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Love's Pilgrimage: A NovelUpton Sinclair

Love's Pilgrimage: A Novel

by OpenStories

Original author: Upton Sinclair

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"Love's Pilgrimage: A Novel" by Upton Sinclair is a literary work published in the late 19th century that delves into themes of love, societal struggles, and personal growth. The narrative centers around the life of Thyrsis, a young man navigating his tumultuous relationship with his father, who battles alcoholism, and his complex feelings toward Corydon, a girl who embodies beauty and innocence against the backdrop of societal issues. The opening portion of the novel introduces readers to a poignant scene in which Thyrsis and Corydon share a tender moment in a woodland glen, contemplating poetry and their dreams while contrasting it with the harsh realities of the world around them. The story quickly shifts to the troubling setting of the "Highway of Lost Men," where Thyrsis encounters the grief of his father's fall from grace and the struggles their family endures due to the father's addiction. Through this juxtaposition, readers glimpse the intense internal conflict that shapes Thyrsis’ character as he grapples with the expectations of society, his love for art and literature, and the desire for a higher purpose in life. This segment sets the emotional and thematic foundation for Thyrsis's journey as he seeks to understand love in its many forms while contending with the societal norms that threaten to entrap him.

Love's Pilgrimage: A Novel, by Upton Sinclair. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #5964.

