north america-2- 第4部分

　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　comes　of　choosing　the　site　of　a　new　city；　and　decreeing　that　it　shall　be　built　on　this　or　on　that　spot。　　Large　cities；　especially　in　these　latter　days；　do　not　collect　themselves　in　unhealthy　places。　　Men　desert　such　localitiesor　at　least　do　not　congregate　at　them　when　their　character　is　once　known。　　But　the　poor　President　cannot　desert　the　White　House。　　He　must　make　the　most　of　the　residence　which　the　nation　has　prepared　for　him。　Of　the　other　considerable　public　building　of　Washington；　called　the　Smithsonian　Institution；　I　have　said　that　its　style　was　bastard　Gothic；　by　this　I　mean　that　its　main　attributes　are　Gothic；　but　that　liberties　have　been　taken　with　it；　which；　whether　they　may　injure　its　beauty　or　no；　certainly　are　subversive　of　architectural　purity。　It　is　built　of　red　stone；　and　is　not　ugly　in　itself。　　There　is　a　very　nice　Norman　porch　to　it；　and　little　bits　of　Lombard　Gothic　have　been　well　copied　from　Cologne。　　But　windows　have　been　fitted　in　with　stilted　arches；　of　which　the　stilts　seem　to　crack　and　bend；　so　narrow　are　they　and　so　high。　　And　then　the　towers　with　high　pinnacled　roofs　are　a　mistakeunless　indeed　they　be　needed　to　give　to　the　whole　structure　that　name　of　Romanesque　which　it　has　assumed。　The　building　is　used　for　museums　and　lectures；　and　was　given　to　the　city　by　one　James　Smithsonian；　an　Englishman。　　I　cannot　say　that　the　City　of　Washington　seems　to　be　grateful；　for　all　to　whom　I　spoke　on　the　subject　hinted　that　the　Institution　was　a　failure。　　It　is　to　be　remarked　that　nobody　in　Washington　is　proud　of　Washington；　or　of　anything　in　it。　　If　the　Smithsonian　Institution　were　at　New　York　or　at　Boston；　one　would　have　a　different　story　to　tell。　There　has　been　an　attempt　made　to　raise　at　Washington　a　vast　obelisk　to　the　memory　of　Washingtonthe　first　in　war　and　first　in　peace；　as　the　country　is　proud　to　call　him。　　This　obelisk　is　a　fair　type　of　the　city。　　It　is　unfinishednot　a　third　of　it　having　as　yet　been　erectedand　in　all　human　probability　ever　will　remain　so。　　If　finished；　it　would　be　the　highest　monument　of　its　kind　standing　on　the　face　of　the　globe；　and　yet；　after　all；　what　would　it　be　even　then　as　compared　with　one　of　the　great　pyramids？　　Modern　attempts　cannot　bear　comparison　with　those　of　the　old　world　in　simple　vastness。　　But　in　lieu　of　simple　vastness；　the　modern　world　aims　to　achieve　either　beauty　or　utility。　　By　the　Washington　monument；　if　completed；　neither　would　be　achieved。　　An　obelisk　with　the　proportions　of　a　needle　may　be　very　graceful；　but　an　obelisk　which　requires　an　expanse　of　flat…roofed；　sprawling　buildings　for　its　base；　and　of　which　the　shaft　shall　be　as　big　as　a　cathedral　tower；　cannot　be　graceful。　　At　present　some　third　portion　of　the　shaft　has　been　built；　and　there　it　stands。　　No　one　has　a　word　to　say　for　it。　No　one　thinks　that　money　will　ever　again　be　subscribed　for　its　completion。　　I　saw　somewhere　a　box　of　plate…glass　kept　for　contributions　for　this　purpose；　and　looking　in　perceived　that　two　half…dollar　pieces　had　been　givenbut　both　of　them　were　bad。　　I　was　told　also　that　the　absolute　foundation　of　the　edifice　is　badthat　the　ground；　which　is　near　the　river　and　swampy；　would　not　bear　the　weight　intended　to　be　imposed　on　it。　A　sad　and　saddening　spot　was　that　marsh；　as　I　wandered　down　on　it　all　alone　one　Sunday　afternoon。　　The　ground　was　frozen　and　I　could　walk　dry…shod；　but　there　was　not　a　blade　of　grass。　　Around　me　on　all　sides　were　cattle　in　great　numberssteers　and　big　oxenlowing　in　their　hunger　for　a　meal。　　