Sunday, March 2:
R. works on his essay; I spend the morning playing with the children and writing letters. R. goes on working on his essay. In the afternoon we walk to the Eremitage and take pleasure in the pretty path and the Sunday strollers, who all greet us respectfully. Home around 6 o’clock, to find poor Boni, who was obliged to remain behind, stretched out on the sofa.
In the evening we occupy ourselves with the sacred songs of Luther as edited by Philipp Wackernagel, unfortunately with illustrations. We are deeply affected by the tone of these songs: “He felt so terribly strongly for his German people; he could not bear to see how the Romans despised and exploited these poor Germans.” When I tell him how much I should prefer the children to learn these songs than the wretched religious songs they now have to learn, R. replies: “What place could these strict and fervent things have in education as it is today? How to reconcile them with the French outlook? These were meant for the people, and also for those of the highest education, who can appreciate the blessings they bestow.”
Yesterday Die Meistersinger was performed in Munich for the benefit of Bayreuth; R. says: “We shall certainly be told - you’ll see - that for some reason or other the house was not full, and then they can declare triumphantly that the public is not interested in Bayreuth.”