the voice of the city-第2章

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sence　an　extract　…　an　audible　extract；　of　which　one

drop　shall　form　the　thing　we　seek。〃



〃Do　you　remember；〃　asked　the　poet；　with　a

chuckle；　〃that　California　girl　we　met　at　Stiver's

studio　last　week？　　Well；　I'm　on　my　way　to　see　her。

She　repeated　that　poem　of　mine；　'　The　Tribute　of

Spring；'　word　for　word。　　She's　the　smartest　proposi…

tion　in　this　town　just　at　present。　　Say；　how　does　this

confounded　tie　look？　　I　spoiled　four　before　I　got　one

to　set　right。〃



〃And　the　Voice　that　I　asked　you　about？〃　I　in…

quired。



〃Oh；　she　doesn't　sing；〃　said　Cleon。　　〃But　you

ought　to　bear　her　recite　my　'Angel　of　the　Inshore

Wind。'〃



I　passed　on。　　I　cornered　a　newsboy　and　be　flashed

at　me　prophetic　pink　papers　that　outstripped　the

news　by　two　revolutions　of　the　clock's　longest　hand。



〃Son；〃　I　said；　while　I　pretended　to　chase　coins　in

my　penny　pocket；　〃doesn't　it　sometimes　seem　to　you

as　if　the　city　ought　to　be　able　to　talk？　　All　these　ups

and　downs　and　funny　business　and　queer　things　hap…

pening　every　daywhat　would　it　say；　do　you　think；

if　it　could　speak？



〃Quit　yer　kiddin'；〃　said　the　boy。　　〃Wot　paper　yer

want？　　I　got　no　time　to　waste。　　It's　Mag's　birthday；

and　I　want　thirty　cents　to　git　her　a　present。〃



Here　was　no　interpreter　of　the　city's　mouthpiece。

I　bought　a　paper；　and　consigned　its　undeclared

treaties；　its　premeditated　murders　and　unfought　bat…

tles　to　an　ash　can。



Again　I　repaired　to　the　park　and　sat　in　the　moon

shade。　　I　thought　and　thought；　and　wondered　why

none　could　tell　me　what　I　asked　for。



And　then；　as　swift　as　light　from　a　fixed　star；　the

answer　came　to　me。　　I　arose　and　hurried　…　hurried

as　so　many　reasoners　must；　back　around　my　circle。

I　knew　the　answer　and　I　bugged　it　in　my　breast　as　I

flew；　fearing　lest　some　one　would　stop　me　and　demand

my　secret。



Aurelia　was　still　on　the　stoop。　　The　moon　was

higher　and　the　ivy　shadows　were　deeper。　　I　sat　at　her

side　and　we　watched　a　little　cloud　tilt　at　the　drifting

moon　and　go　asunder；　quite　pale　and　discomfited。



And　then；　wonder　of　wonders　and　delight　of　de…

lights！　our　hands　somehow　touched；　and　our　fingers

closed　together　and　did　not　part。



After　half　an　hour　Aurelia　said；　with　that　smile

of　hers：



〃Do　you　know；　you　haven't　spoken　a　word　since

you　came　back！　〃



〃That；〃　said　I；　nodding　wisely；　〃is　the　Voice　of

the　City。〃　　









THE　COMPLETE　LIFE　OF　JOHN　HOPKINS





There　is　a　saying　that　no　man　has　tasted　the　full

flavor　of　life　until　he　has　known　poverty；　love　and

war。　　The　justness　of　this　reflection　commends　it　to

the　lover　of　condensed　philosophy。　　The　three　condi…

tions　embrace　about　all　there　is　in　life　worth　knowing。

A　surface　thinker　might　deem　that　wealth　should　be

added　to　the　list。　　Not　so。　　When　a　poor　man　finds　a

long…bidden　quarter…dollar　that　has　slipped　through

a　rip　into　his　vest　lining；　be　sounds　the　pleasure　of

life　with　a　deeper　plummet　than　any　millionaire　can

hope　to　cast。



It　seems　that　the　wise　executive　power　that　rules

life　has　thought　best　to　drill　man　in　these　three　con…

ditions；　and　none　may　escape　all　three。　　In　rural

places　the　terms　do　not　mean　so　much。　　Poverty　is

less　pinching；　love　is　temperate；　war　shrinks　to　con…

tests　about　boundary　lines　and　the　neighbors'　hens。

It　is　in　the　cities　that　our　epigram　gains　in　truth　and

vigor；　and　it　has　remained　for　one　John　Hopkins　to

crowd　the　experience　into　a　rather　small　space　of

time。



The　Hopkins　flat　was　like　a　thousand　others。

There　was　a　rubber　plant　in　one　window；　a　flea…

bitten　terrier　sat　in　the　other；　wondering　when　he

was　to　have　his　day。



John　Hopkins　was　like　a　thousand　others。　　He

worked　at　20　per　week　in　a　nine…story；　red…brick

building　at　either　Insurance；　Buckle's　Hoisting　En…

gines；　Chiropody；　Loans；　Pulleys；　Boas　Renovated；

Waltz　Guaranteed　in　Five　Lessons；　or　Artificial

Limbs。　　It　is　not　for　us　to　wring　Mr。　Hopkins's　avo…

