The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-05-13
The Green Lamp

n genius, you can't make a decent
living at It
For one. 7 could not. 7 worked early
and late. and were out my last pair
OF shoes trapesing about to Deddie
manuscripts.
II was no go. Frankly, I am no
geuius-merely Woodworking re-
porter whose name does not -reacsi
me public once e year.
I failed, as has many a better man,
IN that sterile field
True, / managed to exc out q miser-
G. BILE existence, but not enough addi-
tIonal TO pay the rental Oh my type
/ writer. And in the end there came
weeks when for time 1 must needs
RIA Ike shift on my Scant savings, or.
; they falling me, stOOp to borrowing
/ disc0uurinE the better days 1 thought
/ fOreSaW IN the future
Finally. I must avoid my friends, and
I they me- for I owed them all / re-
/ member that I made out a list Of my
debts one day, and discovered from that
( that I knew just thirty people IN the
Z city
7 gave up my rooms in the early
! Stage Of the game. moving 10 a cheap
boarding house gave that up IN its
7 turn; and there followed nightmare
period 10 my life when all my little
I possessions went 10 the pawushOps and
! I lived casually sleeping IN Decent
: lodging houses by night, and scratch
/ ing industriously by Gay
/ OnOus ones.
I Breakfast was invariably .'sinkers
/ and coffee, SO called Lunch. II I dared
/ indulge myself. vas coffee and sinkers
( Dinner. peTChanCe- pork and beans. with
{ two slices Of bread-WICh the walters
/ WatChfui eve upon me 10 see that
/ did not absorb more than my due al
/ lowauCe OF butter out Of the common
. supply
! And during al this awful time 7 do
. most earnestly protest that 7 abateC
H.
F.. find work To hard luck. imply, do
I ascribe. my failures What else2
As the days YEARLY dragged int
+ weeks and rhe weeks Into months o.
' must have become stupeied by mis-
fortune. Moving about purpoSeleSs q
. last cropping IN world Of darkness
trees stared al them. but hal
/ comprehending my kinship Of speci
[ with them.
! fancied at times. and almost be
/ lIeved. that some strange curse-per
haps hereCita-y-was upon me, thWart
. ing ny every plan. Blasting my meanes
hopes with its TnaEgn influence
There IS a dellrIun Of all the sense
that IS born OF extreme poverty Bny
Z steal priVaCiOu and the starvation o
every thought that tends TO the u0llit
ing OF the minds OF meu-these breed
srupOr q the brain. an indifference 2
discomfort and the laws or hygiene
they turn the sharp edge Of honor, blu
the polish that comes from Selt-reSpecl
Z There remains EauEHt but shameless
/ discomfort and the hatred Of society
Il is In this state that anarchy Ia
birth 1 know, for I have felt the sinu
Gus wrirhing Of that Shiny reptile. coil
ing about and strauElinE every deCeu
thought 7 had. constructing within m
/ bosom all that held for truth an
] right until I fell
/ Termination SpranE fuII-fedEeG fror
that mOrass Of misery wherein I Ia bore
vainly- I had no money. nor friends
nor work
7 huneered- needing food for streugt
and raimeut wherewith TO clCtne ms
The world owed me g living I thought
and 7 would not beg
[ The world owed me q living The j
came 20 me suddenly. and . SodGe
brain received and believed in IL
Al the time I was h-uETy- 7 had no
eaten for two days I walked-say
/ rather. shuffed-sIonC lower Sixth ave
nue.. In the neighborhood Of Eight
street
The date vas vel on into August,
afterward found. for I had lost al n
Verest in the calendar that held for n
no pay days. and had come To care Iittl
what each fresh morning was 10 pre-
sage whether for the lettering OF n
fortunes or their lowering
/ I stopped ARD thought. standing in
blaze OF braZsn sunlight that s0ake
the pavenents with heat, which III