Litchfield enquirer., 1880-02-05
Fact and Fancy.

In the last Supplement to the Hartford Courant is an article entitled, 'Is. Connecticut life worth living?" AS far as it goes to show what makes the value of life it is an excellent argument. It claims useful occupation as the
 first requisite to content and the development of life depends upon the personal avenues open to receive enjoyment, and 'upon the cultivation and the variety of individual tastes and the accessibility of the means of gratify
 ing them" And this is probably true. But to claim that the farmers of Connecticut have the advantages mentioned, would be false. If they really belong to them as implied by this article. the question is, do they have them? The article says, '.if one is slave of de- sire to make money merely, he is shut up to narrow range of enjoyment" Is not the farm- CT too much 8 slave to the necessity of getting living, to be able to cultivate to any consid
 erable extent taste for books or the ..liberal arts, etc., or to take much interest in general improvement; while is not the former in great measure shut out by public opinion from ac- tive society and politics. Perhaps there are many citizens of Connecticut who enjoy these advantages, but we venture to say that they are not farmers, with no income above expen. ses living mile and half or two miles from the village or city, and half mile from the nearest neighbors. as many of our farmers do Perhaps the writer of that article has plenty of time to peruse the morning paper" that he represents as offered for oDe's 'samuse
 ment." and plenty of means to indulge his
 taste for art, literature or society; if so, we are pretty certain, that he is not under the ne- cessity of beginning early the work that must last till night, and to save every penny earned in order to get simply decent living and to raise the ''big mortgage" which the Governor speaks of in the message that is made the text of this article. Its historical associations" nu nber of 'Y.liberally educated people," and
 fits accumulations of wealth, are also offered 1 as advantages of Connecticut life
 It may be pleasant and not. altogether un- profitable to go to the graveyard and study epitaphs, but it is hardly a place where one would expect to get g very good living. Are these 'iberally educated" people farmers 1? What good does t'ascumuiated wealth. do men who do not possess any considerable pro- portion of it5 What good did the accumu- lated wealth of Dives do Lazarus9 Probably about as much good as it did Dives later to behold Lazarus in Abraham's bosom. .,- This, as picture of what might and ought in great measure to be- is quite artistic but it is better representation of the present condition of the Connecticut farmer than is it of the Esquimaux .....s, ..s 5.f. a.
 If there are any intending to write more of these soothing articles seen 80 often nowdays, we think we represent the sentiment of the farmers, when we say that we wish no rich mems oogs to lick our sores. Y.F
 It is reported that at Middletown and New Britain the children of Catholic parents have been denied confirmation because tl.ey attend l ca the public schools, and an Alderman at Middletown is said to have had some strong words with his priest because his son was one or the number turned away from the altar