Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1923-05-18


wondering how, when man was SO
voIumious a reader as the MILFORD
Bard, could get away from all style
and diction. You might patent a meas
ure. but you could not patent tne
wheat. You might copyright the DanAs
and the rocks over which the wafer
flowed. but you could never copyrlghI
the stream itself, for it flows on lot
ever.
It has been the misfortune OF tne
Milford Bard to have those review ms
life and work, who lived so long al
ter the poets death, that am very
much afraid they could not estimate
him at his true worth. there was
much literary work done during the
time that he lived and wrote. But De-
cause some one now in our day does
not happen to like the early nineteenth
century poetry or prose, is no reason
at all that it is not good or great II
we are any judge of what is good poet
trv. we esteem much of what the Mil
ford Bard wrote to be as good as any
we have ever read, and far ahead OF
much of what is called poetry OF our
present day; these writings Delng
printed in almost every newspaper
and the, writers lauded to the skies.
Now we want to name some OF the
characteristics of the Milford Bard'
as we see them.
First of all, he was first, last, and
always loyal to Delaware, the state
of his nativity. Never was he heard
to saw a word or write line against
her.
He loved Delaware land on one &C.
casion he wrote:
Eyes, when long exiled from my ma
tive State, have loved even dog
though a stranger to me- when l ols-
covered he was from Delaware. II Is
not peculiar to me, for in all my wan
behring's, 1 have never heard Della
warean breathe a word derogatory TO
his native State. Proud of it, they have
chung to each other, cherished each
other, and defended each other"
He wrote much concerning local
places in Delaware, and his poem on
Delaware, we consider as unique:
"Oh! land of my childhood, I long to be-
Thy green grassy tombs, and thy tenn
I long to survey the sweet spot where I
Where in Youth I fell down at the foot
stool OF God.
Dear home of my heart, in the moments
Again in thy green. shady woodlands I
In the " arms of my mother, smile as
And awake wake far away. Oh! thou home Of
my heart. asss
The sister with whom SO IohulS H'''9
And the schoolmates so merry, with
whom have played; 1880 T
Have gone to the grave, like the hopes l
And left eft me to weep and wander alone.
In the land of the stranger my footsteps
Where 1 PG press to my bosom full many
Tho the pathway of sin and sorrow I've
trod, e-.,,, +I,a 1ror-
ship of God"
He was patriotic. He look sTeaI
pride in writing Of his countrys ne-
roes. eor
He loved and honOred woman IOE
woman's sake. No poet ever breathed
purer, holier, higher Thoughts Oh "O-
men than he did:
.'Such is the worth of woman's love-
An angel without wings;
She seems like beauty from aDoVe
A heavenly balm that brings
without her what were love and life?
A scene of tears and sighS;-
But as mother, sister WIFE,
She makes paradise.
He loved his mother, almost Wor-
shipped her:
"And what, my mother, can pay
For all thy kindness shoWnF
What can 1 give in manhoodS oay'
For all the love I've KNOWN
TITS vain to ask; for more hlaue
Of purest virgin gold, Ia
Thy love for me could ne'er De paul.
Tho for thee were Sold!
He was an orthodox Christian be-
lever, in precept if not by example.
That we cannot tell at this distant
date. We cannot tell it Of those we
known in our own day, in many IN
stances.
He loved the Bible, pricing 1t the
highest of all books. His writings all
through them testify to that.
When his faith in Gods word be-
came established, it never wavered
again. He makes this statement in
numbers of his writings, both poetry
and prose, glOrying in it.
In his wide reading, he delved deep
ly into the history of the past ages.
He had the history Of nations long
since past and gone at his tongues tip.
He not only knew the past, but he was
a seer, looking. far into the future. In
a poem addressed TO The Legislature
of Delaware, we quote the following:
Rise, pride of Delaware! and from your
Blot out the law, the scandal of the age!
And substitute, o glory of your times!
A nobler law to hide the formers crimes.
Twill be to give a school-tund TO the
State,
Then will She rise all glorious and great!
Then shall the light of learning spread
And Virtue ride in her triumphant car;
Vice. blushing, sink beneath the foot OF
And modest merit triumph over shame.
Example leads TO emulous emprise,
When learning gilds with light the men
Full many a genius shall rise and tell
The glorius wonders of MinerVa's spell;
Perhaps some statesman celebrate your
Some bard inspired. the harp of homage
raise, 800