Milford chronicle., 1927-01-14

same plot of ground as the old town
academy. On being introduced l
was presented with two bouquets
made from flowers from the Pretty
man and Atkins front yards where
the flowers were plucked for the
prize bouquet at the spelling match
that day fifty years before.
My last six months of schooling
was in the public school of Milton,
my father paying extra for going
outside of our own district. studied
bookkeeping, algebra, mathematics,
history, Latin, Greek, Geometry as
set forth in Playfairs Euclid. My
only classmate in most of these stu
dies was Thomas A. Dutton, a young
man four years my senior, who had
come from an obscure section miles
away. His school advantages had
been limited but there was no evil
dence of it in his makeup. He pos
sessed fine mental equipOise and
soon found that my rival was hard to
equal. When recitation time came he
knew his lesson and he knew that
he knew it. He was an accomplish
ed musician and carried a highly
polished tuning fork made with his
own hands in his fathers blacksmith
shop. He was genuine stuff and won
my highest regard and when he died
over fifty years later I addressed
letter of appreciation and sympathy
to his family.
There was no time and few COM
munities in the 18th century when
a young man, of average ability, good
health and ambition could not secure
a good education. Attending school
was popular. Pupils of all grades
from the A, B, c, class to the most
advanced pupils were in the same
room. A wide awake child learned
something the first day from those
beyond him in various branches of
knowledge. This combination, in
mental training, had many advan-
tages.
Books in the average home sixty
years ago were limited in number
but were of excellent quality. Bibles
and testaments and hymn books
were in almost every household. A
dictionary and a few religious and
| historical books were common. "Old
Mother Hubbard" and other child
hood books were as interesting and
almost as attractively illustrated
| then as now. 1.-THE Dollar Weekly" a
most reliable Philadelphia newspa-
per, had a deservedly wide circula-
ton. The New York Tribune and
other Metropolitan papers were a
/ esfz q (ArnnIU
| Dana, Mcclure and others, wrote
earnest, forceful editorials and sway
ed the popular mind with zeal
never eXcelled.
Visit old Zion Church with me, 10
Gated half way between Milton and
the beach. 1t was twenty feet wide
and thirty feet long, but have heard
some excellent sermons within its
walls. The first sermon 1 heard was
preached by Rev. William Trickett,
then a gifted student but now Dean
of The Dickinson Law School, and
the best living authority upon the
Jurisprudence of his State.
1 well remember my first expert
ence in Sunday school. The exercises
began by singing the hymn on page
20, entitled
I'll Away to Sabbath School
when the morning light drives
away the night
With the sun so bright and full
And it draws it's line near the hour
of nine,
I'll away to the Sabbath School"
Spelling books were used and my
lesson consisted in spelling words OF
one syllable, my teacher being a
young lady. The larger pupils read
the Bible with such comment by the
teacher of the various classes as
their knowledge and interest sug-
gested. A blue ticket with a verse
of scripture was given to each schol-
ar, and five of these secured a red
ticket made of thicker card board.
Preachers in those days were well
education, able and earnest. Those
who travelled preached some SER
mons over and over again. l heard
Rev. Andrew Manship, author OF
| Thirteen Years in the Itineracy,'
J a book which 1 read through as a
boy, preach a most inspiring sermon
on a special occasion, but was told
} that he had been preaching this
same sermon for twenty years.
= Another able sermon was upon the
subject of Heaven" in which the
streets were named after martyrs
5 and famous saints of the church, the
mansions and glories being pictured
l with captivating eloquence. also
: ,,,SyafCAOts hpin0 InUIfnr
l to the town to preach his great ser
l mon on HELL" which was replett
with fiery earnestness but no names
4 of the inhabitants were given eX
!, cent that of the well-knOwn proprl
$ etor. The church was the chief re
sort, the dominating influence, in tn
t community and the consistent piet,
d Of men and women was constan
e moral influence for good among tn
people.
: Delaware was mildly slave stat
and colored people were numerous
: On many farms "Colored Houses
d accommodated families of colored pc
/. ple, the men doing farm work an
d the women being employed in hous
S work. A system prevailed in whic
k slaves were set free at the age G
+ twenty-eight and as their sevitud
n was mostly among families of tn
S better class it was Of great value t
them.
s With rare exceptions colored pee
a ple were Industrious and homes
n There is something in the negr
y which wins our respect. If he is pc
e lite, industrious and honest he al
d tracts sympathy like a magnet. W
:. employed colored people, both NAL
e and female. and I associated wit