and, on finding that, mistaking the time of the train, he had arrived a quarter of an hour late: 'How such a stupid thing can spoil one's day and the thought of it recur to torment one. I hope you do not know this as well as I, who am for ever preparing for myself such vexatious worry....' Later on, writing about other matters, he adds: '... I hope Professor Schmidt's ladies do not describe my promenade with the basket too graphically in Vienna! Otherwise my unspoiled lady friends may cease to be so unassuming.'[68] The journeys of the winter included visits to Bremen and Oldenburg, during which Hermine Spiess, one of the very favourite younger interpreters of Brahms' songs, sang dainty selections of them to the composer's accompaniment, with overwhelming success. The early death of this gifted artist, soon after her marriage, caused the master, with whom she was a great favourite, deep and sincere grief. Brahms went also to Crefeld, where the 'Tafellied,' dedicated on publication 'To the friends in Crefeld in remembrance of Jan. 28th 1885,' was sung on the date in question, with some of the new part-songs _a capella_, and other of the composer's works, at the jubilee of the Crefeld Concert Society. The manuscript score of the 'Tafellied' is in the possession of Herr Alwin von Beckerath, to whom it was presented by Brahms with an affectionate inscription. [65] Widmann, p. 43. [66] Steiner's 'Johannes Brahms,' i., p. 25. [67] Allgeyer's 'Feuerbach': Introduction to the second edition. [68] Published by Hanslick in the _Neue Freie Presse_, July 1, 1897. CHAPTER XX 1885-1888 Vienna Tonkünstlerverein--Fourth Symphony--Hugo Wolf--Brahms at Thun--Three new works of chamber music--First performances of the second Violoncello Sonata by Brahms and Hausmann--Frau Celestine Truxa--Double Concerto--Marxsen's death--Eugen d'Albert--The Gipsy Songs--Conrat's translations from the Hungarian--Brahms and Jenner--The 'Zum rothen Igel'--Ehrbar's asparagus luncheons--Third Sonata for Pianoforte and Violin.