My good Amalie,
In great haste I add a few lines to the money; they shall be about your journey. If Minna joins you, as I wish and hope, be good enough to advance 100 rubles for her traveling expenses. I hope you will carry out the plan in my last letter for your journey through Königsberg. Therefore I will write today to Herr Möller in Königsberg, who may go as far as Frauenberg to meet you, deliver our things to Minna, and accompany you two stations beyond Königsberg. This is the safest and best way for Minna to get her things, since there is no way of sending them. But in order to be sure to meet, it's essential that you leave on time. Probably you will get this letter on a Friday or Saturday, the 1st or 2nd of October. On the following Tuesday the mail coach leaves Dresden, and I rely on you to leave on this day and to continue by the next coach from Berlin, to book only as far as Frauenberg so that you may go on from there with Herr Möller.
Now, children, keep yourselves nice and warm, make no blunders, don't run away with the money, arrive nicely on time; have courage, and everything will turn out all right.
In a great hurry your
Richard W.
In case Minna should have any trouble about her passport, I enclose some more lines giving my permission.
Madame Günther writes here some additional nonsense which she asked me to enclose. Give it as much attention as you wish. I should hope that lodgings, etc., are my affair—
10th of Sept. I had to open the letter again because it was overweight—so I'll take out the letter of Madame Günther and briefly render the short meaning of her long discourse: You may bring her two dozen of very pretty make-up, 18 ells of black lace as they wear it around mantillas, 12 ells of white lace one finger wide, and a pair of pretty, modern gold earrings and half a dozen short gloves. You will be reimbursed right away, of course. I leave it to you to do what you like about all this nonsense. Pretend you have her letter—you may still see it when you get here.
Now one more thing, dear children, if you travel together, take the route through Tilsit; the postmaster there is Holtei's friend, and he will write to the postmaster to provide you with a driver and a good, big carriage which will bring you here easily in one journey, and also take care of the many trunks Minna will get from Möller; for by the express coach you would not have a vehicle of your own, and Russian coaches have the most abominable wooden seats in existence. Besides, the postmaster will receive you in his home until your luggage has been inspected, you could also stay overnight in his house for rest and sleep. This will do you good. So follow all my directions! God keep you—
Your
Richard
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner: The Burrell Collection, ed. John N. Burk (Macmillan, 1950), No. 21