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and Sloan Foundation

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â€”

Nature was to him an open book The hand that penned its epics was divine. The heavens, with all the myriad stars a-shine;

ylT-'L'

-^^^

The sparkling ripple of the Each had its place within

rare delight in beauty

Or curve in arching

Was

tiny brook, his heart.

â€”every

took

line

tree or trailing vine

ecstacy; he loved each fern-draped nook.

wondrous mind was his: from morn till night stored it from the ponderous tomes he read; The world acknowledged him most erudite. Yet plain and simple was the life he led; To serve his fellowman was his delight;

And far and

wide his gentle influence spread. Jennie Masters Tabb.

Lillian Obenshain

Virginia

Editor-in-Chief

Mayo

Assistant Editor-in-Chief

Myrtle Parker

Literary Editor

Laura Kice

Assistant Literary Editor

Jonnie Hiner Katie

Business Manager

Edmunds

Frances

1st Assistant Business

Moomaw

2nd

Manager

A ssistant Business Manager

Agnes Miles

Exchange Editor

Myres

Assistant Exchange Editor

Lottie

Eugenia Lundie

News

Edith Miles

Thelma Blanton

Assistant ('13)

Gertrude Welker ('15)

Assistant

Editor

News Editor

Alumnae

Editor

Alumnae

Editor

The Focus Vol. VI

Farmville.Va., January, 1917

Jti

Mtmovxnm

in 3vmtxB Mlm Mxllxh^t

No.

THE FOCUS

322

OR.

F. A.

Grainger

MILLIDGE,

of Farmville,

who

for

has been well known and loved throughout Virginia as a teacher of geography in the State Normal School and as a lecturer on this and kindred subjects, died at Farmville, early Tuesday morning, November 21. The funeral services were held in the Auditorium of the School, Tuesday afternoon. The remains then lay in state in the parlors until midnight, when they were taken by train to Memphis, Tennessee, for final interment. Dr. Millidge came of an old English family which has been prominent in the affairs of the State of Georgia ever since the first of the name who came to America landed with General Oglethorpe in 1733, as Milledgeville, the his secretary, friend and adviser. former capital of Georgia, bears the family name and the University of Georgia, at its founding at Athens, received from the family estate the gift of a tract of 640 acres, which bears witness to the interest taken by the family from the beginning in the cause At the time of the American Revoluof education. tion, Dr. Millidge's great-grand-father, because he was a staunch Royalist, removed to Canada and There, after settled in St. Johns, New Brunswick. two generations, Francis Allen Millidge was born in 1859, the twelfth in a family of sixteen children. His mother was of Huguenot origin. The blending in him of Royalist and Huguenot is apparent to any one who knew Dr. Millidge's ever ardent loyality to England, the keenness of his intellect, and the humble and truly devout, the unostentatious spirit of the man in his daily walk.

many

years

;

THE FOCUS

323

Young Millidge's career as a student was remarkably brilliant. It would seem that while he was at the University of New Brunswick, from which he took the degrees of B.A. and M.A., there was no prize In fact the records or honor that he did not win. show that when, for the second time, he won the Governor General Lord Dufferin's Gold Medal, perhaps the highest honor in the University, it was announced that, "because he was taking all the honors of the school, the medal would be given to the second He won honors particularly in the best man." classical languages, the natural sciences, and history. He began teaching while still a student at the University and twice since he was ofifered positions by

Alma Mater. On account of his health, however, he was compelled to seek a milder climate and came back South to the land of his forefathers. For a number of years he devoted himself to teaching and study and attended summer courses at various

his

institutions,

including

Normal School Chicago.

