house，withpeopletalkingfromthewindowsround，andrevellersinthecostumeoftheperioddrinkingbeerandeatingsausagesattablesintheopenair。Theireatinganddrinkingweregenuine，andinthemidstofitarealrainbegan，topourdownuponthem，withoutaffectingthemanymorethaniftheyhadbeenGermansofthenineteenthcentury。ButitdrovetheAmericanstoashelterfromwhichtheycouldnotseetheplay，andwhenitheldup，theymadetheirwaybacktotheirhotel。
Theircarwasfullofreturningpleasurers，someofwhomwerehappybeyondthesoberwontofthefatherland。Theconductortookaspecialinterestinhistipsypassengers，tryingtokeeptheminorder，andgeniallyentreatingthemtobequietwhentheyweretooobstreperous。
Fromtimetotimehegotsomeofthemoff，andthen，whenheremountedthecar，heappealedtotheremainingpassengersfortheirsympathywithaninnocentsmile，whichtheAmericans，stillstrangetotheunjoyousphysiognomyoftheGermanEmpire，failedtovalueatitsrareworth。
BeforehesleptthatnightMarchtriedtoassemblefromtheexperiencesandimpressionsofthedaysomefactswhichhewouldnotbeashamedofasaseriousobserveroflifeinLeipsic，andherememberedthattheirguidehadsaidhouse-rentwasverylow。Hegeneralizedfromtheguide’scontentwithhisfeethattheGermanswerenotveryrapacious；andhebecamequiteirrelevantlyawarethatinGermanynoman’sclothesfittedhim，orseemedexpectedtofithim；thatthewomendressedsomewhatbetter，andwereratherprettysometimes，andthattheyhadfeetaslargeasthekindheartsoftheGermansofeveryageandsex。Hewasabletonote，rathermorefreshly，thatwithalltheirkindnesstheGermanswereaverynervouspeople，ifnotirritable，andattheleastcausegavewaytoanagitation，whichindeedquicklypassed，butwasviolentwhileitlasted。Severaltimesthatdayhehadseenencountersbetweentheportierandguestsatthehotelwhichpromisedviolence，butwhichendedpeacefullyassoonassomesimplequestionoftrain-timewassolved。
Theencountersalwayslefttheportierpurpleandperspiring，asanyagitationmustwithamansotightinhislivery。Hebemoanedhimselfafteroneofthemasthevictimofanunhappycalling，inwhichhecouldtakenoexercise。“Itisalifeofexcitements，butnotofmovements。”
heexplainedtoMarch；andwhenhelearnedwherehewasgoing，heregrettedthathecouldnotgotoCarlsbadtoo。“Forsugar？”heasked，asiftherewereovermuchofitinhisownmake。
Marchfeltthetribute，buthehadtosay，“No；liver。”
“Ah！”saidtheportier，withtheairoffailingtogetoncommongroundwithhim。
ThenextmorningwassofinethatitwouldhavebeenafinemorninginAmerica。Itsbeautywasscarcelysullied，evensubjectively，bythetelegramwhichtheportiersentaftertheMarchesfromthehotel，sayingthattheirmissingtrunkhadnotyetbeenfound，andtheirspiritswereaslightasthegaylittlecloudswhichblewaboutinthesky，whentheirtraindrewoutinthesunshine，brilliantonthecharminglandscapeallthewaytoCarlsbad。Afatherly’traeger’haddonehisbesttogetthemtheworstplacesinanon-smokingcompartment，buthadsucceededsopoorlythattheywereverycomfortable，withnocompanionsbutamotheranddaughter，whospokeGermaninsoftlowtonestogether。Theircompartmentwaspervadedbytobaccofumesfromthesmokers，butastheseweretwiceasmanyasthenon-smokers，itwasonlyfair，andafterMarchhadgotawindowopenitdidnotmatter，really。
HeaskedleaveofthestrangersinhisGerman，andtheyconsentedintheirs；buthecouldnotmasterthesecretofthewindow-catch，andtheelderladysaidinEnglish，“Letmeshowyou。”andcametohishelp。
TheoccasionforexplainingthattheywereAmericansandaccustomedtodifferentcarwindowswassotemptingthatMrs。Marchcouldnotforbear，andtheotherladieswereaffectedasdeeplyasshecouldwish。PerhapstheywerethemoreaffectedbecauseitpresentlyappearedthattheyhadcousinsinNewYorkwhomsheknewof，andthattheywereacquaintedwithanAmericanfamilythathadpassedthewinterinBerlin。Lifelikestodothesethingshandsomely，anditeasilyturnedoutthatthiswasafamilyofintimatefriendshipwiththeMarches；thenames，familiarlyspoken，abolishedallstrangenessbetweenthetravellers；andtheyenteredintoacomparisonoftastes，opinions，andexperiences，fromwhichitseemedthattheobjectsandinterestsofcultivatedpeopleinBerlinwerequitethesameasthoseofcultivatedpeopleinNewYork。
Eachofthepartiestothediscoverydisclaimedanysuperiorityfortheirrespectivecivilizations；theywishedrathertoascribeagreatercharmandvirtuetothealienconditions；andtheyacquiredsuchmeritwithoneanotherthatwhentheGermanladiesgotoutofthetrainatFranzensbad，themotherofferedMrs。Marchaningeniousfoldingfootstoolwhichshehadadmired。Infact，sheleftherwithitclaspedtoherbreast，andbowingspeechlesstowardthegiverinavainwishtoexpresshergratitude。
