The geographical separation between Naumburg und Halle is little, five small miles; but the distance between the two places was, for me, a bit farther. Halle, the university-city, was shot through in all its veins with spiritual life; Naumburg was a commercial city, and especially a producer of wine. It lies within a three and fourfold girdle of hills with vineyards, each one crowned with a cozy country or winery-house, in which, especially during the period of the grape harvest the most comfortable and most hospitable life pulses, and half the nights are bustling with drinking sprees, country dances and fireworks. One might have imagined that one had been moved to the Rhine, if only the hills with vineyards had not been so tiny, and the wine so bitter and chalky, and if the imposing chain of Rhinish towns, and the greater independence and freedom of thought of those living near the Rhine had not been lacking. But the merchants of Naumburg were still a very highly honorable class of inhabitant. In contrast them stood the numerous officials of the Oberlandgericht, full of that stiff bureaucratic pride which is so easily embedded in Prussian state bureaucrats. Where this world of civil servants formed a closed system, or at least claimed precedence, even the most harmless pleasures were colored according to its very individual ways. How often I could observe that at the balls a considerable number of officials and lawyers, well-off men in their forties, with notable “embonpoint”, mixing into the crowds of younger dancers, each, naturally with his young dance-partner! And on this side and that, what did one hear about? — This highly interesting case, that entirely incomprehensible decision — and similar delicacies from the moldy old legal proceedings. The interns for better or worse had to play along with their elders, at least from time to time. And the beautiful young ladies had to participate as well.

This may all have been very nice for those who enjoy this sort of thing; for my part, easygoing temperaments were lacking, and in terms of wit (which I include among the former) I found not a trace. In particular, my music seemed to have atrophied; I had not a single instrument at my disposal. There was nothing to rent, even if I had had money to spend on it.