July

famous Cook County and the University of 1895, he married Nellis Penn the

Illinois 3,

Memphis, Tennessee, who survives him with their two sons, Stanley, now a junior in the University of Florida, and Lewis de Blois, who is in

Stanley, of

high school in Farmville. Together the young couple worked and studied, taking several summer courses, particularly at the Finally they went, with University of Chicago. their one son, to Germany, the father to pursue work in philology, history, and science, and the mother Mr. Millidge attended courses at to study music. the Universities of Gottingen, Jena, and Leipzig. He drew the attention of both the students and the faculties of these institutions

ship;

and

his brilliant scholar-

finally in 1905 Leipzig University

awarded

Ph.D. magna oum laude, an honor hardly ever conferred on a foreign student. Twins were born to the Milledges during their stay in

him the degree

THE FOCUS

324

Germany; and when an opportunity

offered for Dr.

Millidge to get a position there, he said, return to the United States, because I to

"No, we must want my sons

grow up Americans."

When

the family returned to America in 1905, Dr. Millidge declined offers of positions in the Universities of New Brunswick and Manitoba on account of the climate, and after a year of teaching in Mississippi, came to the State Normal School at Farmville as head of the Department of Geography. Here he

devoted hims,te'lf with characteristic enthusiasm to his chosen work of teaching and supervising the teaching of geography, to lecture and institute work in this and other Southern States, to his own omnivorous reading and study, and to the education of his boys. As a teacher he stood alone, unique and inimitable. He abjured text-books. With his encyclopedic knowledge, his alert and eager mind, and a tongue that was ready for any emergency, he had a gift of condensed, yet clear, incisive, and withal interesting statement which enabled him to put his subject before his students as hardly another could

have done

it.

He was

always ready to

bend

his

masterful intellect cheerfully to the service of even the dullest of students and often even helped them with other lessons than geography. To student debaters he was indispensable and whenever a talk of any nature was needed on a program he could always be relied on to throw new light on any subject and to speak with gripping interest. Pne important reason for his universal popularity was his quick sense of humor and his penetrating wit. He seldom failed to bring out the amusing point in any situation and he had an inexhaustible fund of humorous anecdote. His students always remember his quizzical smiling eyes and his jolly bursts of infectious laughter, for a class never passed without at least one good laugh. No student, however impervious to learning eslewhere, could sit under Dr. Millidge without being interested, and interest is the gateway to learning.

THE FOCUS

3^5

In the work of teachers' institutes in Virginia and many summer schools in the South, Dr. MillHe had frequent and idge was a very useful factor. repeated calls for talks in many counties of Virginia, and during the past ten years had delivered lecture courses in the summer schools of the State Universities of Virginia, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Georgia, though he himself never sought such engagements. It will always be a matter of regret to those who had the privilege of knowing his masterly handling both of the underlying principles and of the details in the exposition of his subjects, especially in the field of geography and history, that he did not write more. For with his all embracing memory and incessant reading he coupled remarkably keen and original thinking. Two reasons may be given for the comparative inactivity of his pen: constant occupation in the exhausting labor of teaching and lecturing, and poor health. Many of his former students have urged him to put into available form for them what he gave them in the class room and publishers have even invited him to write text-books for publication. Though he seldom mentioned himself and his plans, he sometimes expressed the hope that the time would come when he might find leisure and strength to write. Yet he never gave himself the time nor found the strength to do it. And so it might seem that perhaps the best product of his intellect is lost to the world. It was his faith, however, and it must be true, that as his thought was caught up by the minds of his thousands of students and put to service, consciously or unconsciously, in the daily instruction of the children of Virginia and the South in geography, that science of sciences, which makes the whole world kin, so his work lives on, in a very real sense, and always will continue a power for good. Though Dr, Millidge was born in the North, he was by natural inclination a Southerner, His warm, eager, idealistic nature chimed in with the Southern climate which he loved and with the spirit of the of the

326

THE FOCUS

Southern people. A strong ancestral tie would seem to have laid hold upon him and to have drawn him back to devote his life and his brilliant powers in loving service to the cause of education in the South. He married a Southern woman, and he brought his sons back to the South that they might grow up there among the truest of Americans. The South was his natural home. And yet until very late in his life he did not set his mind, as a more practical nature would have done, to acquiring the property which one with his gifts could easily have acquired, and which would establish him and his family in a permanent place of abode, in this land of his choice. At the time of his death, however, he was bending every effort toward establishing his family in a permanent home on a tract of land in Florida. There under the direction of Mrs. Millidge and the boys, a grove of orange and grape-fruit trees had been set out and in another year his trees would have begun bearing. Then he could have left off the trying life of teaching and settle down to devote his leisure to realizing his plans for writing. But the end came too soon. Though he had made a home for his family, he himYet he lives the more in the self will never share it. life of loving service which he lived for Virginia and ;

the South.

