My dear, good friend,
Your first letter requires no answer. First of all, you must know yourself how touched I was by it, and therefore nothing remains to be said except that you are not to allow yourself to be frightened by your own fancies, and that you are to proceed to make yourself "burdensome" to me as often as you like and in the same way.
To tell the truth, Fritzsch was embarrassed at the thought of disporting himself as a publisher of theological works, but his hesitancy arose only out of consideration for the author himself, who he feared would not be brought to the attention of the proper public by a publishing firm such as that of Fritzsch. Thereupon I let myself be heard from in my customary manner of getting at the root of the matter. I pointed out to him the singular destiny he was called upon to fulfill, and he seemed to accept his fate in a not ungracious manner. My advice to him was to publish Overbeck's book. We were in Leipzig for a day and thus could discuss everything by word of mouth.
In regard to your Straussiana, my only feeling is one of impatience to see the work. Therefore, out with it!
After ten days of turbulent travelling, we returned to the Dammallee yesterday, and hope not to be obliged to leave home again soon. Tomorrow—God and Strauss permitting—I mean to lay the corner-stone of the instrumentation of the Götterdämmerung.
The latest story about Fidi is that when I was arranging my books the other day, he stood looking on attentively, and when I called to him, "Fidi, hand me Creuzer's Symbolism," he handed me Creuzer's Symbolism.
Every one sends greetings. This morning, Eva and Fidi played "Uncle Nietzsche and Rohde." Remember me to Rohde.
Source: The Nietzsche-Wagner Correspondence, ed. Elizabeth Foerster-Nietzsche, trans. Caroline V. Kerr (Boni and Liveright, 1921), No. 40