Berkeley High School - Olla Podrida Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

Page 12 text:

The Silent City! Here no tramp of feet Or strident gongs ring out discordantly ; No roar of wheels and hoofs in ceaseless beat Is here ; but in a sweet tranquility The gondolas upon a silent sea Float by high palaces on either side, Which stood in days when Venice used to be The Adriatic ' s fair and honored bride. And ' mongst the nations held her place with queenly pri Against her very doors the Ocean beats In ceaseless tides of changing ebb and flow, As softly through the silent, limpid streets The noiseless gondolas ply to and fro. And to the dip of oars and water ' s flow The gondolier sings some quaint ballad old Of Venice in the golden long ago. And of her ancient rulers, wise and bold. Whose glorious names are written in the Book of Gold. When daylight fades, and twilight softly falls, The silvery moon mounts up the sky ; it gleams And shines on storied palaces and walls, Hiding the marks of time with magic beams Till Venice seems a fairyland of dreams, With naught this earthly paradise to mar ; The streets are changed to rippling golden streams, While lovers ' songs sound softly from afar. Mingled with throb of harp and of guitar. 10

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OLLA PODRIDA :: :: :: BERKELEY HIGH have made a capital story had he done so. The result of his planning was that when the doughty old Baron Dunder set forth one day to visit a neighboring Baron, with a guard of a few hired men who were called soldiers because the} wore uni- forms and carried weapons, he was set upon by a score of fierce-looking robbers, whereupon each guard took to his re- spective heels, leaving the Baron with the money bag which it is customary for the nobility of that age to carry in the modern novel, sweating and fuming and cursing, and calling for his guard to come back and defend him. The robbers seemed to hesitate for a moment, until they heard the galloping of horses in the distance, when they set about brandishing their swords in a most terrifying manner. About this time the horsemen hove into view, and the leader, on seeing the robbers, cried out in a loud voice, Avaunt ! base minions ! or something like that. In this enlightened age he would probably have politely asked them to Skidoo! But of course that could not be used here to advantage, on account of the censorship of history professors, who look to the accuracy of historical stories be- cause of their love of the subject, and literary critics, who do the same because the}- are paid to do so. The robbers did as they were bid. and promptly avaunted, and the rescuer proved to be Frederick. The Baron was very grateful and began to cast about him for some suitable gift to give Frederick. He finally told the young man that he could have Elaine, principally because Frederick would prize her so very highly that he would forget that this gift, instead of cost- ing the Baron anything, would take an expense off his hands. So everything came out all right, as was to be expected, and everybody lived happily ever afterward, even the robbers, who were paid a handsome sum for their services by Frederick, according to contract. Reader, if you want to make a popular novel out of this, add some love scenes, and a mystery or so, and you will have one of the six best sellers ready to serve. 9

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OLLA PODRIDA :: :: :: BERKELEY HIGH But gone is all that city ' s ancient glory. And over now the Winged Lion ' s sway; Yet still lives on in ringing song and story The history and pride of yesterday ; For here the poet ' s people live today. Triumphant o ' er the shifting change of time: Shylock and Portia, with people grave and gay, Who lived in Venice in her happy prime, Xow grace the fallen city by the poet ' s gift sublime. — Elanore Holland, T2. Now all the fickie. many-colored leaves Hasten to cornered nooks, wherein to stay And wait the coming of the winter day. Sing on, cry on, moan on, O autumn wind ! And drone about the passing of the year. Fill chilly air with dust, and from the trees Drive the fast-withering, feebly clinging leaves, And tell, with many a warning moan and sigh. How each departing year withered leaves must die ! — G. Luke. If you are looking for that which is best in the men and women with whom you come into contact ; if you are seeking also to give them that which is best in yourself ; if you are looking for a friendship which shall help you to know your- self as you are and to fulfill yourself as you ought to be, then you are surely on the ascending path. — Henry Van Dyke. 1 1