HARRIET HOUSE

As a growing boy in dusty Socorro in the 1930's there were very few big homes that a child might want to visit. I had been to the Bursum's (Dave Paxton lived there), next door was Mrs Chambon (the subject name used in a story I wrote as a ghost), there was the Fitch and Darr homes, the 'castle' of Stauder and the Tom Brown home behind the Val Verde Hotel and the the next to last was the relatively new Garnett Burkes home (became the Damian Padilla home). I saved the HARRIET HOUSE for last for the purpose of clarity. The homes listed were for the most part occupied by the more or less self anointed elite, don't misunderstand they were good folks and did a lot for the community, just didn't reach to the younger folk. My grandmother used to take me for car rides (I got to ride in the rumble seat), we went every where there was a paved road. So it was that we often drove by the HARRIET HOUSE. My grandmother belonged to the Catholic Ladies Aid Society and this is where she came to know Mrs. Harriet, and through this a young lad with a rapid beating heart and eyes filled with awe stepped up the front steps past the chain held swing entered into a world apart yet so near because of the beautiful and friendly family THE HARRIETS....