Friday, September 2:
The great event of the Tribschen household is the arrival of a goose—we do not know from where; the children very pleased, the dogs very astonished. Lessons with the children; Loldi gets up for a few hours. The doctor comes and is addressed with terrible vehemence by R., because he is of the opinion that it is “not good” to take Alsace and Lorraine away from the French! R. enlightens him as to the disgracefulness of a neutral policy.
Visit from Countess B., she reports that the French have been talking of their victory! (I write to E. Krockow, to M[athilde] M[aier], to Prof. N., etc.) Meanwhile we learn in town that the pursuit of the French is continuing and also that Bazaine, who tried to withdraw from Metz, has been thrown back on it. I receive a nice letter from Dr. Alfred Meissner, who tells me that in May 1865, when he visited me, he already suspected how things stood with me. We read nothing in the evening, since we are much too excited by the news.