Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-12-23

Int DuDOle AB BrAHp6u II, DfOke,
Tho'oer nay soul a lieht 10 cast,
And from the dazzling dream woke
To pain and penttence at last"
In this one brief stansa from one of his
own poems, is told the short, sad story of
the life of one who seemed born for greater
things than he ever achieved.
John Lofand, commonly known as the
MILFORD BARD, was born in Milford, Kent
county, Delaware, March 9th, l79s He was
the son of Isaac Lofland, respectable mer-
chant Of Milford, and Cynthia, his wife,
who seems to have been to her gifted son
most loving and indulgent mother. 1t was
the design of his parents that John should
receive liberal education, and he was sent
to school at very early age. He seems at
that time, however, to have been but dull
pupil, or to have had very incompetent in
structor, as he was six months in mastering
the alphabet, and even after he had mastered
it, his progress in acquiring knowledge for
the next few years was at the same slow
pace.
He lacked steady application, and his
mothers fondness for him almost entirely
relieving him Of parental discipline or res
traint, he followed his own inclinatioas in
regard TO study, as he appears to have done
in everything else. Mathematics he detes-
ted, and for the study Of languages he had
but little liking. He excelled in reading
and composition, and was passionately fond
of both. History, biography, and poetry,
were his delight, and he was never better
satisfied than when engaged in poring over
his fayorite authors or in initiating their
styles of composition. His works, by the
way, bear evidence that he never out-growed
the habit OF imitation, he acquired thus early
in life.
At the age of fourteen his reading had
been quite extensive and he had reached
that stage which most thinkers at sometime
in their life reach, and which many of them
never pass-infdellty. In after years re-
curing to this period he says, "In my car
lier years was sceptical, though had lis
tened to many pious lectures at the feet of
one the most affectionate of mothers. had
read the French and English sceptics at four
teen years of age with boyhood's avidity and
boyhood's judgement He says that dream
ing over the pages of host of such authors
"Iawoke an infidel but believing it unfair
to study on the one side and not on the
other, turned to the Sacred Scriptures, and
in endeavoring to establish secpticism was
convinced of my error"
At seventeen, Lohand quit school and
| commenced the study of medicine in the
office of his cousin, DIR. ]. P. Lohand of
| Milford. He attended the lectures of the
University of Pennsylvania three successive
years and was almost prepared to graduate
| when on account Of some misunderstanding
or difficulty with Professor Cox of the Uni
versity he left the Institute in huff, throw
ing away years of laborious study and aban-
doning the profession of his choice. The
latter seems however to have cost him but
little regret, as he said he was pleased with
the science of medicine but "despised the
drudgery of its practice"
Before and during the time that he was
engaged in the study of medicine Lohand
wrote considerably for the press and was
one of the principal contributors to the Cas-
Ret, a popular magazine, and to the Satur-
day EVening Post, both at that time, and
the latter still, published in Philadelphia. 1t
was while contributing to these periodicals
that he adopted the soubriquet of THE
MILFORD BARD, a title by which he is even
yet much better known than by his real name.
His contributions were principally stories
and poetry, but he also wrote on scientific
subjects
1t was probably at this period of his life
that he became attached to a young lady.
The feeling was not reciprocated and the
poet never seemed to fully recover from lis
disappointment, and frequently referred to ii
in his writings. Later in life, however, his
writings intimate that he formed another at
tachment.
After his disappointment, Mr. Lofland fol
long time secluded himself from society
and occupied himself entirely with biz
literary pursuits, so closely did he confint
himself at one period, that for three years
he was never seen upon the street, and th,
, only exercise he took, was ramble in til,
: garden amongst the flowers, Of which h,
: was very fond. He was man of singuarl.
affectionate disposition, fond of children
and loving his motherwi an affection NOR
like that of a lover than that Of son. II
wore her image constantly on his heart, an
t the bare mention of her name sent througl
9 him that thrill of tenderness which ever.
4 man or woman has, at sometime in their lit
!. felt at the mention of some loved name.
Mr.. Loaand resided for long time il
a Baltimore, and there pursued his literar
Z labors, but he carried there with him th
awful habit which was the bane of his life
and the cause of his unhappy, prema'ur
9 death. For the last twenty or twenty-fiv
n years of his life he was confirmed opiur
: eater, and by fits and starts drunkard. Fl
If wrote few years ago before his death a
/ article entitled,a was a similar one by Cole
,e ridge, "The Confessions of an Opiur
: EATER" in which he laid bare the terribl
effects of the pernicious habit this was at
time when he thought he had been cured {
i. the habit by DR.. Askew, of this city, but h
d afterwards yielded to temptation, arouse
the old appetite and remained slave
at opium and rum up to the close of his even
:. full life. -.
? About the year 1916 he returned to Wi
y. mington and became n regular contrib
i tor in both poetry and prose to the Bt'
ty HENS Chicken, and by his pen gave to u
81 paper circulation and popularity never
that time achieved by any other paper in u
M ise State. But while he was here he was for
G | great part of the time bou.d fast in 4
IN 10 chains of his unfortunate habits and he III
ad to be boarded sometimes at the Almshouse
not as pauper, but for the purpose of pit
ing him under legal restraint so as to prott
MS him from his worst enemy, himself DGri
,ur this period of his life, his habits attract
~ much curiosity. He sometimes, when u
der alcoholic excitement, used to go aroil
ga the streets in a gay dressing gown, and su
et- an article of dress being then not at all CO