the voice of the city-第1章

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The　Voice　of　the　City



by　O　Henry










THE　VOICE　OF　THE　CITY









Twenty…five　years　ago　the　school　children　used

to　chant　their　lessons。　　The　manner　of　their　delivery

was　a　singsong　recitative　between　the　utterance　of　an

Episcopal　minister　and　the　drone　of　a　tired　sawmill。

I　mean　no　disrespect。　　We　must　have　lumber　and

sawdust。



I　remember　one　beautiful　and　instructive　little

lyric　that　emanated　from　the　physiology　class。　The

most　striking　line　of　it　was　this：



〃The　shin…bone　is　the　long…est　bone　in　the　hu…man

bod…y。〃



What　an　inestimable　boon　it　would　have　been　if

all　the　corporeal　and　spiritual　facts　pertaining　to

man　bad　thus　been　tunefully　and　logically　inculcated

in　our　youthful　minds！　　But　what　we　gained　in

anatomy；　music　and　philosophy　was　meagre。



The　other　day　I　became　confused。　　I　needed　a

ray　of　light。　　I　turned　back　to　those　school　days　for

aid。　　But　in　all　the　nasal　harmonies　we　whined　forth

from　those　bard　benches　I　could　not　recall　one　that

treated　of　the　voice　of　agglomerated　mankind。



In　other　words；　of　the　composite　vocal　message　of

massed　humanity。



In　other　words；　of　the　Voice　of　a　Big　City。



Now；　the　individual　voice　is　not　lacking。　　We　can

understand　the　song　of　the　poet；　the　ripple　of　the

brook；　the　meaning　of　the　man　who　wants　5　until

next　Monday；　the　inscriptions　on　the　tombs　of　the

Pharaohs；　the　language　of　flowers；　the　〃step　lively〃

of　the　conductor；　and　the　prelude　of　the　milk　cans　　at

4　A。　M。　Certain　large…eared　ones　even　assert　that

they　are　wise　to　the　vibrations　of　the　tympanum　pro…

need　by　concussion　of　the　air　emanating　from　Mr。

H。　James。　　But　who　can　comprehend　the　meaning

of　the　voice　of　the　city？



I　went　out　for　to　see。



First；　I　asked　Aurelia。　　She　wore　white　Swiss　and　a

bat　with　flowers　on　it；　and　ribbons　and　ends　of　things

fluttered　here　and　there。



〃Tell　me；〃　I　said；　stammeringly；　for　I　have　no

voice　of　my　own；　〃what　does　this　big　…　er　…　

enormous　…　er　…　whopping　city　say？　　It　must　have

a　voice　of　some　kind。　　Does　it　ever　speak　to　you？

How　do　you　interpret　its　meaning？　　It　is　a　tremen…

dous　mass；　but　it　must　have　a　key：'



〃Like　a　Saratoga　trunk？〃　asked　Aurelia。



〃No；〃　said　I。　〃Please　do　not　refer　to　the　lid。　I

have　a　fancy　that　every　city　has　a　voice。　　Each　one

has　something　to　say　to　the　one　who　can　hear　it。

What　does　the　big　one　say　to　you？　　〃



〃All　cities；〃　said　Aurelia；　judicially；　〃say　the

same　thing。　When　they　get　through　saying　it

there　is　an　echo　from　Philadelphia。　So；　they　are

unanimous。〃



〃Here　are　4；000；000　people；〃　said　I；　scholastic…

ally；　〃compressed　upon　an　island；　which　is　mostly

lamb　surrounded　by　Wall　Street　water。　　The　conjunc…

tion　of　so　many　units　into　so　small　a　space　must

result　in　an　identity　…　or；　or　rather　a　homogeneity

that　finds　its　oral　expression　through　a　common　chan…

nel。　　It　is；　as　you　might　say；　a　consensus　of　transla…

tion；　concentrating　in　a　crystallized；　general　idea

which　reveals　itself　in　what　may　be　termed　the　Voice

of　the　City。　　Can　you　tell　me　what　it　is？



Aurelia　smiled　wonderfully。　She　sat　on　the　high

stoop。　　A　spray　of　insolent　ivy　bobbed　against　her

right　ear。　　A　ray　of　impudent　moonlight　flickered

upon　her　nose。　　But　I　was　adamant；　nickel…

plated。



〃I　must　go　and　find　out；〃　I　said；　〃what　is　the

Voice　of　this　city。　　Other　cities　have　voices。　　It　is　an

assignment。　　I　must　have　it。　　New　York；〃　I　con…

tinned；　in　a　rising　tone；　〃had　better　not　hand　me　a

cigar　and　say：　'　Old　man；　I　can't　talk　for　publication。'

No　other　city　acts　in　that　way。　　Chicago　says；　unhes…

itatingly；　'I　will；'　I　Philadelphia　says；　'I　should；'

New　Orleans　says；　'　I　used　to；'　Louisville　says；

'Don't　care　if　I　do；'　St。　Louis　says；　'Excuse　me；'

