Mitch Miller

The story opens with a half‑asleep child drifting between dream and reality, hearing the faint murmur of a house waking up. Through sleepy eyes the narrator watches his mother sewing, his father leaving, and the world beyond the yard—a bustling street, a clattering railroad, and the promise of a nearby town called Petersburg. This gentle, rambling prose paints a vivid portrait of early‑20th‑century Midwestern life, where simple chores and the rhythm of trains shape a child's first impressions.

Soon the narrator is led to the Miller family’s home, where he meets the curious Mitch, a boy with a pocket‑full of gum and a love for books. Mitch shares a battered copy of Tom Sawyer, patiently explaining its adventures and drawing the narrator into a world of imagination far beyond the farm fields. Their budding friendship becomes the heart of the tale, hinting at the wonder and companionship that will guide the narrator through his small‑town coming‑of‑age.