Itisalmostlaughablenow,whenIlookbackonit,thewayfatherwasbeaten。HemetWicksonaccidentallyonthestreetinSanFrancisco,andhetoldWicksonthathewasadamnedscoundrel。Andthenfatherwasarrestedforattemptedassault,finedinthepolicecourt,andboundovertokeepthepeace。Itwasallsoridiculousthatwhenhegothomehehadtolaughhimself。Butwhatafurorwasraisedinthelocalpapers！Therewasgravetalkaboutthebacillusofviolencethatinfectedallmenwhoembracedsocialism;andfather,withhislongandpeacefullife,wasinstancedasashiningexampleofhowthebacillusofviolenceworked。Also,itwasassertedbymorethanonepaperthatfather\'smindhadweakenedunderthestrainofscientificstudy,andconfinementinastateasylumfortheinsanewassuggested。Norwasthismerelytalk。Itwasanimminentperil。Butfatherwaswiseenoughtoseeit。HehadtheBishop\'sexperiencetolessonfrom,andhelessonedwell。Hekeptquietnomatterwhatinjusticewasperpetratedonhim,andreally,Ithink,surprisedhisenemies。
Therewasthematterofthehouse—ourhome。Amortgagewasforeclosedonit,andwehadtogiveuppossession。Ofcoursetherewasn\'tanymortgage,andneverhadbeenanymortgage。Thegroundhadbeenboughtoutright,andthehousehadbeenpaidforwhenitwasbuilt。Andhouseandlothadalwaysbeenfreeandunencumbered。
Neverthelesstherewasthemortgage,properlyandlegallydrawnupandsigned,witharecordofthepaymentsofinterestthroughanumberofyears。Fathermadenooutcry。Ashehadbeenrobbedofhismoney,sowashenowrobbedofhishome。Andhehadnorecourse。Themachineryofsocietywasinthehandsofthosewhowerebentonbreakinghim。Hewasaphilosopheratheart,andhewasnolongerevenangry。
\'Iamdoomedtobebroken,\'hesaidtome;\'butthatisnoreasonthatIshouldnottrytobeshatteredaslittleaspossible。Theseoldbonesofminearefragile,andI\'velearnedmylesson。GodknowsI
don\'twanttospendmylastdaysinaninsaneasylum。\'