the voice of the city-第18章

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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。



Since　the　strike　had　been　called　it　was　this　par…

ticular　striker's　habit　to　hie　himself　each　morning

to　the　corner　saloon　of　Flaherty　Brothers；　and　there

establish　himself　upon　the　sidewalk；　with　one　foot

resting　on　the　bootblack's　stand；　observing　the

panorama　of　the　street　until　the　pace　of　time　brought

twelve　o'clock　and　the　dinner　hour。　　And　Mr。

〃Tiger〃　McQuirk；　with　his　athletic　seventy　inches；

well　trained　in　sport　and　battle；　his　smooth；　pale；

solid；　amiable　face　　blue　where　the　razor　had　trav…

elled；　his　carefully　considered　clothes　and　air　of　capa…

bility；　was　himself　a　spectacle　not　displeasing　to　the

eye。



But　on　this　morning　Mr。　McQuirk　did　not　hasten

immediately　to　his　post　of　leisure　and　observation。

Something　unusual　that　he　could　not　quite　grasp　was

in　the　air。　　Something　disturbed　his　thoughts；　ruffled

his　senses；　made　him　at　once　languid；　irritable；　elated；

dissastisfied　and　sportive。　　He　was　no　diagnostician；

and　he　did　not　know　that　Lent　was　breaking　up

physiologically　in　his　system。



Mrs。　McQuirk　had　spoken　of　spring。　　Sceptically

Tiger　looked　about　him　for　signs。　Few　they

were。　　The　organ…grinders　were　at　work；　but　they

were　always　precocious　harbingers。　　It　was　near

enough　spring　for　them　to　go　penny…hunting　when　the

skating　ball　dropped　at　the　park。　　In　the　milliners'

windows　Easter　hats；　grave；　gay　and　jubilant；　blos…

somed。　　There　were　green　patches　among　the　side…

walk　debris　of　the　grocers。　　On　a　third…story　window…

sill　the　first　elbow　cushion　of　the　season　　old　gold

stripes　on　a　crimson　ground　　supported　the　kimo…

noed　arms　of　a　pensive　brunette。　　The　wind　blew

cold　from　the　East　River；　but　the　sparrows　were　fly…

ing　to　the　eaves　with　straws。　　A　second…hand　store；

combining　foresight　with　faith；　had　set　out　an　ice…

chest　and　baseball　goods。



And　then　〃Tiger's〃　eye；　discrediting　these　signs；

fell　upon　one　that　bore　a　bud　of　promise。　　From　a

bright；　new　lithograph　the　head　of　Capricornus　con…

fronted　him；　betokening　the　forward　and　heady　brew。



Mr。　McQuirk　entered　the　saloon　and　called　for　his

glass　of　bock。　　He　threw　his　nickel　on　the　bar；　raised

the　glass；　set　it　down　without　tasting　it　and　strolled

toward　the　door。



〃Wot's　the　matter；　Lord　Bolinbroke？〃　inquired

the　sarcastic　bartender；　want　a　chiny　vase　or　a

gold…lined　epergne　to　drink　it　out　of　　hey？〃



〃Say；〃　said　Mr。　McQuirk；　wheeling　and　shooting

out　a　horizontal　hand　and　a　forty…five…degree　chin；

〃you　know　your　place　only　when　it　comes　for　givin'

