several instances mattresses were brought
with them by some of the more provident of these nocturnal wayfarers,
many of whom of course were notoriously middle-men who simply
speculated, with immense profit to themselves, in selling again at
enormously advanced prices the tickets which were invariably dispensed
by the business manager at the fixed charges originally announced.

As curiously illustrative of the first outburst of this enthusiasm even
before the Novelist's arrival--on the very eve of that arrival, as it
happened--mention may here be made of the simple facts in regard to the
sale of tickets on Monday, the 18th of November. During the whole of
that day, from the first thing in the morning to the last thing at
night, Mr. Dolby sat there at his desk in the Messrs. Ticknor and
Fields' bookstore, literally doing nothing but sell tickets as fast
as he could distribute them and take the money. For thirteen hours
together, without taking bite or sup, without ever once for a passing
moment quitting the office-stool on which he was perched--fortunately
for him behind a strong barricade--he answered the rush of applicants
that steadily pressed one another onwards to the pigeon-hole, each
drifting by exhausted when his claims were satisfied. The indefatigable
manager took in moneys paid down within those thirteen consecutive hours
as many as twelve thousand dollars.

During the five months of his stay in America, four Readings a week were
given by the Novelist to audiences as numerous as the largest building
in each town of a suitable character could by any contrivance be made
to contain. The average number of those present upon each of these
occasions may be reasonably estimated as at the very least 1500
individuals. Remembering that there were altogether seventy-six
Readings, this would show at once that upwards of one hundred thousand
souls (114,000) listened to the voice of the great Author reading, what
they had so often before read themselves, and raising their own voices
in return to greet his ears with their ringing acclamations. At a
moderate estimate, again, just as we have seen that each Reading
represented 1500 as the average number of the audience, that audience
represented, in its turn, in cash, at the lowest computation, nett
proceeds amounting to fully $3000. At Rochester, for example, in the
State of New York, was the smallest house anywhere met with in the whole
course of these American Readings, and