the house of pride and other tales of hawaii- 第18部分

factory；　where　I　worked　from　six　in　the　morning　until　seven　at　

night。　　I　had　planned　to　join　the　same　lot　for　another　sealing　trip　

the　following　year；　but　somehow　I　missed　them。　　They　sailed　away　on　

the　Mary　Thomas；　which　was　lost　with　all　hands。



In　my　fitful　school…days　I　had　written　the　usual　compositions；　which　

had　been　praised　in　the　usual　way；　and　while　working　in　the　jute　

mills　I　still　made　an　occasional　try。　　The　factory　occupied　thirteen　

hours　of　my　day；　and　being　young　and　husky；　I　wanted　a　little　time　

for　myself；　so　there　was　little　left　for　composition。　　The　San　

Francisco　Call　offered　a　prize　for　a　descriptive　article。　　My　mother　

urged　me　to　try　for　it；　and　I　did；　taking　for　my　subject　〃Typhoon　

off　the　Coast　of　Japan。〃　　Very　tired　and　sleepy；　knowing　I　had　to　be　

up　at　half…past　five；　I　began　the　article　at　midnight　and　worked　

straight　on　until　I　had　written　two　thousand　words；　the　limit　of　the　

article；　but　with　my　idea　only　half　worked　out。　　The　next　night；　

under　the　same　conditions；　I　continued；　adding　another　two　thousand　

words　before　I　finished；　and　then　the　third　night　I　spent　in　cutting　

out　the　excess；　so　as　to　bring　the　article　within　the　conditions　of　

the　contest。　　The　first　prize　came　to　me；　and　the　second　and　third　

went　to　students　of　the　Stanford　and　Berkeley　Universities。



My　success　in　the　San　Francisco　Call　competition　seriously　turned　my　

thoughts　to　writing；　but　my　blood　was　still　too　hot　for　a　settled　

routine；　so　I　practically　deferred　literature；　beyond　writing　a　

little　gush　for　the　Call；　which　that　journal　promptly　rejected。



I　tramped　all　through　the　United　States；　from　California　to　Boston；　

and　up　and　down；　returning　to　the　Pacific　coast　by　way　of　Canada；　

where　I　got　into　jail　and　served　a　term　for　vagrancy；　and　the　whole　

tramping　experience　made　me　become　a　Socialist。　　Previously　I　had　

been　impressed　by　the　dignity　of　labour；　and；　without　having　read　

Carlyle　or　Kipling；　I　had　formulated　a　gospel　of　work　which　put　

theirs　in　the　shade。　　Work　was　everything。　　It　was　sanctification　

and　salvation。　　The　pride　I　took　in　a　hard　day's　work　well　done　

would　be　inconceivable　to　you。　　I　was　as　faithful　a　wage…slave　as　

ever　a　capitalist　exploited。　　In　short；　my　joyous　individualism　was　

dominated　by　the　orthodox　bourgeois　ethics。　　I　had　fought　my　way　

from　the　open　west；　where　men　bucked　big　and　the　job　hunted　the　man；　

to　the　congested　labour　centres　of　the　eastern　states；　where　men　

were　small　potatoes　and　hunted　the　job　for　all　they　were　worth；　and　

I　found　myself　looking　upon　life　from　a　new　and　totally　different　

angle。　　I　saw　the　workers　in　the　shambles　at　the　bottom　of　the　

Social　Pit。　　I　swore　I　would　never　again　do　a　hard　day's　work　with　

my　body　except　where　absolutely　compelled　to；　and　I　have　been　busy　

ever　since　running　away　from　hard　bodily　labour。



In　my　nineteenth　year　I　returned　to　Oakland　and　started　at　the　High　

School；　which　ran　the　usual　school　magazine。　　This　publication　was　a　

weeklyno；　I　guess　a　monthlyone；　and　I　wrote　stories　for　it；　very　

little　imaginary；　just　recitals　of　my　sea　and　tramping　experiences。　　

I　remained　there　a　year；　doing　janitor　work　as　a　means　of　

livelihood；　and　leaving　eventually　because　the　strain　was　more　than　

I　could　bear。　　At　this　time　my　socialistic　utterances　had　attracted　

considerable　attention；　and　I　was　known　as　the　〃Boy　Socialist；〃　a　

distinction　that　brought　about　my　arrest　for　street…talking。　　After　

leaving　the　High　School；　in　three　months　cramming　by　myself；　I　took　

