The Washington herald., 1906-12-08
TWAIN AWES CAPITOL
Attired in White, a Tropical
Vision. He Scores Clothes.
LIKES PEEK A BOO WAISTS
Venerable HumOrfst Commends
WOmen's Dress to Men, and Recon-
mendS DecOIIete with DOubIet and
HOse-Says william Dean HovveIIs
Locked Like an ASS In Plug Hat.

Il belong To the ancient and honorable
society Of perfection and purity. ] am
the president. secretary, and treasurer. l
am the only member. In fact" drawIed
Mark Twain, stretched out in an easy
chair in the press gallery, with his toes
turned UP To the cracking fire on the
CRATE. Il am the only person in the
United States who is eligible"
Previously the humorist had sauntered
through the Capitol talking TO some Of
his legislative friends about the copyright
bill which ne is anxious should pass, to
save his family from starvation. Attired
in "a snow white serge suit, which match
ed almost TO perfection the crowniag
glory Of his noble head, he needed but a
palm-leaf fan to complete his persOnifca-
ton OF the tropics A white cravat was
held in loose folds with creamy moon
stone. his polished teeth CLEANED below
grizzled mustache. his skin was like
baby's. a very vision from the equator
And outside the wintry wind whistled
around the dome OF the Capitol and cut
whose fur coats could not keep out the
frigid blasts. and carried gusts Of snow
flakes that beat upon the panes.
Honest" said Mark Twain. II can't
get over the abomination Of the American
clothes. The garments the average man
wears are a fright but ] have reached
that age of discretion which gives 10
years the right Of individuality in dress
I wear my white serge not as clothes
No, ts my uniform.
sandwich islander His Ideal.
Il have seen but one man dressed the
way I would like to dress-dressed in the
best way to dress He was a Sandwich
Islander and he wore-let me see. it was
a special occasiOn-a pair of spectacles
You may talk about clothes. but, after all.
the human skin is the best thing in that
line 1 have ever struck
Now, there's the plug hat Whenever
l see man in plug hat begin to
suspect him OF something Time was
when man couldn't be dressed in the
United States unless he wore plug hat
Now a man can't be dressed if he does
wear one. I don't like TO see men in
black
"Oh. now. I don't care for the gaudy
effects. Something with color in It,
though. catches my fancy. l love the
women. They know how to get them
selves up to capture the heart and eye.
and I don't see why as the ladies are
constantly borrowing ideas in clothes
from men-whenever they get any good
ones-the men shouldn't borrow from the
ladies'
Were there ever any styles like the
peck-a-boo waist the lOw-cut gown. the
short sleeves? Wouldn't man look gor-
geoUs III that kind of a rig2 Why not?
Of course, believe in 1t. For men? Ger
tainiy / like to look over the theaters,
the opera houses; but do you think care
about the men? Not by a considerable
sight. They speck the landscape Ike
lot of crows But with the women. it's
different There is something gay. and
festive, and full Of life ard color. and
warm and pleasing and artistic about a
woman. They don't get themselves up
like delegates to an gndertakers con-
vention. with no more atmospheric fitness
about them than a ham. No, sir; a wom-
an knows how TO blend herself with the
scenery. and II there happens to be an
aurora borealis or a rainbow around, it