Letter & Kamer

We do not wish to disillusion you, nor to dim any first happiness, but if possible, to forearm you, against deeper and more harmful disillusionment. We are sorry we do not have a more honorable, nor a more equitable society to launch you in-perhaps you will help us to build one. Such societies must exist, but I have yet to spring their hidden doors. We know a number of people who rate high in our esteem and will introduce you to them as the opportunity presents itself.

In line with our recent conversation of the need for a "home" for "babies" and people in general I guess I meant a "good society" and not a home. The longer you live, the more imperative, I believe, you will see the need of this-if it is not already uppermost in your mind. I have studied no sociology and next to no psychology, gleaning such social concepts and ideas as I have from the study of the teachings of Jesus and the critical analysis of a wide variety of books plus a mighty thirst for justice which I can't remember having ever been without. ! guess men have dreamed of their "good societies" since before recorded histories -and it is no different today.

I shall never forget my shock at finding myself alone among my own people; after the first baptism of ecstacy at having found myself at all. I could no easier fit into their half-baked stupidities and artificial "society" than I had ever fitted into any society. I could see the reason for much of the nonsense, but

one

"reasons"

do not help when you have no place else to go and your tolerance of others is small comfort when your very existence is scorned by your own. So... it comes as something of a shock and amazement to a gentle rebel, sitting on the bottom step of despair, to realize that if anything is done to better conditions, she will have to do them, and if any leading is done she'll have to do that too can find a better and stronger one than herself to help her out.

at least till she

The biggest crime is against the "babies", who come in through the sewer, as there is usually no other route. They come in wide-eyed and eager-full of hope. They all too frequently get knocked into artificial mockeries of themselves. They have nothing to hang onto but themselves and that usually is not enough. They don't understand why things have to be so lousy, but, since they are, they often decide that no one and no thing is any good-ergo they live for the moment. This shouldn't be too hard to understand since one mistake of trust in this life can easily be your last one.

From Patterson's "Scottsborough Boy" we have, "You put men in a sewer, they will get muck on them." (Speaking of corrupt prison systems). If there's a truer statement than that, I don't know it. I am thinking of something I've been told exists in other cities-but I've never been there nor seen it work: namely, introductions via house parties.

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