CHAPTER XXXVII
MR. AND MRS. GENERAL TOM THUMB.
MISS LAVINIA WARREN—A CHARMING LITTLE LADY—SUPPOSED TO BE THE $30,000 NUTT IN DISGUISE—HER WARDROBE AND PRESENTS—STORY OF A RING—THE LITTLE COMMODORE IN LOVE—TOM THUMB SMITTEN—RIVALRY OF THE DWARFS—JEALOUSY OF THE GENERAL—VISIT AT BRIDGEPORT—THE GENERAL’S STYLISH TURN-OUT—MISS WARREN IMPRESSED—CALL OF THE GENERAL—A LILIPUTIAN LOVE SCENE—TOM THUMB’S INVENTORY OF HIS PROPERTY—HE PROPOSES AND IS ACCEPTED—ARRIVAL OF THE COMMODORE—HIS GRIEF—EXCITEMENT OVER THE ENGAGEMENT—THE WEDDING IN GRACE CHURCH—REVEREND JUNIUS WILLEY—A SPICY LETTER BY DOCTOR TAYLOR—GRAND RECEPTION OF MR. AND MRS. STRATTON—THE COMMODORE IN SEARCH OF A GREEN COUNTRY GIRL.
IN 1862 I heard of an extraordinary dwarf girl, named Lavinia Warren, who was residing with her parents at Middleboro’, Massachusetts, and I sent an invitation to her and her parents to come and visit me at Bridgeport. They came, and I found her to be a most intelligent and refined young lady, well educated, and an accomplished, beautiful and perfectly-developed woman in miniature. I succeeded in making an engagement with her for several years, during which she contracted—as dwarfs are said to have the power to do—to visit Great Britain, France, and other foreign lands.
Having arranged the terms of her engagement, I took her to the house of one of my daughters in New York, where she remained quietly, while I was procuring her wardrobe and jewelry, and making arrangements for her début. As yet, nothing had been said in the papers about this interesting young lady, and one day as I was taking her home with me to Bridgeport, I met in the cars the wife of a wealthy menagerie proprietor, who introduced me to her two daughters, young ladies of sixteen and eighteen years of age, and then said:
“You have disguised the little Commodore very nicely.”
“That is not Commodore Nutt,” I replied, “it is a young lady whom I have recently discovered.”
“Very well done, Mr. Barnum,” replied Mrs. B., with a look of self satisfaction.
“Really,” I repeated, “this is a young lady.”
“Thank you, Mr. Barnum, but I know Commodore Nutt in whatever costume you put him; and I recognized him the moment you brought him into the car.”
“But, Mrs. B.,” I replied, “Commodore Nutt is now exhibiting in the Museum, and this is a little lady whom I hope to bring before the public soon.”