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　world　was　rotten　and
  man　a　peripatetic　evil。　　Without　a　word　he　rounded
  the　end　of　his　counter　and　made　earnest　onslaught
  upon　his　customer。　　Hopkins　was　no　man　to　serve　as
  a　punching…bag　for　a　pessimistic　tobacconist。　　He
  quickly　bestowed　upon　Freshmayer　a　Colorado…
  maduro　eye　in　return　for　the　ardent　kick　that　be
  received　from　that　dealer　in　goods　for　cash　only。
  The　impetus　of　the　enemy's　attack　forced　the
  Hopkins　line　back　to　the　sidewalk。　　There　the　con…
  flict　raged；　the　pacific　wooden　Indian；　with　his
  carven　smile；　was　overturned；　and　those　of　the　street
  who　delighted　in　carnage　pressed　round　to　view　the
  zealous　joust。
  But　then　came　the　inevitable　cop　and　imminent
  convenience　for　both　the　attacker　and　attacked。
  John　Hopkins　was　a　peaceful　citizen；　who　worked　at
  rebuses　of　nights　in　a　flat；　but　be　was　not　without　the
  fundamental　spirit　of　resistance　that　comes　with　the
  battle…rage。　　He　knocked　the　policeman　into　a　gro…
  cer's　sidewalk　display　of　goods　and　gave　Freshmayer
  a　punch　that　caused　him　temporarily　to　regret　that
  he　had　not　made　it　a　rule　to　extend　a　five…cent　line
  of　credit　to　certain　customers。　　Then　Hopkins　took
  spiritedly　to　his　heels　down　the　sidewalk；　closely　fol…
  lowed　by　the　cigar…dealer　and　the　policeman；　whose
  uniform　testified　to　the　reason　in　the　grocer's　sign
  that　read：　〃Eggs　cheaper　than　anywhere　else　in
  the　city。〃
  As　Hopkins　ran　he　became　aware　of　a　big；　low；
  red；　racing　automobile　that　kept　abreast　of　him　in
  the　street。　　This　auto　steered　in　to　the　side　of　the
  sidewalk；　and　the　man　guiding　it　motioned　to　Hopkins
  to　jump　into　it。　　He　did　so　without　slackening　his
  speed；　and　fell　into　the　turkey…red　upholstered　seat
  beside　the　chauffeur。　　The　big　machine；　with　a　dimin…
  uendo　cough；　flew　away　like　an　albatross　down　the
  avenue　into　which　the　street　emptied。
  The　driver　of　the　auto　sped　his　machine　without　a
  word。　　He　was　masked　beyond　guess　in　the　g