Smyrna times., 1879-10-15
Mr.. and Mrs. Tom Thumb at Home,

The Rev. W. II. \, ans of Massachusetts
has written letter describing q visit to the
home near Middlcboro', Mass. Of the world
renowned dwarfs, General and Mrs. Tom
Thumb, in which he says: "The public are
OF admitted to thier sunptu0us home.
Only few favored friends, who its proprie-
to!s arc contde will appreciate the privi.
lee, are received. 1t is thrce.storv
wooden mansion, tastefully painted, with
plazZaS and bay windows commanding an
extensive view OF yariegated scenery, with
the dome and spires Of Middleboro' in the
distance, and having the air of luxury. 4
Scotch maid announced Us, who subye-
quently told one Of the ladies that they
could not help loving Mr.. and Mrs. Stratton.
who We're always kind and seeking to make
them happy. The General gave is hearty
welcome and ushered us into at. elegant
drawing room, adorned with Italian and
Chinese paintings, and a portrait Of his
father who died some years since at Bridge.
port, Conn, where the family still reside.
On the marble centre table Law a large
'amily- Bible alone. Chairs and sofas were
all adapted to persons Of ordinary size. and
nothing i'll this, story Of the mansion sug.
gestcd its owners wec.ness, save in the
library, repletc with bric-a- brac and articles
OF tTtu from all the world souvenirs of
travel, where a childS rocking chair of
black walnut received the little Madam,
while her guests occupied ordinary seats
| during the half hour in which the General
! kindly exhibited article after article, from
a Masonic apron hundred years old, to an
elephant carved from tusk, but whose
tusks, alone of the whole animal, were no.
Of ivory but Of brass. TO a curouslv carved
walking stick surmounted by a long bearded
head with great glass eyes, they have giver
the name CT David from a fancied rescm
| hiance to the sweet psalmst of Israel. Mrs
Stratton; pointing to an elegantly carved
set of East India chessmen, remarked he
tondness for the game, and (archly anC
with the Generals good humored response
her husbands dislike, because, 'modestly
say it, | always beat him. We could wei
appreciate her assertion that the Genera
and she had always got along well together
He is forty years old, and four years he
senior. lie now cighs seventy five pounds
having weighed fifty pounds at fifteen year
OF age. But, said he, began life goo
big boy OF SIX pounds. Going up stairs W
felt inclined to be SO unmannerly as to tax
two steps at a time, for the stairs Of bot
flights seemed but four or five inches eac
III HSlSuI buG VIC were HOG SO cEdllC
above measure as thus to Indicate our ow
pedal superiority. At the head Of the fir,
flight, in the sewing.room stood the d
minutive Wheeler & Wilson sewing m:
chine, wedding present, fifteen years agt
from that firm, who at their own eXpens
caused this exquisitely pearl inlaid pla,
thing to precede the little travellers in ever
land they visited around the glo be- 1t is
plaything in SIZE alone, Mrs. Stralto
making it do good service to the preseI
day. In the front entry over the cntranc
was the Generals grand piano, about tw
feet high, one of his pastors fingers strikir
; three of the keys at once, and with diff
Guilty covering only one. 1t was made
England, and cost 500, being inlaid wit
pearl and richly gilded and enameled. b
: the General was 'out of practice indee
had given up playing altogether
"PerLaps our greatest treat was the !
. spection o. their own apartment. He
; were the Penates. Admitted into Il
1 penetralia, we may be permitted to wri
y that here everything is adapted to ther
! selves alone. Bureau, cabinet, dressiI
t table, sofa, chairs and bed were all dimin
= tive; the last deliberately carved fro
Il ebony, and richly canopied in damask al
lace, a gift from his father.