their silver wedding journey v3-第24章

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approach　to　their　hotel　on　Unter　den　Linden　was　as　unimpressive　as　the
ignoble　avenue　itself。　　It　was　a　moist；　cold　evening；　and　the　mean；
tiresome　street；　slopped　and　splashed　under　its　two　rows　of　small　trees；
to　which　the　thinning　leaves　clung　like　wet　rags；　between　long　lines　of
shops　and　hotels　which　had　neither　the　grace　of　Paris　nor　the　grandiosity
of　New　York。　　March　quoted　in　bitter　derision：

　　　　　　　　　〃Bees；　bees；　was　it　your　hydromel；
　　　　　　　　　　Under　the　Lindens？〃

and　his　wife　said　that　if　Commonwealth　Avenue　in　Boston　could　be　imagined
with　its　trees　and　without　their　beauty；　flanked　by　the　architecture　of
Sixth　Avenue；　with　dashes　of　the　west　side　of　Union　Square；　that　would　be
the　famous　Unter　den　Linden；　where　she　had　so　resolutely　decided　that
they　would　stay　while　in　Berlin。

They　had　agreed　upon　the　hotel；　and　neither　could　blame　the　other　because
it　proved　second…rate　in　everything　but　its　charges。　　They　ate　a　poorish
table　d'hote　dinner　in　such　low　spirits　that　March　had　no　heart　to　get　a
rise　from　his　wife　by　calling　her　notice　to　the　mouse　which　fed　upon　the
crumbs　about　their　feet　while　they　dined。　　Their　English…speaking　waiter
said　that　it　was　a　very　warm　evening；　and　they　never　knew　whether　this
was　because　he　was　a　humorist；　or　because　he　was　lonely　and　wished　to
talk；　or　because　it　really　was　a　warm　evening；　for　Berlin。　　When　they　had
finished；　they　went　out　and　drove　about　the　greater　part　of　the　evening
looking　for　another　hotel；　whose　first　requisite　should　be　that　it　was
not　on　Unter　den　Linden。　　What　mainly　determined　Mrs。　March　in　favor　of
the　large；　handsome；　impersonal　place　they　fixed　upon　was　the　fact　that
it　was　equipped　for　steam…heating；　what　determined　March　was　the　fact
that　it　had　a　passenger…office　where　when　he　wished　to　leave；　he　could
buy　his　railroad　tickets　and　have　his　baggage　checked　without　the
maddening　anxiety；　of　doing　it　at　the　station。　　But　it　was　precisely　in
these　points　that　the　hotel　which　admirably　fulfilled　its　other　functions
fell　short。　　The　weather　made　a　succession　of　efforts　throughout　their
stay　to　clear　up　cold；　it　merely　grew　colder　without　clearing　up；　but
this　seemed　to　offer　no　suggestion　of　steam　for　heating　their　bleak
apartment　and　the　chilly　corridors　to　the　management。　　With　the　help　of　a
large　lamp　which　they　kept　burning　night　and　day　they　got　the　temperature
of　their　rooms　up　to　sixty；　there　was　neither　stove　nor　fireplace；　the
cold　electric　bulbs　diffused　a　frosty　glare；　and　in　the　vast；　stately
dining…room　with　its　vaulted　roof；　there　was　nothing　to　warm　them　but
their　plates；　and　the　handles　of　their　knives　and　forks；　which；　by　a
mysterious　inspiration；　were　always　hot。　　When　they　were　ready　to　go；
March　experienced　from　the　apathy　of　the　baggage　clerk　and　the　reluctance
of　the　porters　a　more　piercing　distress　than　any　he　had　known　at　the
railroad　stations；　and　one　luckless　valise　which　he　ordered　sent　after
him　by　express　reached　his　bankers　in　Paris　a　fortnight　overdue；　with　an
accumulation　of　charges　upon　it　outvaluing　the　books　which　it　contained。

But　these　were　minor　defects　in　an　establishment　which　had　many　merits；
and　was　mainly　of　the　temperament　and　intention　of　the　large　English
railroad　hotels。　　They　looked　from　their　windows　down　into　a　gardened
square；　peopled　with　a　full　share　of　the　superabounding　statues　of　Berlin
and　frequented　by　babies　and　nurse　maids　who　seemed　not　to　mind　the　cold
any　more　than　the　stone　kings　and　generals。　　The　aspect　of　this　square；
like　the　excellent　cooking　of　the　hotel　and　the　architecture　of　the
imperial　capital；　suggested　the　superior　civilization　of　Paris。　　Even　the
rows　of　gray　houses　and　private　palaces　of　Berlin　are　in　the　French
taste；　which　is　the　only　taste　there　is　in　Berlin。　　The　suggestion　of
Paris　is　constant；　but　it　is　of　Paris　in　exile；　and　without　the　chic
which　the　city　wears　in　its　native　air。　　The　crowd　lacks　this　as　much　as
the　architecture　and　the　sculpture；　there　is　no　distinction　among　the　men
except　for　now　and　then　a　military　figure；　and　among　the　women　no　style
such　as　relieves　the　commonplace　rash　of　the　New　York　streets。　　The
Berliners　are　plain　and　ill　dressed；　both　men　and　women；　and　even　the
little　children　are　plain。　　Every　one　is　ill　dressed；　but　no　one　is
ragged；　and　among　the　undersized　homely　folk　of　the　lower　classes　there
is　no　such　poverty…stricken　shabbiness　as　shocks　and　insults　the　sight　in
New　York。　　That　which　distinctly　recalls　our　metropolis　is　the　lofty
passage　of　the　elevated　trains　intersecting　the　prospectives　of　many
streets；　but　in　Berlin　the　elevated　road　is　carried　on　massive　brick
archways　and　not　lifted　upon　gay；　crazy　iron　ladders　like　ours。

