26 WINTER SKETCHES. 



civilization prevails, for the railroad has dealt 

 a heavy blow upon the theology of our fathers. 

 One writer says truly that ^' these eastern coun- 

 ties of Connecticut are not physically the best 

 part of the State, but manufactories and rail- 

 roads have opened new lines of worldly prosper- 

 ity and have brought in a population that is 

 little inclined to support religious services." 



On my road I passed through many ''hill- 

 towns," and as part of the journey was pursued 

 on a Sunday, when at some times I followed 

 the turnpike and at others the road near the rail- 

 way, I was struck by the marked difference in 

 the demeanor of the residents. Early in the 

 morning the Roman Catholics of a railroad 

 town were on their way to mass, with a view 

 of compressing their '' Sabbath " into an hour 

 before breakfast, and then devoting themselves 

 to amusement for the rest of the day. Getting 

 back into a hill-town a few hours afterwards, 

 there was a cessation of all work, and not even 

 a child dared to amuse itself. The quietude 

 of nature seemed to have communicated itself 

 to the souls of men and to the bodies of animals, 

 and I believe that every horse thereabouts 

 keeps an almanac in his brain, and that he can 

 calculate with certainty upon his day of rest- 



