OnSundayMrs。MarchpartiallyconformedtoanearlierNewEnglandidealofthedaybyceasingfromsight-seeing。Shecouldnothaveunderstoodthesermonifshehadgonetochurch，butsheappeasedthelingeringconscienceshehadonthispointbynotgoingouttillafternoon。ThenshefoundnothingofthegayetywhichSundayafternoonwearsinCatholiclands。Thepeoplewererestingfromtheirweek-daylabors，buttheywerenotplaying；andtheoldchurches，longsinceconvertedtoLutheranuses，werelockedagainsttouristcuriosity。
Itwasasitshouldbe；itwasasitwouldbeathome；andyetinthisancientcity，wherethepastwassomuchaliveintheperpetualpicturesqueness，theMarchesfeltanincongruityinit；andtheywerefaintoescapefromtheProtestantsilenceandseriousnessofthestreetstotheshadeofthepublicgardentheyhadinvoluntarilyvisitedtheeveningoftheirarrival。
Onabenchsataquiet，ratherdejectedman，whomMarchaskedsomequestionoftheirway。HeansweredinEnglish，andintheparleythatfollowedtheydiscoveredthattheywereallAmericans。ThestrangerprovedtobeanAmericanofthesortcommonestinGermany，andhesaidhehadreturnedtohisnativecountrytogetridoftheaguewhichhehadtakenonStatenIsland。HehadbeenseventeenyearsinNewYork，andnowatalkofTammanyanditschancesinthenextelection，ofpullsanddeals，ofbossesandheelers，grewupbetweenthecivicstep-brothers，andjoinedthemisacommoninterest。TheGerman-Americansaidhewasbookkeeperinsomeglass-workswhichhadbeenclosedbyourtariff，andheconfessedthathedidnotmeantoreturntous，thoughhespokeofGermanaffairswiththeimpartialityofanoutsider。HesaidthattheSocialistpartywasincreasingfasterthananyother，andthatthistacitlymeantthesuppressionofrankandtheabolitionofmonarchy。HewarnedMarchagainsttheappearanceofindustrialprosperityinGermany；
beggarywasseverelyrepressed，andifpovertywasbettercladthanwithus，itwasashungryandashopelessinNurembergasinNewYork。Theworkingclasseswerekindlyandpeaceable；theyonlyknifedeachotherquietlyonSundayeveningsafterhavingtoomuchbeer。
PresentlythestrangerroseandbowedtotheMarchesforgood-by；andashewalkeddowntheaisleoftreesinwhichtheyhadbeenfittingtogether，heseemedtoberetreatingfartherandfartherfromsuchAmericanismastheyhadincommon。HehadrevertedtoanentirelyGermaneffectofdressandfigure；hiswalkwasslowandTeutonic；hemustbeatypeofthousandswhohavereturnedtothefatherlandwithoutwishingtoownthemselvesitschildrenagain，andyetoutofheartwiththeonlycountryleftthem。