THE FOCUS

Elizabeth C. F.

327

Malcolm

one who loved him of the multitude try to set his kindly virtues down, Recall the goodness of the kind old man, Who lived in all our hearts, His bubbling fun That flowed in never ending streams and poured Around us all and cheered our hearts each day. His tenderness, the interest that he took In all our lives. He was not one who walked Apart from us; for each girl told her tale Of joy or woe to him, or did we want To know a thing, we sought him straight and found The answer. Ah! the day we learned that he Had passed from out the bourne of time and place^ Had passed beyond the reach of all the things That mean so much to us on earth; and we Although we miss him sorely, yet may cry God speed the weary traveller on his way. Our days are numbered, and your years, like grass, Cut down and faded, saith the Psalmist. God! grant that we may offer lives like his Enriched with secret goodness, kindly heart,

And

go, at length, to

a tranquillity who hath gone

Well-earned, as he did,

before.

The Focus Published monthly during the school year by the Students' AssociaFemale Normal School, Farmville, Virginia. Sub-

tion of the State

scription price, $1.00 per year.

The Focus

published nine times a year at Farmville, Va., by the Normal School. There are no stock-

Students' Association of the State

holders, no bondholders, moi'tgages, nor other security holders.

Sworn to and subscribed before me J.

this

2nd day of October, 1912.

BUGG, Notary

Public.

Entered as second-class matter at the postoffice at Farmville, Virginia

VOL. VI

FARMVILLE,

VA.,

JANUARY, 1917

NO. 8

lESttortal remember

well the first time I saw Dr. Millidge. seated at the desk in his class-room, writing. His face was no more than four inches above the paper and the pencil he used was about as long as his forefinger. I asked him if I might "split" classes as my schedule was somewhat irregular. It seemed to be really a pleasure for him to allow me to do it. Then he asked me if I had heard the war news for that day. He proceeded to explain the situation to me and became so interested that he jumped from his chair and walked over to the map. With his left hand thrust in the pocket of his coat, he stood there pointing places on the map and telling me things about the war I had never dreamed of before. Then he told me his favorite little joke about Erzerum. He said that the reason the Russians were so anxious to take the city was because their national drink, vodka, had been abolished. They were so eager for rum that they took the city of Erzerum. I

He was

THE FOCUS

329

Having had t|iis little talk with Dr. Millidge, I was most anxious to begin classes with him. And his proved to be filled not only with geography, but much sound advice and fun. He always boasted that no class could exactly copy what he wrote on the board. He had his own way of having papers marked and he would write plainly on the board the very words he wanted the class to use and ask them Once he even promised ice to please copy them. cream cones to the whole class if no one made an error. But one girl left out a comma. The little excursions on which Dr. Millidge took his classes in connection with their work were a source of great pleasure. He could seldom remember, however, which classes he had taken and which he had classes

often forgot details of this sort and it was him to associate the names and faces of girls. for So, days after the first excursion, he greeted each class with, "Young ladies, have you been to the brook?" Dr. Millidge had learned the art of drawing on the board with the flat side of the chalk, and often when we entered his class room we found quaint little pictures on the board. Sometimes we found the story of Hiawatha shown, sometimes a tropical scene and once a frontier stockade. There seemed to be no end to the clever things Dr. Millidge knew. At one time he set us into gales of laughter by his translation of the following bit of Latin: not.

also often difficult for

Isabilli

heres ago

Fortibus es in aro

Nosce mari thabe trux Vobis innem, pes et dux. According to him the English was: I say Billy, here's a go, Forty buses in a row. No, see Mary, they be trucks. What is in them? Peas and ducks.

