I shall not soon forget Auer Cathedral with its
little worshipers.
We have been settled at Berlin for a month. Being the residence of
the Emperor and Court, it is very gay with balls, theaters, etc.,
and the streets are bright and lively with fine uniforms, prancing
horses, and carriages full of richly dressed ladies, their escorts
riding on horseback at the side. It presents a lively contrast with
Munich in these respects, but, as to sunlight, it is a gloomy
place. Thus far we have had only four pleasant days, and on those
the sun set between three and four in the afternoon. Some days we
thought it did not rise at all! We realize now, for the first time,
how far north Germany is.
We improved one of our pleasant days by a trip to Potsdam, where is
the summer palace of the kings of Prussia. Here are the rooms of
Frederick the Great, just as he arranged them. His library is
chiefly of French books, and fills the shelves, which are
everywhere, from floor to ceiling--upon the doors, even, so that,
when they are shut, one feels imprisoned in books!
At the opposite end of the palace are the rooms once occupied by
Voltaire. The walls are covered with painted wood carvings of cats,
dogs, parrots, and peacocks, which Frederick caused to be placed
there after his quarrel with Voltaire, to express his opinion of
the Frenchman's traits of character.
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