March 9 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Livy about his love for her, the up-coming trip to California, and the wisdom of “sowing oats” early in life, etc. Sam had thought it over and spoken with Rev. Twichell “the other night,” and he recognized “a deeper question” than sowing wild oats to make a man’s future steady—“whether it be advisable or justifiable to trample the laws of God under foot at any time in our lives?” This period marks the high water mark of Sam’s efforts to become a “respectable Christian.” (See Peter Messent’s excellent 2003 article, details in Works Cited.) Sam finished the letter at noon, and included an article/sermon called “Friday Miscellany,” by Thomas K. Beecher. Sam argued it was, in effect, bearing false witness against Horace Greeley, a man Sam greatly admired. Sam went to hear Petroleum V. Nasby’s (David Ross Locke 1833-1888) lecture, “Cussed be Canaan.” Nasby called on Sam at 10 PM and they sat up and talked until 6 AM.
“ was perfectly fascinated with Nasby’s lecture, & find no flaw in it—yet I went there purposely to criticize…Nasby wants to get me on his paper. Nix”[The Toledo Daily Blade]. [MTL 3: 151-7,158-60].
From his Mar. 10 to Livy.

For a humorous description of Nasby and his oratorical manner, see Ch. 33 of Neider. Sam began a letter to Susan L. Crane, Livy’s adopted sister, thanking her. He finished the letter on Mar. 31 [MTL 3: 179].