The Benevolent Library originated in the gifts of Deacon M’Mahon, Col. Samuel Canfield and Philo N. Heacock, who took great interest in it. No additions have been made to it for some years. It consists of about 600 volumes of standard works, and merits more attention than it has lately received.
It is impossible to form any estimate of the amount of money contributed by this Church and Society, to religious and benevolent objects. Until after the installation of Mr. Porter there was no system or regularity in its charities. Collections were taken up as the town was visited by agents, or as necessity seemed to require. It is thought that contributions have been made regularly to the A. B. C. F. M., and the Am. H. M. S., ever since these societies were formed. The oldest record of any contribution by this Congregation is the receipt of the County Treasurer for £94 16s. 0d. which this Society gave “for the suffering and distressed inhabitants of the towns of New Haven, Fairfield and Norwalk.” This receipt is dated September 1779, three months after the towns named had been sacked by Major General Tryon.
From 1836 to 1871 the Congregation contributed regularly to the Am. Ed., the Bible, the A. H. M., the Seamen’s F. & S. S. Union, the A. B. C. F. M., and the A. Tract Societies. Since 1871 we have contributed annually to the Bible S., Congregational Union, A. H. M. S., Fund for Disabled Ministers and their widows, the A. B. C. F. M., and the A. M. Association.
The Rev. W. H. Moore states that, in the 17 years from 1859 to 1875, this Congregation contributed $18,876.53. Dividing this into two periods, he finds that in the first nine years you gave $3,765.90, and in the last eight years $11,810.63, a gratifying increase, which, it is hoped we shall fully maintain.
The Ladies’ Mite Society was formed in 1817 as a Dorcas Society. For 50 years it has annually contributed about $75, divided between A. H. M. S., Seamen’s F. and A. Ed. Societies.
The Auxiliary to the Woman’s B. of Missions was formed in May 1872, “The Golden Links,” and “Star Circle” a year later. These organizations last year, together, contributed $389.
Such, in brief, brethren, is the story of your Church, Society and town. It is one of which you need not be ashamed. A careful study of these old records has increased my respect and reverence for the men of the past. Their courage in facing difficulties, their heroic endurance of privation, their sturdy independence, their delight in the ordinances of the Gospel, their readiness to assist each other, and their generosity towards those who differed from them in opinion, are worthy not only of warm praise, but of careful imitation.
And yet these men of the past were not all saints and patriots. In 1776 there were some bitter tories here: One of these was compelled by a company of riflemen to walk before them from New Milford to Litchfield carrying one of his own geese the entire distance At Litchfield they tarred him, made him pluck his own goose, bestowed the feathers upon him, and drummed him out of the place, after obliging him to kneel down and thank them for their leniency. And in 1757 David Ferriss was paid 11s. out of the Society’s treasury, to reimburse him for counterfeit money which he had received as Collector. This nest of counterfeiters was not broken up until 1768, when a dozen of them were arrested. The old Church books show that immorality was not unknown among Church members. The pastoral letter which was issued to the Churches by the Litchfield South Consociation in 1752, reveals a state of things in these Churches worse than any known to-day. Sixty years ago (1816) there was a distillery in every town—169 in Litchfield County,—26 of them in New Milford. To-day there are three distilleries in town, and soon it is hoped these will disappear and the nine places licensed to sell liquors.
There is abundant cause for gratitude. There has been progress in every direction. In our beautiful village—than which there is not now a lovelier or a healthier in New England—with our system of concrete walks, lamps and water works, our substantial Town Hall and enlarged school privileges—we may here spend life as pleasantly and profitably, doing the will of God from the heart—as was could anywhere on the face of the globe. With all these blessings and privileges there is, of course, an increased responsibility. It becomes us to conserve and improve all that the fathers have left us, and hand down an unimpaired inheritance to the generations that are to follow.