East Hartford High School - Janus Yearbook (East Hartford, CT)

Page 28 text:

CLASS PROPHECY Twenty leagues under the surface of the sea, far under the heaving waters off the Cornish coast lies Merlin's Magic City, the home of King Arthur's Round Table in by-gone days. Also, near the city, as the fable goes, lies a huge cave of trans- parent rose-marble, guarded by the spirits of Light and Dark- ness. In this marvelous cave lies Merlin the Wise, Arthur's magician, natural and lifelike, entombed in a block of pure crystal. Once in an eon he speaks, foretelling great happenings. About a year ago the rumor came to our Court of Knowl- edge that the graduation of the January Class of 1927 would be an event of sufficient importance to induce the Fates to arouse Merlin, who would prophecy the futures of the mem- bers of this illustrious group. Early last fall, a meeting of those in whom Merlin was supposed to be interested was calle.d. By these I was chosen to travel to his cave and was instructed to report faithfully to all here to-night Merlin's words of wisdom. The next Saturday after that meeting, I was transported by airplane to the Cornish coast of Wales. There, after con- sulting the map obtained for me by my classmates, and finding as nearly as possible the location of the cave, I stepped into the motor launch and we cast off, making far to the southwest end of the cape. When I arrived there, I donned my heavy diver's suit, had my men fasten the huge helmet to my shoulders, took my place, and was let down into the depths. As I was de- scending, I looked up for a last glimpse of the sun. It shone with a reddish light just over my head. High noon! The water closed over me, and down I went. Down, down. At six fathoms, it was pitch dark. The huge searchlight attached to my helmet was switched on at my signal, and care- fully letting go my hold on the lead-weighted rope ladder, I slid down into the murky green depths. Strange fish glided past meg darting shadows played about. Once a fish, googly-eyed and fiat bodied, flashed to the windows of my helmet, and I caught a glimpse of a startled little school of tiny fishes, scattering around me, attracted by the strange yellowish gleam of the light. At last my leaded boots struck bottom. I hesitated. Then hauling into me as much rope as I thought I needed for slack in allowing me to prowl around, I started straight ahead. Progress was slow at that depth and occasionally stone formation had to be crawled over, but, finally, I found myself in a lighter area of water. I looked around and lo, I, the scof- fer, who had undertaken the task merely to satisfy my own mind and to come up and scoff at others, was looking at a cave, faintly illumined with rose light and scintillating white flakes. I could see through the rock when I approached, but to my sur- prise found no entrance to the sarcophagus. Suddenly I stum- bled against some loose shale and fell through the wall. Hasti- ly getting up, I looked around. Nothing could I see save the rose.-colored walls about me. Soon, however, a soft white light began to grow in the center of the tomb. It grew larger, took on tangible outlines and soon, lo! a huge block of crystal ap- 28

Page 27 text:

To do this we attended all the games which the teams of the Court of Knowledge played with those of other Courts, were staunch supporters of all the plays which our superiors staged, and worked hard at our lessons. In January we had succeeded. Having gained the privilege to wear the colors, we started on our second year. Then we were known as Sophomores. We had lost all our former modesty and bashfulness and were as happy-go-lucky creatures as Sophomores should be. This year we were working hard for honors in our studies, which no person aspiring to be a knight can be without. Because we felt very much superior to the freshies who had just entered the Court of Knowledge, we lost no chances to make fun of them. Several of our class belonged to the athletic teams, and the rest of us loyally supported them. The excellent work done by our classmates brought great honors to our class. In our third year we also had a set goal to reach. Our aim was to belong to as many societies as possible and, in the meantime, to keep up our studies. Some joined the Court Glee Club, and greatly improved it by tunefully blending their rich, mellow voices with the rest. The girls also belonged to the Alpha Gamma Epsilon and the boys to the Hi-Y. Those of us who did not play on the teams were always at hand to cheer our players on to victory. Our class gradually was growing smaller. We missed those who left our ranks, but were saddened especially by the death of one classmate. It was during our summer vacation that William Condon died after an operation for appendicitis. We felt deeply the loss of our companion. After three years of pleasure and profit were finished, we were called Dignified Seniors, and all were working hard for graduation, or the titles of Knights and Ladies. Again, many of our class belonged to the football and the basketball teams. One of our companions was sent out into the world to visit the abode of Merlin and to bring back news of our future fortunes when we would go out into the world. Our class staged a play and had a cake sale. The returns were to help defray the ex- penses of the knighting. Thus the year moved smoothly and eventfully around, and we are gathered for the last time at the Long Table in our Court of Knowledge. We are very near our goal, and I am sure we are all worthy of being Knights and Ladies. In the future as we ride forth into the wide, wise world we shall always remember this last happy gathering of the January Class of 1927. H. HANCOCK. 27

Page 29 text:

peared in which lay Merlin the Wise, sleeping peacefully, hands folded across his breast. I approached reverently and heard from the block a clear voice say, Consult the magic dice! Consult the magic dice! Consult the magic dice! Consult the magic dice! I had barely time to recover from my astonishment when the appari- tion disappeared, and I was thrust back, thinking and wondering. As I made my way back to the ladder I stumbled more often now-I stopped to look back but could see only the faint rose light of the cavern. When I got to where I thought I had touched bottom first, I found two peculiar-looking pack- ages, wrapped tightly in black cloth. I was ready now for any- thing, so stooping down I picked up the two rather bulky bun- dles and signalled to be pulle.d u.p When I got into the boat and had my helmet removed, I quickly opened both packages in the presence of my two friends and found in one package an old pair of dice, an ordinary pair from the looks of them. In the other I found engraved on a piece of parchment in gold let- ters these words, Cast and cast back. I waited for no second order, but, cast and cast again. Prophecies unfolded themselves to me that day, the words at each cast appearing, formed by the marks on the dice, prophe- cies foretelling fame and fortune, wealth and health, riches and poverty for the members of our court. My record completed, I stood for a while alone on the deck, while my companions copied the prophecies so hastily set down. The last two words on the parchment were, cast back. I hesitated, thinking of Arthur's Excaliber, and then threw the two bundles far out into the sea. I looked, half expecting to see a white hand rise and grasp them, but they fell into the water with a dull splash, and the waves rolled over them. Tonight I have the prophecy written out for you in this new book, made by Merlin's orders, and with your permission I will tell to you his words of wisdom. For Bernice Bailey, Lady of Style, there is a brilliant future. As the dutiful wife of James Forbes, costumer and designer, she will help him in his establishment, the House of Style on Le Rue de la Paix, Paris, giving him many an inspira- tion for his marvelous creations of fashion for women. Their advertisement of What Well-Dressed Men and Women Wear, will be known all over the world. George Benton, Knight of Indolence, will have a bril- liant career as president of the I. W. W. He will be famous for his after-dinner speeches consisting of silence, still silence, and more silence. For Howard Bidwell, Knight of Mechanics, there will be nothing but glory as the inventor of the perpetual motion au- tomobile, which will run without gas, Pat. July 4, 1965, all rights reserved. He will be the wonder of the scientific world, a credit to the school and to Hockanum. Albert Pearce, his ambitions satisfied, will act as press agent for his wife, Phyllis Hayden, better known as Lady Barrymore. He will do much to promote the modern drama 29