Connecticut western news., 1875-02-19

Sheffield.
 am again sadly delinquent as a core. spondent, and must offer as apology, first, illness; then want of items because of this excessive cold, for who can go about to pick up news when the thermometer looks SO threatening ?......There IS IL uch sickness in town this season; many are i'll with pneu. monia, congestion of the lungs and influ. enza. You can seldom find household where there is not one or more invalids. There is no practicing physician in Shcf- field village at the present time, but thanks to the kind services of Drs. Scoville, Smith and the very successful Mrs. Willard of Egremont, the patients thus far are conva- lescent. It would be a great convenience to the people hereabout if we could have q first-class physician within call in case of urgent necessity, but as it is we have to go four, six and eight miles for any medical advice. However, no self-made doctors need apply for practice here. We hear of little news of late. The chief interest centers in the series Of religious meetings which have been held here and in neigh. boring villages. Rev. MT. Leonard, the noted evangelist. has been among the peo- pie, and has done much good. He is an earnest laborer in his Masters vineyard We first heard of his work in the sln-hard. ened town of Otis, where great reform is the result of his labors. From there he went to Monterey, which is a town of only 700 inhabitants, end there the converts now number ls0. A good per cent. truly! His success in Sheffield was comparatively small. The churches nominally united at these meetings, but it was not true heart union. There were some disagreeing ones who sowed dissension and destroyed true harmony. Mir. Leonard has his own pecu- liar ways of carrying on meetings, and we Sheffield people have travelled SO long in the same track that it seems impossible to ever get out of the old ruts worn SO deep, and try new ways and plans. Sixteen members of the praying band from Monterey came to Sheffield one stormy day To atteud one of these meetings and found but ten of the towns people present. At Ashley Falls the meetings have been we'll attended and many converts are reported. Iris said that Mr. Leonard soon leaves for England to engage in revival work with the noted evan gelists, Moody and SsnkeY...... Prof. Can. field lectured before the Friendly Union last week and the people were much inter. ested. These gatherings are nearly over for the winter, and the success attending them has been great. We trust this Unlon is now fixed institution in our village. e. L. s. Parsons welcomed new daught as his son Arthur's wife last week, and in vited friends participated in the pleasure. ......Rev. G. D. Townsend preached at the M. K. Church on Sunday evening. ....F. O.. Andrus has sold building lot to his brother Myron. The lot is located in Cook street, and we are glad to hear of more building. ......st. Valentines Day being Sunday. the presiding saint was excused from his cus- tomary duties in the way of valentines, though we learn that we have special art ist in town who is quite skilled as an i'm yentor of valentines. They call him Wal ter !......A very interesting book is much read here just now, which is a capital work, combining tun with good common sense. It is My Opinions and Betsey Bob 6ets'," by Josiah Aliens wife. Miss Taft has the agency to sell the book, we are told, and as it has been added to the Friendly Union library it is much sought after.