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The Voice of the City
The Voice of the City
O Henry
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The Voice of the City
THE VOICE OF THE CITY
Twenty…five years ago the school children used to chant their lessons。
The manner of their delivery was a singsong recitative between the
utterance of an Episcopal minister and the drone of a tired sawmill。 I mean
no disrespect。 We must have lumber and sawdust。
I remember one beautiful and instructive little lyric that emanated
from the physiology class。 The most striking line of it was this：
〃The shin…bone is the long…est bone in the hu…man bod…y。〃
What an inestimable boon it would have been if all the corporeal and
spiritual facts pertaining to man bad thus been tunefully and logically
inculcated in our youthful minds！ But what we gained in anatomy； music
and philosophy was meagre。
The other day I became confused。 I needed a ray of light。 I turned back
to those school days for aid。 But in all the nasal harmonies we whined
forth from those bard benches I could not recall one that treated of the
voice of agglomerated mankind。
In other words； of the composite vocal message of massed humanity。
In other words； of the Voice of a Big City。
Now； the individual voice is not lacking。 We can understand the song
of the poet； the ripple of the brook； the meaning of the man who wants 5
until next Monday； the inscriptions on the tombs of the Pharaohs； the
language of flowers； the 〃step lively〃 of the conductor； and the prelude of
the milk cans at 4 A。 M。 Certain large…eared ones even assert that they are
wise to the vibrations of the tympanum pro… need by concussion of the air
emanating from Mr。 H。 James。 But who can comprehend the meaning of
the voice of the city？
I went out for to see。
First； I asked Aurelia。 She wore white Swiss and a bat with flowers on
it； and ribbons and ends of things fluttered here and there。
〃Tell me；〃 I said； stammeringly； for I have no voice of my own； 〃what
does this big … er … enormous … er … whopping city say？ It must have a voice
of some kind。 Does it ever speak to you？ How do you interpret its
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The Voice of the City
meaning？ It is a tremen… dous mass； but it must have a key：'
〃Like a Saratoga trunk？〃 asked Aurelia。
〃No；〃 said I。 〃Please do not refer to the lid。 I have a fancy that every
city has a voice。 Each one has something to say to the one who can hear it。
What does the big one say to you？ 〃
〃All cities；〃 said Aurelia； judicially； 〃say the same thing。 When they
get through saying it there is an echo from Philadelphia。 So； they are
unanimous。〃
〃Here are 4；000；000 people；〃 said I； scholastic… ally； 〃compressed upon
an island； which is mostly lamb surrounded by Wall Street water。 The
conjunc… tion of so many units into so small a space must result in an
identity … or； or rather a homogeneity that finds its oral expression through
a common chan… nel。 It is； as you might say； a consensus of transla… tion；
concentrating in a crystallized； general idea which reveals itself in what
may be termed the Voice of the City。 Can you tell me what it is？
Aurelia smiled wonderfully。 She sat on the high stoop。 A spray of
insolent ivy bobbed against her right ear。 A ray of impudent moonlight
flickered upon her nose。 But I was adamant； nickel… plated。
〃I must go and find out；〃 I said； 〃what is the Voice of this city。 Other
cities have voices。 It is an assignment。 I must have it。 New York；〃 I con…
tinned； in a rising tone； 〃had better not hand me a cigar and say： ' Old man；
I can't talk for publication。' No other city acts in that way。 Chicago says；
unhes… itatingly； 'I will；' I Philadelphia says； 'I should；' New Orleans says； '
I used to；' Louisville says； 'Don't care if I do；' St。 Louis says； 'Excuse me；'
Pittsburg says； 'Smoke up。' Now； New York … 〃
Aurelia smiled。
〃Very well；〃 said I； 〃I must go elsewhere and find out。〃
I went into a palace； tile…floored； cherub…ceilinged and square with the
cop。 I put my foot on the brass rail and said to Billy Magnus； the best
bartender in the diocese：
Billy； you've lived in New York a long time what kind of a song…and…
dance does this old town give you？ What I mean is； doesn't the gab of it
seem to kind of bunch up and slide over the bar to you in a sort of
amalgamated tip that bits off the burg in a kind of an epigram with a dash
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The Voice of the City
of bitters and a slice of … 〃
〃Excuse me a minute；〃 said Billy； 〃somebody's punching the button at
the side door。〃
He went away； came back with an empty tin bucket； again vanished
with it full； returned and said to me：
〃That was Mame。 She rings twice。 She likes a glass of beer for supper。
Her and the kid。 If you ever saw that little skeesicks of mine brace up in
his high chair and take his beer and … But； say； what was yours？ I get kind
of excited when I bear them two rings …was it the baseball score or gin fizz
you asked for？〃
〃Ginger ale；〃 I answered。
I walked up to Broadway。 I saw a cop on the cor… ner。 The cops take
kids up； women across； and men in。 I went up to him。
If I'm not exceeding the spiel limit；〃 I said； 〃let me ask you。 You see
New York during its vocative hours。 It is the function of you and your
brother cops to preserve the acoustics of the city。 There must be a civic
voice that is intelligible to you。 At night during your lonely rounds you
must have beard it。 What is the epitome of its turmoil and shouting？ What
does the city say to you？
〃Friend；〃 said the policeman； spinning his club； 〃it don't say nothing。 I
get my orders from the man higher up。 Say； I guess you're all right。 Stand
here for a few minutes and keep an eye open for the roundsman。〃
The cop melted into the darkness of the side street。 In ten minutes be
had returned。
〃Married last Tuesday；〃 be said； half gruffly。 〃You know bow they are。
She comes to that corner at nine every night for a … comes to say ' hello！ ' I
generally manage to be there。 Say； what was it you asked me a bit ago …
what's doing in