Page:The Works of J. W. von Goethe, Volume 14.djvu/23

7 showed me," said Stein, when recording those happy days. He had him for months living under the same roof, taught him, played with him, formed him. His instinctive delight in children was sharpened by his love for this child's mother. A pretty episode in the many-coloured Weimar life, is this, of the care-worn minister and occupied student snatching some of the joys of paternity from circumstances, which had denied him wife and children.

The Harz journey restored his health and spirits: especially agreeable to him was his intercourse with Sömmering, the great anatomist, and other men of science. He returned to Weimar to continue "Wilhelm Meister," which was now in its fourth book; to continue his official duties; to see more and more of Herder, then writing his "Ideen;" and to sun himself in the smiles of his beloved.

The year 1784 begins with an alteration in the theatrical world. The Amateur Theatre, which has hitherto given them so much occupation and delight, is now closed, A regular troupe is engaged. For the birthday of the duchess, Goethe prepares the "Planet Dance," a masked procession; and prepares an oration for the Reopening of the Ilmenau mines, which must greatly have pleased him as the beginning of the fulfilment of an old wish. From his first arrival he had occupied himself with these mines, planning their being once more set working. After many difficulties, on the 24th of February this wish was realised. It is related of him, that on the occasion of this opening speech, made in presence of all the influential persons of the environs, he appeared to have well in his head all that he had written, for he spoke with remarkable fluency. All at once the thread was lost; he seemed to have forgotten what he had to say, "This," says the narrator, "would have thrown any one else into great embarrassment; but it was not so with him.