of the badger game, he could probably succeed, upon search in Minetta
Lane, as indeed, he could on any of the great avenues, but then Minetta
Lane is not supposed to be a pearly street of Paradise.

In the meantime the Italians have begun to dispute the possession of the
lane with the negroes. Green Gate Court is filled with them now, and a
row of houses near the M'Dougall Street corner is occupied entirely by
Italian families. None of them seem to be over fond of the old Mulberry
Bend fashion of life, and there are no cutting affrays among them worth
mentioning. It is the original negro element that makes the trouble when
there is trouble.

But they are happy in this condition are these people. The most
extraordinary quality of the negro is his enormous capacity for
happiness under most adverse circumstances. Minetta Lane is a place of
poverty and sin, but these influences cannot destroy the broad smile of
the negro--a vain and simple child, but happy. They all smile here, the
most evil as well as the poorest. Knowing the negro, one always expects
laughter from him, be he ever so poor, but it was a new experience to
see a broad grin on the face of the devil. Even old Pop Babcock had a
laugh as fine and mellow as would be the sound of falling glass, broken
saints from high windows, in the silence of some great cathedral's
hollow.

THE ROOF GARDENS AND GARDENERS OF NEW YORK.

A PHASE OF NEW YORK LIFE AS SEEN BY A CLOSE OBSERVER.

When the hot weather comes the roof gardens burst into full bloom, and
if an inhabitant of Chicago should take flight on his wings over this
city, he would observe six or eight flashing spots in the darkness,
spots as radiant as crowns. These are the roof gardens, and if a giant
had flung a handful of monstrous golden coins upon the sombre-shadowed
city he could not have benefited the metropolis more, although he would
not have given the same opportunity to various commercial aspirants to
charge a price and a half for everything. There are two classes of
men--reporters and central office detectives--who do not mind these
prices because they are very prodigal of their money.

Now is the time of the girl with the copper voice, the Irishman with
circular whiskers, and the minstrel who had a reputation in 1833. To the
street the noise of the band comes down on the wind in fitful gusts, and
at the brilliantly illuminated rail there is suggestion of many straw
hats.

One of the main f