoremen. About
And

then

came

one

strike in all
threatened
telephone rang
Dr. Parker must
the flour-mills;
at once.
come
(I am
of a descriptionwhich
reminded
was
published of
Carl as a mediator. "He
thought of himself as a
physicianand of an industryon strike as the patient.
the patient'spain with
he did not merely ease
And
opiates.He used the knife and tried for permanent
cures.")I finallyreached him by telephone;his voice
sounded
tired,for he had had a very hard morning.
ation.
By one o'clock he was working on the flour-mill situthe

noon

"

could not

He

get home

for dinner. About

night
mid-

appeared, having sat almost twelve hours

He was
"all in,"
steadilyon the new flour-difficulty.
he

he saicj-

morning, one of the rare instances in our

he claimed that he did not feel like
together,
years
four important conferences
getting up. But there were
that day to attend to, besides his work at college,
The

next

He

ish.
dressed, ate breakfast, then said he felt fever-

I made
His temperature was
102.
into bed
let all the conferences on
"

The

next

"

day his temperature

was

him
earth

get back

explode.

105. "This

has

i86

AMERICAN

AN

the first time

the

person
love most

in

IDYLL

delirium,and that

person

earth. All

night long I sat

there tryingto quiethim
it was
ation,
medialways some
of employers he was
committee
ing.
attendsome
I am
can't you people
He would say:
so tired
one

you

on

"

"

"

to

come

that

so

can

go

home

"

and

sleep?

At
and

agreement,

some

first I would

try

to

meeting!" He
I learned

he

would

"Dearest,

sleep/'

to

go

So

say:

"

look

would

part, and

my

get into, I would

Ogburn just come

"But
at

me

at

you

must

I can't

in such

each

new

be quiet
leave

distress.

discussion

suggest: "Here's

he'll take

the

Will

charge of the meeting

for you. You
home
with me
and go to sleep."
come
So he would introduce Will to the gathering,
and add:
"Gentlemen, my wife wants me to go home with her
and go to sleep
he
good-bye." For a few moments
be quiet.Then, "O my
would
Lord, something to
What
is it this time?"
I would
in
cut
investigate!
feels next
week
will be
hastily:"The Government
He would
look
plenty of time for this investigation."
at me
seriously. Did you ever know the Government
week's time to begin?" Then, "Teleto give you
grams
a
more
telegrams!Nobody keeps their word,
nobody."
About
six o'clock in the morning I could wait no
longerand called the doctor. He pronounced it pneumonia
an
absolutelydifferent case from any he
had ever
seen:
no
sign of it the day before,though it
what he had been watching for all along.Every
was
full A splendid trained nurse
hospitalin town was
"

"

"

"

"

"

AN
at

came

to

once

AMERICAN

187

IDYLL

the house

"the

"

best

nurse

in the

with relief.
city,"the doctor announced
to have
Wednesday afternoon the crisis seemed
passed.That whole evening he was himself,and I
almost delirious from sheer joy. To hear his
I was
dear voice again just talkingnaturally!He noticed
the nurse
for the first time. He was
jovial happy.
"I am
fun out of this now!"
he
going to get some
smiled. "And
oh, won't we have a time, my girl,
while I am
convalescing!"And we planned the rosiest
weeks
ever
one
planned. Thursday the nurse
any
he not only joked and talked like his
shaved him
he looked it as well. (Allalong he had
dear old self
been cheerful
ing
always told the doctor he was "feelfine"; never
complained of anything.It amused
the doctor so one morning, when he was
leaningover
to Carl's heart and lungs,as he lay in more
listening
and partialdelirium. A twinkle suddenly
or less of a doze

whole

"

"

"

"

"

came
on

me

into Carl's eye. "You

this morning, did n't

new.)
Thursday morning the

sprung

new

tie
neck-

you?" Sure enough,

it was

nurse

was

preparing things

for his bath

in another

The

streaming in through the windows

my

sun

heart

was
was

too

what

room

contented

and

for words.

