Milford chronicle., 1908-01-24
AFTER FORTY YEARS.

am sitting tonight my thoughts IN the
dim past. am thinking over the days that
are gone never TO return. am meditating on
the strange immutability Of life. My tnoughts
are wandering into possible futHre fields where
fancy delights to strew her many colorea
flowers. In retrospect 1 am a lad again. ana
a dweler in Frederick.
There are many things that intrude upon
NV musings. The drama and the literary
deld opens up. The Phi Psi Literary society
is Organized with PARISH. Carisle-now ST.
/ DR.. Davidson, Noah NJ. Price, and many oIhers
as charter members. / was younger than the
ones mentioned, and of course occupied aSuD
| ordinate position amongst this galaxy oi pre-
spective histrionic stars. On the evenings Oh
o,r meetings. aad more particularly Of our
public exhibitions the stage was prel'ily anu
/ elaborately decorated and all the parapher'
MALTA gotten up in handsome style, as under
stood by we country amateurs. The "Phi PSI
was indeed, as its name signifies, "lovers oi
II hourished for a season, but be-
coming too costly to its members it collapsed,
or was disbanded by mutual consent and the
trniture went-the majority Of us knew not
where. We were afraid to say anything about
IL for fear we would be asked for "anOiher little
itt.n Noah NJ. Price was a school teacher, and
/ tmnterated 10 Delaware from Pennsylvania.
] =
Mr.. Price was a church member and per-
snective minister. While the "Phi Pts Liter
ary Society" was at the zenith OF It's reputa-
lion Mr.. Price and DR.. Davidson became en-
/ tangled in a controversy over something ana
nearly came 10 blows. When asked by some
of mis- members: "Noah II you had engaged
in a fight with Dr. Davidson, what were you
going to do with your religion?" "O' SAID
Noaii. 81 was going to say: "Chrisnanliy you
stem aside for a moment while lick this fel-
lowP' Noah was not unlike great many OF
the present day christians. Noah Price mar
ried Rachel, a daughter Of James s. BucB mas
ter, at that time one Of the business liehts OF
Frederick. She has long since died. Ihe last
time met Mr.. Price was many years ago.
The meeting occurred in Philadelphia. he
had at that time gained the coveted ambition
~ his earIv wears. and was the minister Of an
indepepdent church of some denomination.
understand he is now dead, as is also his antag-
onist of the 'Phi Psi" episode, DR.. Davidson.
In nv reverie several characters are shad
owed and amongst the many. one OF pugha-
eious quality stands prominent. wesley Dlll
was a Young fellow of a kind dispositlOhi Out
his pugalistie propensities often got the better
of him. One night during religious reVlNa'
be professed conversion. The next day on the
street. several of his chums got to aggravatug
him when he solemnly said; "Boys, you
needn't think because I've got religion can't
/ fight" And the boys let him alone lie ieiI
Frederica several years ago. and the impress
sion prevails he is also dead. m somewhat
sorry for he owed me $780, and, most likely
would still owe me if living. The reader VIII
understand that these sketches are but adutn-
| brations OF the facts they are Intended TO pOr-
tray. will Eow close my "reminiscences Tor
the present to give place to the actualities OF
| the day.
when lived in Frederick / thought it the
prettiest town in Delaware. still think II one
| of the prettiest. Having lived somewhere else
and become habituated to wider Streets the
streets of Frederlca now leok to me as being
very narrew and very muddy after a rain.
The former canNot be changed, but It appears
to the writer the latter can be prevented. The
streets OF Milton are in great contrast to the
streets OF this town. An hour after a heavy
rain the streets OF Milton are free from water,
and passable, dry-feoted nearly all over town.
1--WE admit this is in part due to the nature Of
1 ths-so and tine cOnhgurstlOn OF the town;
but the hard, solid and pretty streets OF Milton
are more directly due TO hard work and oyster
shells and crushed stone. think the streets
Of Frederica can be macademized In similar
Way By raising them foot or more higher
with stone or shells, and with CUTTERS, cuiVeTts
and tiles TO drain the water IN to the branches
! or river these streets can be made as good as
those of other towns. 1t will require work
/ and an increase in the tax rate, and the people
/ of Frederick are well able TO afford that. The
| business of the town is good; its comparative
| Isolation from the railroad is made up by its
steam boat traffic, which is much to be pre-
fered to the railroad, unless there are better
/ accommodations offered than the people Of
Milton enjoy. And we see no reason why
Fredericas bad streets cannot be made better.
We are led to believe. by observation and
/ otherwise, there are castes OF society In Fred
erica Well, II we must be honest, this has al
ways been the case since the time Ito which
! the memory OF man runnith not back" Per-
haps this is all right II person knows howto
adapt herself to the order to which she is reg
ulated. II not, BAH Then the aphorism is
pertinently applied: "Fhe frog is apt to forget
when it was a tadpole However, If the Rev.
r. f. Coursey, were here to preach sermon
on the accomplishments Of the four hundred"
we imagine, society might recelvelan impetus
at least, for time.
When go into the M E. Church here and
take my seat amongst the congregation and
gaze over the assembled Ones Ieeung OF
melancholy pervades my nature Ana why
! is this thus2" Because l see here many when
a few years ago were in the heyday Of youth.
They are now bowed down with age their
heads are bold and what little hair remaineth
is white or gray and the astounding fact Is
forced upon me that, too am on the down
grade, and appear to them as they appear TO
me, /, G., TO be getting old.
l have no financial interest in Frederica.
The good will / have for the Inhabitants OF
the town actuates my desire for its prosperityi
and vet l can not but feel a seniority OF right,
suggesting some things, while disclaim
any idea OF dictatiOn Whatever.
Well, suppose have written enough for I he
present, such as 1t Is. My pretty little neice
has come into the room, and 1 will stop writ
ing and enjoy a talk with her. ID. A. G.
aalAAA
XWYN