June – Sam wrote “The Lost Ear-ring,” which was not published in his lifetime [Fables of Man 145- 148]. Note: source notes: “The tale begins with the date 6 June 1878, and the verso of manuscript page 13 bears the heading ‘Schloss Hotel Heidelberg, June 5’…The title was supplied at the time Bernard DeVoto was the Editor of the Mark Twain Papers.”
On board the Holsatia in Apr. 1878, Bayard Taylor introduced Sam to the popular German song, “Die Lorelei,” which Sam had never heard. This month he copied its lyrics into his notebook in both German and English [MTNJ 2: 100]. It became one of Sam’s favorites.
Also in his notebook, “English swore (Misses Berry?) up to end of last century,” referring to Harriet Martineau’s Autobiography, which carried an anecdote on page 278 about “feminine oaths of a hundred years ago,” by Mary and Agnes Berry [Gribben 454].