Wednesday, October 5:
Lenbach’s fine picture is here! I had learned of its arrival yesterday evening and I awoke in the morning saying, “Now it is returning home, now you can depart.” When Vreneli told me it was unpacked, she added, “But the black frame will give you a shock.” It was not I who received the shock, but Richard, who thought he was seeing me dead or my father in monk’s clothing—in short, the black frame made a violent impression on his imagination. But gradually the picture had its effect, and he has come to love it beyond words. Our mood was deeply serious all day long; we now have no delights except such sublime and solemn ones.
To Countess Bassenheim’s, there meet the schoolmistress; I find it hard to give up teaching the children; only the thought that the children might perhaps prefer to work with other children could bring me to it. Introduced to the sister of Countess Moy from Munich, a great admirer of R.’s, who has seen Tristan. She is friendly, but all strangers upset me.
In the evening read [Goethe’s] Campaign in France with much enjoyment.
R. writes to Lenbach.