was

He

with

Carl.
and

said: "Do

thinkingof so much this

morning? I Ve been thinkingof what it must be to go
one
through a terribleillnessand not have some
you
loved desperatelyaround. I say to myself all the
while: 'Just think, my
girlwas here all the time
my girlwill be here all the time!' I've lain here this
you

know

I Ve

been

"

more

hovering over

angel was

I put this in because

he said before delirium

of it. He

think

said

the

would

nurse

call

would

me.

on

came

try

what

ever

again,and
than

reallymore

I love to

that.

callingfor me early
soothe him for a while,then
at night,
to be in his room

In the morning he would

"

than

good
the day I met you."
me
the last thing
it is practically

wondered

and

morning

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

188

to

I wanted

start

unborn
there was
an
they would not let me
I
as
life to be thought of those days, too. As soon
reached his bed, he would claspmy hand and hold it
oh, so tight."I've been groping for you all night
find you?" Then, in
all night! Why don't they let me
there. Daytimes
I was
he would
not know
a moment,
but

"

"

I had

meals.

five minutes, except for my

left him

not

be by him, anylet me
way.
nightsthey had finally
Saturday morning for the first time since the
crisis the doctor was
encouraged. "Things are really
in
looking up," and "You
go out for a few moments

Several

the sun!"
I walked

few

blocks

look of

The

see

the vacant

recognitionwhen
nurse

nicely,"was

Mudgetts'

in

our

partmen
de-

good news, and then back;

I
as
to its depths again as soon
The delirium always affected me

heart sank
but my
entered Carl's room.
to

the

the

to tell them

that way:

to

out

went

stare

in his eyes

"

no

I entered.

that afternoon.

"He's

the last thing she said. She had

not

doing
been

and I
just two-fifteen
was
lyingon her bed watching Carl, when he called,
hand." O my
hold my
"Buddie, I'm going
come

gone

half

an

hour

it was

"

"

"

AN

God

AMERICAN

I dashed

"

for

he could not, must

sure

go

needed

we

"

much

too

of it,that I said:

to spare

"Why,

him

him.

too

ribly,
ter-

I felt

so

love is enough to

my

here!"

keep you
He

189

him, I clung to him, I told him

not

loved him

we

IDYLL

would

not

let

me

leave him

to

call the doctor.

just knelt there holding both his hands with all my

him we were
not going
might, talking,talking,telling
to let him
back
then, at last,the color came
go. And
his head a bit,and said, I'll
into his face,he nodded
I

"

stay," very
stairs and

quietly.Then
tell Mrs.

Willard

was

able to rush for the

tor.
telephonefor the dochad that afternoon. They reThree doctors we
ported
the case
as
"dangerous, but not absolutely
hopeless."His heart,which had been so wonderful all
along,had given out. That very morning the doctor
had said : I wish my pulsewas as strong as that ! and
there he lay
no
pulse at all. They did everything:
doctor stayed tillabout ten, then left,with
our
own
Carl resting
He lived only a block away.
fairlyeasily.
the nurse
About one- thirty,
call the doctor
had me
Once
going wrong.
again. I could see things were
Carl started to talk rather loud. I tried to quiet him
and he said : "Twice
I Ve pulledand fought and struggled
to live just for you
[one of the times had been
Let me
during the crisis].
just talk if I want to* I
can't make
I'm so tired/'
the fighta third time
Before the doctor could get there,he was
dead.
to

"

"

"

"

With

beliefswhat they were, there was only one

thingto be done* We had never discussed it in detail,
our

but
have

absolutely

felt

service

body

and

Sound.

the

you

"

"I

woman

great

feel

"Out
in

his

scattered

men

of

it

ashes

was

that

for

who,
in

would

he

have

for

such

you
even

had

that

deeply
a

his

short

END

the

his
two

Puget

it.

spirit

and

work

splendid
say.

"

few

of

had

in

could
and

form/'

THE

in

any

of

waters

welded

you

would

one

day

next

the

on

lives

everything

grieve

gift

as

but

"

comradeship
know

out

welded

your

The

he

without

present

friend.

great

as

cremated,

nobody

"

doing

was

was

whatsoever

brothers

sure

His

do.

me

IDYLL

AMERICAN

AN

years,

rejoice

for

is

given

any

the