north america-2-第3部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

ad　been　made　to　face　the　Goldsmiths'　Hall。　　The　Capitol　stands　upon　the　side　of　a　hill；　the　front　occupying　a　much　higher　position　than　the　back；　consequently　they　who　enter　it　from　the　backand　everybody　does　so　enter　itare　first　called　on　to　rise　to　the　level　of　the　lower　floor　by　a　stiff　ascent　of　exterior　steps；　which　are　in　no　way　grand　or　imposing；　and　then；　having　entered　by　a　mean　back　door；　are　instantly　obliged　to　ascend　again　by　another　flightby　stairs　sufficiently　appropriate　to　a　back　entrance；　but　altogether　unfitted　for　the　chief　approach　to　such　a　building。　　It　may；　of　course；　be　said　that　persons　who　are　particular　in　such　matters　should　go　in　at　the　front　door　and　not　at　the　back；　but　one　must　take　these　things　as　one　finds　them。　　The　entrance　by　which　the　Capitol　is　approached　is　such　as　I　have　described。　　There　are　mean　little　brick　chimneys　at　the　left　hand　as　one　walks　in；　attached　to　modern　bakeries；　which　have　been　constructed　in　the　basement　for　the　use　of　the　soldiers；　and　there　is　on　the　other　hand　the　road　by　which　wagons　find　their　way　to　the　underground　region　with　fuel；　stationery；　and　other　matters　desired　by　Senators　and　Representatives；　and　at　present　by　bakers　also。　In　speaking　of　the　front　I　have　spoken　of　it　as　it　was　originally　designed　and　built。　　Since　that　period　very　heavy　wings　have　been　added　to　the　pilewings　so　heavy　that　they　are　or　seem　to　be　much　larger　than　the　original　structure　itself。　　This；　to　my　thinking；　has　destroyed　the　symmetry　of　the　whole。　　The　wings；　which　in　themselves　are　by　no　means　devoid　of　beauty；　are　joined　to　the　center　by　passages　so　narrow　that　from　exterior　points　of　view　the　light　can　be　seen　through　them。　　This　robs　the　mass　of　all　oneness；　of　all　entirety　as　a　whole；　and　gives　a　scattered；　straggling　appearance；　where　there　should　be　a　look　of　massiveness　and　integrity。　　The　dome　also　has　been　raiseda　double　drum　having　been　given　to　it。　　This　is　unfinished；　and　should　not　therefore　yet　be　judged；　but　I　cannot　think　that　the　increased　height　will　be　an　improvement。　　This；　again；　to　my　eyes；　appears　to　be　straggling　rather　than　massive。　　At　a　distance　it　commands　attention；　and　to　one　journeying　through　the　desert　places　of　the　city　gives　that　idea　of　Palmyra　which　I　have　before　mentioned。　Nevertheless；　and　in　spite　of　all　that　I　have　said；　I　have　had　pleasure　in　walking　backward　and　forward；　and　through　the　grounds　which　lie　before　the　eastern　front　of　the　Capitol。　　The　space　for　the　view　is　ample；　and　the　thing　to　be　seen　has　points　which　are　very　grand。　　If　the　Capitol　were　finished　and　all　Washington　were　built　around　it；　no　man　would　say　that　the　house　in　which　Congress　sat　disgraced　the　city。　Going　west；　but　not　due　west；　from　the　Capitol；　Pennsylvania　Avenue　stretches　in　a　right　line　to　the　Treasury　chambers。　　The　distance　is　beyond　a　mile；　and　men　say　scornfully　that　the　two　buildings　have　been　put　so　far　apart　in　order　to　save　the　secretaries　who　sit　in　the　bureaus　from　a　too　rapid　influx　of　members　of　Congress。　　This　statement　I　by　no　means　indorse；　but　it　is　undoubtedly　the　fact　that　both　Senators　and　Representatives　are　very　diligent　in　their　calls　upon　gentlemen　high　in　office。　　I　have　been　present　on　some　such　occasions；　and　it　has　always　seemed　to　me　a　that　questions　of　patronage　have　been　paramount。　　This　reach　of　Pennsylvania　Avenue　is　the　quarter　for　the　best　shops　of　Washingtonthat　is　to　say；　the　frequented　side　of　it　is　so；　that　side　which　is　on　your　right　as　you　leave　the　Capitol。　　Of　the　other　side　the　world　knows　nothing。　　And　very　bad　shops　they　are。　　I　doubt　whether　there　be　any　town　in　the　world　at　all　equal　in　importance　to　Washington　which　is　in　such　respects　so　ill　provided。　　The　shops　are　bad　and　dear。　　In　saying　this　I　am　guided　by　the　opinions　of　all　whom　I　heard　speak　on　the　subject。　　The　same　thing　was　told　me　of　the　hotels。　　Hearing　that　the　city　was　very　full　at　the　time　of　my　visitfull　to　overflowing　I　had　obtained　private　rooms；　through　a　friend；　before　I　went　there。　　Had　I　not　done　so；　I　might　have　lain　in　the　streets；　or　have　made　one　with　three　or　four　others　in　a　small　room　at　some　third…　rate　inn。　　There　had　never　been　so　great　a　throng　in　the　town。　　I　am　bound　to　say　that　my　friend　did　well　for　me。　　I　found　myself　put　up　at　the　house　of　one　Wormley；　a　colored　man；　in　I　Street；　to　whose　attention　I　can　recommend　any　Englishman　who　may　chance　to　want　quarters　in　Washington。　　He　has　a　hotel　on　one　side　of　the　street　and　private　lodging…houses　on　the　other；　in　which　I　found　myself　located。　　