[...] To-day I received a letter from my wife—unfortunately very much delayed in the post. It is the most moving thing in the world. She wants to come to me, to stay with me always and once again suffer all life's privations with me. As you yourself know, it is useless for me to think of a return to Germany—soon at any rate. Well, we must dwell together abroad! Now, I had not yet told her that the hoped-for assistance from Weimar cannot be forthcoming. She will easily see this herself and will agree; but both she and I are quite destitute of the wherewithal to fulfil her wish of leaving the country and coming to me. Under present difficult conditions she needs money even to get out of Dresden. [...] She has to pack the few things we have saved and have them sent on to me, to leave enough at least for the immediate wants of her poor parents, formerly entirely dependent on me, and make the journey to Zurich with a sister, while I must at least be able to offer her a scanty livelihood here for a beginning. At this moment I have nothing in the world to offer her. I am still living solely on the remainder of the money which I had from you through Belloni before my departure from Paris. But, my dear friend, I will see to it that I am not wholly a burden upon you. [...] Once more I have made urgent inquiries for paying employment. [...]
You will see how quickly I shall get through the work. In the course of next month my preparatory work for Paris, the pamphlet and two sketches of subjects besides, will be finished and in train. Where I cannot accommodate myself to you I shall win you to me—that I promise you—so that we may go hand in hand and never have to part company. I will obey you—only give me my poor wife, do something so that she will be able to come to me happily and with some confidence soon—soon—and oh, I am sorry to say, in the language of this sweet nineteenth century, that means send her as much money as you possibly can! Yes, I am like that—I can beg—I could steal now to make my wife happy, if only for a little while. [...]
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner, Vol. 1, selected and ed. Wilhelm Altmann, trans. M. M. Bozman (J. M. Dent & Sons, 1927), No. 156