January 24 Saturday – Sam and Cable gave two readings at the The Grand Opera House, Minneapolis, Minnesota, a matinee and an evening performance. According to the Minneapolis Tribune, the matinee reading was “fairly attended” and there was a “full house” in the evening [Railton].

Jane Clemens wrote to Sam & Livy:

      Livy we enjoyed Sam’s short visit very much although very much of the time he was in my room he was writing & I could not talk. In the afternoon our friends came in to see him quite a number of them. I was glad to see them come although I could not talk to Sam. I suppose I am as well as most of old people are. The people here are kind & meet me half way, but I can’t get out this weather. A little baby died in the neighborhood but I can’t go to the funeral. I don’t find a great many old friends here they are most of them gone where I shall very soon follow. Robert Creel died here since I came here his mother and my mother were sisters. Robert’s mother and my mother were sisters. You see I am getting tired & repeat. Sam you remember the Timberman family. Jane came to see me & I called at her house. After William Timberman married and took his wife to live with his mother & sister they could not live together his wife had temper. He moved his wife away afterwards. Timberman was standing in the street talking and dropped dead. Property had been divided.

      Jane & her mother were living together & her mother died. Jane is left alone. Before William was married Jane raised a poor girl called Nancy. She got married. I called to see Jane she told me all about her trials & troubles. Jane had built a nice little cottage on a corner. I don’t remember the street angling from that corner she had built a house for Nancy, her husband and children. Jane said it was the greatest blessing that she raised Nancy. Her husband & children are the greatest blessing on this earth. The winter is very cold here. I don’t go out much. I am not sick much but old age is creeping along. I expect I am as well as people generally are of my age. I don’t feel much the matter. I will tell the children what a beautiful well like a fucia Orion spelt that name this morning. I told him I would not remember I spell it fusia. But trouble will come. A very cold night came & next morning fucia was down. I raised it, proped it, but it all died but the main stem. Such a cold country I wish I was down south. No person about but the girl in the kitchen. Love to all, Mother. Orion, Mollie, the hired girl are very kind. I have no fault to find.

      My memory don’t serve me I have mixed my letter. Mother & Grandma [The Twainian Jan-Feb 1981, 2].