their silver wedding journey v3-第25章

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to　shame；　and　they　shuffled　forward　with　their　bodies　at　a　convenient
incline　like　a　company　of　snow…shoers。　　In　the　depths　of　his　own
abasement　March　heard　a　female　voice　behind　him　sighing　in　American
accents；　〃To　think　I　should　be　polishing　up　these　imperial　floors　with　my
republican　feet！〃

The　protest　expressed　the　rebellion　which　he　felt　mounting　in　his　own
heart　as　they　advanced　through　the　heavily　splendid　rooms；　in　the
historical　order　of　the　family　portraits　recording　the　rise　of　the
Prussian　sovereigns　from　Margraves　to　Emperors。　　He　began　to　realize　here
the　fact　which　grew　open　him　more　and　more　that　imperial　Germany　is　not
the　effect　of　a　popular　impulse　but　of　a　dynastic　propensity。　　There　is
nothing　original　in　the　imperial　palace；　nothing　national；　it　embodies
and　proclaims　a　powerful　personal　will；　and　in　its　adaptations　of　French
art　it　appeals　to　no　emotion　in　the　German　witness　nobler　than　his　pride
in　the　German　triumph　over　the　French　in　war。　　March　found　it　tiresome
beyond　the　tiresome　wont　of　palaces；　and　he　gladly　shook　off　the　sense　of
it　with　his　felt　shoes。　　〃Well；〃　he　confided　to　his　wife　when　they　were
fairly　out…of…doors；　〃if　Prussia　rose　in　the　strength　of　silence；　as
Carlyle　wants　us　to　believe；　she　is　taking　it　out　in　talk　now；　and　tall
talk。〃

〃Yes；　isn't　she！〃　Mrs。　March　assented；　and　with　a　passionate　desire　for
excess　in　a　bad　thing；　which　we　all　know　at　times；　she　looked　eagerly
about　her　for　proofs　of　that　odious　militarism　of　the　empire；　which　ought
to　have　been　conspicuous　in　the　imperial　capital；　but　possibly　because
the　troops　were　nearly　all　away　at　the　manoeuvres；　there　were　hardly　more
in　the　streets　than　she　had　sometimes　seen　in　Washington。　　Again　the
German　officers　signally　failed　to　offer　her　any　rudeness　when　she　met
them　on　the　side…walks。　　There　were　scarcely　any　of　them；　and　perhaps
that　might　have　been　the　reason　why　they　were　not　more　aggressive；　but　a
whole　company　of　soldiers　marching　carelessly　up　to　the　palace　from　the
Brandenburg　gate；　without　music；　or　so　much　style　as　our　own　militia
often　puts　on；　regarded　her　with　inoffensive　eyes　so　far　as　they　looked
at　her。　　She　declared　that　personally　there　was　nothing　against　the
Prussians；　even　when　in　uniform　they　were　kindly　and　modest…looking　men；
it　was　when　they　got　up　on　pedestals；　in　bronze　or　marble；　that　they；
began　to　bully　and　to　brag。




LXIV。

The　dinner　which　the　Marches　got　at　a　restaurant　on　Unter　den　Linden
almost　redeemed　the　avenue　from　the　disgrace　it　had　fallen　into　with
them。　　It　was；　the　best　meal　they　had　yet　eaten　in　Europe；　and　as　to　fact
and　form　was　a　sort　of　compromise　between　a　French　dinner　and　an　English
dinner　which　they　did　not　hesitate　to　pronounce　Prussian。　　The　waiter　who
served　it　was　a　friendly　spirit；　very　sensible　of　their　intelligent
appreciation　of　the　dinner；　and　from　him　they　formed　a　more　respectful
opinion　of　Berlin　civilization　than　they　had　yet　held。　　After　the　manner
of　strangers　everywhere　they　judged　the　country　they　were　visiting　from
such　of　its　inhabitants　as　chance　brought　them　in　contact　with；　and　it
would　really　be　a　good　thing　for　nations　that　wish　to　stand　well　with　the
world　at　large　to　look　carefully　to　the　behavior　of　its　cabmen　and　car
conductors；　its　hotel　clerks　and　waiters；　its　theatre…ticket　sellers　and
ushers；　its　policemen　and　sacristans；　its　landlords　and　salesmen；　for　by
these　rather　than　by　its　society　women　and　its　statesmen　and　divines；　is
it　really　judged　in　the　books　of　travellers；　some　attention　also　should
be　paid　to　the　weather；　if　the　climate　is　to　be　praised。　　In　the　railroad
caf？at　Potsdam　there　was　a　waiter　so　rude　to　the　Marches　that　if　they
had　not　been　people　of　great　strength　of　character　he　would　have　undone
the　favorable　impression　the　soldiers　and　civilians　of　Berlin　generally
had　been　at　such　pains　to　produce　in　them；　and　throughout　the　week　of
early　September　which　they　passed　there；　it　rained　so　much　and　so
bitterly；　it　was　so　wet　and　so　cold；　that　they　might　have　come　away
thinking　it's　the　worst　climate　in　the　world；　if　it　had　not　been　for　a
man　whom　they　saw　in　one　of　the　public　gardens　pouring　a　heavy　stream
from　his　garden　hose　upon　the　shrubbery　already　soaked　and　shuddering　in
the　cold。　　But　this　convinced　them　that　they　were　suffering　from　weather
and　not　from　the　climate；　which　must　really　be　hot　and　dry；　and　they　went
home　to　their　hotel　and　sat　contentedly　down　in　a　temperature　of　sixty
degrees。　　The　weather；　was　not　always　so　bad；　one　day　it　was　dry　cold
instead　of　wet　cold；　with　rough；　rusty　clouds　breaking　a　blue　sky；
another　day；　up　to　eleven　in　the　forenoon；　it　was　like　Indian　summer；
then　it　changed　to　a　harsh　November　air；　and　then　it　relented　and　ended
so　mildly；　that　they　hired　chairs　in　the　place　before　the　imperial　palace
for　five　pfennigs　each；　and　sat　watching　the　life　before　them。　　Motherly
women…folk　were　there　knitting；　two　American　girls　in　chairs　near　them
chatted　together；　some　fine　equipages；　the　only　ones　they　saw　in　Berlin；
went　by；　a　dog　and　a　man　（the　wife　who　ought　to　have　been　in　harness　was
probably　sick；　and　the　poor　fellow　was　forced　to　take　her　place）passed
dragging　a　cart；　some　schoolboys　who　had　hung　their　satchels　upon　the　low
railing　were　playing　about　the　base　of　the　statue　of　King　William　III。
in　the　joyous　freedom　of　German　childhood。

