Even to-day I can only make you scant answer, good Minna, to your letter received the day before yesterday; I have only a bare hour's time left. Our things have arrived, and have given me a deal to do the last few days, to get everything in place. Unfortunately with the frequent lading and unlading of the cases, some of which are very heavy, there has been a fair amount of damage; and perhaps it would have been better to have packed the books, etc. separately, as they made the cupboards and drawers unnecessarily heavy. All that can be repaired, however; only it means a lot to do still, and I thank God that you're not in it. You had the awful time, when you attended to the packing up; I still reproach myself for that, and think it a very mild recompense that I should relieve you of the unpacking, which in itself is far more pleasant. Moreover, I am admirably assisted. In the first place my valet (from Canton Wallis) is shaping very well; he appears to be an entirely uncorrupted good sort, extremely good-natured and indefatigable, so that I believe I may be quite satisfied with him. Then in the concierge of my late lodgings I've found a perfect jewel of a woman, who takes the Devil's own interest in me, has always given me very good and reasonable directions, and now is lending an uncommonly expert and zealous hand in getting me straight. So have no care about me and the toil; it is all going right, and will soon be got over.
Therese's coming so late is most inconvenient to me. I have sent orders to Zurich for her to try and get away sooner on the plea of her parents' illness. —
Among the furniture I miss my green work-fauteuil, also the two red-velvet fauteuils: why did you sell precisely those? In fact you might have been more sparing with the sale in general. Where so much was to be carried, the dining-table and the sofa-table might easily have found their place, also the better bedsteads; we surely should have saved that way. Did you sell all the mattresses? In general, tho', please tell me what you may have with you now. What are you bringing in the way of bedding? Are your blankets, etc. still in good condition and worth the carriage? These are just the sort of things not dear to buy here. Have you the table silver with you? Please answer, and I'll then direct you how to pass it in. In short, supply me with a list of everything you're bringing with you.
And now for the main affair. I'm highly delighted you took my last letter so well; now only let yourself be treated by me, and obey me: I really am the only one who can have a thorough good influence on your whole condition, and I have good hope. I am sorry everything is growing so late; I had hoped you'd have started your grape-cure the beginning of October, and assumed you were in Dresden long ago: all that has been greatly delayed, and I'm afraid the long postponement of your coming hither will give rise to a collision. However, the chief thing remains that the grape-cure (which I also deem most advantageous and needful) should do you real good, and that you shouldn't overtax yourself thereafter with the preparations for your journey; for the smallest over-exertion would be more detrimental than the few days' gain of time were worth. Bear that in mind as well. —
Whether I shall come out to meet you, or await you here, I must determine later. On the whole I'm against a first meeting and talk in a railway-carriage, and prefer receiving you in the tranquillity of one's own hearth. On that another time, though. —
Now for N. I have well and maturely considered it, and believe it my most bounden duty to be dead against N.'s coming to Paris too. Our experiences of your mutual incompatibility are so utterly deterrent, that I should judge myself greatly to blame if I risked another attempt in your present state of health. The last attempt has just been made again at Dresden, and from your own letters I've repeatedly gathered that you two can't hit it off for long. On the other hand I recognise in your last change of mind the selfsame weakness you displayed 4 years ago, when we corresponded between Zurich and Mornex on this point and you suddenly declared yourself once more for N.'s remaining. The results thereof I then experienced in that unseemly scene which finally accelerated N.'s removal; a scene which, just as it should never have occurred, must also be kept at arm's length from our house in future. I'm not at feud with N. for that, however, and what I promised her in my last letter shall be adhered to. Tell me how much more money you believe you'll need, to leave N. something like 30 thaler behind to go on with.
But I beg you the more insistently to use your most earnest endeavour to engage such a young person as I wish for you. In any case please advertise repeatedly in the Tageblatt: "Wanted a young lady, aged 18 to 30, as companion to a married lady; one who can speak French preferred." Through public announcement one can find what one wants just as well, indeed easier (as it gets known far and wide) than by personal enquiries; and then one always has a choice, and doesn't need to bind oneself until one thinks one's suited. For instance, a man-servant was personally selected for me by the M.: well, if that creature hadn't been engaged already, his travelling money paid and so on, I should never have taken him; so I forced myself to put up with him, though my feeling was always against the Saxon — — —. — Wouldn't you care to go and see Uhlich's eldest daughter? You absolutely require a trusty educated girl about you. If you can give me no hope of it soon, I shall make enquiries myself; in fact I've no doubt one could find just the thing here in Paris itself, where there are so many German families. —
Now farewell for to-day. Write me nicely how you're getting on; be calm in every way, overtax yourself with nothing, and above all attend to your health!
Adieu, dear good Mutz!
Thy R.
Source: Richard to Minna Wagner: Letters to His First Wife, trans. William Ashton Ellis, Vol. 2 (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1909), No. 195