Chapter VH
Cooper and His Friends

IN that cheerless precinct of New
York City to which still clings the
name St. John^s Park, though there
has been no park there this half-cen¬
tury, — in Beach Street, a dozen or
perhaps twenty steps from Hudson
Street, there stands a house that could
not fail to attract the attention of an
observant passer-by. A brick build¬
ing, its architectural features suggest
roomy attractiveness — a condition
little sought after in these days when
the value of every inch of ground
calls for compactness regardless of
beauty of appearance. One looking
at this building and given to senti¬
ment might argue that it is strongly
reminiscent   of a human being  who

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