Litchfield enquirer., 1870-03-31
NEW PRESTON, March 28th, 1870,


 MR. ED1ToR:-Recent numbers of the ENQUIRER having furnished your readers with the "Shady and Sunny Side'' of life in New Preston, will you allow space in your columns for observations taken at a position midway between the two? We have no public or private grievances to redress. no axes to grind, and nobody's vanity to hatter. Tattlers and gossip mon gers are to be found in this, es we'll as in other country localities-public pests. for whom no one entertains more profound contempt than we. We regard the statements of your "Shady Side" con tributor as somewhat exaggerated, but trust the effect of their publication will prove beneficial to our community. "Hsp py are they that hear their detractions, and can put them to mending." But the communication from your "Sunny Side contributor so abounds in lavish, indis criminate praise. and in candied. fulsome fattery, that simple justice to your read CTS outside of this locality, who are igno- rant of the source from whence it ema. mates, requires passing notice.
 There is sort of men whose opinions and views of persons and things are more the product of pere prejudice and caprice, than of wisdom, truth and unbi- asseu 1udgment. That the intelligence, industry and good behaviour of the young people of this place, cannot be sufficiently praised" is a statement, which, if true, gives to our youth pre-eminence truly exalted. We have no wish to under-esti mate the extent of these very desirable traits in our rising generation, but we ap. prehend that even Q superficial examina. ton would reveal no such perfectly de. veloped virtues as your Sunny Side" con. tributor represents in such hyperbolical language, ....,....a
 Strangers attending our church. general ly concede our choir singing unusually good, better, perhaps, than is to be found in many country choirs; but we have nev. CT had the conceit to attribute any superi- or excellence in singing to the existence in this community of any extraordinary or unusual amount of musical talent. " Of the truly artistical style," harmo- n.y." &c.,, and, of the qualifications of the announced leader, Mir. C., we will not speak, but hasten to say, lest your dis tant readers should form false estimate of our musical furniture, that while We have an organis, as your contributor af- firms, we have no organ. Mir. Platt, a worthy, modest, unassuming young man, plays our melodeon very acceptably. .We doubt not that his natural musical gifts, combined with patient. persevering appli- cation, will secure for him the reputation of skilful instrumental performer.
 Or tho "high order of preaching fur nished by the pastor of the Congregation al Church" here, we say nothing, except that We judge that your contributor, dur ing the latter part of his stay in New Pres ton, found a higher order on New Preston Hill
 1. We congratulate your Sunny Side" contributor on his happy faculty of con. verting feelings of dislike and disgust for New Preston, frequently avowed by him during his tarry among us, into such "pleasant memories" Long may he live to cherish them. We are quite willing our faults should be theme, of just animad. version, and our virtues topic of merited conimendation, before the public, but ex- travagant laudation, transparent fattery, we utterly detest Solomon, man some. what distinguished for wisdom in his day, has declared that "a fattering mouth worketh ruin" Also, that He that re. buketh man, afterwards, shall ind more favor than he that fattereth with the tongue" VER1rAs.