north america-2-第94章

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oo　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　somet