cation　from　these　outward　signs　that　be。



Mrs。　Hopkins　was　like　a　thousand　others。　　The

auriferous　tooth；　the　sedentary　disposition；　the　Sun…

day　afternoon　wanderlust；　the　draught　upon　the

delicatessen　store　for　home…made　comforts；　the

furor　for　department　store　marked…down　sales；　the

feeling　of　superiority　to　the　lady　in　the　third…floor

front　who　wore　genuine　ostrich　tips　and　had　two

names　over　her　bell；　the　mucilaginous　hours　during

which　she　remained　glued　to　the　window　sill；　the　vigi…

lant　avoidance　of　the　instalment　man；　the　tireless

patronage　of　the　acoustics　of　the　dumb…waiter　shaft

…　all　the　attributes　of　the　Gotham　flat…dweller　were

hers。



One　moment　yet　of　sententiousness　and　the　story

moves。



In　the　Big　City　large　and　sudden　things　happen。

You　round　a　corner　and　thrust　the　rib　of　your　um…

brella　into　the　eye　of　your　old　friend　from　Kootenai

Falls。　　You　stroll　out　to　pluck　a　Sweet　William　in　the

park　…　and　lo！　bandits　attack　you　…　you　are　am…

bulanced　to　the　hospital　…　you　marry　your　nurse；

are　divorced　…　get　squeezed　while　short　on　U。　P。　S。

and　D。　0。　W。　N。　S。　…　stand　in　the　bread　line　…　marry

an　heiress；　take　out　your　laundry　and　pay　your　club

dues　…　seemingly　all　in　the　wink　of　an　eye。　　You

travel　the　streets；　and　a　finger　beckons　to　you；　a

handkerchief　is　dropped　for　you；　a　brick　is　dropped

upon　you；　the　elevator　cable　or　your　bank　breaks；　a

table　d'hote　or　your　wife　disagrees　with　you；　and　Fate

tosses　you　about　like　cork　crumbs　in　wine　opened　by

an　un…feed　waiter。　　The　City　is　a　sprightly　young…

ster；　and　you　are　red　paint　upon　its　toy；　and　you　get

licked　off。



John　Hopkins　sat；　after　a　compressed　dinner；　in

his　glove…fitting　straight…front　flat。　　He　sat　upon　a

hornblende　couch　and　gazed；　with　satiated　eyes；　at

Art　Brought　Home　to　the　People　in　the　shape　of

〃The　Storm　〃　tacked　against　the　wall。　Mrs。　Hop…

kins　discoursed　droningly　of　the　dinner　smells　from

the　flat　across　the　ball。　　The　flea…bitten　terrier　gave

Hopkins　a　look　of　disgust；　and　showed　a　man…hating

tooth。



Here　was　neither　poverty；　love；　nor　war；　but　upon

such　barren　stems　may　be　grafted　those　essentials　of

a　complete　life。



John　Hopkins　sought　to　inject　a　few　raisins　of

conversation　into　the　tasteless　dough　of　existence。



〃Putting　a　new　elevator　in　at　the　office；〃　he　said；

discarding　the　nominative　noun；　〃and　the　boss　has

turned　out　his　whiskers。〃



〃You　don't　mean　it！　　commented　Mrs。　Hopkins。



〃Mr。　Whipples；〃　continued　John；　〃wore　his　new

spring　suit　down　to…day。　I　liked　it　fine　It's　a　gray

with　…　〃　He　stopped；　suddenly　stricken　by　a　need

that　made　itself　known　to　him。　　〃I　believe　I'll　walk

down　to　the　corner　and　get　a　five…cent　cigar；〃he

concluded。



John　Hopkins　took　his　bat　aid　picked　his　way

down　the　musty　halls　and　stairs　of　the　flat…house



The　evening　air　was　mild；　and　the　streets　shrill

with　the　careless　cries　of　children　playing　games　con…

trolled　by　mysterious　rhythms　and　phrases。　　Their

elders　held　the　doorways　and　steps　with　leisurely　pipe

and　gossip。　　Paradoxically；　the　fire…escapes　sup…

ported　lovers　in　couples　who　made　no　attempt　to　fly

the　mounting　conflagration　they　were　there　to　fan。

The　corner　cigar　store　aimed　at　by　John　Hopkins

was　kept　by　a　man　named　Freshmayer；　who　looked

upon　the　earth　as　a　sterile　promontory。



Hopkins；　unknown　in　the　store；　entered　and　called

genially　for　his　〃bunch　of　spinach；　car…fare　grade。〃

This　imputation　deepened　the　pessimism　of　Fresh…

mayer；　but　be　set　out　a　brand　that　came　perilously

near　to　filling　the　order。　　Hopkins　bit　off　the　roots　of

his　purchase；　and　lighted　up　at　the　swinging　gas

jet。　　Feeling　in　his　pockets　to　make　payment；　he

found　not　a　penny　there。



〃Say；　my　friend；〃　he　explained；　frankly；　〃I've

come　out　without　any　change。　　Hand　you　that　nickel

first　time　I　pass。〃



Joy　surged　in　Freshmayer's　heart。　　Here　was　cor…

roboration　of　his　belief　that　the　worl