August 11 Sunday – Sam and Twichell returned to Baden Baden. Livy, the children and the rest of the Clemens party had already gone on to Lucerne, Switzerland [Rodney 103]. From Sam’s notebook:

Been reading Romola yesterday afternoon, last night, & this morning; at last I came upon the only passage which has thus far hit me with force—Tito compromising with his conscience & resolving to do, not a bad thing, but not the best thing.

Feeling religious this morning I sent a scout to church. He saw the Empress & heard a poor sermon.

Sunday Night, 11th. Huge crowd out to-night to hear the band play the Fremersberg. I suppose it is very low grade music—I know it must be low grade music—because it so delighted me….I have never heard enough classic music to be able to enjoy it; & the simple truth is, I detest it. Not mildly, but with all my heart [MTNJ 2: 138].

Sam used notebook entries from this date discussing “high and low grade” music and art in Ch. 24 of TA.

“What a red rag is to a bull, Turner’s “Slave Ship” is to me…A Boston critic said the “Slave Ship” reminded him of a cat having a fit in a platter of tomatoes” [MTNJ 2: 139].

Sam’s notebook: “When they play Martha, the liars applaud all along—but when The Last Rose of Summer drops in, they forget & the applause is something tremendous” [MTNJ 2: 140].