Paine relates the story of Twain's quip in 1873 (or so) that he carried
a plain cotton umbrella in England because it was the only kind an
Englishman wouldn't steal. In 1875 a brown, silk English-made umbrella
was stolen from MT during a baseball game. I'm trying to connect the
dots. I seem to recall that MR was given this nicer umbrella while at a
banquet in London, but I can't locate a source to confirm it. Can
anybody help?