north america-2-第3章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


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。　　The　whole　structure　is　massive　and　grand；　and；　if　the　streets　round　it　were　finished；　would　be　imposing。　　The　utilitarian　spirit　of　the　nation　has；　however；　done　much　toward　marring　the　appearance　of　the　building；　by　piercing　it　with　windows　altogether　unsuited　to　it；　both　in　number　and　size。　　The　walls；　even　under　the　porticoes；　have　been　so　pierced；　in　order　that　the　whole　space　might　be　utilized　without　loss　of　light；　and　the　effect　is　very　mean。　　The　windows　are　small；　and　without　ornamentsomething　like　a　London　window　of　the　time　of　George　III。　　The　effect　produced　by　a　dozen　such　at　the　back　of　a　noble　Doric　porch；　looking　down　among　the　pillars；　may　be　imagined。　In　the　interior　of　this　building　the　Minister　of　the　Interior　holds　his　court；　and；　of　course；　also　the　Commissioners　of　Patents。　　Here　is；　in　accordance　with　the　name　of　the　building；　a　museum　of　models　of　all　patents　taken　out。　　I　wandered　through　it；　gazing　with　listless　eye　now　upon　this　and　now　upon　that；　but　to　me；　in　my　ignorance；　it　was　no　better　than　a　large　toy…shop。　　When　I　saw　an　ancient；　dusty　white　hat；　with　some　peculiar　appendage　to　it　which　was　unintelligible；　it　was　no　more　to　me　than　any　other　old　white　hat。　　But　had　I　been　a　man　of　science；　what　a　tale　it　might　have　told！　　Wandering　about　through　the　Patent…office　I　also　found　a　hospital　for　soldiers。　　A　British　officer　was　with　me　who　pronounced　it　to　be；　in　its　kind；　very　good。　　At　any　rate　it　was　sweet；　airy；　and　large。　　In　these　days　the　soldiers　had　got　hold　of　everything。　The　Treasury　chambers　is　as　yet　an　unfinished　building。　　The　front　to　the　south　has　been　completed；　but　that　to　the　north　has　not　been　built。　　Here　at　the　north　stands　as　yet　the　old　Secretary　of　State's　office。　　This　is　to　come　down；　and　the　Secretary　of　State　is　to　be　located　in　the　new　building；　which　will　be　added　to　the　Treasury。　This　edifice　will　probably　strike　strangers　more　forcibly　than　any　other　in　the　town；　both　from　its　position　and　from　its　own　character。　　It　Stands　with　its　side　to　Pennsylvania　Avenue；　but　the　avenue　here；　has　turned　round；　and　runs　due　north　and　south；　having　taken　a　twist；　so　as　to　make　way　for　the　Treasury　and　for　the　President's　house；　through　both　of　which　it　must　run　had　it　been　carried　straight　on　throughout。　　These　public　offices　stand　with　their　side　to　the　street；　and　the　whole　length　is　ornamented　with　an　exterior　row　of　Ionic　columns　raised　high　above　the　footway。　　This　is　perhaps　the　prettiest　thing　in　the　city；　and　when　the　front　to　the　north　has　been　completed；　the　effect　will　be　still　better。　　The　granite　monoliths　which　have　been　used；　and　which　are　to　be　used；　in　this　building　are　very　massive。　　As　one　enters　by　the　steps　to　the　south　there　are　two　flat　stones；　one　on　each　side　of　the　ascent；　the　surface　of　each　of　which　is　about　twenty　feet　by　eighteen。　　The　columns　are；　I　think；　all　monoliths。　　Of　those　which　are　still　to　be　erected；　and　which　now　lie　about　in　the　neighboring　streets；　I　measured　one　or　twoone　which　was　still　in　the　rough　I　found　to　be　thirty…two　feet　long　by　five　feet　broad；　and　four　and　a　half　deep。　These　granite　blocks　have　been　brought　to　Washington　from　the　State　of　Maine。　　The　finished　front　of　this　building；　looking　down　to　the　Potomac；　is　very　good；　but　to　my　eyes　this　also　has　been　much　injured　by　the　rows　of　windows　which　look　out　from　the　building　into　the　space　of　the　portico。　The　President's　houseor　the　White　House　as　it　is　now　called　all　the　world　overis　a　handsome　mansion　fitted　for　the　chief　officer　of　a　great　republic；　and　nothing　more。　　I　think　I　may　say　that　we　have　private　houses　in　London　considerably　larger。　　It　is　neat　and　pretty；　and　with　all　its　immediate　outside　belongings　calls　down　no　adverse　criticism。　　It　faces　on　to　a　small　garden；　which　seems　to　be　always　accessible　to　the　public；　and　opens　out　upon　that　everlasting　Pennsylvania　Avenue；　which　has　now　made　another　turn。　　Here　in　front　of　the　White　House　is　President's　Square；　as　it　is　generally　called。　The　technical　name　is；　I　believe；　La　Fayette　Square。　　The　houses　round　it　are　few　in　numbernot　exceeding　three　or　four　on　each　side；　but　they　are　among　the　best　in　Washington；　and　the　whole　place　is　neat　and　well　kept。　　President's　Square　is　certainly　the　most　attractive　part　of　the　city。　　The　garden　of　the　square　is　always　open；　and　does　not　seem　to　suffer　from　any　public　ill　usage；　by　which　circumstance　I　am　again　led　to　suggest　that　the　gardens　of　our　London　squares　might　be　thrown　open　in　the　same　way。　　In　the　center　of　this　one　at　Washington；　immediately　facing　the　President's　house；　is　an　equestrian　statue　of　General　Jackson。　　It　is　very　bad；　but　that　it　is　not　nearly　as　bad　as　it　might　be　is　proved　by　another　equestrian　statueof　General　Washingtonerected　in　the　center　of　a　small　garden　plat　at　the　end　of　Pennsylvania　Avenue；　near　the　bridge　leading　to　Georgetown。　　Of　all　the　statues　on　horseback　which　I　ever　saw；　either　in　marble　or　bronze；　this　is　by　far　the　worst　and　most　ridiculous。　　The　horse　is　most　absurd；　but　the　man　sitting　on　the　horse　is　manifestly　drunk。　　I　should　think　the　time　must　come　when　this　figure　at　any　rate　will　be　removed。　I　did　not　go　inside　the　President's　house；　not　having　had　while　at　Washington　an　opportunity　of　paying　my　personal　respects　to　Mr。　Lincoln。　　I　had　been　told　that　this　was　to　be　done　without　trouble；　but　when　I　inquired　on　the　subject　I　found　that　this　was　not　exactly　the　case。　　I　believe　there　are　times　when　anybody　may　walk　into　the　President's　house　without　an　introduction；　but　that；　I　take　it；　is　not　considered　to　be　the　proper　way　of　doing　the　work。　　I　found　that　something　like　a　favor　would　be　incurred；　or　that　some　disagreeable　trouble　would　be　given；　if　I　made　a　request　to　be　presented；　and　therefore　I　left　Washington　without　seeing　the　great　man。　The　President's　house　is　nice　to　look　at；　but　it　is　built　on　marshy　ground；　not　much　above　the　level　of　the　Potomac；　and　is　very　unhealthy。　　I　was　told　that　all　who　live　there　become　subject　to　fever　and　ague；　and　that　few　who　now　live　there　have　escaped　it　altogether。　　This