Silence has left the city. I remember in the old days when I’d be wearied by the noises of the street, I’d go into a quiet telephone booth, drop a nickel, rest my ear on the receiver and take a nap for a half-hour. The trouble now is that after three minutes they say your time is up. There were many restful places in the city then. I used to get into the subway, stretch out on the train seat and sleep until the conductor nudged me at the last stop, saying, “Change beds!” Little by little, quiet left the city, but there was always the movies. There a man could retreat from a debating wife and twelve vocal children for a few hours of silence. But now even the screen shoots and shouts at you. …
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