Friday, December 24:
R. tells me he wishes that Wolz. would ask Herr v. Weber to write a sort of appeal in favor of the Boers for the Blätter, so that future emigrations might be channeled in that direction.
The sun shines during the morning, and R. invites me to walk with him in the palace gardens, but it is soon obscured, and we return home. During our walk R. tells me that Jacolliot’s journey is not giving him as much enjoyment as he expected; the constant abuse of the Germans is offensive, they are regarded as dogs and barbarians let loose by the English. How can people so lower themselves, he asks, as to disparage the opponents who beat them? We Germans had at least regarded the French as gods (1804, etc.).
In the afternoon we go out again, and I tell R. how much I enjoy these walks with him, which make me feel as if, leaving all of life’s burden behind, we are marching toward a nameless goal. “The goal,” he says, “is to keep the little candle alight, so that it will go on burning a while longer.” Then he talks to me of his childhood, how at the age of 5, since he could not sing, he imitated Kaspar’s piccolo and flute trills in Der Freischütz with “Perrbip,” climbed on a chair to represent Samiel looking over an imaginary bush, and said, “Perrbip, perrbip.” [Added in margin: “Over coffee R. tells us something funny which he heard from Schnappauf: the knacker here said to him that since R. was in such good standing with the King, he might procure him the executioner’s post, which has just fallen vacant.”]
At 7 o’clock I give him the “golden robe” and tell him he is being expected as the Christkind, in order to explain why the children are not coming with us to see the lighted tree. The tableau vivant, splendidly posed and held by the children, delights and moves him, and he wants Joukowsky to paint it. Marke’s Christmas present also pleases him, and the evening, lit right up to the end by the tree, passes merrily. The portrait of Fidi, presented by Jouk. to R., also delights him. But above all the dear children, who looked splendid in the tableau: three angels playing musical instruments, Boni, Doldi, Eva; Fidi, posing as the young Jesus; Lulu as Madonna, praying; off to one side Pepino as Saint Joseph.
During the tableau Rubinstein plays the first chorale from Die Meistersinger. R.’s last word: “Now I can feel sympathy with your mother.”