Unskilledlabouristhefirsttofeeltheslacknessofhardtimes，andIhadnotradessavethoseofsailorandlaundryman。WithmynewresponsibilitiesIdidn’tdaregotosea，andIfailedtofindajobatlaundrying。Ifailedtofindajobatanything。Ihadmynamedowninfiveemploymentbureaux。Iadvertisedinthreenewspapers。IsoughtoutthefewfriendsIknewwhomightbeabletogetmework；buttheywereeitheruninterestedorunabletofindanythingforme。
Thesituationwasdesperate。Ipawnedmywatch，mybicycle，andamackintoshofwhichmyfatherhadbeenveryproudandwhichhehadlefttome。Itwasandismysolelegacyinthisworld。Ithadcostfifteendollars，andthepawnbrokerletmehavetwodollarsonit。And——oh，yes——awater-frontcomradeofearlieryearsdriftedalongonedaywithadresssuitwrappedinnewspapers。Hecouldgivenoadequateexplanationofhowhehadcometopossessit，nordidIpressforanexplanation。Iwantedthesuitmyself。
No；nottowear。Itradedhimalotofrubbishwhich，beingunpawnable，wasuselesstome。Hepeddledtherubbishforseveraldollars，whileIpledgedthedress-suitwithmypawnbrokerforfivedollars。AndforallIknowthepawnbrokerstillhasthesuit。Ihadneverintendedtoredeemit。
ButIcouldn’tgetanywork。YetIwasabargaininthelabourmarket。Iwastwenty-twoyearsold，weighedonehundredandsixty-fivepoundsstripped，everypoundofwhichwasexcellentfortoil；andthelasttracesofmyscurvywerevanishingbeforeatreatmentofpotatoeschewedraw。Itackledeveryopeningforemployment。Itriedtobecomeastudiomodel，butthereweretoomanyfine-bodiedyoungfellowsoutofjobs。Iansweredadvertisementsofelderlyinvalidsinneedofcompanions。AndI
almostbecameasewingmachineagent，oncommission，withoutsalary。Butpoorpeopledon’tbuysewingmachinesinhardtimes，soIwasforcedtoforgothatemployment。