north america-2-第4章

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means　indorse；　but　it　is　undoubtedly　the　fact　that　both　Senators　and　Representatives　are　very　diligent　in　their　calls　upon　gentlemen　high　in　office。　　I　have　been　present　on　some　such　occasions；　and　it　has　always　seemed　to　me　a　that　questions　of　patronage　have　been　paramount。　　This　reach　of　Pennsylvania　Avenue　is　the　quarter　for　the　best　shops　of　Washingtonthat　is　to　say；　the　frequented　side　of　it　is　so；　that　side　which　is　on　your　right　as　you　leave　the　Capitol。　　Of　the　other　side　the　world　knows　nothing。　　And　very　bad　shops　they　are。　　I　doubt　whether　there　be　any　town　in　the　world　at　all　equal　in　importance　to　Washington　which　is　in　such　respects　so　ill　provided。　　The　shops　are　bad　and　dear。　　In　saying　this　I　am　guided　by　the　opinions　of　all　whom　I　heard　speak　on　the　subject。　　The　same　thing　was　told　me　of　the　hotels。　　Hearing　that　the　city　was　very　full　at　the　time　of　my　visitfull　to　overflowing　I　had　obtained　private　rooms；　through　a　friend；　before　I　went　there。　　Had　I　not　done　so；　I　might　have　lain　in　the　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