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206 Chapters

  1. 1.Book I: The Victim127 words
  2. 2.Section 1: It was the Highway of Lost Men. They shivered, and drew their797 words
  3. 3.Section 2: Such was the life of Thyrsis, from earliest childhood to1,171 words
  4. 4.Section 3: So it was that the soul of this lad had grown sombre, and748 words
  5. 5.Section 4: In one of the early boarding-houses there had been a little888 words
  6. 6.Section 5: About this time Thyrsis was making his début as an author1,085 words
  7. 7.Section 6: But Thyrsis was throwing away many chances these days709 words
  8. 8.Section 7: These things came at the same time as another development in1,091 words
  9. 9.Section 8: Warner had given him the religious attitude; and now he833 words
  10. 10.Section 9: These discoveries came one by one; but Thyrsis saw enough at540 words
  11. 11.Section 10: The summer had come, and Thyrsis had gone away to live in742 words
  12. 12.Section 11: And after she was gone the boy stood there motionless, not453 words
  13. 13.Section 12: It was nearly morning when he came back and crept upstairs556 words
  14. 14.Section 13: Though Thyrsis had no time to realize it, it was in this1,277 words
  15. 15.Section 14: By this time Thyrsis had finished at college, passing613 words
  16. 16.Section 15: Thyrsis had not many friends at college, and none at all772 words
  17. 17.Section 16: Now, when these things first came to Thyrsis, he whispered606 words
  18. 18.Book II: The Snare122 words
  19. 19.Section 1: On the train Corydon was writing a letter to a friend, to say1,117 words
  20. 20.Section 2: This song was as far as Thyrsis had written, and he paused657 words
  21. 21.Section 3: Thyrsis told his story at some length; in the ardor of1,118 words
  22. 22.Section 4: They came back after a time, to the subject of love; and to615 words
  23. 23.Section 5: At this point there came a call from the distance, and915 words
  24. 24.Section 6: So it went, until Thyrsis looked up with a start, and saw1,371 words
  25. 25.Section 7: The moon was high when they went down the hill, and he rowed747 words
  26. 26.Section 8: The key to all the future was the book; but alas, the book537 words
  27. 27.Section 9: There came a time when all these happenings could no longer950 words
  28. 28.Book III: The Victim Hesitates (1)8,818 words
  29. 29.Book III: The Victim Hesitates (2)7,133 words
  30. 30.Book IV: The Victim Approaches72 words
  31. 31.Section 1: It was early one November afternoon, in his cabin in the937 words
  32. 32.Section 2: He wanted to talk about his book, but Corydon wanted to talk781 words
  33. 33.Section 3: But the world would not be content to leave it on that478 words
  34. 34.Section 4: So behold them, the next morning, emerging from the little711 words
  35. 35.Section 5: Thyris invested in a newspaper, and as they went back to1,080 words
  36. 36.Section 6: So these two began their life under the shadow of a cloud. At845 words
  37. 37.Section 7: This was indeed the nearest they could ever come to creative1,300 words
  38. 38.Section 8: Thyrsis had waited a week, and then written the second949 words
  39. 39.Section 9: So Thyrsis shut himself up and went to work. Sometimes he1,039 words
  40. 40.Book V: The Bait Is Seized92 words
  41. 41.Section 1: Thyrsis was half hoping that the next publisher would decline524 words
  42. 42.Section 2: The road now lay clear before Thyrsis, and accordingly he set663 words
  43. 43.Section 3: Corydon shed tears of rage over this humiliation, and she996 words
  44. 44.Section 4: But the more Thyrsis thought of this plan, the more it came596 words
  45. 45.Section 5: But in the small hours of the night Thyrsis lay awake in1,162 words
  46. 46.Section 6: The doctor announced that he had a little dyspepsia, and gave685 words
  47. 47.Section 7: The effect of this conversation upon Thyrsis was alarming817 words
  48. 48.Section 8: So for hours he went. But when he had come home, and stood in921 words
  49. 49.Section 9: In the end these emotions reached a point where Thyrsis could1,230 words
  50. 50.Section 10: And then came the reaction--the most awful experience of453 words
  51. 51.Book VI: The Cords Are Tightened96 words
  52. 52.Section 1: It was a tiny cupboard of a room in a tenement. They sat upon1,345 words
  53. 53.Section 2: Such were their problems. They might have solved them all,950 words
  54. 54.Section 3: All this was the harder for him, because it came at a black1,068 words
  55. 55.Section 4: So Thyrsis went away, with a new realization of the1,219 words
  56. 56.Section 5: Meantime, Corydon was prosecuting an inquiry into these608 words
  57. 57.Section 6: This was also the month in which the fate of the book was1,255 words
  58. 58.Section 7: From this interview Thyrsis went to meet Corydon in the808 words
  59. 59.Section 8: In many ways this decision, once arrived at, was a relief1,919 words
  60. 60.Section 9: Many moods of tenderness came to them. He loved to fondle1,120 words
  61. 61.Section 10: After these things, Thyrsis would go at his book again. He1,295 words
  62. 62.Section 11: Such was the outline of Thyrsis’ story. He judged that it1,102 words
  63. 63.Section 12: He thought that he realized the bitterness of this tragedy1,207 words
  64. 64.Section 13: These were the circumstances of the writing of “The Hearer464 words
  65. 65.Section 14: So a month passed by; and Thyrsis wrote again to the editor,341 words
  66. 66.Book VII: The Capture Is Completed83 words
  67. 67.Section 1: They returned to the city early in October--not so much852 words
  68. 68.Section 2: So Thyrsis went away, carrying the burden of the scorn and618 words
  69. 69.Section 3: Thyrsis reasoned the problem out for himself; he saw what he1,077 words
