nights; the doctor coming regularly, but unable to tell just what the
trouble was, other than a "breakdown."

Saturday afternoon he felt a little better; we planned then what we
would do when he got well. The doctor had said that he should allow
himself at least a month before going back to college. One month given
to us! "Just think of the writing I can get done, being around home with
my family!" There was an article for Taussig half done to appear in the
"Quarterly Journal of Economics," a more technical analysis of the
I.W.W. than had appeared in the "Atlantic Monthly"; he had just begun a
review for the "American Journal of Economics" of Hoxie's
"Trade-Unionism." Then he was full of ideas for a second article he had
promised the "Atlantic"--"Is the United States a Nation?"--"And think of
being able to see all I want of the June-Bug!"

Since he had not slept for three nights, the doctor left powders which I
was to give him for Saturday night. Still he could not sleep. He thought
that, if I read aloud to him in a monotonous tone of voice, he could
perhaps drop off. I got a high-school copy of "From Milton to Tennyson,"
and read every sing-songy poem I could find--"The Ancient Mariner"
twice, hardly pronouncing the words as I droned along. Then he began to
get delirious.

It is a very terrifying experience--to see for the first time a person
in a delirium, and that person the one you love most on earth. All night
long I sat there trying to quiet him--it was always some mediation, some
committee of employers he was attending. He would say: "I am so
tired--can't you people come to some agreement, so that I can go home
and sleep?"