Milford chronicle., 1959-02-20
Aunt Molly Tells
OF Milford Bard

a residence. A shed roof covered
| the pavement for the whole length.
AS long as the building was used
as a store this roof remained, and
sheltered many school child
caught in sudden shower of rain.
At the very early age of three
i years John Lofand started to
school. Because it took six months
for him to learn the alphabet, he
was considered dull. His slow pro-
| gress was reported to his parents.
| This sIOwneSs in learning aroused
| the sympathy of his mother and
caused her to be extremely lenient
with him in matters of discipline
and permitted him to follow his
own whims without restraint II
is likely that his mothers unwise
indulgence was the beginning of
mis- self-indulgence of later years.
In December 1903, Isaac Loffand
died, leaving his widow and two
youngest children in comfortable
circumstances The store goods
were sold and the store building
was closed When the estate was
settled, Johns share amounted to
about 100000, a very good sum
one hundred and Sfty-five years
ago.
Because of his unsatisfactory
progress, John had been taken out
of school and taught at home by
his mother. When he finally learn
to it and improved rapidly. During
the winter that his father. died he
attended she Milford Academy
which was then under the direc-
ton of Richard Spencer, a man
noted throughout the state as a
teacher. However, the young John
refused to learn mathematics, per-
sistently leaving the study of that
subject to resume his reading.
In October 1904, his mother mar
ried John Wallace, a young drug
gist from Smyrna who had rented
the old Lofland store. The family
continued to live in the store build
| ing until 1903 when they moved
across the street to The Towers
on the northwest corner. The corn
er of the building was a store
where John Wallace carried on his
business. The boy John was given,
by his own request, his own room
at the top of the house on the side
facing North st. This room was
called his 'Garret' and became ia
nous by that name.
John continued his studies at
the Milford Academy, delighting al
ways in his reading, ignoring
1 lx,1a 4 h fVao OF
French, and enjoying the study of
Mythology and History. His out
of-school hours were spent in read
ing or in wandering through the
| fields with his little sister, Sarah,
talking earnestly to her in grown
up fashion and pointing out the
beauty of the wild flowers.
When John reached the age of
sixteen, the family held many seri-
Gus discussions about his career
His step-father John Wallace want
ed him to enter the mercantile
business, but John was opposed tc
it. Finally, he settled the matter
himself by choosing the study of
medicine. For two years he studied
under his cousin DIR. James p. Lof-
1
Medicine interested him to such an
extent that he practically withdrew
from society to study and to make
scientific experiments. During this
period he devoted part of his time
20 writing as well as to reading.
| However, he had no thought of
publishing his poems and put them
aside after reading them to his
family and intimate friends, COM
pletely satisfied with being called
The Poet by his fellow towns
! people.
! During the SUMMER vacations he
came out of seclusion and took
part in the social life of the town
Always agreeable in company, con-
Siderate of the feelings of others,
4 charming conversationalist and
well-dressed, he was always heart
/ lily welcomed wherever he called.
Among his acquaintances was Miss
Sallie, daughter of John Mitchell,
a, reputable tradesman of Milford
The poet paid court to her for
months before she realized that his
attentions arose from something
deeper than gallantry. She return
ed his affection and the two became
deeply attached. For the poet, Miss
J Mitchell remained the love of his
| life.
In October 1917 he entered the
University of Pennsylvania to study
medicine. There his life changed.
He kept up with his studies, de-
voted time to literature and still
| found time to enjoy a gay stu
dents life. He could sing a song,
write impromptu verses and drink
with the best of them. In the early
spring of 1920 in the midst of grad
uation preparations an unfortun-
ate incident occurred One after
noon before a university lecture,
the Bard and other students at
tended party where all became
intoxicated. Mention of the name
of an unpopular professor brought
forth unfattering remarks and a
poetical satire from the Bard On
entering the main hall at the uni
versity the Bard stopped his aSso-
ciates long enough to draw a Carl
cature of the professor on the bull
letin board with couplet under it
naming the professor. The guilty
student was discovered and sum-
moned to appear before the faculty.
He was informed that the faculty
considered his misdeed sufficient
cause for refusing to recommend
him for the degree He retorted
that if the act of an intoxicated stu
dent could influence their judgment
as to his mental fitness for the de-
gree, he desired no diploma from
such an institution. With that re-