Mr. Don Gregorio Sandino
La Victoria

My very dear father.

It is in my hands your appreciable little letter; you tell me in it to pay Don Florencio; (yes dad) don't think, my shame is little, but I have not made it because of the very bad this murderous climate received me, and even in these last months I have been able to save some pesos, but by force of some privations and making the illusion of leaving to a more civilized country, where I can, if not to make money, at least to look at a wide and clear civilization light, that from it, something will achieve.

This place is picturesque and a lot of money is made, but what leaves in sighs, leaves in tears. Listen. the life of these places is totally bohemian, and its climate is truly an infections focus; this way, many don't earn money beacuse of the frequent illnesses, and others for not knowing how to dominate their disordered passions.

If I intend to cancel my bills, it is not to want to leave, because you should consider that it is not very comfortable going out from a country to another with little money; when one arrives to the destinated city, and when disembarking, thousands of different impressions come and everything looks strange: nobody speaks to you, if it is not the money, there is not anything. After requesting lodging in some hotel, one gets ready the best and goes to look for an occupation; they look at you from feet to head, they ask you a thousand questions, and among them, what do you know to do, and why did you leave where you were, this is, even scorns are received most of the times are received. One already looks then at the urgency that it is necessary to arrive orderly and with money, better than before without it, and eccentricly.

Here there are thousands of men who desire to come back to their homes, but they can't; they don't have anything, beacuse even if they earn hundred of dollars, they squander them; in these places, everywhere you pass, you will listen any kind of music, great dancings, big bailaderas, great jests, some today and others tomorrow, and this way the patched ones are the owners of countless taverns and game houses; that life is not for a man who wants to distinguished a bit and for that reason I make as much as it is on my behalf to leave as soon as possible.

Regards to all my brothers and the stepmother, and you receive a strong from your indefatigable but unfortunate,

AUGUSTO

Reagrds to Don J. M. Sandino and to Don César. Tell them that I remember them with love.

Letter to his father, Don Gregorio Sandino, 1922.