titles。　　I've　changed　me　mind　about　drinkin　　see？

You　got　your　money；　ain't　you？　　Wait　till　you　get

stung　before　you　get　the　droop　to　your　lip；　will

you？〃



Thus　Mr。　Quirk　added　mutability　of　desires　to　the

strange　humors　that　had　taken　possession　of　him。



Leaving　the　saloon；　he　walked　away　twenty　steps

and　leaned　in　the　open　doorway　of　Lutz；　the　barber。

He　and　Lutz　were　friends；　masking　their　sentiments

behind　abuse　and　bludgeons　of　repartee。



〃Irish　loafer；〃　roared　Lutz；　〃how　do　you　do？

So；　not　yet　haf　der　bolicemans　or　der　catcher　of

dogs　done　deir　duty！〃



〃Hello；　Dutch；〃　said　Mr。　McQuirk。　　〃Can't　get

your　mind　off　of　frankfurters；　can　you？〃



〃Bah！〃　exclaimed　the　German；　coming　and　lean…

ing　in　the　door。　　〃I　haf　a　soul　above　frankfurters

to…day。　　Dere　is　springtime　in　der　air。　　I　can　feel　it

coming　in　ofer　der　mud　of　der　streets　and　das　ice

in　der　river。　　Soon　will　dere　be　bienics　in　der　islands；

mit　kegs　of　beer　under　der　trees。〃



〃Say；〃　said　Mr。　McQuirk；　setting　his　bat　on　one

side；　〃is　everybody　kiddin'　me　about　gentle　Spring？

There　ain't　any　more　spring　in　the　air　than　there　is

in　a　horsehair　sofa　in　a　Second　Avenue　furnished

room。　　For　me　the　winter　underwear　yet　and　the

buckwheat　cakes。〃



〃You　haf　no　boetry；〃　said　Lutz。　　True；　it　is

yedt　cold；　und　in　der　city　we　haf　not　many　of　der

signs；　but　dere　are　dree　kinds　of　beoble　dot　should

always　feel　der'approach　of　spring　first　　dey　are

boets；　lovers　and　poor　vidows。〃



Mr。　McQuirk　went　on　his　way；　still　possessed　by

the　strange　perturbation　that　he　did　not　understand。

Something　was　lacking　to　his　comfort；　and　it　made

him　half　angry　because　be　did　not　know　what　it　was。

Two　blocks　away　he　came　upon　a　foe；　one　Conover；

whom　he　was　bound　in　honor　to　engage　in　combat。



Mr。　McQuirk　made　the　attack　with　the　charac…

teristic　suddenness　and　fierceness　that　had　gained　for

him　the　endearing　sobriquet　of　〃Tiger。〃　　The　de…

fence　of　Mr。　Conover　was　so　prompt　and　admirable

that　the　conflict　was　protracted　until　the　onlookers　un…

selfishly　gave　the　warning　cry　of　〃Cheese　it　　the

cop！〃　　The　principals　escaped　easily　by　running

through　the　nearest　open　doors　into　the　communi…

cating　backyards　at　the　rear　of　the　houses。



Mr。　McQuirk　emerged　into　another　street。　　He

stood　by　a　lamp…post　for　a　few　minutes　engaged　in

thought　and　then　he　turned　and　plunged　into　a　small

notion　and　news　shop。　　A　red…haired　young　woman；

eating　gum…drops；　came　and　looked　freezingly　at　him

across　the　ice…bound　steppes　of　the　counter。



〃Say；　lady；〃　he　said；　〃have　you　got　a　song　book

with　this　in　it。　　Let's　see　bow　it　leads　off　



　　　

　　　　〃When　the　springtime　comes　well　wander　in　the　dale；　love；



　　　　And　whisper　of　those　days　of　yore　　〃





〃I'm　having　a　friend；〃　explained　Mr。　McQuirk；

〃laid　up　with　a　broken　leg；　and　he　sent　me　after

it。　He's　a　devil　for　songs　and　poetry　when　he　can't

get　out　to　drink。〃



〃We　have　not；〃　replied　the　young　woman；　with　un…

concealed　contempt。　　〃But　there　is　a　new　song　out

that　begins　this　way：







　　〃'Let　us　sit　together　in　the　old　armchair；



　　　　And　while　the　firelight　flickers　we'll　be　comfortable　there。'〃





There　will　be　no　profit　in　following　Mr。　〃Tiger〃

McQuirk　through　his　further　vagaries　of　that　d