VI
They walked home again, more slowly. The Candidate asked Jimmie
about his life, and Jimmie told the story of a Socialist--not one of
the leaders, the "intellectuals", but of the "rank and file".
Jimmie's father was a working man out of a job, who had left his
family before Jimmie had joined it; Jimmie's mother had died three
years later, so he did not remember her, nor could he recall a word
of the foreign language he had spoken at home, nor did he even know
what the language was. He had been taken in charge by the city, and
farmed out to a negro woman who had eight miserable starvelings
under her care, feeding them on gruel and water, and not even giving
them a blanket in winter. You might not think that possible--
"I know America," put in the Candidate.
Jimmie went on. At nine he had been boarded with a woodsaw man, who
worked him sixteen hours a day and beat him in addition; so Jimmie
had skipped out, and for ten years had lived the life of a street
waif in the cities and a hobo on the road. He had learned a bit
about machinery, helping in a garage, and then, in a rush-time, he
had got a job in the Empire Machine Shops. He had stayed in
Leesville, because he had got married; he had met his wife in a
brothel, and she had wanted to quit the life, and they had taken a
chance together.
"I don't tell that to everybody," said Jimmie. "You know--they
mightn't understand. But I don't mind you knowin'."
"Thank you," replied the Candidate, and put his hand on Jimmie's
shoulder. "Tell me how you became a Socialist."
There was nothing special about that, was the answer. There had been
a fellow in the shop who was always "chewing the rag"; Jimmie had
laughed at him--for his life had made him suspicious of everybody,
and if there was any sort of politician, it was just another scheme
of somebody to wear a white collar and live off the workers. But the
fellow had kept pegging away; and once Jimmie had been laid off for
a couple of months, and the family had near starved, and that had
given him time to think, and also the inclination. The fellow had
come along with some papers, and Jimmie had read them, and it dawned
upon him that here was a movement of his fellow-workers to put an
end to their torments.
"How long ago was that?" asked the Candidate, and Jimmie answered
three years. "And you haven't lost your enthusiasm?" This with an
intensity that surprised Jimmie. No, he answered, he was not that
kind. Whatever happened, he would keep pegging away at the task of
freeing labour. He would not see the New Day, perhaps, but his
children would see it; and a fellow would work like the devil to
save his children.
So they came to the city; and the Candidate pressed Jimmie's arm.
"Comrade," he said, "I want to tell you how much good this little
trip has done me. I owe you a debt of gratitude."
"Me?" exclaimed Jimmie.
"You have given me fresh hope and courage, and at a time when I felt
beaten. I got into town this morning, and I'd had no sleep, and I
tried to get some in the hotel and couldn't, because of the horror
that's happening. I wrote a dozen telegrams and sent them off, and
then I was afraid to go back to the hotel-room, because I knew I'd
only lie awake all afternoon. But now--I remember that our movement
is rooted in the hearts of the people!"
Jimmie was trembling. But all he could say was: "I wish I could do
it every Sunday."
"So do I," said the Candidate.
