Cleveland High School - Beacon Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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Silence sleeping, shadows creeping: the lunar queen Shapes them all to please her vanity. Rippling fingers to soothe the crested sand, Glittering vessels of white bedeck the rolling bank. What God hath wrought must e'er return our thoughts To this-How mighty moves the unseen power of life Eternally upward, onward-beneath His wonderous hand. ROBERT BRUNS Phrmtograrphs by All-xande-r Pizlgfvl

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we e5 .gboanfain The wedding of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers is the theme of the beautiful Milles Fountain. In front of Union Station, amid the onrushing traffic, and smoke-grimed buildings of downtown St. Louis, stand the playful, imaginary bronze creatures created by the Swedish sculptor, Carl Milles. Near the center of the fountain stand the two main figures. One is a tall, fine-statured man, representing the Mississippi River, who comes riding down from nowhere on a fish, to meet his bride-to-be, the Missouri, which is represented by a woman, shy and modest, standing on a shell and running her hand through her long curled hair. With a tulip in his hand, Mississippi has an apprehensive look as he pleads his suit at this wedding of the rivers. Missouri with outstretched arms seems to beckon her suitor. As we gaze at the figures we realize that these creatures are not of the world in which we live but of the world which inhabit the mind of the great Swedish sculptor who created them. Here, indeed, is an oasis for the tired traveler, a spot which radiates gaiety and beauty. Following Mississippi and Missouri are gay and carefree little fishes and creatures from the riversg Mississippi's attendants are a bunch of rowdies who toss fish at one another in a game of duck and diveg Missouri's bridesmaids are more polite. One has even brought her two children to the wedding. It was a carefree occasion as two thousand people waited there the day of dedication, to see the pea-green, bronze statues unveiled. After the cord had been pulled and the white rayon coverings ripped from the two main figures, sprays of Mississippi water shot from the fountains. The light May breeze whipped the water beyond the marble basin, scat- tering the crowd. When the Swedish sculptor addressed the throng gathered to witness the unveiling of his beautiful statues, he admonished the play-fellows wrought by his hand in this fantas- tical manner, Behave well, now you can breathe again. Enjoy life but remember that every morning at sunrise you must be here even if you go home to your big river, or the Gulf or the ocean at night. Play all day and do your duty. May your city love you as I love you. May you play thousands of years until we have all gone, and love life as you know we all love it. In years to come, the beautiful Aloe Plaza will stand high in the estimation of all St. Louisans, and will serve as an inspiration for greater development. GORDON SPIECKERMAN AND JEAN LEIBER 27 Photographs by Charles Lorenz