The Newtown bee., 1906-07-13

,arel of father and sons, as we'll as Ter own, in excellent condition. Farmers wives had to work in those lays and Mrs Platt never shirked her share, but with cheerful alacrity looked after every detail of thorough Her kitchen, dining and sitting rooms (the parlor was a later innevation) were always cleanly and inviting. That she was model without fuss or assump- tion of superiority, everybody conced- ed.
 I remember one day when little boy helping Orville help his father do some farm work. Very little help we were, our principal task being the burning of a pile of brush on corner of the lot and that was what we really enjoyed. Then when weary came the washing of hands and faces in a basin by the spring and sitting down at table in straight-backed cane bottom ed chairs to a sumptuouS meal of slices of sweet home salted pork, pota- toes and vegetables, with pure spring water, finishing up with marvellous ly concocted mince pie. l could not and cannot now imagine or recall any meal more nicely adapted and satisfy ing to the appetites of pair of hun gry boys. The only drawback was the ''grace before meat" which was much too long to suit our inpatient craving for immediate food, but that was an indispensable preliminary to all such occasions and we submitted because we had to, whether willing or not.
 THE PARENTAL HOME
 was a two-storied white structure about a mile from town, facing easter ly, pleasant yard in front enclosing shruhbery and the inevitable lilac bushes, the earliest harbingers of a New England spring. It was situated on a high plateau sloping to the road way and thence to ravine through which purled rivulet that crossed the road farther down, afording fav- orite drinking place for horses in sim pie or double harness. On the north was the garden patch, and west, the farm, small sized and stony, requiring assiduous labor to exploit whatever good qualities it possessed. The road way passing by the house made cir cult west of north through an avenue of stately chestnut trees, then turning to the right came to the house of El- nathan Mitchell, a brother of the famous scientist, Prof Mitchell of North Carolina, where he was greatly beloved and esteemed, and who lost his life exploring the highest peak of the Blue Ridge, which now bears his name.
 Not far hence was the home of good old Deacon Punderson, who could and generally did at the Sunday meetings quote chapters of Scripture ad libitum anywhere from Matthew to Revela- tions. Still farthur on was the home of Francis H. Smith, hard working son, who is now one of the leading bankers, insurance and real estate men in the Capital City and highly respected for his superior social and business attainments and sterling worth.
 HIS EDUCATIONAL CAREER,
 Orville did not attend school sum- mers because he was needed at home but all his leisure time he gave to the persual of whatever books could be had that were worthy of attention and such books of history, fiction, science, philosophy he studied with care and remembered what he read. His mind became a store house of much that was useful, inter- ssting, suggestive and valuable to him
 in later years, for he digested and thoroughly assimilated the best that really good books could impart. His education consequently was by no means neglected during intervals of work in the long evenings of summer. The acquaintances of his father and mother were invariably of superior class and he had the advantage of lis ;ening at times to the discussion of political topics of the day by cultivat- d and intellectual men and at times ,ook part in them and on all occasions l vas encouraged to speak his thoughts md ask for such information as he | wanted on any subject presented.
 With the commencement of winter Orville' and Simeon could 1 lave been seen travelling through the now with satchels in hand containing | chool books and luncheon, to the old academy near the Meeting House on he village green. Of the different tudies persued OrviIle's~ preference vas for arithmetic. algebra and math- ,matics. He was also fond of history. Lncient and modern, and geography. n all these he excelled. He did not judy the languages, but was no less ,orrect in his phrasing, accurate in and choice in his Eng ish than those who presumably had ,njeyed superior facilities. Like Lin