the voice of the city-第24章

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the　night　somebody　rolled　on　me　quilt　and　stuck　his

knees　against　the　Adam's　apple　of　me。　　And　three

times　I　judged　his　character　by　running　me　hand　over

his　face；　and　three　times　I　rose　up　and　kicked　the　in…

truder　down　the　hill　to　the　gravelly　walk　below。　　And

then　some　one　with　a　flavor　of　Kelly's　whiskey　snug…

gled　up　to　me；　and　I　found　his　nose　turned　up　the

right　way；　and　I　says：　'　Is　that　you；　then；　Patsey？

and　he　says；　'It　is；　Carney。　　How　long　do　you　think

it'll　last？'



〃'　I'm　no　weather…prophet；'　says　I；　'but　if　they

bring　out　a　strong　anti…Tammany　ticket　next　fall　it

ought　to　get　us　home　in　time　to　sleep　on　a　bed　once

or　twice　before　they　line　us　up　at　the　polls。'

〃A…playing　of　my　flute　into　the　airshaft；　I　says

Patsey　Rourke；　'and　a…perspiring　in　me　own　windy

to　the　joyful　noise　of　the　passing　trains　and　the　smell

of　liver　and　onions　and　a…reading　of　the　latest　mur…

der　in　the　smoke　of　the　cooking　is　well　enough　for

me；'　says　he。　　'What　is　this　herding　us　in　grass　for；

not　to　mention　the　crawling　things　with　legs　that　walk

up　the　trousers　of　us；　and　the　Jersey　snipes　that

peck　at　us；　masquerading　under　the　name　and　denom…

ination　of　mosquitoes。　　What　is　it　all　for　Carney；　and

the　rint　going　on　just　the　same　over　at　the　flats？'



〃Tis　the　great　annual　Municipal　Free　Night

Outing　Lawn　Party；'　says　I；　'given　by　the　polis；

Hetty　Green　and　the　Drug　Trust。　　During　the　heated

season　they　hold　a　week　of　it　in　the　principal　parks。

'Tis　a　scheme　to　reach　that　portion　of　the　people

that's　not　worth　taking　up　to　North　Beach　for　a

fish　fry。'



〃'　I　can't　sleep　on　the　ground；'　says　Patsey；　'wid

any　benefit。　　I　have　the　hay　fever　and　the　rheuma…

tism；　and　me　car　is　full　of　ants。'



〃Well；　the　night　goes　on；　and　the　ex…tenants　of

the　Flats　groans　and　stumbles　around　in　the　dark；

trying　to　find　rest　and　recreation　in　the　forest。　　The

children　is　screaming　with　the　coldness；　and　the　jan…

itor　makes　hot　tea　for　'em　and　keeps　the　fires　going

with　the　signboards　that　point　to　the　Tavern　and　the

Casino。　　The　tenants　try　to　lay　down　on　the　grass　by

families　in　the　dark；　but　you're　lucky　if　you　can　sleep

next　to　a　man　from　the　same　floor　or　believing　in

the　same　religion。　　Now　and　then　a　Murpby；　acci…

dental；　rolls　over　on　the　grass　of　a　Rosenstein；　or

a　Cohen　tries　to　crawl　under　the　O'Grady　bush；　and

then　there's　a　feeling　of　noses　and　somebody　is　rolled

down　the　hill　to　the　driveway　and　stays　there。　　There

is　some　hair…pulling　among　the　women　folks；　and

everybody　spanks　the　nearest　howling　kid　to　him　by

the　sense　of　feeling　only；　regardless　of　its　parentage

and　ownership。　　'Tis　hard　to　keep　up　the　social　dis…

tinctions　in　the　dark　that　flourish　by　daylight　in　the

Beersheba　Flats。　　Mrs。　Rafferty；　that　despises　the

asphalt　that　a　Dago　treads　on；　wakes　up　in　the　morn…

ing　with　her　feet　in　the　bosom　of　Antonio　Spizzinelli。

And　Mike　O'Dowd；　that　always　threw　peddlers　down…

stairs　as　fast　as　he　came　upon　'em；　has　to　unwind　old

Isaacstein's　whiskers　from　around　his　neck；　and　wake

up　the　whole　gang　at　daylight。　　But　here　and　there

some　few　got　acquainted　and　overlooked　the　discom…

forts　of　the　elements。　　There　was　five　engagements　to

be　married　announced　at　the　flats　the　next　morning。



About　midnight　I　gets　up　and　wrings　the　dew　out

of　my　hair；　and　goes　to　the　side　of　the　driveway

and　sits　down。　　At　one　side　of　the　park　I　could　see

the　lights　in　the　streets　and　houses；　and　I　was　thinking

how　happy　them　folks　was　who　could　chase　the　duck

and　smoke　their　pipes　at　their　windows；　and　keep　cool

and　pleasant　like　nature　intended　for　'em　to。



Just　then　an　automobile　stops　by　me；　and　a　fine…

looking；　well…dressed　man　steps　out。



'Me　man；'　says　he；　'can　you　tell　me　why　all　these

people　are　lying　around　on　the　grass　in　the　park？

I　thought　it　was　against　the　rules。'



