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g to a degree。 But I believe that they keep their hands from picking and stealing。 I never yet made a single comfortable meal at an American hotel； or rose from my breakfast or dinner with that feeling of satisfaction which should； I think； be felt at such moments in a civilized land in which cookery prevails as an art。 I have had enough； and have been healthy； and am thankful。 But that thankfulness is altogether a matter apart； and does not bear upon the question。 If need be； I can eat food that is disagreeable to my palate and make no complaint。 But I hold it to be compatible with the principles of an advanced Christianity to prefer food that is palatable。 I never could get any of that kind at an American hotel。 All meal…times at such houses were to me periods of disagreeable duty； and at this moment； as I write these lines at the hotel in which I am still staying； I pine for an English leg of mutton。 But I do not wish it to be supposed that the fault of which I complainfor it is a grievous faultis incidental to America as a nation。 I have stayed in private houses； and have daily sat down to dinners quite as good as any my own kitchen could afford me。 Their dinner parties are generally well done； and as a people they are by no means indifferent to the nature of their comestibles。 It is of the hotels that I speak； and of them I again say that eating in them is a disagreeable taska painful labor。 It is as a schoolboy's lesson； or the six hours' confinement of a clerk at his desk。 The mode of eating is as follows： Certain feeding hours are named； which generally include nearly all the day。 Breakfast from six till ten。 Dinner from one till five。 Tea from six till nine。 Supper from nine till twelve。 When the guest presents himself at any of these hours； he is marshaled to a seat； and a bill is put into his hand containing the names of all the eatables then offered for his choice。 The list is incredibly and most unnecessarily long。 Then it is that you will see care written on the face of the American hotel liver； as he studies the programme of the coming performance。 With men this passes off unnoticed； but with young girls the appearance of the thing is not attractive。 The anxious study； the elaborate reading of the daily book； and then the choice proclaimed with clear articulation： 〃Boiled mutton and caper sauce； roast duck； hashed venison； mashed potatoes； poached eggs and spinach； stewed tomatoes。 Yesand； waiter； some squash！〃 There is no false delicacy in the voice by which this order is given； no desire for a gentle whisper。 The dinner is ordered with the firm determination of an American heroine； and in some five minutes' time all the little dishes appear at once； and the lady is surrounded by her banquet。 How I did learn to hate those little dishes and their greasy contents！ At a London eating…house things are often not very nice； but your meat is put on a plate and comes before you in an edible shape。 At these hotels it is brought to you in horrid little oval dishes； and swims in grease； gravy is not an institution in American hotels； but grease has taken its place。 It is palpable； undisguised grease； floating in riversnot grease caused by accidental bad cookery； but grease on purpose。 A beef…steak is not a beef…steak unless a quarter of a pound of butter be added to it。 Those horrid little dishes！ If one thinks of it； how could they have been made to contain Christian food？ Every article in that long list is liable to the call of any number of guests for four hours。 Under such circumstances how can food be made eatable？ Your roast mutton is brought to you raw； if you object to that； you are supplied with meat that has been four times brought before the public。 At hotels on the Continent of Europe different dinners are cooked at different hours； but here the same dinner is kept always going。 The house breakfast is maintained on a similar footing。 Huge boilers of tea and coffee are stewed down and kept hot。 To me those meals were odious。 It is of course open to any one to have separate dinners and separate breakfasts in his own rooms； but by this little is gained and much is lost。 He or she who is so exclusive pays twice over for such mealsas they are charged as extras on the billand； after all； receives the advantage of no exclusive cooking。 Particles from the public dinners are brought to the private room； and the same odious little dishes make their appearance。 But the most striking peculiarity of the American hotels is in their public rooms。 Of the ladies' drawing…room I have spoken。 There are two； and sometimes three； in one hotel； and they are generally furnished at any rate expensively。 It seems to me that the space and the furniture are almost thrown away。 At watering…places and sea…side summer hotels they are； I presume； used； but at ordinary hotels they are empty deserts。 The intention is good； for they are established with the view of giving to ladies at hotels the comforts of ordinary domestic life； but they fail in their effect。 Ladies will not make themselves happy in any room； or with ever so much gilded furniture； unless some means of happiness are provided for them。 Into these rooms no book is ever brought； no needle…work is introduced； from them no clatter of many tongues is ever heard。 On a marble table in the middle of the room always stands a large pitcher of iced water； and from this a cold； damp； uninviting air is spread through the atmosphere of the ladies' drawing…room。 Below； on the ground floor； there is； in the first place； the huge entrance hall； at the back of which； behind a bar； the great man of the place keeps the keys and holds his court。 There are generally seats around it； in which smokers sitor men not smoking but ruminating。 Opening off from this are reading…rooms； smoking…rooms； shaving…rooms； drinking…rooms； parlors for gentlemen in which smoking is prohibited and which are generally as desolate as ladies' sitting…rooms above。 In those other more congenial chambers is always gathered together a crowd apparently belonging in no way to the hotel。 It would seem that a great portion of an American Inn is as open to the public as an Exchange or as the wayside of the street。 In the West； during the early months of this war； the traveler would always see many soldiers among the crowdnot only officers； but privates。 They sit in public seats； silent but apparently contented； sometimes for an hour together。 All Americans are given to gatherings such as these。 It is the much…loved institution to which the name of 〃loafing〃 has been given。 I do not like the mode of life which prevails in the American hotels。 I have come across exceptions； and know one or two that are very comfortablealways excepting that matter of eating and drinking。 Taking them as a whole； I do not like their mode of life； but I feel bound to add that the hotels of Canada； which are kept I think always after the same fashion； are infinitely worse than those of the United States。 I do not like the American hotels； but I must say in their favor that they afford an immense amount of accommodation。 The traveler is rarely told that a hotel is full； so that traveling in America is without one of those great perils to which it is subject in Europe。
CHAPTER XV。 LITERATURE。
In speaking of the literature of any country we are； I think； too much inclined to regard the question as one appertaining exclusively to the writers of booksnot acknowledging as we should do that the literary character of a people will depend much more upon what it reads than upon what it writes。 If we can suppose any people to have an intimate acquaintance with the best literary efforts of other countries； we should hardly be correct in saying that such a people had no literary history of their own because it had itself produced nothing in literature。 And； with reference to those countries which have been most fertile in the production of good books； I doubt whether their literary histories should not have more to tell of those ages in which much has been read than of those in which much has been written。 The United States have been by no means barren in the production of literature。 The truth is so far from this that their literary triumphs are perhaps those which of all their triumphs are the most honorable to them； and which； considering their position as a young nation； are the most permanently satisfactory。 But though they have done much in writing； they have done much more in reading。 As producers they are more than respectable； but as consumers they are the most conspicuous people on the earth。 It is impossible to speak of the subject of literature in America without thinking of the readers rather than of the writers。 In this matter their position is different from that of any other great people； seeing that they share the advantages of our language。 An American will perhaps consider himself to be as little like an Englishman as he is like a Frenchman。 But he reads Shakspeare through the medium of his own vernacular； and has to undergo the penance of a foreign tongue before he can understand Moliere。 He separates himself from England in politics and perhaps in affection； but he cannot separate him