Connecticut western news., 1907-10-31
A SERMON ON
 LOCAL TOPICS
"LET US LODGE IN THE vILLAGES'

Extract From a Sermon of Absorbing
 Local Interest Delivered by Rev. E.
 C. Gillette, Pastor of the Pilgrim
 Congregational Church of Canaan
 "A Stirring Plea for Broad-Mind-
 edness-SehooI Matters Discussed.
 Rev. E. 0. Gillette preached most interesting sermon, inspired by local conditions, Sunday evening. An extract from the same follows: SoNG OF SOLOMON Til. "Let Us Lodge
 in the Villages"
 This passage from this old love is a very beautiful appreciation of country life; but it is a call to enjoy its charms in the time of it's summer glory. We are not mere summer soiourners in this beautiful village but have chosen to make it our home. We are compelled to face, therefore, not it's charm clone, but its manifold problems also. Nature has done great deal for this place but it remains for human nature to crown dts life. We have here an unusual pub lie spirit, an utter lack of snobbishness. and breadth of culture and vision which helps to counteracs that most unfortunate tendency of village life intellectual stagnation. All this prom ises well for the development of our : village life. We must recognize the bonds of our common life. There is here a reservoir of life and privilege from which we draw and to which we must contribute. We must pay our taxes-industrial, intellectual, moral and social, as well as financial. We need to develop the social consciousness; that is, the appreciation of the privileges ,of,this common life and . recognition and discharge of our responsibilities thereto It is undeniabae that social consciousness is not developed in the country as it is in the city, where it has resulted in great deal of study of sociological problems, aud most inter esting and practical solutions thereof. But the sociological problems are not all in the city; we have them in the country and they are for us6ust as vital and perplexing. The congestion of population creates the city problems, while with us the fewness of our num- bers not only makes all our problems difficult of solution but beco mes itself problem. You and I could not afford our daily papers were there not thousands of others ready to share the expense.
 There are a great many advantages in ,city life which arise from the fact that there are great many people to share the expense of any particular benefit. In the matter of entertainments for instance, it becomes nextl ohimpossible for us,to have the best s..here; and this is a matter of great importance. Whole some amusement is an important factor in the developing and the safeguarding of life. Where we can combine whole some amusement with cultural advan- tages, such as in good concerts for in stance, we have great force for good. In this respect this village, with others about us, enjoys privileges which are afforded almost no other villages of the size in the country. I am very eager that we should all appreciate fully what IS being done for us. Besides this, we appreciate what the literary clubs do in bringing good entertainments and lecturers to our village; and then the churches are factors in the matter of wholesome amusement and social life. It is 8 very legitimate field for christian service. In the matter of schools we all realize how we are handicapped by the limited number to share the expense. The magsing of things in the city enables them to have better buildings. better equipment, higher paid teachers. They can adjust themselves to the newer methods. For instance. this matter of manual training in the public schools is, unquestionably, thing of great value and importance, if for no other reason than that it helps to check the tendency for boy to pack up his books and leave the day he is fourteen years of age. But in the villages this very important thing we must forego because of the expense. It is @ good thing, however. to know what is being done in other places; it helps us to get over our complacent satisfaction with what we do In the matter of school buildings, most of the country towns and villages have been content with most unattractive and unsanitary affairs.
 Why is it that ill the city schools you won't find one-quarter of the van dalism that yon do around the country schools?
 It is because the children have some