The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1906-07-13

parel of father and sons, as we'll as
her own, in excellent condition.
Farmers wives had to work in those
days and Mrs Platt never shirked her
share, but with cheerful alacrity
looked after every detail Of thorough
housekeeping. Her kitchen, dining
and sitting rooms 1.-THE parlor was a
later innevation) were always cleanly
and inviting. That she was model
housekeeper, without fuss or assump-
ton of superiority, everybody conced-
ed.
1 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 pile of brush on a corner
of the lot and that was what we really
enjoyed. Then when weary came the
washing of hands and faces in basin
by the spring and sitting down at a
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. could not
and cannot now imagine or recall any
meal more nicely adapted and satisfy
ing to the appetites of pair of hum
CRY boys. The only drawback was the
''grace before meat" which was much
too long to suit our impatient 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.
~, a pleasant yard in front enclosing
shruhbery and the inevitable lilac
bushes, the earliest harbingers of a
New England spring. 1t was situated
on high plateau sloping to the road
way and thence to ravine through
which purled rivulet that crossed
the road farther down, affording 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 FL
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
honored 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 HI. Smith, hard working
farmer s 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 attachments 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 we're worthy of attention
and such books of history, fiction,
science, philosophy he studied with
scrupulous care and remembered what
he read. His mind became a store
house of much that was useful, inter-
esting, 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 acquaintance of his father and
mother were invariably of a superior
class and he had the advantage of lis
tening at times to the discussion of
political topics of the day by cultivat-
ed and intellectual men and at times
took part in them and on all occasions
was encouraged to speak his thoughts
and ask for such information as he
wanted on any subject presented.
With the commencement of winter
however, Orville and Simeon could
have been seen travelling through the
snow with satchels in hand containing
school books and luncheon, to the old
academy near the Meeting House on
the village green. or the different
studies persued Orville's preference
was for arithmetic, algebra and math-
ematics. He was also fond of history,
ancient and modern, and geography.
In all these he excelled. He did not
study the languages, but was no less
correct in his phrasing, accurate in
pronunciation and choice in his Eng
lish than those who presumably had
enjoyed superior facilities. Like Lin