Pittsburg　says；　'Smoke　up。'　Now；　New　York　…　〃



Aurelia　smiled。



〃Very　well；〃　said　I；　〃I　must　go　elsewhere　and　find

out。〃



I　went　into　a　palace；　tile…floored；　cherub…ceilinged

and　square　with　the　cop。　　I　put　my　foot　on　the　brass

rail　and　said　to　Billy　Magnus；　the　best　bartender　in

the　diocese：



Billy；　you've　lived　in　New　York　a　long　time

what　kind　of　a　song…and…dance　does　this　old　town　give

you？　　What　I　mean　is；　doesn't　the　gab　of　it　seem　to

kind　of　bunch　up　and　slide　over　the　bar　to　you　in　a

sort　of　amalgamated　tip　that　bits　off　the　burg　in　a

kind　of　an　epigram　with　a　dash　of　bitters　and　a　slice

of　…　〃



〃Excuse　me　a　minute；〃　said　Billy；　〃somebody's

punching　the　button　at　the　side　door。〃



He　went　away；　came　back　with　an　empty　tin

bucket；　again　vanished　with　it　full；　returned　and

said　to　me：



〃That　was　Mame。　　She　rings　twice。　　She　likes　a

glass　of　beer　for　supper。　　Her　and　the　kid。　　If　you

ever　saw　that　little　skeesicks　of　mine　brace　up　in　his

high　chair　and　take　his　beer　and　…　But；　say；　what

was　yours？　　I　get　kind　of　excited　when　I　bear　them

two　rings　…was　it　the　baseball　score　or　gin　fizz　you

asked　for？〃



〃Ginger　ale；〃　I　answered。



I　walked　up　to　Broadway。　　I　saw　a　cop　on　the　cor…

ner。　　The　cops　take　kids　up；　women　across；　and　men

in。　I　went　up　to　him。



If　I'm　not　exceeding　the　spiel　limit；〃　I　said；　〃let

me　ask　you。　　You　see　New　York　during　its　vocative

hours。　　It　is　the　function　of　you　and　your　brother

cops　to　preserve　the　acoustics　of　the　city。　　There　must

be　a　civic　voice　that　is　intelligible　to　you。　　At　night

during　your　lonely　rounds　you　must　have　beard　it。

What　is　the　epitome　of　its　turmoil　and　shouting？

What　does　the　city　say　to　you？



〃Friend；〃　said　the　policeman；　spinning　his　club；

〃it　don't　say　nothing。　　I　get　my　orders　from　the

man　higher　up。　　Say；　I　guess　you're　all　right。　　Stand

here　for　a　few　minutes　and　keep　an　eye　open　for　the

roundsman。〃



The　cop　melted　into　the　darkness　of　the　side　street。

In　ten　minutes　be　had　returned。



〃Married　last　Tuesday；〃　be　said；　half　gruffly。

〃You　know　bow　they　are。　　She　comes　to　that　corner

at　nine　every　night　for　a　…　comes　to　say　'　hello！　'　I

generally　manage　to　be　there。　　Say；　what　was　it　you

asked　me　a　bit　ago　…　what's　doing　in　the　city？　　Oh；

there's　a　roof…garden　or　two　just　opened；　twelve

blocks　up。〃



I　crossed　a　crow's…foot　of　street…car　tracks；　and

skirted　the　edge　of　an　umbrageous　park。　　An

artificial　Diana；　gilded；　heroic；　poised；　wind…ruled；

on　the　tower；　shimmered　in　the　clear　light　of　her

namesake　in　the　sky。　　Along　came　my　poet；　hurry…

ing；　hatted；　haired；　emitting　dactyls；　spondees　and

dactylis。　　I　seized　him。

〃Bill；〃　said　I　（in　the　magazine　he　is　Cleon）；　〃give

me　a　lift。　　I　am　on　an　assignment　to　find　out　the

Voice　of　the　city。　　You　see；　it's　a　special　order。　　Ordi…

narily　a　symposium　comprising　the　views　of　Henry

Clews；　John　L。　Sullivan；　Edwin　Markham；　May　Ir…

win　and　Charles　Schwab　would　be　about　all。　　But　this

is　a　different　matter。　　We　want　a　broad；　poetic；

mystic　vocalization　of　the　city's　soul　and　meaning。

You　are　the　very　chap　to　give　me　a　hint。　　Some　years

ago　a　man　got　at　the　Niagara　Falls　and　gave　us　its

pitch。　　The　note　was　about　two　feet　below　the　lowest

G　on　the　piano。　　Now；　you　can't　put　New　York　into

a　note　unless　it's　better　indorsed　than　that。　　But　give

me　an　idea　of　what　it　would　say　if　it　should　speak。　　It

is　bound　to　be　a　mighty　and　far…reaching　utterance。

To　arrive　at　it　we　must　take　the　tremendous　crash　of

the　chords　of　the　day's　traffic；　the　laughter　and　music

of　the　night；　the　solemn　tones　of　Dr。　Parkhurst；　the

rag…time；　the　weeping；　the　stealthy　bum　of　cab…wbeels；

the　shout　of　the　press　agent；　the　tinkle　of　fountains

on　the　roof　gardens；　the　hullabaloo　of　the　strawberry

vender　and　the　covers　of　Everybody's　Magazine；　the

whispers　of　the　lovers　in　the　parks　…　all　these　sounds；

must　go　into　your　Voice　…　not　combined；　but　mixed；

and　of　the　mixture　an　essence　made；　and　of　the　es…

sence　an　extract　…　an　audible　extract；　of　which　one

drop　shall　form　the　thi