The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-01-25

XI.
There has been during the press
ent century a new universe opened
up to 1nowledge--the subconscious
mind-and many strange things are
told about it. 1t is accustomed to
make determined efforts to have
its own way; and sometimes when
it is baked it will go to such
lengths as to make the body i'll. A
jealous wife will suffer nervous
collapse, a quite genuine case, thus
retaining the attentions of her hus-
band; and so on through a catalog
of strange phenomena. But the
Freudian theories, not being con-
sistent with Methodist theology, had
not yet penetrated into Southern
Pacific. So Bunny was entirely un-
suspicious when it happened, just
after his graduation, and before he
set out with Gregor Nikolaieff, that
Dad came down with a severe at
tack of the flu. Of course Bunny
had to postpone his leaving, and was
able to find all the trouble he need
ed at home. There were several
days when it was not certain if Dad
would live; and Bunny felt all the
remorse that Vernon Roscoe had
foretold. Also he faced the alarm
ing prospect, he might have to take
over control Of all those millions Of
Dads money!
The old man pulled through; but
he was very weak, and pitiful, and
the doctor warned his family that
the flu was apt to leave the heart
in bad condition, and he would have
to be guarded and kept from shock.
Down in the deeps of Dad there
must have been a merry chuckling,
for now it was impossible for Bunny
to go away. The father chung to
his boys hand like child, and
Bunny must sit and read to him
the sad and tender story of the
young Lord Siddhartha. Had Dad
said something to Wee about the
plot, or was it a telepathic contact
between two subconscious minds
She came frequently to the house,
and was so kind and sympathetic
the wild elephant in Bunny's spirit
was tied down with a million siIken
cords.
And then, when Dad was able to
be about, and to sit on the porch
in the sunshine, his shrewd con-
scious mind started work, and pres
emily he had a scheme. "Son, I've
been thinking about your problem,
and 1 realize that you have a right
to express your ideas. I've been
wondering if we mightn't work out
a compromise, and let me help"
"How, Dad?"
swell, you might have some
money that you could use in your
own way, and wouldn't feel you
were taking from mine. Of course,
/ wouldn't feel it was right to help
you do anything that was against
the law; but if there is some kind
of education that isn't for violence,
why, that would be all right, and if
you had an income a thousand dol
lars a month that you might use
for such propaganda-would that
help?"
A thousand dollars a month! Gee
whiz! Bunny forgot the standards
of his own class, according to which
a thousand dollars a month would
not keep string of polo ponies or
small racing yacht; he thought
according to the standards of the
radicals, to whom a thousand dol
lars month meant a whole labor
college or weekly paperl Nothing
was said about Bunny's staying at
home, but he understood that the
offer was bride; he would have
to administer the fund! He yielded
to the temptation, and FASTENED to
phone Rachel-he had a job in sight
for her!
He invited her to lunch; and all
the way as he drove to the place,
his busy mind was flying from
scheme to scheme. Rachel would
remain secretary of the "YpseIs,"
and be paid a salary for her work,
the same as she would have got as
a social worker. The young Social
lists would hire a larger hall, and
would publish weekly paper, aimed
at the high schools and colleges Of
Angel City. Bunny was now free
from the promise he had made to
DR.. Cowper, not to make propaganda
in Southern Pacific. And he was
going to make it, you bet! The
students of that university and all
others would learn something about
modern thought, and about the la
Dor movement, and about Socialism,
and-well, not too much about Cons
munism, Of course, because Dad
would call that violence, and It
might be breaking the law!
(mo Do