310 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



It was a new era in my life and presaged a 

 change of thought and action. I had need to 

 pray "Give us this day our daily bread" for I 

 was far from being sure of it. I had no means 

 and no prospects and the future was dark, but I 

 have never been happier in my life. I under- 

 stood how Sindbad felt after he had shaken off 

 the Old Man of the Sea and smashed his head. 

 I no longer watched the clock to see if it was 1 

 or 2.15 or 3 p. m. and I didn't dread to open my 

 mail, nor care if money was one per cent a minute. 



I reveled in my books and often I read all 

 night, reviewing and advancing in the studies I 

 loved, mathematics and mechanics, chemistry 

 and physics. Bits of money drifted in, from un- 

 expected, often forgotten, sources. I had never 

 refused to forgive an indebtedness and from the 

 hundreds of thousands of dollars thus treated 

 some trifling sums drifted back, but always from 

 the least well to do. Wealthy friends became 

 shy while others whose manifestations of regard 

 had been most unobtrusive displayed an affec- 

 tion that was touching. 



