their silver wedding journey v3-第22部分

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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　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　spa