Youth, a Narrative

An autobiographical short story written in 1898 and included as the first story in the 1902 volume Youth, a Narrative, and Two Other Stories. This volume also includes Heart of Darkness and The End of the Tether, which are concerned with maturity and old age, respectively. "Youth" is narrated by Charles Marlow who is also the narrator of Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim and Chance. Youth depicts his first journey to the East." First Page: YOUTH A NARRATIVE By Joseph Conrad "... But the Dwarf answered: No; something human is dearer to me than the wealth of all the world." GRIMM'S TALES. TO MY WIFE YOUTH This could have occurred nowhere but in England, where men and sea interpenetrate, so to speak the sea entering into the life of most men, and the men knowing something or everything about the sea, in the way of amusement, of travel, or of bread winning. We were sitting round a mahogany table that reflected the bottle, the claret glasses, and our faces as we leaned on our elbows. There was a director of companies, an accountant, a lawyer, Marlow, and myself. The director had been a Conway boy, the accountant had served four years at sea, the lawyer a fine crusted Tory, High Churchman, the best of old fellows, the soul of honour had been chief officer in the P. & O. service in the good old days when mail boats were square rigged at least on two masts, and used to come down the China Sea before a fair monsoon with stun' sails set alow and aloft...