ore long they may have renewed opportunities for the prosecution of their good work。
CHAPTER XIV。 AMERICAN HOTELS。
I find it impossible to resist the subject of inns。 As I have gone on with my journey； I have gone on with my book； and have spoken here and there of American hotels as I have encountered them。 But in the States the hotels are so large an institution； having so much closer and wider a bearing on social life than they do in any other country； that I feel myself bound to treat them in a separate chapter as a great national arrangement in themselves。 They are quite as much thought of in the nation as the legislature； or judicature； or literature of the country； and any falling off in them； or any improvement in the accommodation given； would strike the community as forcibly as any change in the Constitution or alteration in the franchise。 Moreover； I consider myself as qualified to write a chapter on hotelsnot only on the hotels of America； but on hotels generally。 I have myself been much too frequently a sojourner at hotels。 I think I know what a hotel should be； and what it should not be； and am almost inclined to believe； in my pride； that I could myself fill the position of a landlord with some chance of social success； though probably with none of satisfactory pecuniary results。 Of all hotels known to me； I am inclined to think that the Swiss are the best。 The things wanted at a hotel are； I fancy； mainly as follows： a clean bed…room； with a good and clean bed； and with it also plenty of water。 Good food； well dressed and served at convenient hours； which hours should on occasions be allowed to stretch themselves。 Wines that shall be drinkable。 Quick attendance。 Bills that shall not be absolutely extortionate； smiling faces； and an absence of foul smells。 There are many who desire more than thiswho expect exquisite cookery； choice wines； subservient domestics； distinguished consideration； and the strictest economy； but they are uneducated travelers； who are going through the apprenticeship of their hotel lives； who may probably never become free of the travelers' guild； or learn to distinguish that which they may fairly hope to attain from that which they can never accomplish。 Taking them as a whole； I think that the Swiss hotels are the best。 They are perhaps a little close in the matter of cold water； but even as to this they generally give way to pressure。 The pressure； however； must not be violent； but gentle rather； and well continued。 Their bed…rooms are excellent。 Their cookery is good； and to the outward senses is cleanly。 The people are civil。 The whole work of the house is carried on upon fixed rules which tend to the comfort of the establishment。 They are not cheap； and not always quite honest。 But the exorbitance or dishonesty of their charges rarely exceeds a certain reasonable scale； and hardly ever demands the bitter misery of a remonstrance。 The inns of the Tyrol are； I think； the cheapest I have known affording the traveler what he requires for half the price； or less than half demanded in Switzerland。 But the other half is taken out in stench and nastiness。 As tourists scatter themselves more profusely； the prices of the Tyrol will no doubt rise。 Let us hope that increased prices will bring with them besoms； scrubbing… brushes； and other much…needed articles of cleanliness。 The inns of the north of Italy are very good； and； indeed； the Italian inns throughout； as far as I know them； are much better than the name they bear。 The Italians are a civil； kindly people； and do for you； at any rate； the best they can。 Perhaps the unwary traveler may be cheated。 Ignorant of the language； he may be called on to pay more than the man who speaks it and who can bargain in the Italian fashion as to price。 It has often been my lot； I doubt not； to be so cheated； but then I have been cheated with a grace that has been worth all the money。 The ordinary prices of Italian inns are by no means high。 I have seldom thoroughly liked the inns of Germany which I have known。 They are not clean； and water is very scarce。 Smiles； too； are generally wanting； and I have usually fancied myself to be regarded as a piece of goods out of which so much profit was to be made。 The dearest hotels I know are the Frenchand certainly not the best。 In the provinces they are by no means so cleanly as those of Italy。 Their wines are generally abominable； and their cookery often disgusting。 In Paris grand dinners may no doubt be had； and luxuries of every descriptionexcept the luxury of comfort。 Cotton…velvet sofas and ormolu clocks stand in the place of convenient furniture； and logs of wood； at a franc a log； fail to impart to you the heat which the freezing cold of a Paris winter demands。 They used to make good coffee in Paris； but even that is a thing of the past。 I fancy that they import their brandy from England and manufacture their own cigars。 French wines you may get good at a Paris hotel； but you would drink them as good and much cheaper if you bought them in London and took them with you。 The worst hotels I know are in the Havana。 