The arrival of Goethe could not
improve the existing relations in the household. As in the time before
his going to Leipzig, Cornelia drew to him as the only member of the
family who sympathetically understood her, and she remained as
obdurate as ever in her sullen attitude towards her father. Between
Goethe himself and his father their former estrangement continued, and
we are given to understand that during the year and a half he now
spent under the paternal roof there was no cordial understanding
regarding the son's pursuits and his future career.[48] Dissatisfied
with his son, as from his point of view he had every reason to be,
Herr Goethe nevertheless cherished a secret pride in his genius. With
a paternal pride, which is even touching in the circumstances, he
carefully framed the drawings executed by his son, and collected and
stitched together his letters from Leipzig.
[Footnote 48: Referring to the time he now spent in Frankfort, Goethe
says in _Dichtung und Wahrheit_: "Mit dem Vater selbst konnte sich
kein angenehmes Verhaeltniss knuepfen."]
As in the case of his Leipzig period, Goethe's reminiscent account of
his present sojourn in Frankfort gives a somewhat different impression
of his main interests from that conveyed by his contemporary letters.
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