the　three　years'　work　for　that　time　and　entered　the　University　of　

California。　　I　hated　to　give　up　the　hope　of　a　University　education　

and　worked　in　a　laundry　and　with　my　pen　to　help　me　keep　on。　　This　

was　the　only　time　I　worked　because　I　loved　it；　but　the　task　was　too　

much；　and　when　half…way　through　my　Freshman　year　I　had　to　quit。



I　worked　away　ironing　shirts　and　other　things　in　the　laundry；　and　

wrote　in　all　my　spare　time。　　I　tried　to　keep　on　at　both；　but　often　

fell　asleep　with　the　pen　in　my　hand。　　Then　I　left　the　laundry　and　

wrote　all　the　time；　and　lived　and　dreamed　again。　　After　three　

months'　trial　I　gave　up　writing；　having　decided　that　I　was　a　

failure；　and　left　for　the　Klondike　to　prospect　for　gold。　　At　the　end　

of　the　year；　owing　to　the　outbreak　of　scurvy；　I　was　compelled　to　

come　out；　and　on　the　homeward　journey　of　1；900　miles　in　an　open　boat　

made　the　only　notes　of　the　trip。　　It　was　in　the　Klondike　I　found　

myself。　　There　nobody　talks。　　Everybody　thinks。　　You　get　your　true　

perspective。　　I　got　mine。



While　I　was　in　the　Klondike　my　father　died；　and　the　burden　of　the　

family　fell　on　my　shoulders。　　Times　were　bad　in　California；　and　I　

could　get　no　work。　　While　trying　for　it　I　wrote　〃Down　the　River；〃　

which　was　rejected。　　During　the　wait　for　this　rejection　I　wrote　a　

twenty…thousand　word　serial　for　a　news　company；　which　was　also　

rejected。　　Pending　each　rejection　I　still　kept　on　writing　fresh　

stuff。　　I　did　not　know　what　an　editor　looked　like。　　I　did　not　know　a　

soul　who　had　ever　published　anything。　　Finally　a　story　was　accepted　

by　a　Californian　magazine；　for　which　I　received　five　dollars。　　Soon　

afterwards　〃The　Black　Cat〃　offered　me　forty　dollars　for　a　story。



Then　things　took　a　turn；　and　I　shall　probably　not　have　to　shovel　

coal　for　a　living　for　some　time　to　come；　although　I　have　done　it；　

and　could　do　it　again。



My　first　book　was　published　in　1900。　　I　could　have　made　a　good　deal　

at　newspaper　work；　but　I　had　sufficient　sense　to　refuse　to　be　a　

slave　to　that　man…killing　machine；　for　such　I　held　a　newspaper　to　be　

to　a　young　man　in　his　forming　period。　　Not　until　I　was　well　on　my　

feet　as　a　magazine…writer　did　I　do　much　work　for　newspapers。　　I　am　a　

believer　in　regular　work；　and　never　wait　for　an　inspiration。　　

Temperamentally　I　am　not　only　careless　and　irregular；　but　

melancholy；　still　I　have　fought　both　down。　　The　discipline　I　had　as　

a　sailor　had　full　effect　on　me。　　Perhaps　my　old　sea　days　are　also　

responsible　for　the　regularity　and　limitations　of　my　sleep。　　Five　

and　a　half　hours　is　the　precise　average　I　allow　myself；　and　no　

circumstance　has　yet　arisen　in　my　life　that　could　keep　me　awake　when　

the　time　comes　to　〃turn　in。〃



I　am　very　fond　of　sport；　and　delight　in　boxing；　fencing；　swimming；　

riding；　yachting；　and　even　kite…flying。　　Although　primarily　of　the　

city；　I　like　to　be　near　it　rather　than　in　it。　　The　country；　though；　

is　the　best；　the　only　natural　life。　　In　my　grown…up　years　the　

writers　who　have　influenced　me　most　are　Karl　Marx　in　a　particular；　

and　Spencer　in　a　general；　way。　　In　the　days　of　my　barren　boyhood；　if　

I　had　had　a　chance；　I　would　have　gone　in　for　music；　now；　in　what　are　

more　genuinely　the　days　of　my　youth；　if　I　had　a　million　or　two　I　

would　devote　myself　to　writing　poetry　and　pamphlets。　　I　think　the　

best　work　I　have　done　is　in　the　〃League　of　the　Old　Men；〃　and　parts　

of　〃The　Kempton…Wace　Letters。〃　　Other　people　don't　like　the　former。　　

They　prefer　brighter　and　more　cheerful　things。　　Perhaps　I　shall　feel　

like　that；　too；　when　the　days　of　my　youth　are　behind　me。







Footnotes：





｛1｝　　Malahininew…comer。










End