The Portland daily press., 1879-09-19
FRIDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 10.
Mr. and MFRS. Tom Thumb ait Home.

The Rev. w. III. Adams of Massachusetts has
written letter describing visit to the home
near Middleboro', Mass, of the world-re-
nowned dwarfs, General and Mrs Tom Thumb,
in which he says, "The public are not admitted
to their sumptuous home. Only few favored
friends, who its proprietors are confident Will
appreciate the privilege, are received. IL Is
three-story wooden mansion tastelully
painted with piazzas and bay windows com
manding an extensive view OF variegated seem
erv. with the domes and spires of Middleboro'
in the distance, and having the air of luxury.
A Scotch maid announced us, who subsequent
" told one of the ladies that they could not
help loving Mr.. and Mrs. Stratton, who were
always kind and seeking to make them happy;
The General gave us hearty welcome anu
ushered us into an elegant drawing room
adorned with italian and Chinese paintings,
and portrait of his father who died some
wears since at Bridgeport, Conn, where the
family still reside. On the marble centre table
lay a large family bible alone. Chalrs and So
fas were all adapted to persons OF ordinary size,
and nothing in this story OF the mansion sug-
oested its owners wee-neSS save in the library,
replete with bric-a-brac and articles OF Ctfu
from all the world, souvenirs of travel, where
a child's rockingham of black walnut received
ordinary seats during the half hour IN when
the General kindly exhibited article after artl-
Gle, from a Masonic apron hundred years olo.
to an elephant carved from tusk, put WHOSE
tusks, alone from the whole ANIMAL were not
of IVORY but of brass. To a curlously carved
walking-stick surmounted by long-bearded
head with great glass eyes, they have given
the name of David from a fancied resem-
blance to the sweet psalmist OF Israel. Mrs.
Stratton, pointing to an elegantly carved SET
81 oh won, rl fond
ness for the game, and (archly, and with the
Generals good-humored response) her hus-
bands dislike, because, 'modestly say it, al
ways beat him. -.s
'We could well appreciate her assertion that
she and the General had always got along well
together He is forty years old, and four years
her senior. He now weighs seventy-fve pounds
having weighed fifty pounds at fifteen years OF
age. But said he, I began life a good big
boy of six pounds Going up stairs we felt in
clined to be SO unmannerly as to take two steps
at time, for the stairs OF both flights seemed
but four or five inches each in height: but we
were not so exalted above measure as thus to
indicate our own pedal superiority AT the
head of the first flight, in the sewing-room,
stood the diminutive Wheeler & Wilson sew
ing machine, a wedding present, fifteen years
ago, from that firm, who at their own expense
caused this exquisitely pearl-inlaid playthlng
to precede the little travellers III every lana
they visited around the globe. 1t is play
thing in size alone Mrs. Stratton making it do
good service to the present day In the front
entry over the entrance was the Generals
grand piano, about two feet high, one OF his
pastors fingers striking three of the keys at
once, and with difficulty covering only one. 1t
was made in England, and cost $500, being IN
laid with pearl and richly gilded and enam-
elled. But the General was 'out of practice
indeed, had given up playing altogether
Perhaps our greatest treat was the inspec-
ton of their own department. Here were the
Penates. Admitted into the penetraia, we
may be permitted to write that here everything
is adapted to themselves alone. Bureau, cabi-
net, dressing table, sofa, chairs and bed were
all diminutive; the last deliberately carved
from ebony, and richly canopied in damask
and lace, gift from his father"