Milford chronicle., 1930-11-21

Mother! Oh, Mother!" A tiny
boy runs into the kitchen of an old
farm house shouting excitedly.
What is it, john" comes the voice
of his mother as she enters the
room. The boy runs to her, throws
his arms around her, and cries:
1--WE learned my abc's." "How nice!"
is the joyous reply, did you stop
in at your fathers store and tell
him?" The boy hangs his head a
moment, then replies, "No, l never
even thought of him." Why should
he think of his father? Mother says
it took him six months to learn his
abc's and all that time his daddy
was scolding him. Even his sister
and the other boys called him dumb.
Mother didn't, and she was the only.
one who deserved to know that he
could say them. At the age of three
little John Lofand figures in this
way.
Two years later the little boys.
father dies His mother marries
again, and he is sent to the Milford
Academy, one of the best schools in
Delaware. He studies with interest
his history, English grammar, Latin
and French. But oh! how he hates
mathematics. What does it matter
how many times five will go into
one hundred and five? It's much
nicer to learn about George Wash
ington and Paul Revere and to write
poetry and compositions.
At last the boy is seventeen. It is
time for him to choose trade, so
he goes into the Office of his cousin,
DR.. James Lofand, to learn medi-
cine. He doesn't like it. He isn't
like other people. He'd rather
dream over pages of Voltaire, Did
erot, Gibbon, Alembert, and others.
He would rather delve into the
mysteries and prophecies of the
scriptures, than learn of the human
body. To him life is not mere exis-
tence. 1t is something truly great,
something mysterious, yet fascinat-
ing and intriguing. In the little
town of Milford there is quiet and
solitude. He can think and ponder
upon things he loves. Then it comes
time for him to go to the University
of Pennsylvania to finish his study. |
1t will be a good time for him to !
find how the rest of the world lives. |
It will be the first time he has ever |
been away from Delaware and he |
cannot control his joy at the idea of
travelling. So he goes, filled with the |
ire of youth, eager for the new life
he is entering.
This new life proves startling. He |
IS popular and witty, and is invited
1ut to dinners, dances, and balls. He
las his first taste of night life and
nigh living. There are theatres to
attend. John throws himself into
his life with zest. 1t is change,
after quiet Milford. Beautiful girls
make themselves charming. John
begins to write more poetry. He is
struck with the contrasts in life.
When he is alone, he is the same
that studied and dreamed
)ack home; but when he is out
Imong others, he becomes polish
'u duu very SuISl IdIuluS SSnCASlldhs
lie begins to read more widely; he
eads all the works of the classic
all the writer's of his own
ime; and as a result, he grows
more thoughtful and more worldly
It the same time. Finally he gets
nto a quarrel with another student
,ver a girl. When the girl is insult
d, John, in accordance with his
deas of chivalry, challenges his
lassmate to a duel. He has been
aving trouble with one of his tea
hers for some time, so when word
oes around that John has been in
duel and has been stabbed in the ,
ack, the teacher has him expelled.
lie must go back to Milford.
John, in the carefree ways of
outh, does not take the news hard.
lie doesn't want to be doctor any l
ow. He'll go back to his mother. s
would be nice to see Milford
gain and live there. Going back on j
he boat, the youth, who is now ]
nown as the Milford Bard, is taken