I think we never entertained a more unique guest in all our lives
than Col. Benton, in the people's parlance "Old Tom Benton". In the winter
of '57 your Father secured a rare lecture course for the Village, which was
the means of bringing this notable man to our home, during the day and
night in town. He had been most flourishly advertised, and public ex-
pectation was keen to hear the famous hero of thirty honorable years in the
U.S. Senate. A heavy snow storm of the old New England type had set in
the day before he was to arrive, it ^that continued through the night, blocking
our roads, ^and drifting into formidable waves, by a cold wind that
rose in the morning. Our at that time, puny and helpless New London Nor-
thern Rail Road, was to bring him in at three in the afternoon. The morn-
ing train failed to appear, the track was buried deeper than Herculaneum,
² the whole outlook was unbroken Parian," as Aunt Emily says, from East to
West. Of course the lecture was given up in deep disappointment ₂ ^{by
every body}.