Milford chronicle., 1959-02-20

mark he left the room and subse-
quently the university.
Lofland returned home by packet
During the trip he became violent
ly i'll and suffered severe stomach
pains. Laudanum was the only
medicine on board. He directed that
it be administered to him to re-
lieve his pain. After recovering he
continued use of the drug to induce
sleep with the result that he ac.
quired fondness for it and the
drug became his master.
During his college years the
Bards devotion to Miss Mitchell
continued, although his reception
Dy her family became little cool
after reports of his intoxication and
improper associates reached them.
However, the lovers continued to
see each other and a month after
his return home he became he
rothed. When his riotous conduct
became common talk, Mr.. Mitchell
warned him that he would no
onger be permitted to call unless
ne changed his ways. His ways did
lot change. In July Mr.. Mitchell
forbade him to come to the house
Miss Mitchell pleaded in vain with
her father, telling him, as a last
resort, of her betrothal to the
Bard. This angered Mr.. Mitchell
almost beyond control and he de-
clared that they should never mar
ry. That same evening after Mr.
Mitchell had gone TO the store, Miss
Mitchell stole out of the house and
met the Bard on the banks of the
MispilliOn. AS they walked along
the banks of the river talking over
their troubles, time few unheeded
When Miss Mitchell returned home,
her father was already there and
accused her of having met Lofiand
1t so happened that an old
friend of Mr. Mitchell from Snow
Hill, who was no less than the
Sheriff of Worcester County, was
in town. Mr.. Mitchell hastily ex-
planned the situation and arranged
for his daughter to return with the
sheriff supposedly for a visit with
lis daughters. Her hasty depar-
seeing the Bard but she managed
o send hasty note to him telling
her whereabouts. He Immediately
went to. Snow Hill and called al
The sheriff's home where he was
kindly received. Torn between 10y
atty to his friend and his own lik
ng for the young man, the sherif1
vas uncertain of what he should
DO about the lovers until the Bard
himself settled the question One
lay after drinking freely with some
Of the gay young men of the town.
le staggered up the steps of the
sheriff's home The sheriff himself
answered the door and refused him
admittance then or ever. He imme
1iately reported the incident to the
adies in the presence of Miss
Mitchell. Her embarrassment was
probably responsible for her de-
cisive refusal to see him after re
seiving his apology.
After unsuccessful attempts tt
see her, he succeeded in meeting
Ter early one October evening a.
heir old trysting place on the
)anks of the Mispillion. She reluct
antly told him of her betrothal tt
Peter Robinson, son of a wealthy
merchant On January 10, 1872
Miss Mitchell and Mr. Robinson
we're married and on that day John
Lofland withdrew from the worb
20 his Garret and didn't leave the
premises during the next thret
years. 1t is said that during thar.
time he didn't even have hat upol
his head. The constant companions
Of his seclusion were drink an6
opium.
1t was in the year 1921 that LOT
land decided to adopt literature as
profession. His first contribu.
lions were sent to s'The Delaware
Gazette, a bi-weekly paper pub
lished in Wilmington by Samue
Harker. At that time it was one O.
the most popular news sheets il
the country. During the next few
years he contributed regularly tt
the Gazette, 1.-THE Saturday Eve.
ming Post" and the "Casket', tn,
last mentioned being the mos
widely-known monthly magazine
along the Atlantic Coast. In 1926
he published his first book "The
Harp of Delaware, containing
most of the prose and poetry tha.
had been published in the Post
and Gazette with some other ar
ticles specially written. When
"Godey's Lady's Book" began il
July 1880. the Bard contributed
to it.
By the year 1884 the habitua
use of alcohol and opium had di-
minished his powers to such an ex
tent that he could no longer write
for publication. He became a com
plete slave to Sir Richard Rum
and the Grand Turk, as he called
his alcoholic beverages and his
opium. Strange as it may seem, by
1897 he improved and was able to
begin his literary work again. In
the spring of 1888 he went to Bal
timore to assist his mothers half
brother James Gaskins in the pub
llcation of an agricultural work.
In Baltimore he worked steadily
with his uncle and found time to
contribute to some of the city Pc
riodicals, mostly the Baltimore
Patriot and Miles Register.
After a time the regularity of his
working hours became irksome and
he left his uncle to engage entirely
in independent literary work. This
was the beginning of the period of
his greatest fame when he was
known not only as a famous man
OF letters, but also as a leader in
society and pleasant acquain-
tanee.
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