Milford chronicle., 1931-05-15
LEGEND OF OLD
DELAWAREPUT
VERSEFORM
Alice Breme Retells The
Story Of Mary Vining.
Is Very Interesting.

Often it seems that lessons are
dry and uninteresting, especially in
the spring-time Except for work in
biology, which takes on new life at
this time of Year,. Every so often
though we run across some bit of
information in history or literature
classes which stirs our magma
tions, however. In American His
tory, reports are required ever so
often on various phases of Della
ware history. Much of the informa-
tion is found in Katherine Pyle's
book "Once Upon A Time In Della
ware" AS the result of some re-
search work in State history which
Alice Breme had to do recently, she
has written the legend of Mary Vim
ing in the heroic couplet form that
Junior English students associate
with the names of Dryden and Pope.
To Mary Vining
To Mary Vining, fairest of the fair,
This toast from ali the State of
Delaware.
Her brother John was everybody's
pet
While echoes of her beauty linger
yet.
When Jefferson in France once took
his place.
The Queen desired the truth about
her face.
And Lafayette, when he had kissed
her hand
Declared there was no lovalier in
the land.
The Duke of Orleans danced the
minuet
With Mary on the evening that they
met.
And Washington from Wilmington
once came
To visit her, he also knew her fame.
Lord Howe and all his men before
her bowed.
With every grace and art she was
endowed.
In seventy-six there was no one so
fair
AS this sweet maid of olden Della
ware.
Her wealth and fame was known to
every ear
In gayety she lived without a tear.
OF all the men who sought to pay
her court
She loved not one and called them
mere good sport.
But one man she knew only by his
name
Who in the patriot army gained his
fame.
The wild adventure of his life so
free
her from city company.
In spite of those who called him
bold and vain
She wished that she could know
Mad Anthony Wayne.
While he - of course, like all the
rest-he knew
Of Fry Winnings wondrous beauty,
too.
And so when once they met at that
great ball
Where he came riding, boots and
spurs and all.
Their. mutual admiration was COM
plete
And soon it turned to love so full
and sweet.
Along on one mad courtship she
was swept
By flames that in his heart and eyes
had leapt.
And back to her home town the
news then came
That Wayne would soon be Mary |
Winnings name.
The hero who to Stony Point laid
seige
Would January next, become her
leige.
The autumn passed, her time was
filled with plans
With parties, shops, and roses, signs
and fans.
1t last her preparations were all
made
She looked at life and smiled, quite
unafraid.
December saw the bridegroom west
WdIu SeuL
But shortly to return she knew be
meant.
md so she smiled, and watched him
go away
sut time grew long before her we'd
ding day.
1ame New Years Day and to her
door they brought
he news of that last fight her lover
fought.
Iisease had stricken him away out
west
1ithout a word from her he'd gone
to rest.
UGH sorrow, grief, and pain came
to her then
hat made her draw away from
worldly men.
Ter life was lived, and now she
would devote
er time, the aims of others to pro-
mote.
ltho' in widows weeds the world
she'd shun