Forgive me, dear Minna, for leaving you so long again without a word; my over-occupation is immense, and I have twice been ill already. On the very morning after my Benefit here I had to start for Moscow, according to arrangement, to give 3 concerts in a week, 2 for the directors and 1 for myself free of cost. Immediately after the first rehearsal I fell ill, and had to have that concert cancelled; so, to earn my Benefit after all, I had to give 3 concerts in 5 days, which strictly brought me only the profit of one. My condition is of the utmost exhaustion!
I got back here at 9 this morning, after luckily meeting a relative of the Ritters en route, who offered to attend to the enclosed bill of exchange for you; so that I'm able to write you this very day and send you money, — which wasn't possible before, for lack of time. Accordingly, I am sending you the following: 250 th. for your quarter's money, with the 50 thr you paid to Pusinelli; consequently, 300 th. for yourself. Then 362 thlr for the note of hand I gave bookseller Arnold, which will be presented to yourself, in lieu of me, for payment in our dwelling on the 15th April. Moreover, another 150 th., which I still owe Pusinelli from last time and I beg you to enclose in the accompanying note and forward to him thus. Altogether this makes 812 thr, by my addition, which you will at once collect from Kaskel on the bill of exchange. Beyond that I have debts to pay at Leipzig, which I shall liquidate there direct. Now I beg you to get clear of your own debts; if it will not run to that, you had better not pay the rent for the 1st of July out of this, but I'll send you the fresh quarter's money early enough for you to pay it out of that.
In spite of fine receipts, I'm rather sad and troubled. I cannot repeat such undertakings without coming to grief; that's the conviction I've won. I enclose a photograph they took of me in Moscow; it will shew you how pulled down I am. Consequently what I now have earned must last for long; please therefore back me up in thrift.
Now I must take a thorough rest here before tackling the fearful journey to Vienna, where I shall soon be much needed: what exertions I am going to face there again! So I'm almost glad nothing has come of the Berlin and the Breslau concert; I couldn't possibly have stood it. If on the other hand I get time from Vienna, perhaps I may give one more concert in the Easter week here, which will bring me in more than Berlin and Breslau combined. My local receipts really amount to something over 6000 roubles (or thaler). Audience and orchestra dote on me; perhaps Amalie has written you that? I was able to lay hold of those queer folk at last, and allot them a box for my concert, which they filled with their whole family; I was highly pleased to see them again. Amalie left me a little present for you, which I shall make over in Germany shortly; they have gone now.
Now, dear Minna, I must bid you Adieu again; I'm exhausted in the last degree, and want to write a couple of lines to Pusinelli also. Farewell, be and become tranquil, tranquil, and ever rely upon me! — Many greetings from
Thy Richard.
Source: Richard to Minna Wagner: Letters to His First Wife, trans. William Ashton Ellis, Vol. 2 (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1909), No. 268