Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of December 31, 1873

Overview

The last day of the year is filled with customs problems, cloth samples, and frustration over constant damage from workmen in the house. There is some solace in the conservatory and delight in the children’s first skating and the lighting of the tree after church. The evening combines devotion, family music, and annoyance at a newspaper report that R. received the same honor as Brahms, though he eventually calms down.

Content

Wednesday, December 31:

Customs difficulties; busy with cloth samples from Vienna; everything jointly with R. Great vexation with the house, in which the workers are constantly causing damage; solace in the conservatory. Loldi on the ice for the first time. Lit the tree after I had been to church.

My inner devotions ever more intense; no faith, no superstition can disturb them, only the misuse to which they are put. The Community, with all its undoubted sufferings, gives thanks, finding in its sufferings the path to redemption.

In the evening the children dance around the tree, while R. plays waltzes from Die Meistersinger and by Strauss and Banner. Great annoyance from the report in the newspaper that J. Brahms received the Order of Maximilian at the same time as R.; R. realizes that the chapter nominated him only so that they could make the award to “that silly boy.” He wishes to send it back, but calms down eventually.