Johnstown High School - Spectator Yearbook (Johnstown, PA)

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14 THE SPECTATOR tion before referred to is lovely, as it could not help being, for the person who inspired it was a woman ‘who believes in God and duty and immortal love.’ Dedications, sometimes, like those just mentioned, re- veal the writer’s personality; sometimes they pay a com- pliment to the person addressed. The dedication of Ten- nyson’s “Idylls of the King’’ serves another purpose, for it indicates the theme of that poem. In tne dedicatory lines addressed by their writer to the memory of King Albert, the poet asked Queen Victoria to accept his old, imperfect tale, “New-old, and shadowing Sense at war with Soul.” From this line the purpose of his poem can be inferred. The original purpose of these dedicatory prefaces, how- ever, was no doubt to secure the patronage of the great. Writers hoped that the men to whom they dedicated their books would render them pecuniary aid. The practice was abused so seriously that patronage in literature was aban- doned. One of the first books to be published without such a preface was Johnson’s Dictionary. Before the dic- tionary had been compiled, Johnson addressed to the Earl of Chesterfield a prospectus, that is a statement of the plan of the book. Now, Lord Chesterfield, not keen enough to recognize the master mind under Johnson’s coarse and vulgar exterior, wounded Johnson’s pride by paying no heed to the prospectus, and Johnson, stung to the quick by the neglect, retalliated by abandoning his intention of ad- dressing a dedication to Chesterfield. Johnson’s Dictionary contained no dedication. ELIZABETH ELLENBERGER ’08. His Triumph ♦IOOBERT DILLINGHAM was angry, angry with him- self and the world in general. Twice that afternoon had Grace snubbed him. When he had asked her to take a spin in his new Packard she had flatly refused, only to go driving soon after with Jim Reynolds. Reynolds was a caddish young fellow, who was politely, but none the less

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THE SPECTATOR 13 Pollio, and M. Valerius Messala were three of the most im- portant patrons of literature at that time. Pollio was the earliest patron of Virgil’s genius. Horace dedicated his “Odes” to men of high official station and ancient family; as, Sestius, Munatius, Sallustius Crispus, and Aelius La- mia. At the period of the revival of letters in Europe, few books were printed without dedications. More dedicated his “Utopia” to his master, William Cecylle. We do not find dedications in Shakespeare’s works, for his dramas were written to be played on the stage, and not printed in book form. The prolog in some of his plays, as “Henry V,” is somewhat like a dedication. The dedication of Spen- ser’s “Fairie Queen” is very beautiful as well as interest- ing. It is as follows: To The Most High, Mightie, And Magnificent Emperesse Renowned For Pietie, Vertue, And All Gracious Government ELIZABETH By The Grace Of God Queene of England, Frabnce, and Ireland, and of Virginia Defender of the Faith, etc. Her Most Humble Servaunt EDMUND SPENSER Doth In All Humilitie Dedicate, Present, And Consecrate These His Labours To Live With The Etemitie Of Her Fame. Many of the English writers affixed dedications to all their books. Spenser, Dryden, and Johnson did so. Some of the most beautiful dedications in English literature are those prefixed by Addison to the diflerent volumes of his “Spectator” essays. The dedications preceding each canto of Scott’s Marmion are full of interest. Of modern dedications I like that of Clark’s Study of the English Prose Writers. It reads: “To a man and a woman who denied themselves a thousand luxuries and many comforts that they might give their children a liberal education this volume is reverently inscribed by one of the children.” What a fit return for son to make to parents ! Dr. Van Dyk’s dedica-

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THE SPECTATOR 15 sincerely disliked by Robert. When Robert had invited her to the theater that night she had declined without stating a reason. Robert wondered to himself, “Is she trying to test me, or has she really conceived an affection for that fellow? But no! that could not be. Still, why has she turned me down to go driving with him?” “A good, swift ride will drown it all,” he thought, and accordingly in a short time he was speeding at fifty miles an hour over one of the finest roads in the country. But he could not get Grace Beverly out of his mind. The purring engines seemed to say, “ Has she been true? Has she been true?” This was maddening. He opened the throttle to the last notch and advanced the spark till the engines made a veritable roar. As he shot by a farmhouse, he noticed a chaise stand- ing in front of the gate with a lady and gentleman in the seat, but of this he thought nothing. Several miles more had been covered when Robert reached a magnificent straight stretch of road. By this time his temper had cooled down somewhat, and the car had been allowed to drag for awhile, but now he threw the throttle wide open. The car responded with a leap forward. But soon he noticed that the machine would no longer answer to the throttle, and that the speed was beginning to slacken, tho the engines were running furiously. Robert advanced the spark still further, and yet the speed continued to diminish. There was but one conclusion—the gears had slipped. Robert re- leased the clutch and applied the brakes, bringing the car to a stand-still. He then threw on the low speed, and gently let in the clutch. The car started forward slowly, and after it had attained a slight momentum Robert threw it on intermediate. This also held, but as the afternoon was well spent and there was but little pleasure to be de- rived from running on the intermediate gear, he did not go farther, but turned the car about and started for home. The home journey was more aggravating than the out- bound trip on account of the increased noise of the engines for the low speed obtained—not more than fifteen miles an hour at the most. Rounding a sharp turn in the road, Rob- ert came upon a wagon piled high with hay. To avoid a