Esteemed Friend,
A great, painful sorrow forces me to take pen in hand. I must inform you of an infinitely sad occurrence which has befallen our family. Our Eric, your god-child, is no more! After fourteen hours of grievous suffering he died in our arms on August 30, of a violent cerebral hemorrhage which began during the night of the 29th to 30th of August without any previous symptoms whatever.
Making allowances for rare attacks of headache and afflicted only by frequent nose-bleeding, he had been entirely well of late. During his vacation he accompanied me for twelve days to Schandau, returned from there visibly strengthened and was already attending school again. Even on the day before his death this was the case. In the evening he had come home well, had been amusing himself for a long time with his brothers and sisters in the garden, and had gone merrily to bed. During the night we hear him calling and groaning; we hasten to him, he is rolling about in bed, complains of the most furious pains in the head, and soon after lapses into unconsciousness and convulsions. In spite of all expedients employed against this, these continue and cease only shortly before his death, which took place in the afternoon, after five o'clock, without his recovering consciousness. We, however, stand moaning and wringing our hands at his bedside, asking ourselves if it be possible that our dear, true, upright Eric is separated from us for ever, whether a bad dream is not oppressing us, which is casting this fearful event over our soul. Alas, no! it is the truth, the bitter, harsh truth. He is snatched away from us. We shall never again see his happy, loyal eyes, never more hear his dear, clear-ringing voice, no longer find pleasure in his attachment, courtesy, and childlike disposition, never more be proud of his progress in learning and the satisfaction of his teachers; we shall not have him as a prop of our old age, as the adviser and protector of his sisters. The earth has his body, heaven his pure innocent radiant soul. We look up there and find one consolation in the thought that we shall see him again in a better world to come.
But you, esteemed friend, will share our grief, weep bitter tears with us for the one who has passed away, for he was precious and dear to you too! My deeply afflicted, utterly grief-stricken wife and our good children greet you most heartily. Think with sympathy of your unfortunate friend
Dr. A. Pusinelli
Please report these mournful tidings, along with very friendly greetings, to Richard, whose whereabouts is unknown to me.
Source: The Letters of Richard Wagner to Anton Pusinelli, trans. and ed. Elbert Lenrow (Alfred A. Knopf, 1932), No. 89