THE FOCUS

330

Often his way of wording a question held a bit of humor. One day he said: "Let's take up some subject, nice and dry, for instance, the Sahara Desert." He seemed to really love the girls. He was inHe liked terested in hearing of their fun and pranks. to speak of Joan of Arc in the hall as a member of the home department. He said she sat in that listening attitude to hear the girls meditate on

Sunday afternoon. No one was ever bored with his classes. Everybody loved them. He was unusually patient with He'd often say that he couldn't possibly the girls. expect us to remember a certain fact for he had only told us twenty times, but if he had told us twenty-one times, he was sure we would have known it. Dr. Millidge's wonderful memory for facts, was a He seemed to continual source of wonder to us. remember everything he had ever heard or ever read. Figures,

all

sorts

statistics,

little

stories

about

people and things, he always had on the tip of his tongue. His breadth of knowledge was something almost beyond the conception of school girls. There seemed to be no subject one could bring up that Dr. Millidge was not well acquainted with and he always had something of value to add. Mingled with their love for him, the girls had a very, very great respect for his wonderful intellect. This was Dr. Millidge in class. This was why the girls loved his classes so and felt that the benefit derived from them was something to help them in every phase of their life's work. Outside of class, there seemed to be nothing that pleased him more than doing something to help the He was eager to help when a debate was being girls. prepared or when a knotty problem in teaching arose. But what stands foremost in our minds are his trips Every girl to Willis's Mountain and High Bridge. who wanted to go was welcome and every girl who went, enjoyed the trip. On the trips to High Bridge

THE FOCUS

331

we walked to the bridge and returned by train. The trip to the mountain was made in wagons. Dr. Millidge always had an inexhaustible store of jokes to tell which kept up the fun from beginning to end. Then too, I remember, his comments on the things we saw as we passed. He'd notice a flower here, a tree there, a bird, a little strip of wood. They all had an appeal for him and it was proof enough that to him nature was not a mere machine, the knowledge of which he had mastered, but God's little

beautiful out-of-doors. All of the girls loved him

and they miss him.

miss his fun, his

of philosophy, his classes,

and

his helps

And

little bits

They

which he was always so ready to give. think that in the heart of every girl in school, there's a place reserved for the memory of Dr. Millidge.

â€”Myrtle

Parker,

THE FOCUS

332

an6 ^\\nt

ll^r^

%«'%««^«« *«^«^« ««««»%««

STAR COURSE The second number

of the Star Course was given auditorium on Nov. 28. It was "Ye Old New England Choir." The evening was very much enjoyed by a large and appreciative audience. The periods of New England life, in song and dress, were Another well carried out by a good quartette. good feature was the readings given by one of the in the

ladies of the choir.

PROF. CLAPP Prof. Clapp, of

New

York, spoke in the auditorium

This at 7.30 o'clock on Nov. 28 on "Better Speech." was during Better Speech Week and Prof. Clapp was gotten under the auspices of the

Pierian Literary

Society.

JUNIOR-SENIOR GAMES On Thanksgiving morning

the first basketball Juniors and Seniors was played in the gymnasium on account of the inclemency of the weather. The Seniors defeated the Juniors in a hard pitched battle and plenty of class

champion game

the

spirit.

The second ing

of these

games was played the

Saturday morning on

the

Athletic

follow-

field,

the

The teams were about evenly matched and a good game ensued.

Juniors

defeating

the

Seniors.

Defense was good and skill was shown by Bain and Eberwine of the Juniors and Cahill and her Senior supporters in good plays.

THE FOCUS

333

The tie was played off the following Saturday afternoon at 3.00 o'clock. The Seniors defeated the Juniors in a well fought game and won the championship which they held as Juniors.

DRAMATIC CLUB On December

Dramatic Club presented Plymouth Town," in the The play was well presented and show-

their fall play,

the

"Rose

auditorium. ed as usual the well developed talent of the through Miss Wheeler's instruction.