  70. 70.Section 4: He might not come to see Corydon in her home; but she would924 words
  71. 71.Section 5: But these thoughts were for himself; he did not whisper them445 words
  72. 72.Section 6: Outside, whenever they opened the window, they could hear the539 words
  73. 73.Section 7: However, he was gone, and Thyrsis turned to Corydon, who lay834 words
  74. 74.Section 8: So the two went apart again; and the leaden-footed hours1,390 words
  75. 75.Section 9: For the girl’s soul was rising within her; perhaps from678 words
  76. 76.Section 10: The doctor’s hands were red with blood now, like a841 words
  77. 77.Section 11: When he looked up again the elder nurse had the baby in her559 words
  78. 78.Section 12: Later on he went into the street. Evening was come631 words
  79. 79.Book VIII: The Captive Bound78 words
  80. 80.Section 1: This was a golden hour in Thyrsis’ life. The gates of wonder689 words
  81. 81.Section 2: BUT even in such an hour of consecration, the sordid world863 words
  82. 82.Section 3: It was so that he wrote his poem, “Caradrion”. It was out of1,418 words
  83. 83.Section 4: This had come so very easily to Thyrsis that he could not1,154 words
  84. 84.Section 5: So, with rage and bitterness, Thyrsis was gnawing out his967 words
  85. 85.Section 6: There came another guest to the meal--the rector of the483 words
  86. 86.Section 7: A famous scientist began the story--reasoning along the lines1,082 words
  87. 87.Section 8: Thyrsis paid a week’s living expenses to have this manuscript1,026 words
  88. 88.Section 9: Another editor was reading “The Hearer of Truth,” and1,051 words
  89. 89.Section 10: The work of “contemporary biography” had come to an end;1,240 words
  90. 90.Book IX: The Captive in Leash96 words
  91. 91.Section 1: Thyrsis made his plans and packed his few belongings. There940 words
  92. 92.Section 2: In this hour, of course, Thyrsis forgot all about the851 words
  93. 93.Section 3: So all these strange creatures were poking and peering and658 words
  94. 94.Section 4: The second act showed the aftermath of the great concert,957 words
  95. 95.Section 6: Over these things Thyrsis would work for six hours at a775 words
  96. 96.Section 7: Corydon, in the meantime, had received a copy of his play;442 words
  97. 97.Section 8: Another day, there would be moods of peace, and even of719 words
  98. 98.Section 9: Such letters would come at a time when Thyrsis was almost949 words
  99. 99.Section 10: A most trying thing it was to a man who carried the burden1,005 words
  100. 100.Section 11: Twice a week his mail came to the lumbercamp, in care of686 words
  101. 101.Section 12: Nothing that the mail had ever brought to Thyrsis had meant1,125 words
  102. 102.Book X: The End of the Tether83 words
  103. 103.Section 1: Through the summer Corydon had been living week by week upon773 words
  1. 104.Section 2: Thyrsis received a reply to his note, and went to call upon665 words
  2. 105.Section 3: Robertson Jones, the great “theatrical producer”, was large988 words
  3. 106.Section 4: So he parted from Mr. Jones, and went home, to pass two of326 words
  4. 107.Section 5: One of the consequences of this triumph was that Thyrsis960 words
  5. 108.Section 6: This was a period of great hopefulness for Thyrsis, but also831 words
  6. 109.Section 7: Also, there were things not in the manuscript which were980 words
  7. 110.Section 8: As usual, the immediate occasion of the writing was trivial1,343 words
  8. 111.Section 9: They went, one Saturday morning, in Miss Lewis’1,024 words
  9. 112.Section 10: It may have been a coincidence; but from that hour dated1,212 words
  10. 113.Section 11: So at twelve o’clock that night there was a consultation in634 words
  11. 114.Book XI: The Torture-House69 words
  12. 115.Section 1: Thyrsis came home beaten and crushed, worn out with overwork768 words
  13. 116.Section 2: Of this shameful thing he said not a word to Corydon. But1,210 words
  14. 117.Section 3: Such was the old-time letter. “And now,” wrote Corydon, “I801 words
  15. 118.Section 4: Another month passed by, and still there was no rift in the640 words
  16. 119.Section 5: However, there are many ups and downs in the trade of804 words
  17. 120.Section 6: About this time Thyrsis thought of another plan. Perhaps he555 words
  18. 121.Section 7: Thyrsis was still reading in the papers and magazines of760 words
  19. 122.Section 8: It was a curious coincidence, one that seemed almost1,080 words
  20. 123.Section 9: Thyrsis went to the apartment-hotel where Darrell lived, and1,210 words
  21. 124.Section 10: So Thyrsis sent a manuscript of his play, and a copy of his1,013 words
  22. 125.Section 11: A few days more passed; and then, one Sundav morning,937 words
  23. 126.Section 12: Little by little Thyrsis drew from Darrell the story of his832 words
  24. 127.Section 13: Thyrsis went away from this interview with some new problems1,105 words
  25. 128.Section 14: A couple of days after the Darrells sailed, Thyrsis set out422 words
  26. 129.Section 15: A few miles out from the town Thyrsis found a farm with423 words
  27. 130.Book XII: The Treadmill106 words
  28. 131.Section 1: The mise-en-scéne of their new adventure in domesticity1,115 words
  29. 132.Section 2: Before she left the city Corydon had taken the baby to926 words
  30. 133.Section 3: But there were ups as well as downs in this tenting954 words
  31. 134.Section 4: This never ceased to be the case between them; but perhaps it503 words
  32. 135.Section 5: The summer passed; and Thyrsis found to his dismay that his607 words
  33. 136.Section 6: And so began the house-building. It was high time, too--the1,100 words
  34. 137.Section 7: When the doors were fitted, and the windows set in, and the709 words
  35. 138.Section 8: However, this disappointment did not trouble them for long;1,075 words
