the voice of the city-第21部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


ding　Company；　there　was　a　look　of　a　couple　of　fires

and　an　eviction　all　over　the　place。



〃The　tenants　began　to　pack　up　feather　beds；　rub…

ber　boots；　strings　of　garlic；　hot…water　bags；　porta…

ble　canoes　and　scuttles　of　coal　to　take　along　for　the

sake　of　comfort。　　The　sidewalk　looked　like　a　Russian

camp　in　Oyama's　line　of　mareb。　　There　was　waiting

and　lamenting　up　and　down　stairs　from　Danny　Geog…

hegan's　flat　on　the　top　floor　to　the　apartments　of

Missis　Goldsteinupski　on　the　first。



〃'For　why；〃　says　Danny；　coming　down　and　raging

in　his　blue　yarn　socks　to　the　janitor；　'should　I　be

turned　out　of　me　comfortable　apartments　to　lay　in

the　dirty　grass　like　a　rabbit？　　'Tis　like　Jerome　to

stir　up　trouble　wid　small　matters　like　this　instead

of　　〃



〃'Whist！'　says　Officer　Reagan　on　the　sidewalk；

rapping　with　his　club。　　''Tis　not　Jerome。　　'Tis　by

order　of　the　Polis　Commissioner。　　Turn　out　every

one　of　yez　and　hike　yerselves　to　the　park。'



〃Now；　'twas　a　peaceful　and　happy　home　that　all

of　us　had　in　them　same　Beersheba　Flats。　　The

O'Dowds　and　the　Steinowitzes　and　the　Callahans　and

the　Cohens　and　the　Spizzinellis　and　the　McManuses

and　the　Spiegelmayers　and　the　Joneses　　all　nations

of　us；　we　lived　like　one　big　family　together。　　And

when　the　hot　nights　come　along　we　kept　a　line　of

children　reaching　from　the　front　door　to　Kelly's　on　the

corner　passing　along　the　cans　of　beer　from　one　to

another　without　the　trouble　of　running　after　it。　　And

with　no　more　clothing　on　than　is　provided　for　in　the

statutes；　sitting　in　all　the　windies；　with　a　cool　growler

in　every　one；　and　your　feet　out　in　the　air；　and　the

Rosenstein　girls　singing　on　the　fire…escape　of　the　sixth

floor；　and　Patsy　Rourke's　flute　going　in　the　eighth；

and　the　ladies　calling　each　other　synonyms　out　the　win…

dies；　and　now　and　then　a　breeze　sailing　in　over　Mister

Depew's　Central　　I　tell　you　the　Beersheba　Flats　was

a　summer　resort　that　made　the　Catskills　look　like

a　bole　in　the　ground。　　With　his　person　full　of　beer

and　his　feet　out　the　windy　and　his　old　woman　frying

pork　chops　over　a　charcoal　furnace　and　the　children

dancing　in　cotton　slips　on　the　sidewalk　around　the

organ…grinder　and　the　rent　paid　for　a　week　　what

does　a　man　want　better　on　a　hot　night　than　that？

And　then　comes　this　ruling　of　the　polis　driving　people

out　o'　their　comfortable　homes　to　sleep　in　parks　

'twas　for　all　the　world　like　a　ukase　of　them　Rus…

sians　　'twill　be　heard　from　again　at　next　election

time。



〃Well；　then；　Officer　Reagan　drives　the　whole　lot

of　us　to　the　park　and　turns　us　in　by　the　nearest

gate。　　'Tis　dark　under　the　trees；　and　all　the　children

sets　up　to　howling　that　they　want　to　go　home。



〃'Ye'll　pass　the　night　in　this　stretch　of　woods

and　scenery；'　says　Officer　Reagan。　　''Twill　be　fine

and　imprisonment　for　insoolting　the　Park　Commis…

sioner　and　the　Chief　of　the　Weather　Bureau　if　ye　re…

fuse。　　I'm　in　charge　of　thirty　acres　between　here　and

the　Agyptian　Monument；　and　I　advise　ye　to　give　no

trouble。　　'Tis　sleeping　on　the　grass　yez　all　have　been

condemned　to　by　the　authorities。　　Yez'll　be　permitted

to　leave　in　the　morning；　but　ye　must　retoorn　be　night。

Me　orders　was　silent　on　the　subject　of　bail；　but　I'11

find　out　if　'tis　required　and　there'll　be　bondsmen　at

the　gate。'



〃There　being　no　lights　except　along　the　automo…

bile　drives；　us　179　tenants　of　the　Beersheba　Flats

prepared　to　spend　the　night　as　best　we　could　in　the

raging　forest。　　Them　that　brought　blankets　and　kin…

dling　wood　was　best　off。　　They　got　fires　started　and

wrapped　the　blankets　round　their　heads　and　laid

down；　cursing；　in　the　grass。　　There　was　nothing　to

see；　nothing　to　drink；　nothing　to　do。　　In　the　dark　we

had　no　way　of　telling　friend　or　foe　except　by　feeling

the　noses　of　'em。　　I　brought　along　me　last　winter

overcoat；　me　toothbrush；　some　quinine　pills　and　the

red　quilt　off　the　bed　in　me　flat。　　Three　times　during

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