Submerged fame

Mark Twain's words reminded me of a departed shipmate, Captain Carroll LeFon, lost to us a week ago. I posted these words on his Milblog a while back as they reminded me of him when I read them.

Now they bring his memory to us again, as he has been taken from us all too soon.

Fair Winds and Following Seas Shipmate.


" Robert Louis Stevenson and I, sitting in Union Square and Washington Square a great many years ago, tried to find a name for, the submerged fame, that fame that permeates the great crowd of people you never see and never mingle with; people with whom you have no speech, but who read your books and become admirers of your work and have an affection for you.

You may never find it out in the world, but there it is, and it is the faithfulness of the friendship, of the homage of those men, never criticizing, that began when they were children. They have nothing but compliments, they never see the criticisms, they never hear any disparagement of you, and you will remain in the home of their hearts' affection forever and ever. And Louis Stevenson and I decided that of all fame, that was the best, the very best."

- Mark Twain, 11 January 1908