  36. 139.Section 9: The time had now come for Thyrsis to put his job through716 words
  37. 140.Section 10: And this work he had to do as a married man, the father of580 words
  38. 141.Section 11: There was another great change which this cold weather1,161 words
  39. 142.Section 12: In later years they used to discuss this problem, and they1,050 words
  40. 143.Section 13: Then again, Corydon would be going into town to do some793 words
  41. 144.Section 14: It was, as always, their tragedy that they had no means of894 words
  42. 145.Section 15: Thyrsis would work over the book until he was utterly608 words
  43. 146.Section 16: So he lived and fought two battles, one within and1,253 words
  44. 147.Section 17: The long winter dragged by, and the fury of it seemed to1,084 words
  45. 148.Section 18: It was two weeks before this siege was lifted, and Corydon936 words
  46. 149.Section 19: So their tears were mingled; so once more, being623 words
  47. 150.Book XIII: The Masters of the Snare88 words
  48. 151.Section 1: Throughout this long winter of discontent came to them one779 words
  49. 152.Section 2: They seated themselves upon his six-foot piazza; and Thyrsis,475 words
  50. 153.Section 3: Then, late in the afternoon, came Corydon; and this part of1,185 words
  51. 154.Section 4: He returned to the house, entering by the rear door. The baby716 words
  52. 155.Section 5: He went back to the house, and after some search he found833 words
  53. 156.Section 6: It was a long time before the family got over that558 words
  54. 157.Section 7: This marked a new stage in the family’s financial progress;826 words
  55. 158.Section 8: The spring-time had come; not so much the spring-time of1,098 words
  56. 159.Section 9: Thyrsis utilized this summer of leisure to begin a course of1,205 words
  57. 160.Section 10: It was not difficult for any one to understand the ideas,1,362 words
  58. 161.Section 11: Not since he had discovered the master-key of Evolution had599 words
  59. 162.Section 12: Then one of his Socialist friends sent him Thorstein773 words
  60. 163.Book XIV: The Price of Ransom82 words
  61. 164.Section 1: In the course of that summer there befell Corydon an873 words
  62. 165.Section 2: Miss Gordon came the next morning, Mr. Harding with her; and635 words
  63. 166.Section 3: So Thyrsis began a struggle with Jesus and the Congo savages,650 words
  64. 167.Section 4: They went back to the house; as Delia had arranged to1,023 words
  65. 168.Section 5: All this, of course, was effort utterly wasted. Thyrsis605 words
  66. 169.Section 6: Delia Gordon went away to take up her work in the city; but966 words
  67. 170.Section 7: Another victim of their fervor was the Rev. Mr. Harding,555 words
  68. 171.Section 8: Corydon’s excitement over these questions was all the greater633 words
  69. 172.Section 9: The nights were beginning to grow chilly, and they realized877 words
  70. 173.Section 10: The date of publication of the book had come at last. It was620 words
  71. 174.Section 11: So Thyrsis moved one step higher yet up the ladder of540 words
  72. 175.Section 12: They went in to dinner, which was served upon silver-plate,514 words
  73. 176.Section 13: Thyrsis judged that the tidings must have got about that918 words
  74. 177.Section 14: Thyrsis went on to penetrate yet deeper into these838 words
  75. 178.Section 15: Thyrsis studied these people, and measured himself against825 words
  76. 179.Book XV: The Captive Faints86 words
  77. 180.Section 1: Thyrsis came back to his home in the country, divided1,000 words
  78. 181.Section 2: It had now become clear to Thyrsis that he had nothing more600 words
  79. 182.Section 3: Thyrsis would come back from a sojourn such as this with all1,166 words
  80. 183.Section 4: Thyrsis went away, and took to wandering about the country,1,052 words
  81. 184.Section 5: Just at this time Corydon found herself the victim of1,048 words
  82. 185.Section 6: After which festivities Thyrsis bid farewell to his family628 words
  83. 186.Section 7: From visions such as this Thyrsis came back to wrestle with420 words
  84. 187.Section 8: They still had their hours of enthusiasm, of course, their731 words
  85. 188.Section 9: It was all the worse because they laid the blame upon475 words
  86. 189.Section 10: The doctor came next morning, and found the patient worse680 words
  87. 190.Book XVI: The Break for Freedom82 words
  88. 191.Section 1: This illness of the baby’s had been a fearful drain upon627 words
  89. 192.Section 2: Then once more there was answering of advertisements, and760 words
  90. 193.Section 3: As the result of such extravagances, when they had got as571 words
  91. 194.Section 4: Such was the mood in which she went to her strange914 words
  92. 195.Section 5: The next week held for Corydon continuous suffering, which588 words
  93. 196.Section 6: Each night the doctor would look anxiously at his1,181 words
  94. 197.Section 7: For a while she slept the sleep of exhaustion, nor did there734 words
  95. 198.Section 8: Thyrsis received a couple of letters at the same time as the647 words
  96. 199.Section 9: There came from the higher regions a pass upon a steamer to827 words
  97. 200.Section 10: Thyesis came home after three weeks, browned and refreshed,853 words
  98. 201.Section 11: The young clergyman came to call the next afternoon, and the1,620 words
  99. 202.Section 12: Thyrsis figured that the fatal document would reach Mr684 words
  100. 203.Section 13: So Thyrsis strolled away, and after duly considering the1,183 words
  101. 204.Section 14: Thyrsis read this letter over two or three times; and then,997 words
  102. 205.Section 15: Thyrsis pledged his word that he would write no more to Mr754 words
  103. 206.Section 16: They drove home; and all through supper they talked about603 words