I have a question for all you Twainers out there.  Recently I reviewed
Clinton Cox's *Mark Twain: America's Humorist, Dreamer, Prophet*
(Scholastic, 1995) for *The Five Owls* magazine (Nov/Dec 1995, not yet
published).  The book is intended for the middle reader, ages 8-14.
 
When dealing with Livy's death in his book, Cox states, "On her
tombstone, Twain had engraved in the German language they both
loved:  "Gott sei dir gnadig, O meine Wonne!" -- "God be gracious, Oh,
my Bliss!" (p. 201).  Cox makes no other mention of the German
language in his biography.
 
I found this especially surprising, since I knew of Twain's apparent
disdain for the language from his treatment of it in *A Tramp Abroad*.
Was his criticism for the language intended merely for effect, and did he
truly love this language?
 
Mark Dittman
Business/Production Manager, The Five Owls
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