There was something about these moss-grown
gardens that seemed so rural and pastoral, that I at once preferred
them to all I had seen in Europe. Choice flowers are planted in knots,
here and there, in sheltered nooks, as if they had grown by accident;
and an air of sweet, natural wildness is left amid the most careful
cultivation. The people seemed to be enjoying themselves less
demonstratively and with less vivacity than in France, but with a calm
inwardness. Each nation has its own way of being happy, and the style
of life in each bears a certain relation of appropriateness to
character. The trim, gay, dressy, animated air of the Tuileries suits
admirably with the mobile, sprightly vivacity of society there. Both,
in their way, are beautiful; but this seems less formal, and more
according to nature.
As we were riding home, our guide, who was a full feathered
monarchist, told us, with some satisfaction, the number of palaces in
Prussia. Suddenly, to my astonishment, "Young America" struck into the
conversation in the person of little G.
"We do things more economically in America. Our president don't have
sixty palaces; he has to be satisfied with one White House."
The guide entered into an animated defence of king and country. These
palaces - did not the king keep them for the people? did he not bear
all the expense of caring for them, that they might furnish public
pleasure grounds and exhibition rooms? Had we not seen the people
walking about in them, and enjoying themselves?
This was all true enough, and we assented. The guide continued, Did
not the king take the public money to make beautiful museums for the
people, where they could study the fine arts? - and did our government
do any such thing?
I thought of our surplus revenue, and laid my hand on my mouth. But
yet there is a progress of democratic principle indicated by this very
understanding that the king is to hold things for the benefit of the
people. Times are altered since Louis XIV. was instructed by his
tutor, as he looked out on a crowd of people, "These are all yours;"
and since he said, "_L'elot, c'est moi_"
Our guide seemed to feel bound, however, to exhaust himself in
comparison of our defects with their excellences.
"Some Prussians went over to America to live," he said, "and had to
come back again; they could not live there."
"Why not?" said I.
"O, they said there was nothing done there but working and going to
church!"
"That's a fact," said W., with considerable earnestness.
