Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-09-23
SMALL HUMANITY.
History of Tom Thumb andHis Wife
Microscopic Love---Tom'sBrief
Triumph, Then 0bscurity.

Triumph, Then 0bscurity.
Providence Journall
Tom Thumb, or Charles STRAIT
ton, as he was called in his bap
|tismal name, was, at his birth,a
all the world knows, an under
sized specimen of humanity. If
he was not put into a quart pot
he might have been, according
to what was said by his mother
who averred that he hardly
measured pint. He grew up
in strength of brain and in phys.
ieal health, but with only a small
development anatomicalstruct-
iure and adipose tissue. Barnum
found him in his rural home, ,and,
after some pleasant negotiations
with his progenitors, brought
him into notoriety among the
curiosities of the celebrated mu-
scum. 1t was forty years or
more ago, when the great A
merican repertory was at the
corner ofAnn street, ,inNew 7 ork,
that,wandcring through its shad-
owy and mysterious halls, and
wondering over birds,and beasts,
and wax figures, monkeys, and
relies Of the Revolution, we first
made acquaintance with the lit
tie mrn of bridgeport. He was
in the prime and beauty of a
black coatee, tapering off like
the tail of a young swallow,
while his trousers, also of the
ministerial hue, and faultless in
set, were strapped under boots
that u Chinese Princess might
have worn, and that glistened
like polished mirrors. Small in
size he was, yet great in his a.
dopted name, because his meas
ure was advertised in inches.
And so he continued increasing
in fame, but not iii stature, for
many years, until he had gained
q comfortable portion OF this
worlds goods, and felt that he
might retire from the gaze of
admiring eyes to the quiet fields
and forest shades Of his birth
place.
1Lavinia Warren was also small
and under-sized at her birth, and
grew but little up to the time of
herr maidenhood. A happy
thought OF Barnum led him to
seek an interview with her pa
rents, and to engage her as one
OF the stars of his Museum.
She took her position among the
orbs of his celc cbrated armament,
and held 10 for several years. 1t
was here that she found her
Thumb; it was here that her
Thumb found her. Under the
tapestry of the Museum walls,
beneath the gaze of Revolution
aryworthies peering from worm
eaten canvases, companioned by
Daniel Lambert and the stuffed
tiger from Bengal, and encour-
aged by the voice of the parrot
and the ehattering of the monk
ey, the romantic passion warmed
up and seethed and bubbled, ,and
two young and fond hearts, as a
poet has said,
t.,., Like Snow all meeting
Mellowed into one.
There was a flame of love,
Notwithstanding the GOODNESS Of
BUR simile, and it leaped and
1ourished until. Lavinia and
Thomas were set in blaze. It'll
gave. a new, ornament to the
green curtain, it sparkled in the |
Chandelier, it added a luster to
he footlights, and it sounded |
preludes in the inspir-
ting harmonies of the Amazo-
lian bass yiol and other instru-
nents of the customary band.
And in proper time, after all pro-
engagements had been
Layinia and Thomas
we're married. There, were we'd
ling presents, and sports and
jumketings after the solemn GER
.mony, but the bride and bride
that modesty which al
Ways marked their character, re-
,ired from the festive scene to
he valley yinMassachusetts which
le had selected for their future
home. And there ever since
hey have lived undisturbed by
he illusions of the public stage,
in occasional dramaticep-
sodes, and perfectly contented.
n their seqlestered dwelling a.
nong woods and streams and
hedges. If the fam
ngs of remembered chandeliers
ave occasionally blazed in upon
hem, they have only illuminated
he delights of their pleasant
etreat, and the visions Of the po-
ar bear in his stuffed integu-
1ent, the happy family, and the
,athetic seal IN his tank, have
,nly added to the pleasure OF a
Iuiet abode, zu ~
. For several years we have
;nown but little about Tom
fhumb and his wife. But a
in a neWsDaDcr, saws I.