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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 him and
asked； 〃Wie gestern？〃 and from this he argued an affectionate constancy
in the Berliners； and a hospitable observance of the tastes of strangers。
At his bankers； on the other hand； the cashier scrutinized his signature
and remarked that it did not look like the signature in his letter of
credit； and then he inferred a suspicious mind in the moneyed classes of
Prussia； as he had not been treated with such unkind doubt by Hebrew
bankers anywhere； he made a mental note that the Jews were politer than
the Christians in Germany。 In starting for Potsdam he asked a traeger
where the Potsdam train was and the man said； 〃Dat train dare；〃 and in
coming back he helped a fat old lady out of the car； and she thanked him
in English。 From these incidents； both occurring the same day in the
same place； the inference of a widespread knowledge of our language in
all classes of the population was inevitable。
In this obvious and easy manner he studied contemporary civilization in
the capital。 He even carried his researches farther； and went one rainy
afternoon to an exhibition of modern pictures in a pavilion of the
Thiergarten； where from the small attendance he inferred an indifference
to the arts which he would not ascribe to the weather。 One evening at a
summer theatre where they gave the pantomime of the 'Puppenfee' and the
operetta of 'Hansel and Gretel'； he observed that the greater part of the
audience was composed of nice plain young girls and children； and he
noted that there was no sort of evening dress； from the large number of
Americans present he imagined a numerous colony in Berlin； where they
mast have an instinctive sense of their co…nationality； since one of them
in the stress of getting his hat and overcoat when they all came out；
confidently addressed him in English。 But he took stock of his
impressions with his wife； and they seemed to him so few； after all； that
he could not resist a painful sense of isolation in the midst of the
environment。
They made a Sunday excursion to the Zoological Gardens in the
Thiergarten； with a large crowd of the lower classes； but though they had
a great deal of trouble in getting there by the various kinds of
horsecars and electric cars； they did not feel that they had got near to
the popular life。 They endeavored for some sense of Berlin society by
driving home in a drosky； and on the way they passed rows of beautiful
houses； in French and Italian taste； fronting the deep； damp green park
from the Thiergartenstrasse； in which they were confident cultivated and
delightful people lived； but they remained to the last with nothing but
their unsupported conjecture。
LXV。
Their excursion to Potsdam was the cream of their sojourn in Berlin。
They chose for it the first fair morning； and they ran out over the flat
sandy plains surrounding the capital； and among the low hills surrounding
Potsdam before it actually began to rain。
They wished immediately to see Sans Souci for the great Frederick's sake；
and they drove through a lively shower to the palace； where they waited
with a horde of twenty…five other tourists in a gusty colonnade before
they were led through Voltaire's room and Frederick's death chamber。
The French philosopher comes before the Prussian prince at Sans Souci
even in the palatial villa which expresses the wilful caprice of the
great Frederick as few edifices have embodied the whims or tastes of
their owners。 The whole affair is eighteenth…century French； as the
Germans conceived it。 The gardened terrace from which the low； one…story
building； thickly crusted with baroque sculptures； looks down into a
many…colored parterre； was luxuriantly French； and sentimentally French
the colonnaded front opening to a perspective of artificial ruins； with
broken pillars lifting a conscious fragment of architrave against the
sky。 Within； all again was French in the design； the decoration and the
furnishing。 At that time there； was in fact no other taste； and
Frederick； who despised and disused his native tongue； was resolved upon
French taste even in his intimate companionship。 The droll story of his
coquetry with the terrible free spirit which he got from France to be his
guest is vividly reanimated at Sans Souci； where one breathes the very
air in which the strangely assorted companions lived； and in which they
parted so soon to pursue each other with brutal annoyance on one side；
and with merciless mockery on the other。 Voltaire was long ago revenged
upon his host for all the indignities he suffered from him in their
comedy； he left deeply graven upon Frederick's fame the trace of those
lacerating talons which he could strike to the quick； and it is the
singular effect of this scene of their brief friendship that one feels
there the pre…eminence of the wit in whatever was most important to
mankind。
The rain had lifted a little and the sun shone out on the bloom of the
lovely parterre where the Marches profited by a smiling moment to wander
among the statues and the roses heavy with the shower。 Then they walked
back to their carriage and drove to the New Palace； which expresses in
differing architectural terms the same subjection to an alien ideal of
beauty。 It is thronged without by delightfully preposterous rococco
statues； and within it is rich in all those curiosities and memorials of
royalty with which palaces so well know how to fatigue the flesh and
spirit of their visitors。
The Marches escaped from it all with sighs and groans of relief； and
before they drove off to see the great fountain of the Orangeries； they
dedicated a moment of pathos to the Temple of Friendship which Frederick
built in memory of unhappy Wilhelmina of Beyreuth； the sister he loved in
the common sorrow of their wretched home； and neglected when he came to
his kingdom。 It is beautiful in its rococco way； swept up to on its
terrace by most noble staircases； and swaggered over by baroque
allegories of all sorts： Everywhere the statues outnumbered the visitors；
who may have been kept away by the rain； the statues naturally did not
mind it。
Sometime in the midst of their sight…seeing the Marches had dinner in a
mildewed restaurant； where a compatriotic accent caught their ear in a
voice saying to the waiter； 〃We are in a hurry。〃 They looked round and
saw that it proceeded from the pretty nose of a young American girl； who
sat with a party of young American girls at a neighboring table。 Then
they perceived that all the people in that restaurant were Americans；
mostly young girls； who all looked as if they were in a hurry。 But
neither their beauty nor their impatience had the least effect with the
waiter； who prolonged the dinner at his pleasure； and alarmed the Marches
with the misgiving that they should not have time for the final palace on
their list。
This was the palace where the father of Frederick； the mad old Frederick
William； brought up his children with that severity which Solomon urged
but probably did not practise。 It is a vast place； bu