You good Partridge!
I really must be sending you another keeper's-tip at last! — Hearty thanks for your letter and presents; they delight and reassure me greatly, especially the news of your health. It was quite right of Clare to disabuse you at once of your hallucination about your looks; I was also very glad to learn that she remains the same old girl — or young one, as you will — in everything; thus you perhaps may inveigle her into a visit to ourselves in Switzerland some day. Ply her hard with it in my name; I really should be very, very glad to have her here for once, of all our family.
Things still go tranquilly at home. I'm overtaxing myself with my work, I am sorry to say, as I do so want to get the fair copy of the score of Rheingold quite finished, to have one thing wholly off my hands. So I write for another couple of hours after dinner each day now, and again when I come in of an evening. I can stand it, however, if I only get passable sleep at night. Practically all my life is spent with our animals, and most of my talking too. In return they have repeatedly given me trouble of late. Several times has Peps had the misfortune to get out of his basket the wrong side and lose himself between the beds, where I've heard him pitifully whining till I pulled him out by the tail; he passed half the night like that once, before I discovered what was up. The other day, tho', he gave me a regular fright on our walk: he was dawdling behind and seemed suddenly seized with fierce cramps, for he wriggled round and round and couldn't keep on his legs: then I see him choking terribly, and thrown into convulsions again and again by it; at last he vomits up a bone — as large as my fist — which the glutton had swallowed! It was a long time before he came quite to himself again. However, he is frisky enough now, and as soon as it is getting on for ½ past 1 nothing will pacify him till he drives me to table.
Jacquot, too, has given me a great shock! Manifestly the good bird misses you very much, and so it may have occurred to him that you were still lying abed: at one swoop he flies through all the rooms into the bedroom, precisely in which the windows stood wide open; you may imagine how I rushed after him, and what a scream I uttered! Luckily he alighted on the chair in front of your bed, giving me time to close the windows. That, also, shall not occur again!
There you have pretty well my whole budget of news; I hear very little from without. The other day Liszt sent me an enormous medallion of himself, by Rietschel; but where am I to bestow all the Liszts? There are 4 of him now! I have still to hear some sense from Germany; God knows what will come of that business with Berlin! —
I am delighted to be able to send you another 10 louis d'or now; you receive them piping hot, just as I had them from Mainz for the Tannhäuser. Only don't go buying too many cashmere waistcoats, but amuse yourself some other way! If you return quite fresh and well, and in good spirits, I'd rather have that than anything. —
I suppose you'll be unable to tell me about your return-journey by Weimar and Frankfort till later; in my turn, I will then address myself to those concerned. Boom is nowhere to be seen; he is composing a grand sonata now, and probably won't reappear before it's finished. Sulzer and I shall doubtless meet at Wesendoncks' tomorrow — Sunday — for dinner. They send very kind regards; I have to keep them well-informed about you.
Your last letter from Zwickau is still being aired; the partridges had become rather piquant, and strongly perfumed the beautiful paper. Nevertheless they — the partridges — tasted excellent, and effected most agreeable digestion.
Hitherto our weather had been extraordinarily fine and warm, so that I was able to do plenty of bathing still; but autumn has appeared the last 2 days: together with it an account for firing from Pastor Schweizer. So winter is stealing on; we will pass it right comfortably and workfully. The birthday shall be held on our wedding-day.
I think it highly wrong of them, to have given you no serenade at Chemnitz; report it to the musical authorities there.
What you told me of Wolfram's appearance and home has delighted me much; Lord, one's little mite of household comfort, after all, is everything one has. That also is why I furnished 3½ rooms, as of course you're aware!
Apropos, did you receive my last letter to Chemnitz? I have my qualms about its address. Nette thought the post-office people would be making remarks on the number of gentlemen my wife was keeping company with, first a Herr Dr. Tröger, then a Herr Wolfram. Now, only keep well and in good humour; everything else is going quite well. Give a thousand hearty greetings to Wolfram and all his family, with my good old faithful Clare at the top!!!
Farewell, and greet the parents too. Get hale and hearty! Adieu.
Thy R.
Source: Richard to Minna Wagner: Letters to His First Wife, trans. William Ashton Ellis, Vol. 1 (H. Grevel & Co., 1909), No. 70