〃''Twas　an　ordinance；'　says　I；　'just　passed　by

the　Polis　Department　and　ratified　by　the　Turf　Cut…

ters'　Association；　providing　that　all　persons　not　car…

rying　a　license　number　on　their　rear　axles　shall　keep

in　the　public　parks　until　further　notice。　　Fortu…

nately；　the　orders　comes　this　year　during　a　spell　of

fine　weather；　and　the　mortality；　except　on　the　borders

of　the　lake　and　along　the　automobile　drives；　will　not

be　any　greater　than　usual。'



〃'Who　are　these　people　on　the　side　of　the　bill？'

asks　the　man。



〃'Sure；'　says　I；　'none　others　than　the　tenants　of

the　Beersheba　Flats　　a　fine　home　for　any　man；

especially　on　hot　nights。　　May　daylight　come　soon！'



〃'They　come　here　be　night；'　says　be；　'and　breathe

in　the　pure　air　and　the　fragrance　of　the　flowers　and

trees。　　They　do　that；'　says　be；　'coming　every　night

from　the　burning　beat　of　dwellings　of　brick　and　stone。'



〃'And　wood；'　says　I。　'And　marble　and　plaster

and　iron。'



〃'The　matter　will　be　attended　to　at　once；'　says　the

man；　putting　up　his　book。



〃'Are　ye　the　Park　Commissioner？'　I　asks。



〃'I　own　the　Beersheba　Flats；'　says　he。　　'God

bless　the　grass　and　the　trees　that　give　extra　benefits

to　a　man's　tenants。　　The　rents　shall　be　raised　fifteen

per　cent。　to…morrow。　　Good…night；'　says　he。〃









THE　EASTER　OF　THE　SOUL





It　is　hardly　likely　that　a　goddess　may　die。　　Then

Eastre；　the　old　Saxon　goddess　of　spring；　must　be

laughing　in　her　muslin　sleeve　at　people　who　believe

that　Easter；　her　namesake；　exists　only　along　certain

strips　of　Fifth　Avenue　pavement　after　church　service。



Aye！　　It　belongs　to　the　world。　　The　ptarmigan　in

Chilkoot　Pass　discards　his　winter　white　feathers　for

brown；　the　Patagonian　Beau　Brummell　oils　his　chi…

gnon　and　clubs　him　another　sweetheart　to　drag　to　his

skull…strewn　flat。　　And　down　in　Chrystie　Street　



Mr。　〃Tiger〃　McQuirk　arose　with　a　feeling　of

disquiet　that　be　did　not　understand。　　With　a　prac…

tised　foot　be　rolled　three　of　his　younger　brothers　like

logs　out　of　his　way　as　they　lay　sleeping　on　the　floor。

Before　a　foot…square　looking　glass　hung　by　the　win…

dow　he　stood　and　shaved　himself。　　If　that　may　seem　to

you　a　task　too　slight　to　be　thus　impressively　chron…

icled；　I　bear　with　you；　you　do　not　know　of　the　areas

to　be　accomplished　in　traversing　the　cheek　and　chin

of　Mr。　McQuirk。



McQuirk；　senior；　had　gone　to　work　long　before。

The　big　son　of　the　house　was　idle。　　He　was　a　marble…

cutter；　and　the　marble…cutters　were　out　on　a　strike。



〃What　ails　ye？〃　asked　his　mother；　looking　at　him

curiously；　〃are　ye　not　feeling　well　the　morning；

maybe　now？〃



〃He's　thinking　along　of　Annie　Maria　Doyle；　im…

pudently　explained　younger　brother　Tim；　ten　years

old。〃



〃Tiger〃　reached　over　the　hand　of　a　champion　and

swept　the　small　McQuirk　from　his　chair。



〃I　feel　fine；〃　said　he；　〃beyond　a　touch　of　the

I…don't…know…wbat…you…call…its。　　I　feel　like　there　was

going　to　be　earthquakes　or　music　or　a　trifle　of　chills

and　fever　or　maybe　a　picnic。　　I　don't　know　how　I

feel。　　I　feel　like　knocking　the　face　off　a　policeman；

or　else　maybe　like　playing　Coney　Island　straight

across　the　board　from　pop…corn　to　the　elephant

boudabs。〃



〃It's　the　spring　in　yer　bones；〃　said　Mrs。　McQuirk。

〃It's　the　sap　risin'。　　Time　was　when　I　couldn't　keep

me　feet　still　nor　me　head　cool　when　the　earthworms

began　to　crawl　out　in　the　dew　of　the　mornin'。　　'Tis

a　bit　of　tea　will　do　ye　good；　made　from　pipsissewa

and　gentian　bark　at　the　druggist's。〃



〃Back　up！〃　said　Mr。　McQuirk；　impatiently。



〃There's　no　spring　in　sight　　There's　snow　yet　on

the　shed　in　Donovan's　backyard。　　And　yesterday　they

puts　open　cars　on　the　Sixth　Avenue　lines；　and　the

janitors　have　quit　ordering　coal。　　And　that　means

six　weeks　more　of　winter；　by　all　the　signs　that　be。〃



After　breakfast　Mr。　McQuirk　spent　fifteen　minutes

before　the　corrugated　mirror；　subjugating　his　hair

and　arranging　his　green…and…purple　ascot　with　its

amethyst　tombstone　pin…eloquent　of　his　chosen

calling。