Litchfield enquirer., 1871-09-07
sAL1ssuny COIN. August 2sth. 1871.

SALISBURY. CosN.. August 18th, 1871.
 To THE EDITOR OF THE LrTcHFIELD ENQUIRER:-l Last summer made one of party from New York, which spent about two months in your 1 pleasant and attractive town of Litchfield where we found many points of interest The old Beech- CT homestead, of course, was one on these-and we viewed it on every sdo in our afternoon walks, with the peculiar feeling that great men and wo- men had been nurtured within it's walls-men and women who have made tieir mark on the sands of Ilme too deep for tho yaters of oblivion to wash away. The town also sxcited our admiration for It's lofty site overlooking the surrounding country and breathing healtbinits clear, pure atmosphere We thought to return again this summer, but Providence ordered otherwise, and brought us to the quiet and romantic village of salisbury-a place. which l. for one, had scarcely ever heard mentioned before-btt which burst upon my as- sonshed view, with al the wildness and grandeur, and picturesque beauty of scenery, which always possesses, for me. 5n inexhaustible charm. The village itself gives the idea of stu ife freed from all the hustle and turmoil and rivalries of mankind. The houses are overshadowed and half hidden by the great forest trees. which seem to shut out the world from the inmates of this valley which sometimes imagine must resemble Doctor Johnsons hapry Ualley in ''Rasselas." But we, New Workers, although our delight in brooks and trees and mountains, is never exhausted, require 8 little indoor excitement by way of amusement. Like the fabled Rabitants of the sshappy valley" we sigh at times Br taste of the old lfs.
 There are about thirty of us. inmates of Mir. Martin Harris eommodious mansion and so for. the sake of variety, and little fun and laughter, which ought to be especially conducive to health in order to verify an old Proverb which says that "every time we laugh it brings drop of blood to the heart, and every time We sigh it takes one from it," and so. as was saying, we got up lit- tie masquerade for children and grown people al- together, making the masques ourselves, and dressing the actors, large and small, in the most grotesque and ridiculous costumes, each one sep arate from the other, so that no one knew the as- sumed character of sister, brother or friend. The mistakes of course, were most ludicrous. and as it was all conducted in pantomime, there was no betrayal of voice to identify the person. The spec- tators in the house enjoyed the amusement to the full. and nearly laughed themselves sick while the masques went through with their pantomimic ex-
 
 Our next outbreak from the village quietude, was to get our landlord, Mir. Harris, to give us ride in his large farm wagon, after filling the bottom with hay and straw, on which twenty of us sat down in most unique and rural style. Of course We started in high glee, and all who had voices to sing gave vocal expression to their merriment. There was farmer raking hay in his field as we rode along, who upon hearing the lively music, entered at once into the spirit of the fun, and throwing down his rake, began to dance and jump as if he had been the veritable 'Jim Crow" At this, the youngsters in the wagon were uproarious in their delight; and immediately. commenced swinging their hats and crying hurrah till the man made his parting bow, and we drove out of sight. This was one ride-but our next was of 8 more grave and civilized character. Last week, we all went to Camp Meeting held at Canaan, six miles from Salisbury. It was scene entirely new to most of our party. The wierd appearance of the tents with their ghosty white tops, stand ing out in the wildwood scenery, while the mingled sounds of prayer and singing echoed from hill to hill in the distance, made the place seem to the
 ercses seemed sosnK sHd impressive; to others
 sort of mockery on the different forms of our own religion. It is, at all events, singular cus- tom to camp out for week together in the woods,
 with the idea that people can worship God in that way better than in the temples made with hands and it is more than probable that many get their deaths, by remaining night after night on the cold damp ground.
 Our summer, now, is drawing to close-and being restless set of beings, with no faculty for bearing the burthen of idleaess, without an effort to work of, in some way, it's eneryating influence, we concluded to get up series of Charades. This entertainment was intended especially to celebrate the birthday of Mrs. D., one of our boarders who is general favorite. Accordingly, the largest room in the house was dismantled of it's furniture
 with the exception of half dozen rows of chairs at one end, placed in front of each other. The actors were three gentlemen and three ladies. with auxiiaries in number of children when re- quired to fill out the play. Mir. J., Mir. c. S., and Mir. H. s., first appeared as band of musicians singing comic song, each stanza lined off by Mr. J., with supplement of "Sing brethren sing," which they did in such ludicrous manner, that the audience were convulsed with laughter and capped and encored. till they were obliged to re. appear with another song. The next was scene at a railroad ticket-ofice. Mrs. O. who can turn her talents to anything, appears as 'sWoman's Rights" advocate; and being in reality quite as competent to deliver lecture on the occasion, as the real enthusiasts of this notorious folly,* we were ediied by her endeavor to make proselyte while purchasing her ticket for the New Haven cars. and specifying at the same time, that she was for Woman's Rights and 80 heartily despis- ed the male sex, that she would on no account go in the mail train. The man, however, began to grow restive under her long harangue, and impor- tunity to read the papers which she drew from her immense leathern bag, and seeing an old German woman approach with gay and pleasant air. he carelessly showed aside the bag and papers, and turned to the old woman who, notwithstanding her 0utre bonnet, trimmed with Haunting red rib- bons her short, striped pettcoat, and dingy plaid cloak was the very personifcation of good nature. She carried in her hand large band-box and bundle. This was Mrs. D. B., who from having sprinkling of German blood, acted the character to perfection. She came up with arapid step and winning smile, (not avare of the contempt ex- pressed in the oountenance of the Woman's Rights advocate) and said te the man, "Gip me ein dick ct to New Hafen"-and then, seeing the other passenger, she rushed up to her with happy look, and exclaimed, You will go to New Hafen init mir daa ia ao ooot--Tch so like conrnnanv