When　you　look　away　from　this；　and　regard　Berlin　on　its　aesthetic；　side
you　are　again　in　that　banished　Paris；　whose　captive　art…soul　is　made　to
serve；　so　far　as　it　may　be　enslaved　to　such　an　effect；　in　the　celebration
of　the　German　triumph　over　France。　　Berlin　has　never　the　presence　of　a
great　capital；　however；　in　spite　of　its　perpetual　monumental　insistence。
There　is　no　streaming　movement　in　broad　vistas；　the　dull　looking
population　moves　sluggishly；　there　is　no　show　of　fine　equipages。　　The
prevailing　tone　of　the　city　and　the　sky　is　gray；　but　under　the　cloudy
heaven　there　is　no　responsive　Gothic　solemnity　in　the　architecture。
There　are　hints　of　the　older　German　cities　in　some　of　the　remote　and
observe　streets；　but　otherwise　all　is　as　new　as　Boston；　which　in　fact　the
actual　Berlin　hardly　antedates。

There　are　easily　more　statues　in　Berlin　than　in　any　other　city　in　the
world；　but　they　only　unite　in　failing　to　give　Berlin　an　artistic　air。
They　stand　in　long　rows　on　the　cornices；　they　crowd　the　pediments；　they
poise　on　one　leg　above　domes　and　arches；　they　shelter　themselves　in
niches；　they　ride　about　on　horseback；　they　sit　or　lounge　on　street
corners　or　in　garden　walks；　all　with　a　mediocrity　in　the　older　sort　which
fails　of　any　impression。　　If　they　were　only　furiously　baroque　they　would
be　something；　and　it　may　be　from　a　sense　of　this　that　there　is　a　self…
assertion　in　the　recent　sculptures；　which　are　always　patriotic；　more
noisy　and　bragging　than　anything　else　in　perennial　brass。　　This　offensive
art　is　the　modern　Prussian　avatar　of　the　old　German　romantic　spirit；　and
bears　the　same　relation　to　it　that　modern　romanticism　in　literature　bears
to　romance。　　It　finds　its　apotheosis　in　the　monument　to　Kaiser　Wilhelm
I。；　a　vast　incoherent　group　of　swelling　and　swaggering　bronze；
commemorating　the　victory　of　the　first　Prussian　Emperor　in　the　war　with
the　last　French　Emperor；　and　avenging　the　vanquished　upon　the　victors　by
its　ugliness。　　The　ungainly　and　irrelevant　assemblage　of　men　and　animals
backs　away　from　the　imperial　palace；　and　saves　itself　too　soon　from
plunging　over　the　border　of　a　canal　behind　it；　not　far　from　Rauch's　great
statue　of　the　great　Frederic。　　To　come　to　it　from　the　simplicity　and
quiet　of　that　noble　work　is　like　passing　from　some　exquisite　masterpiece
of　naturalistic　acting　to　the　rant　and　uproar　of　melodrama；　and　the
Marches　stood　stunned　and　bewildered　by　its　wild　explosions。

When　they　could　escape　they　found　themselves　so　convenient　to　the
imperial　palace　that　they　judged　best　to　discharge　at　once　the　obligation
to　visit　it　which　must　otherwise　weigh　upon　them。　　They　entered　the　court
without　opposition　from　the　sentinel；　and　joined　other　strangers
straggling　instinctively　toward　a　waiting…room　in　one　corner　of　the
building；　where　after　they　had　increased　to　some　thirty；　a　custodian　took
charge　of　them；　and　led　them　up　a　series　of　inclined　plains　of　brick　to
the　state　apartments。　　In　the　antechamber　they　found　a　provision　of
immense　felt　over…shoes　which　they　were　expected　to　put　on　for　their
passage　over　the　waxed　marquetry　of　the　halls。　　These　roomy　slippers　were
designed　for　the　accommodation　of　the　native　boots；　and　upon　the　mixed
company　of　foreigners　the　effect　was　in　the　last　degree　humiliating。　　The
women's　skirts　some　what　hid　their　disgrace；　but　the　men　were　openly　put
to　shame；　and　they　shuffled　forward　with　their　bodies　at　a　convenient
incline　like　a　company　of　sno