Twain

I've begun lately to re-read a book about the last years of Mark Twain (Mark Twain, Man in White, by Michael Shelden). a very entertaining account of the man, his work, and the social climate of the era in which he lived. An early passage in the book concerns Twain's first appearance in the white attire that would later become iconic. Twain first wore this suit of clothes when he attended a meeting of congressional members on copyright law in the Library of Congress, in the dead of December. It sounds funny to us now, but in those days this sort of thing was just not done. One did not wear white in December. It was scandalous! Well, he got the attention of the members of congress, which was his intention, and he got the attention of the press as well, with which he was delighted.  He also got the attention of his eldest daughter, who was mortified. From that time on, Twain adopted the attire as a sort of uniform. It became part of the image overall--Mark Twain, the man in white. He was the original countercultural rebel. 

Another incident depicted in the book concerns Twain's visit to a popular restaurant in New York. Again in his white suit, as he entered the dining hall, everyone stopped, put down their silverware, stood, and applauded the man! How nice it must have been to have had such beloved figures among us, men who would inspire an instantaneous outpouring of affection. Who could match it in our time?