They　seemed　the　gayer　for　the　brief　moments　of　sunshine；　but　to　the
Americans；　who　were　Southern　by　virtue　of　their　sky；　the　brightness　had　a
sense　of　lurking　winter　in　it；　such　as　they　remembered　feeling　on　a　sunny
day　in　Quebec。　　The　blue　heaven　looked　sad；　but　they　agreed　that　it　fitly
roofed　the　bit　of　old　feudal　Berlin　which　forms　the　most　ancient　wing　of
the　Schloss。　　This　was　time…blackened　and　rude；　but　at　least　it　did　not
try　to　be　French；　and　it　overhung　the　Spree　which　winds　through　the　city
and　gives　it　the　greatest　charm　it　has。　　In　fact　Berlin；　which　is
otherwise　so　grandiose　without　grandeur　and　so　severe　without
impressiveness；　is　sympathetic　wherever　the　Spree　opens　it　to　the　sky。
The　stream　is　spanned　by　many　bridges；　and　bridges　cannot　well　be
unpicturesque；　especially　if　they　have　statues　to　help　them　out。　　The
Spree　abounds　in　bridges；　and　it　has　a　charming　habit　of　slow　hay…laden
barges；　at　the　landings　of　the　little　passenger…steamers　which　ply　upon
it　there　are　cafes　and　summer…gardens；　and　these　even　in　the　inclement
air　of　September　suggested　a　friendly　〃gayety。

The　Marches　saw　it　best　in　the　tour　of　the　elevated　road　in　Berlin　which
they　made　in　an　impassioned　memory　of　the　elevated　road　in　New　York。　　The
brick　viaducts　which　carry　this　arch　the　Spree　again　and　again　in　their
course　through　and　around　the　city；　but　with　never　quite　such　spectacular
effects　as　our　spidery　tressels；　achieve。　　The　stations　are　pleasant；
sometimes　with　lunch…counters　and　news…stands；　but　have　not　the　comic…
opera…chalet　prettiness　of　ours；　and　are　not　so　frequent。　　The　road　is
not　so　smooth；　the　cars　not　so　smooth…running　or　so　swift。　　On　the　other
hand　they　are　comfortably　cushioned；　and　they　are　never　overcrowded。　　The
line　is　at　times　above；　at　times　below　the　houses；　and　at　times　on　a
level　with　them；　alike　in　city　and　in　suburbs。　　The　train　whirled　out　of
thickly　built　districts；　past　the　backs　of　the　old　houses；　into　outskirts
thinly　populated；　with　new　houses　springing　up　without　order　or
continuity　among　the　meadows　and　vegetable…gardens；　and　along　the　ready…
made；　elm…planted　avenues；　where　wooden　fences　divided　the　vacant　lots。
Everywhere　the　city　was　growing　out　over　the　country；　in　blocks　and
detached　edifices　of　limestone；　sandstone；　red　and　yellow　brick；　larger
or　smaller；　of　no　more　uniformity　than　our　suburban　dwellings；　but　never
of　their　ugliness　or　lawless　offensiveness。

In　an　effort　for　the　intimate　life　of　the　country　March　went　two
successive　mornings　for　his　breakfast　to　the　Caf？Bauer；　which　has　some
admirable　wall…printings；　and　is　the　chief　caf？on　Unter　den　Linden；　but
on　both　days　there　were　more　people　in　the　paintings　than　out　of　them。
The　second　morning　the　waiter　who　took　his　order　recognized