From　what　I　heard　of　the　hotels；　I　conceived　myself　to　be　greatly　in　luck。　　Willard's　is　the　chief　of　these；　and　the　everlasting　crowd　and　throng　of　men　with　which　the　halls　and　passages　of　the　house　were　always　full　certainly　did　not　seem　to　promise　either　privacy　or　comfort。　　But　then　there　are　places　in　which　privacy　and　comfort　are　not　expectedare　hardly　even　desired　and　Washington　is　one　of　them。　The　Post…office　and　the　Patent…office；　lie　a　little　away　from　Pennsylvania　Avenue　in　I　Street；　and　are　opposite　to　each　other。　The　Post…office　is　certainly　a　very　graceful　building。　　It　is　square；　and　hardly　can　be　said　to　have　any　settled　front　or　any　grand　entrance。　　It　is　not　approached　by　steps；　but　stands　flush　on　the　ground；　alike　on　each　of　the　four　sides。　　It　is　ornamented　with　Corinthian　pilasters；　but　is　not　over…ornamented。　　It　is　certainly　a　structure　creditable　to　any　city。　　The　streets　around　it　are　all　unfinished；　and　it　is　approached　through　seas　of　mud　and　sloughs　of　despond；　which　have　been　contrived；　as　I　imagine；　to　lessen；　if　possible；　the　crowd　of　callers；　and　lighten　in　this　way　the　overtasked　officials　within。　　That　side　by　which　the　public　in　general　were　supposed　to　approach　was；　during　my　sojourn；　always　guarded　by　vast　mountains　of　flour　barrels。　　Looking　up　at　the　windows　of　the　building；　I　perceived　also　that　barrels　were　piled　within；　and　then　I　knew　that　the　Post…office　had　become　a　provision　depot　for　the　army。　　The　official　arrangements　here　for　the　public　were　so　bad　as　to　be　absolutely　barbarous。　　I　feel　some　remorse　in　saying　this；　for　I　was　myself　treated　with　the　utmost　courtesy　by　gentlemen　holding　high　positions　in　the　office；　to　which　I　was　specially　attracted　by　my　own　connection　with　the　post…office　in　England。　　But　I　do　not　think　that　such　courtesy　should　hinder　me　from　telling　what　I　saw　that　was　bad；　seeing　that　it　would　not　hinder　me　from　telling　what　I　saw　that　was　good。　　In　Washington　there　is　but　one　post…office。　　There　are　no　iron　pillars　or　wayside　letter…boxes；　as　are　to　be　found　in　other　towns　of　the　Unionno　subsidiary　offices　at　which　stamps　can　be　bought　and　letters　posted。　The　distances　of　the　city　are　very　great；　the　means　of　transit　through　the　city　very　limited；　the　dirt　of　the　city　ways　unrivaled　in　depth　and　tenacity；　and　yet　there　is　but　one　post…office。　　Nor　is　there　any　established　system　of　letter…carriers。　　To　those　who　desire　it　letters　are　brought　out　and　delivered　by　carriers；　who　charge　a　separate　porterage　for　that　service；　but　the　rule　is　that　letters　should　be　delivered　from　the　window。　　For　strangers　this　is　of　course　a　necessity　of　their　position；　and　I　found　that；　when　once　I　had　left　instruction　that　my　letters　should　be　delivered；　those　instructions；　were　carefully　followed。　　Indeed；　nothing　could　exceed　the　civility　of　the　officials　within；　but　so　also　nothing　can　exceed　the　barbarity　of　the　arrangements　without。　　The　purchase　of　stamps　I　found　to　be　utterly　impracticable。　　They　were　sold　at　a　window　in　a　corner；　at　which　newspapers　were　also　delivered；　to　which　there　was　no　regular　ingress　and　from　which　there　was　no　egress；　it　would　generally　be　deeply　surrounded　by　a　crowd　of　muddy　soldiers；　who　would　wait　there　patiently　till　time　should　enable　them　to　approach　the　window。　　The　delivery　of　letters　was　almost　more　tedious；　though　in　that　there　was　a　method。　　The　aspirants　stood　in　a　long　line；　en　cue；　as　we　are　told　by　Carlyle　that　the　bread…seekers　used　to　approach　the　bakers'　shops　at　Paris　during　the　Revolution。　　This　〃cue〃　would　sometimes　project　out　into　the　street。　　The　work　inside　was　done　very　slowly。　　The　clerk　had　no　facility；　by　use　of　a　desk　or　otherwise；　for　running　through　the　letters　under　the　initials　denominated；　but　turned　letter　by　letter　through　his　hand。　　To　one　questioner　out　of　ten　would　a　letter　be　given。　　It　no　doubt　may　be　said　in　excuse　for　this　that　the　presence　of　the　army　round　Washington　caused；　at　that　period；　special　inconvenience；　and　that　plea　should　of　course　be　taken；　were　it　not　that　a　very　trifling　alteration　in　the　management　within　would　have　remedied　all　the　inconvenience。　　As　a　building；　the　Washington　Post…office　is　very　good；　as　the　center　of　a　most　complicated　and　difficult　department；　I　believe　it　to　be　well　managed；　but　as　regards　the　special　accommodation　given　by　it　to　the　city　in　which　it　stands；　much　cannot；　I　think；　be　said　in　its　favor。　Opposite　to　that　which　is；　I　presume；　the　back　of　the　Post…office；　stands　the　Patent…office。　　This　also　is　a　grand　building；　with　a　fine　portico　of　Doric　pillars　at　each　of　its　three　fronts。　　These　are　approached　by　flights　of　steps；　more　gratifying　to　the　eye　than　to　the　legs