matters of opinion. Here, as a general rule, no man seeks to influence
the belief of another, except so far as all men are privileged to do
so. Every religious faith, every shade of political opinion, is
tolerated and protected. Men concern themselves with their own affairs
only. Indeed, this feeling is carried to such an extreme that it has
engendered a decided indifference between man and man. People live for
years as next door neighbors, without ever knowing each other by sight.
A gentleman once happened to notice the name of his next door neighbor
on the door-plate. To his surprise he found it the same as his own.
Accosting the owner of the door-plate one day, for the first time, he
remarked that it was singular that two people bearing the same name
should live side by side for years without knowing each other. This
remark led to mutual inquiries and statements, and to their surprise
the two men found they were brothers--sons of the same parents. They
had not met for many years, and for fully twelve years had lived side
by side as neighbors, without knowing each other. This incident may be
overdrawn, but it will illustrate a peculiar feature of New York life.

Strangers coming to New York are struck with the fact that there are
but two classes in the city--the poor and the rich. The middle class,
which is so numerous in other cities, hardly exists at all here. The
reason of this is plain to the initiated. Living in New York is so
expensive that persons of moderate means reside in the suburbs, some of
them as far as forty miles in the country. They come into the city, to
their business, in crowds, between the hours of seven and nine in the
morning, and literally pour out of it between four and seven in the
evening. In fair weather the inconvenience of such a life is trifling,
but in the winter it is absolutely fearful. A deep snow will sometimes
obstruct the railroad tracks, and persons living outside of the city
are either unable to leave New York, or are forced to spend the night