Miles Hendon, the Ever So Gallant

"And so he had. He did as men have always done, and probably always will do, to the end of time--held the needle still, and tried to thrust the thread through the eye, which is the opposite of a woman's way."
-The Prince and the Pauper, Chapter XIII p. 67

          The quote I have chosen depicts Miles Hendon in his attempt to thread a needle to make sewing adjustments to the new, but used, garments he purchased for the little king, Eward Tudor. At this point, Eward has convinced Hendon that he would have made a good little king, for he sure has the attitude of one. However, Hendon believes that Edward is mostly delusional and takes him in as a sort of pet, dressing him up like his own little doll.  He sews the clothes while Edward is sleeping, revealing right after the above quote that he plans on adopting Edward on his journey to Hendon Hall where the "little one" shall be merry.  Edward runs away, however, and Hendon is dead set on finding him and bringing him with him.
          Hendon's complete infatuation with Edward interests me.  Was Twain intending to parallel his character with that of dedicated Knights to their King, stopping at nothing to protect him? More so, Hendon does not believe that Edward is the King, and yet he finds himself constantly on the search for him in order to save him from the cruel world. I suppose he is supposed to be the soldier, the protector, the dedicated knight who will stop at nothing in order to maintain justice and safety of those fairer than him. What's the word? Ah, yes, chivalrous. Of course, Twain takes this chivalrous soldier to an extreme, exaggerating his role in the story and also the prototypical knight of Renaissance England. 
          That is where my quote comes into play. Twain has Hendon doing such a dainty and loving thing: clothing a small boy by his own hand. Hendon maintains his manliness by Twain's juxtaposition of his attempt to "thrust" the thread through the eye in the typical man-way, so opposite of a woman. Even though Hendon is demonstrating an absurd amount of care and sensitivity for Edward, he is still a big, manly man's man...man. He is both an insanely dedicated knight and protector and carer for Eward. Twain makes silly his running about and pursuing Edward at any cost in order to complete his mission quite like the tales of the Knights of the Round Table. I hear the Monty Python and the Holy Grail song over and over again in my mind.
          Or, Hendon is like all of the characters who helped Frodo Baggins in his quest to destroy the ring! Maybe? I could see Viggo playing him in a movie. Well, maybe a little less serious than Viggo. In any case, Hendon is the recurring gallant and reverent protector.   
          The quote can also be taken more seriously, reflecting on the soldier's loss of social norms when in battle. Twain says that men will always try to thread the needle...but why? Because, in war, men have to thread their own needles and take care of themselves while protecting their country? And they "always" will because war will always be an issue and there will always be a need for soldiers? I wonder if Twain was commenting on the horrible inevitability of war and the loss of reality in war where men have to adopt roles that normally are not meant for them...Yikes, a hasty statement since I am all for women's rights.  But, during the time period in which Twain was writing, this would have been more acceptable. 
          That's all I'm going to say about that.