[...] Living as I do at present, my sole care is directed towards preserving peace and tranquillity for my work—my last refuge from the world—and yet, continually threatened in this retreat by all kinds of intrusions, I am ultimately driven to hate almost any link with the outside world and to take pains to avoid whatever dissipates my time and attention. You would scarcely believe how well my efforts are justified, so constantly do I suffer from disturbances and disappointments; I often feel that I should abandon all hope of coming to an understanding with anyone and, more especially, that I should avoid forming any new connections. I have just come back to Biebrich from Karlsruhe, where a series of experiences ultimately forced me to tell the Grand Duke, in a very affecting conversation which I had with him, that I must resign the hopes I had founded upon his friendship, since I could no longer avoid making complaints of his Court Theatre director, E. Devrient, and, as I was very far from wishing to bring about his fall, felt my own resignation of these prospects to be a duty. As I journeyed back, reflecting on my future, the one sure refuge before me seemed to be the prospect of my speedy decease. Arrived at the house, I found a letter from Minna awaiting me, which made me terribly anxious about her. For really this letter seemed to me like that of a mad woman! She must be terribly wrought up again. God grant that her stay in Reichenhall may effect some improvement! Previous experience gives me reason to hope so. For the rest, I believe that some cessation of the correspondence between us and, for the present, the mention on my part only of what must be said, will contribute to calm her somewhat. She may regain her composure somewhat when she sets to work on the little establishment we contemplate in Dresden. For my part, I propose to stay here till I have finished at least the chief part of the work on my new opera, and then, in late autumn, join Minna in Dresden. I hope and wish with all my heart that Dresden will then gradually come to be a real home to me again. Beyond this I am utterly without plan or wish, so this hope is really the only thing I still cling to. The thought of home and kindred has great power, and even though I have not talked of it with any of my family as yet, I assure you sincerely that your nearness and the prospect of your society contributes very materially to my wishes as regards Saxony and Dresden. [...]
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner, Vol. 2, selected and ed. Wilhelm Altmann, trans. M. M. Bozman (J. M. Dent & Sons, 1927), No. 532