The

cast

was

girls,

as follows:

Miles Standish, Captain of Plymouth. Eugenia Lundie Garrett Foster, of Weston's Men Mary Ellen White f Jessie Brett John Margeson, of the PlyPhilippe de la Noye, f mouth Colonists \ Julia Stover Miriam Chillingsley, cousin of the Captain. Delia Wicker Barbara Standish, wife of the Captain .

Rosolute Story, aunt Rose de la Noye

to the

Sallie P.

Rawlings

CaptainE,2Lrn.Qstm.e

McClung

Ethel Surface

CAROLS AND TABLEAU On Monday carols

December

18, Christmas Club and all music The songs were well sung and

evening,

were sung by the Glee

classes of the school.

very much enjoyed by a large audience, despite the snow-storm outside. After the carols were sung, a tableau was given by the Y. W. C. A. cabinet and Town Girl's Committee. It was "The First Christmas" and was well worked out and beautiful with the tableau lights.

PLAYGROUND LECTURE On Tuesday evening, Mr. Settle, field secretary of the National Playground Association, gave a lecture on "Playgrounds." This was very interesting, being illustrated by stereopticon slides.

THE FOCUS

334

JOKES DR. MILLIDGE TOLD IN CLASS The Story Told

Gun

Boy

Gun

Bust

Joy

Boy

Fun

Dust

Why does a duck go into the water?

— For

Answer

Why

diverse reasons.

does a duck come out of the water? For sundry reasons.

—

Answer

Soft, thick pillows

were made for

An Englishman your pardon.

soft,

speaking to oxen. Gee!"

— "Whoa!

Here comes the trolley car, Here comes the dray, Here comes the little boy,

Now,

let

us pray.

thick heads.

Beg

THE FOCUS

iExrljattg^B

The November number

the

4Âť

Woman's

College

It displays an exceedingly clever one. school spirit in that there is a department devoted

Journal fine

335

to nearly every organization in the college and, furthermore, each department is interesting and well balanced. "Countrymen" has a well-laid plot which is developed with great skill. The other stories, although The essay on Riley short, are vivid and snappy. is an excellent review of the charming personality of that one who "has left the world richer for the faith

and hope and honest mirth that he brought

it."

â€”

The Emory and Henry Era. The opening article magazine is "Jiro and Hanna," in which the author has exhibited rare literary ability. This story is made more interesting to the reader because This is of the knowledge that it is based on facts. followed by "The Golden Autumn," which portrays the season in a vivid and easy style with the air of "Ignorance Rewarded" is a story in true poetry. which the author shows skill in making the plot and tact in developing it. "The Dawn of a New of this

Day" is well written, while it holds the reader's attention and interest until the end is reached. issue of The Blue and Gold we are impressed with the school spirit, which is very prominent throughout the whole magazine. There is so much school news in this number that on reading the magazine one is almost made to East Tenfeel as if she had paid a visit to the

In the

especially

November

336

THE FOCUS

The literary connessee State Normal School. tributions of this number are not as good as they might be. On the whole the magazine is not well Would it not be a wiser plan to enlarge balanced. the Literary Department and give less space to the other departments?

The Student this month contains some unusually good articles. The majority of the stories are skillfully worked out, and they are extremely interesting in that there is so much in them which is true to life. "The Trees of God" is an article of depth, and in it there is much which inspires one to think of other things besides the common, sordid things of every day life. Viewing it from all sides, we concl\jde that The Student is one of the best high school magazines on our exchange list.

welcome to our desk again the Mary Baldwin Miscellany. "His Guide in the Night" is a story of excellent quality and forceful style. "A Narrow Escape" is an amusing story which is true and vi\id of school girls' experiences. The essays in the maga-

On the whole, this number of the magazine, while not up to the highest standard, is a very creditable one.

zine are well written.

We acknowledge with thanks our other exchanges not already mentioned.

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