Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of December 30, 1871

Overview

Cosima continues correspondence while Wagner takes the children into town for New Year's purchases for her, returning with excitement, hot-chocolate spirits, and gifts. Household worries persist, including the landlord's poor behavior and partial apology, but the afternoon remains harmonious. The evening turns literary as Wagner reads Vautrin's arrest from Pere Goriot and admires Balzac's mastery.

Content

Saturday, December 30:

Still writing letters while R. is in town with the children making purchases for me for the New Year, divine good man that he is! They all come home in great excitement, having drunk some hot chocolate, and bringing all sorts of good things with them!

Harmonious afternoon in spite of household cares; our landlord, Herr Am Rhyn, who has been behaving very badly, nevertheless feels the urge to visit R. and to apologize, more or less. In the evening a long conversation about Balzac; R. reads the arrest of Vautrin from Père Goriot and admires Balzac’s mastery.