YourGermanisnotaverseeventowildscenery，provideditbenottoowild。Butifheconsiderittoosavage，hesetstoworktotameit。Iremember，intheneighbourhoodofDresden，discoveringapicturesqueandnarrowvalleyleadingdowntowardstheElbe。Thewindingroadwayranbesideamountaintorrent，whichforamileorsofrettedandfoamedoverrocksandbouldersbetweenwood—coveredbanks。Ifolloweditenchanteduntil，turningacorner，Isuddenlycameacrossagangofeightyorahundredworkmen。Theywerebusytidyingupthatvalley，andmakingthatstreamrespectable。Allthestonesthatwereimpedingthecourseofthewatertheywerecarefullypickingoutandcartingaway。Thebankoneithersidetheywerebrickingupandcementing。Theoverhangingtreesandbushes，thetangledvinesandcreeperstheywererootingupandtrimmingdown。AlittlefurtherIcameuponthefinishedwork——themountainvalleyasitoughttobe，accordingtoGermanideas。Thewater，nowabroad，sluggishstream，flowedoveralevel，gravellybed，betweentwowallscrownedwithstonecoping。Ateveryhundredyardsitgentlydescendeddownthreeshallowwoodenplatforms。Foraspaceoneithersidethegroundhadbeencleared，andatregularintervalsyoungpoplarsplanted。Eachsaplingwasprotectedbyashieldofwickerworkandbossedbyanironrod。Inthecourseofacoupleofyearsitisthehopeofthelocalcounciltohave\"finished\"thatvalleythroughoutitsentirelength，andmadeitfitforatidy—mindedloverofGermannaturetowalkin。Therewillbeaseateveryfiftyyards，apolicenoticeeveryhundred，andarestauranteveryhalf—mile。
TheyaredoingthesamefromtheMemeltotheRhine。Theyarejusttidyingupthecountry。IrememberwelltheWehrthal。ItwasoncethemostromanticravinetobefoundintheBlackForest。ThelasttimeIwalkeddownitsomehundredsofItalianworkmenwereencampedtherehardatwork，trainingthewildlittleWehrthewayitshouldgo，brickingthebanksforithere，blastingtherocksforitthere，makingcementstepsforitdownwhichitcantravelsoberlyandwithoutfuss。
ForinGermanythereisnononsensetalkedaboutuntrammellednature。InGermanynaturehasgottobehaveherself，andnotsetabadexampletothechildren。AGermanpoet，noticingwaterscomingdownasSoutheydescribes，somewhatinexactly，thewaterscomingdownatLodore，wouldbetooshockedtostopandwritealliterativeverseaboutthem。Hewouldhurryaway，andatoncereportthemtothepolice。Thentheirfoamingandtheirshriekingwouldbeofshortduration。
\"Nowthen，nowthen，what’sallthisabout？\"thevoiceofGermanauthoritywouldsayseverelytothewaters。\"Wecan’thavethissortofthing，youknow。Comedownquietly，can’tyou？Wheredoyouthinkyouare？\"
AndthelocalGermancouncilwouldprovidethosewaterswithzincpipesandwoodentroughs，andacorkscrewstaircase，andshowthemhowtocomedownsensibly，intheGermanmanner。