Poor dear Wife,
One really may call that bad luck!! Whereas I thought I might assume that the aim of your journey was fulfilling itself better and better, that you were diverting yourself, enlivening yourself, and so reacting beneficially upon your jangled nerves, you are actually met by quite special misfortunes! — Going by Alwine's letter, I truly did not take so serious a view; in fact I wrote to Leipzig yesterday, because you said before that you intended being there this week. Those lines you'll find at Avenarius's; they consisted chiefly of directions as to Darmstadt: but there's time enough for that when you arrive at Leipzig. It quite turned my head to-day, when I received your letter; naturally, work could no longer be thought of. Still, no doubt I may believe you have recovered from your wound: otherwise you would have been unable to write me so much; accept many thanks for it! Dear Heaven, when ever is good luck to hap? Really nothing, nothing but adversities; and anything agreeable — so it seems! — is never to encounter us again. So nothing remains but to be glad if the mischances pass over one's head — like the fox and his skin!
But why on earth didn't you let Alwine write at once that you had lost your money? Even in your own letter you don't yet put it as if you really needed more. You silly woman, how could I think of leaving you in such a fix? To-day I'm sending you forthwith at least whatever I find possible: Alwine must surely have had to help you; so please return it her at once. —
Ah, my God, how gladly I would have you back again soon, and yet I keep on wishing you might not return before you've had some slight enjoyment from your journey, before you have refreshed yourself to some extent and had enough; but already arrived in Berlin, you have to make a fresh start, and begin picking yourself up all over again! O you poor child of misfortune, do have good luck for once! You deserve it in truth. Whether you will have obtained it from precisely Herr Hülsen, I strongly doubt; your question as to the reasons why Tannh. hasn't been given yet must strike him as very naive, since he knows well enough that it all resides in our demanding a summons for Liszt. Certainly I'm being urged on all sides to abandon this demand at last, as the success of Tannh. is now assured, even for Berlin, and I am losing a certain yearly revenue of 1,000 thalers by the delay. That may be all quite true; only, there was a time when people just as strongly warned me off, and considered the success of Tannh. as not assured: at that time it was decided to set up the condition about Liszt; he entered into it, and now I cannot so offend him as to thrust him aside and disavow him all at once. If of his own spontaneous motion he does not advise me to depart from the old stipulation, I cannot possibly place him in the false position of looking like a man who had imposed himself upon me. — That, dear Minna, you surely will see for yourself, and I therefore assume that you will undertake and utter nothing that stands in contradiction with my friendship. It would be another matter, if you — or better still, Alwine — could represent the actual state of things to Liszt in such a fashion that he felt bound to withdraw of his own accord: but even that can't be done without offence to him, and it would still be the most rational course if Liszt were really summoned. —
He wrote me rather touchily, that you were positively now in Germany: would you not be coming, then, to Weimar? However, I had written him already. You must visit him, whatever you do. — Schmidt, I expect, will only be able to give you the Tannh.; the more reason for your working in Lohengrin at Darmstadt: simply write to Schindelmeisser from Weimar. —
Your having visited your supposed arch-enemy at Waldheim doesn't at all astonish me in you; for I know you, you see! Your heart is broader and more comprehensive than your insight into the essence of characters which by all means must strike you as strange and repugnant, because one cannot expect you women to take in the things of this world with so far-reaching and assimilative a gaze as belongs for certain to the man — the poet. That your magnanimous heart (which you think fit to call stupid and weak!) finally raises just yourself above many ordinary women, I have experienced often enough before not to be surprised in this instance. But on the other hand, that you do not supplement this noble feature of your heart by greater insight, for example to provide you with a more benignant verdict on sundry matters in my past — it is just this I must often deplore, and for your own sake also, I believe, since you rob yourself of far too much peace of mind through so much opposition. — However, your visiting Röckel was gallant and fine of you. Your accounts of him do not surprise me; he has a nature firm as iron. —
Now afford me the great delight of telling me right soon you're feeling well and happy; if my wishes can assist you to it, be assured they issue from the fulness of my heart sincere and warm! —
Salute dear good Alwine quite alarmingly from me; I hope to see her here next year! — Farewell, dear good Minna; be of good cheer!
Thy Richel.
You are receiving 50 thalers to-day; write me by return whether you can manage with them, that I might send on more. Deny yourself nothing, simply ask!!
Source: Richard to Minna Wagner: Letters to His First Wife, trans. William Ashton Ellis, Vol. 1 (H. Grevel & Co., 1909), No. 73