The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-10-10
BERLIN. UNTBR DEN LINDEN
nv enoRor Arorsrrs sAtA

VI the WVroi Whch tAe tram Stopped at Bruns-
wick.
"why shouldn't like il :" returned, in quiet
expostulation. "As rule, l like every place
where have never been before, and for two DAYS
at least am enchanted with strange city So far
from dsliking Berlin, it is probable that shall
hke Il very much indeed; not only as a city per
fectly new and strange TO me, hut as a place con
tanning n valuable collection Of art treasures. and
moreover, as the capital Of great and puissans
Kingdom"
"Tha may be all very true, persisted the Man
Of the World; but reassert that you wont
like Berlin. C'est Ui troV.'
al have been in a great many cities TO which
Ihe same uncomplimentary objections might be
urged, and which are emphatcally ugly, dirty,
lyous."
"Bah I" duoth the Man Of the World "'ts
not precisely that. There are many towns both
ugly and dirty, but which arc nevertheless pctur-
esque. Take Cologne, for instance, take Bonn,
take Mayeuce. You can bear with them for the
sake OF their CathedTlls, universities Old castles
and the like. But there's nothing old in Berlin
It's all as new as wOrkhOuse, and as hideous."
"st. Petersburg is new city" l doubingly
mterpOsGd.
hftsit flom the level of the commonplace. Be-
sides, ns ncwness and its civilization arc only
tasudiOus-R mere coat Of lacquer. Underneath
entail barbarism. Yon remember what Napoleon
said-'Scratch the Russian, and you will ind
the Tartar The veneer of to-day but thinly
covers esterday's savagery, and perhaps to-mor-
rows decadence aud chaos
Den ain cestle sspn do troue;
AuiOuru hnt cen est 10 yelDurs.'
81 must neverthlcess, take the liberty Of oh.
serving" went on ''that report speaks highly
of Il e grandeur and speud0r viii ,h characterize
She public bnid ngs OF Berlin; and that the
thoroughfre OF 'Untcrden Linden is justly con
"Unier den Linden is all very WE'LL" th5 Man
OF the World said, ear lessy, "althOIgh not half
go haI dsome as Pircadilly. For the resi-, | wish
you j. y OF BerIini | am gong on TO Konigsoerg.
You won't ike Berlin | tell YOU. It's bore"
And bere he lit another ciglr-his tenth that
NOR irR-and rrapscd into dsdainful silence
The Man Of the World did nos like TO be contra
dictCd.
II oc0 urred to me that the Man-vho WAS cer-
taiuly the most amusing and original travelling
eompai iOn save the genial jew from POgen, |
ever met with in the course OF my " suderngs-
had perhaps some special and Occulr reason for
dib]kiGg the capital OF Prussia. Indeed in a
moment of confidence, nc had remarked already
tbat he hal been "diumm out OF ha'f the cities
In Europe :" although for what msdeeds pOliti-
cal, commercial, or social, he did not volchslfo
10 explain.
1t may he that we had what are called abroad
"deS domeleS drec Ia DOlCe'-a conveniently am
0iguOus lOcutiOn, which may mean that you .
have cOnsI iTed 20 substitute a republic for mon
archy or rice UcTS0, that You bayc mluuta3tured
or pnt into circulation an illegl imitation of the
currency of the country; that you have stolen
somebody's spoons; or that you have ran away
with your utighbOr's wife However twas not
my affair. The Man Of the World was very agree
able, very entertaining, and very polite; and, as
had never seen him before, and there was no like
hhood, after that day journey, of nv seeing
him aAsrin. it could not possibly mater to me
wbetberbe was political conspiratpr of the most
ultra Red Republican or cOmmunistic tendencies,
y, lice spy, commercial traveller "a chsUaiei'
d'iRdDtTie, a Jesuit priest, or Russian prince
travelling incOgnito. He might have Oeeu any
one OF these peTsonages, or none of them. He
spoke all languages, aud was as familiar with
PccAdlly as with Palermo with PimlicO as with
the PiDcian Hill, with Berlin as with BermDnd-
sey. And he was the neatest hand nc turning up
q natural at Van john (a5 l discovered to tue
extent Of twenty thalers' loss before we reached
Elberfed) that ever had the pleasure of meet
ing during spring forenoon.
We were lunchng az the station st Brunswick ,
and consuming MditrGnk aud Butter5rOds, when
this cOnVt rHatiOn about Berlin took p ace. We
went on, iolting and tumbiug as It is the custom
Of the slow-coach Germanic trains 10 do, all the
afternoon and a best part of the evening About
8 O'Clock the Man of the World, who had disco
yered a friend on the platform at some STATION.
the name OF which forget Oade me farewell, and
left me- repeating that shouldn't like Berlin and
Offering, in the handsomest manner, u give me,
The next time 0e met, my revenge tor the twenty
thalers had lost TO him at Van John. 1 slppo. e
he went on to KonigsbeTg; bat never saw him
more, and have not yet hRd (perhaps 60 my great
fortune) my "revenge" Tor the score of Prussian
pieces OF which found myself minus Assuredly
the Man of the Worlds skill at turning uD natu-
rails was marvellous.
The Hotel de Russie at Berlin lhard by the
bridge Overthe Spree, called the Schoss Bru 'ke)
is one of the most comfortable hOstelres in North
ern Europe. The landlord is (Or was when /
STAY ed there first, several years ag1l a gentleman
the walters were of rarher a superior order #
the Kelner genius, being mos ly sons Of other
hotel keepers serving an apprenticeship or "im-
prOvership," before they went in o business on
their own account; and, being young men Of
means, did not make IL the first duty in life 20
swnde you. The Hotel de Russie was much
frequented by tho British Queens messengers
who are, under any circumstances, about the
pleasantest, shrewdest and most courteous g3n-
tlemen you can well fan 10 with knowing every
thing IL concerns citizens OF the word to know,
Tecountng the best anecdotes, and smoking the
best cigars.
There was an admirable table G'60,s at the
Russe, expensive, but invariably provided With
fresh fish, at least, when any kind Of piseine
aiiment was procurable-the which is in Germany
an almost unheard Of phenomenon. A score Of
officers of the Prussian Guards used to drop in
every day 70 dinner ana Of male English travel
trs there was generally a liberal sprinklng, but
English ladies were few and far between. The
ease may be altered by this time, aud the British
Mater and Paterfamilas be permanently installed
at the Russie. II such be tho case, l wonder
whether they have abandoned the sweet aud
impe custom Of bringing in lighted wax candles
with the coffee at which candles all the male
guests at once proceeded TO ilumine their cigars.
Nov and again, at the Russie, when o stray
English dame had descended there have marked
the mixture OF terror, amezementi indignation,
and despair with which she has regarded the
onslaught on the wax. candles, and the scOrnfu
rush with which she has gathered up her skirts
aud swept from the contaminated SpeiSe-sodt
You cannot ndoctrinate the British matr0n with
notion that smoking in her presence Is not au
sg,,yshnnabie thing The most devoted and con-
stsnS K, spouse viii somehow giYe,y you 20 under
test thas sat Is only BY suderance aud under pro.
and sha ,ss s01 pun your cabana ia her apartments
Kind IN snl sa1 have the concession out Of you in
r. pardornn s laoae Of other, before long. "Je
SLe9ecin Msio,a say "sganarele's" wife, in the
On, uxorlous British mani YOU tbiph Ion bsvo
S esen eTPSsgsn' n Ewing Mr cSTeSa
presence Of the wife of your boaoT, aa5 ln she
window.curtans shall cost YOU in tRe Spg y, r,, nSf
at least three balfcroWus. ''-s '"u'