Of course I do not speak here of chance mountain huts； or small； far…off roadside hostels； in which the traveler may find himself from time to time。 All such are to be counted apart； and must be judged on their merits by the circumstances which surround them。 But with reference to places of wide resort； nothing can beat the hotels of the Havana in filth； discomfort； habits of abomination； and absence of everything which the traveler desires。 All the world does not go to the Havana； and the subject is not therefore one of general interest。 But in speaking of hotels at large； so much I find myself bound to say。 In all the countries to which I have alluded the guests of the house are expected to sit down together at one table。 Conversation is at any rate possible； and there is the show； if not the reality； of society。 And now one word as to English inns。 I do not think that we Englishmen have any great right to be proud of them。 The worst about them is that they deteriorate from year to year； instead of becoming better。 We used to hear much of the comfort of the old English wayside inn； but the old English wayside inn has gone。 The railway hotel has taken its place； and the railway hotel is too frequently gloomy； desolate； comfortless； and almost suicidal。 In England； too； since the old days are gone； there are wanting the landlord's bow and the kindly smile of his stout wife。 Who now knows the landlord of an inn； or cares to inquire whether or no there be a landlady？ The old welcome is wanting； and the cheery； warm air； which used to atone for the bad port and tough beef； has passed awaywhile the port is still bad and the beef too often tough。 In England； and only in England as I believe； is maintained in hotel life the theory of solitary existence。 The sojourner at an English innunless he be a commercial traveler； and as such a member of a universal； peripatetic tradesman's clublives alone。 He has his breakfast alone； his dinner alone； his pint of wine alone； and his cup of tea alone。 It is not considered practicable that two strangers should sit at the same table or cut from the same dish。 Consequently his dinner is cooked for him separately； and the hotel keeper can hardly afford to give him a good dinner。 He has two modes of life from which to choose。 He either lives in a public roomcalled a coffee…roomand there occupies； during his comfortless meal； a separate small table； too frequently removed from fire and light； though generally exposed to draughts； or else he indulges in the luxury of a private sitting…room； and endeavors to find solace on an old horse…hair sofa； at the cost of seven shillings a day。 His bed…room is not so arranged that he can use it as a sitting…room。 Under either phase of life he can rarely find himself comfortable； and therefore he lives as little at a hotel as the circumstances of his business or of his pleasure will allow。 I do not think that any of the requisites of a good inn are habitually to be found in perfection at our Kings' Heads and White Horses； though the falling off is not so lamentably distressing as it sometimes is in other countries。 The bed…rooms are dingy rather than dirty。 Extra payment to servants will generally produce a tub of cold water。 The food is never good； but it is usually eatable； and you may have it when you please。 The wines are almost always bad； but the traveler can fall back upon beer。 The attendance is good； provided always that the payment for it is liberal。 The cost is generally too high； and unfortunately grows larger and larger from year to year。 Smiling faces are out of the question unless specially paid for； and as to that matter of foul smells； there is often room for improvement。 An English inn to a solitary traveler without employment is an embodiment of dreary desolation。 The excuse to be made for this is that English men and women do not live much at inns in their own country。 The American inn differs from all those of which I have made mention； and is altogether an institution apart； and a thing of itself。 Hotels in America are very much larger and more numerous than in other countries。 They are to be found in all towns； and I may almost say in all villages。 In England and on the Continent we find them on the recognized routes of travel and in towns of commercial or social importance。 On unfrequented roads and in villages there is usually some small house of public entertainment in which the unexpected traveler may obtain food and shelter； and in which the expected boon companions of the neighborhood smoke their nightly pipes and drink their nightly tipple。 But in the States of America the first sign of an incipient settlement is a hotel five stories high； with an office； a bar； a cloak room； three gentlemen's parlors； two ladies' parlors； and a ladies' entrance； and two hundred bedrooms。 These of course are all built with a view to profit； and it may be presumed that in each case the originators of the speculation enter into some calculation as to their expected guests。 Whence are to come the sleepers in those two hundred bed…rooms； and who is to pay for the gaudy sof