December 6 Saturday – Sam and Cable rose at 4:30 A.M. and took the train to Rochester, New York, arriving at 10 A.M. They gave a 2 PM matinee reading in Rochester at the Academy of Music for a small, but “appreciative to a degree” audience, who fought a downpour to hear the two men. The evening performance was to “a large house and great fun.” Cable wrote his wife that neither of them had ever done so well [Turner, MT & GWC 66].

At Cable’s urging [Cardwell 26] Sam purchased Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, and began writing notes for what would become, five years later, A Connecticut Yankee [Cardwell 54].

Sam wrote two letters from Rochester to Livy. He’d promised to write twice to make up for days when his schedule prevented writing. The first included:

“Been railroading since 4 oclock this morning. My hoarseness seems to be entirely gone, at last, & I feel fresh & splendid. But we got to talk here twice, to-day, & so I am going at once to bed & snatch a couple of hours’ sleep. I have acquired the blessed faculty of sleeping in the day time, in spite of clatter & racket.”

Sam felt the trip was a “great thing” for his health, but was sorry it was a hardship for Livy.

“Curse the matines! I have ordered that this be the last one for the present” [MTP].

In the second note, Sam noted that it had rained hard all day and spoke at a matinee performance.

“The houses were good but not crowded, & we made them shout. I wore that coat for the first time—& the last. It will go back to you by express. I shall never wear anything but evening dress again. I will not defer to fashion to the destruction of my comfort” [MTP].

Charles Webster wrote to remind Clemens that he “must be in Canada on Wednesday Dec. 10th” he gave directions [MTP].

N.C. Crane wrote from Mount Hope, NY to ask Clemens for his autograph [MTP].