“Thatwasveryprettyofher，mydear。”saidMarch。“Youcouldn’thavedonethat。”
“No。”sheconfessed；“Ishouldn’thavehadthecourage。Thecourageofmyemotions。”sheadded，thoughtfully。
“Ah，that’sthedifference！ABerlinercoulddoit，andaBostoniancouldn’t。Doyouthinkitsomuchbettertohavethecourageofyourconvictions？”
“Idon’tknow。ItseemstomethatI’mlessandlesscertainofeverythingthatIusedtobesureof。”
Helaughed，andthenhesaid，“Iwasthinkinghow，onourweddingjourney，longago，thatGraySisterattheHotelDieuinQuebecofferedyouarose。”
“Well？”
“Thatwastoyourprettyyouth。Nowthegraciousstrangergivesyouafoldingstool。”
“Torestmypooroldfeet。Well，Iwouldratherhaveitthanarose，now。”
“Youbenttowardheratjusttheslantyouhadwhenyoutooktheflowerthattime；Inoticedit。Ididn’tseethatyoulookedsoverydifferent。
Tobesuretherosesinyourcheekshaveturnedintorosettes；butrosettesareverynice，andthey’remuchmorepermanent；Ipreferthem；
theywillkeepinanyclimate。”
Shesufferedhismockerywithanappreciativesigh。“Yes，ouragecaricaturesouryouth，doesn’tit？”
“Idon’tthinkitgetsmuchfunoutofit。”heassented。
“No；butitcan’thelpit。Iusedtorebelagainstitwhenitfirstbegan。Ididenjoybeingyoung。”
“Youdid，mydear。”hesaid，takingherhandtenderly；shewithdrewit，becausethoughshecouldbearhissympathy，herNewEnglandnaturecouldnotbearitsexpression。“AndsodidI；andwewerebothyoungalongtime。Travellingbringsthepastback，don’tyouthink？Thereatthatrestaurant，wherewestoppedfordinner——“
“Yes，itwascharming！Justasitusedtobe！Withthatwhitecloth，andthosetallshiningbottlesofwine，andthefruitinthecentre，andthedinnerincourses，andthatyoungwaiterwhospokeEnglish，andwassonice！I’mnevergoinghome；youmay，ifyoulike。”
“Youbraggedtothoseladiesaboutourdining-cars；andyousaidthatourrailroadrestaurantswerequiteasgoodastheEuropean。”
“Ihadtodothat。ButIknewbetter；theydon’tbegintobe。”
“Perhapsnot；butI’vebeenthinkingthattravelisagooddealalikeeverywhere。It’stheexpressionofthecommoncivilizationoftheworld。
WhenIcameoutofthatrestaurantandranthetraindown，andthenfoundthatitdidn’tstartforfifteenminutes，Iwasn’tsurewhetherIwasathomeorabroad。AndwhenwechangedcarsatEger，andgotintothistrainwhichhadbeenbakinginthesunforusoutsidethestation，I
didn’tknowbutIwasbackinthegoodoldFitchburgdepot。Tobesure，Wallensteinwasn’tassassinatedatBoston，butIforgothismurderatEger，andsothatcametothesamething。It’stheseconfoundedfifty-
oddyears。Iusedtorecollecteverything。
Hehadgotupandwaslookingoutofthewindowatthelandscape，whichhadnotgrownlessamiableingrowingrathermoreslovenlysincetheyhadcrossedtheSaxonbolderintoBohemia。Allthemorningandearlyafternoontheyhadrunthroughlovelylevelsofharvest，wheremenwerecradlingthewheatandwomenwerebindingitintosheavesinthenarrowfieldsbetweenblackspacesofforest。AftertheyleftEger，therewassomethingmorepicturesqueandlessthriftyinthefarmingamongthelowhillswhichtheygraduallymountedtouplands，wheretheytastedamountainqualityinthethinpureair。Therailroadstationswereshabbier；therewasanindefinabletouchofsomethingSoutherninthesceneryandthepeople。Lilieswererockingonthesluggishreachesofthestreams，andwherethecurrentquickened，tallwheelswereliftingwaterforthefieldsincirclesofbrimmingandspillingpockets。Alongtheembankments，whereanewtrackwasbeinglaid，barefootedwomenwereatworkwithpickandspadeandbarrow，andlittleyellow-hairedgirlswerelugginglargewhite-headedbabies，andwatchingthetraingoby。
AtanupgradewhereitslowedintheascenthebegantothrowouttothechildrenthepfennigswhichhadbeenleftoverfromthepassageinGermany，andhepleasedhimselfwithhisbounty，tillthequestionwhetherthechildrencouldspendthemoneyforceditselfuponhim。Hesatdownfeelinglesslikeagoodgeniusthanacruelmagicianwhohadtrickedthemwithfalsewealth；buthekepthisremorsetohimself，andtriedtointeresthiswifeinthedifferenceofsocialandcivicidealexpressedinthechangeoftheinhibitorynoticesatthecarwindows，whichinGermanyhadstrongliestforbiddenhimtooutleanhimself，andnowinAustriaentreatedhimnottooutbowhimself。Sherefusedtoshareinthespeculation，ortodebatetheyetnicerprobleminvolvedbytheplacardedprayerinthewashroomtotheMessrs。Travellersnottotakeawaythesoap；andsuddenlyhefelthimselfastiredasshelooked，withthatsenseofthefutilityoftravelwhichliesinwaitforeveryonewhoprofitsbytravel。
EndTheirSilverWeddingJourneyV2
byWilliamDeanHowellsPARTII。