They　were　beef　for　the　army；　and　never　again；　I　suppose；　would　it　be　allowed　to　them　to　fill　their　big　maws　and　chew　the　patient　cud。　　There；　on　the　brown；　ugly；　undrained　field；　within　easy　sight　of　the　President's　house；　stood　the　useless；　shapeless；　graceless　pile　of　stones。　　It　was　as　though　I　were　looking　on　the　genius　of　the　city。　　It　was　vast；　pretentious；　bold；　boastful　with　a　loud　voice；　already　taller　by　many　heads　than　other　obelisks；　but　nevertheless　still　in　its　infancyugly；　unpromising；　and　false。　　The　founder　of　the　monument　had　said；　Here　shall　be　the　obelisk　of　the　world！　and　the　founder　of　the　city　had　thought　of　his　child　somewhat　in　the　same　strain。　　It　is　still　possible　that　both　city　and　monument　shall　be　completed；　but　at　the　present　moment　nobody　seems　to　believe　in　the　one　or　in　the　other。　For　myself；　I　have　much　faith　in　the　American　character；　but　I　cannot　believe　either　in　Washington　City　or　in　the　Washington　Monument。　　The　boast　made　has　been　too　loud；　and　the　fulfillment　yet　accomplished　has　been　too　small！　Have　I　as　yet　said　that　Washington　was　dirty　in　that　winter　of　1861…　62？　　Or；　I　should　rather　ask；　have　I　made　it　understood　that　in　walking　about　Washington　one　waded　as　deep　in　mud　as　one　does　in　floundering　through　an　ordinary　plowed　field　in　November？　　There　were　parts　of　Pennsylvania　Avenue　which　would　have　been　considered　heavy　ground　by　most　hunting…men；　and　through　some　of　the　remoter　streets　none　but　light　weights　could　have　lived　long。　　This　was　the　state　of　the　town　when　I　left　it　in　the　middle　of　January。　　On　my　arrival　in　the　middle　of　December；　everything　was　in　a　cloud　of　dust。　　One　walked　through　an　atmosphere　of　floating　mud；　for　the　dirt　was　ponderous　and　thick；　and　very　palpable　in　its　atoms。　　Then　came　a　severe　frost　and　a　little　snow；　and　if　one　did　not　fall　while　walking；　it　was　very　well。　　After　that　we　had　the　thaw；　and　Washington　assumed　its　normal　winter　condition。　　I　must　say　that；　during　the　whole　of　this　time；　the　atmosphere　was　to　me　exhilarating；　but　I　was　hardly　out　of　the　doctor's　hands　while　I　was　there；　and　he　did　not　support　my　theory　as　to　the　goodness　of　the　air。　　〃It　is　poisoned　by　the　soldiers；〃　he　said；　〃and　everybody　is　ill。〃　　But　then　my　doctor　was；　perhaps；　a　little　tinged　with　Southern　proclivities。　On　the　Virginian　side　of　the　Potomac　stands　a　country…house　called　Arlington　Heights；　from　which　there　is　a　fine　view　down　upon　the　city。　　Arlington　Heights　is　a　beautiful　spothaving　all　the　attractions　of　a　fine　park　in　our　country。　　It　is　covered　with　grand　timber。　　The　ground　is　varied　and　broken；　and　the　private　roads　about　sweep　here　into　a　dell　and　then　up　a　brae　side；　as　roads　should　do　in　such　a　domain。　　Below　it　was　the　Potomac；　and　immediately　on　the　other　side　stands　the　City　of　Washington。　　Any　city　seen　thus　is　graceful；　and　the　white　stones　of　the　big　buildings；　when　the　sun　gleams　on　them；　showing　the　distant　rows　of　columns；　seem　to　tell　something　of　great　endeavor　and　of　achieved　success。　　It　is　the　place　from　whence　Washington　should　be　seen　by　those　who　wish　to　think　well　of　the　present　city　and　of　its　future　prosperity。　　But　is　it　not　the　case　that　every　city　is　beautiful　from　a　distance？　The　house　at　Arlington　Heights　is　picturesque；　but　neither　large　nor　good。　　It　has　before　it　a　high　Greek　colonnade；　which　seems　to　be　almost　bigger　than　the　house　itself。　　Had　such　been　built　in　a　city　and　many　such　a　portico　does　stand　in　cities　through　the　Statesit　would　be　neither　picturesque　nor　graceful；　but　here　it　is　surrounded　by　timber；　and　as　the　columns　are　seen　through　the　trees；　they　gratify　the