Moundsville High School - Orospolitan Yearbook (Moundsville, WV)

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' N HMI-IEIT I The Source of Happiness N 7 ln the far away heights of the Rocky Mountains lived a little girl called June Davis. Her father, Arnold Davis, had been a most promising violinist when a terrible accident had caused him to lose his arm. He had been stunned by the disappointment as his whole life was wrapped up in this one ambition. As soon as he sufficiently recovered he had taken his wife and June to the mountains, where they were unknown. Here in the midst of blossoming nature and the joyous singing of the birds, the little girl lived. It was soon seen that her father's gift had been given also to June. A strange attraction andreverence was manifest for the violin before she could hold the bow in her chubby fingers. His own failure had so embittered lVlr. Davis that he could not en- dure the sight of his daughter accomplishing what he was unable to do. Accordingly he had forbidden her to touch the violin. On the other hand, her mother had understood the longing of the child to bring forth the beautiful tones lying latent in the instrument. For many years, therefore, June had taken the violin to a little grotto in the forest, a mile from the cabin in which they lived. ln that place, where she was alone with the singing birds, the rustling trees, the whispering winds, and the murmuring of the brooks, she reproduced their melodies. She played as the leaves taught her, the slory of autumn merging into winter. Her violin told how the birds were forced to leave their mountain homes and go to the distant Southland. ln the spring, it told of the joy of awakening nature. The brook sang to her, as it broke out from under the coverlet of ice which had shrouded it all winter, and rushed away to the cataract thundering down the mountain side. The birds greeted her and transmitted to her violin the messages of their adventures in Dixie. One day there was great trouble in the little home because a great specialist told them that Arnold Davis would soon be blind. ' ff! 'l l92I ll U

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W N lvl I-l E IW W Wanderlust Some people call it the wander-lust, some go-fever and others merely tell you they are fed up. But whatever the name, all of us experience it at some time or other-that curious distaste lor one's present circumstances and sur- roundings, that longing to go away some where in search of adventure and a fuller, freer life.-G. O'Hara. He was a short story writer for the leading magazines. His works contained clear thoughts vividly portrayed but lacked one essential: reality. It had always been his ambition to write a story of adventure and wander-lust. but the only material must come from the school of ex- perience. At last, his inspiration came. He would leave home with- out money or food and make a tour of the world in his search for real experience. Boarding a freight train at Yonkers he was transported to Pitts- burgh. Here, he secured a job as uluggeri' on a river tug. His first trip was to New Orleans. Upon the arrival at this terminal he secured passage on one of the greatest steamship lines carrying commerce from New Orleans to all parts of the world. Until this time he had been setting down all experiences in his diary. He now became neglectful. As the days sped by, he became more and more like the uncouth tenders and deck hands with whom ine labored. ln his travels from port to port he seldom noticed the different people and customs. His mind had become as listless as the sagging sails in an idle breeze. His nature was interwoven'with that of his degenerate associates for he participated in all their quar- rels, gambling, and brawlings. Two years. the amount of time he had planned, had passed. He was again homeward bound. Had he found what he sought? Upon landing inrl-loboken, he received his full pay. Boarding a South Broadway car he at once sought old associates. At his former boarding house he was rejected: his former publishers threatened lxis arrestg no one wished to employ him: he had destroyed all his notes and statisticsg he had lost his inclination for writing. What was that mysterious gnawing at his very soul? What was making him retrace his steps? lt was the very thing he had sought- adventure and the meaning of wander-lust. -JAMES W.-XLTON. IIE! Z it ..... ..- El .-. .- ,. Q I ' 17 'I l92l XX 115 N.

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R .J -. Ui' , XX NM H E If 47 I It was then that June told her father of her years of delightful practice, and played for him the news of the outside world. Having the heart of a musician he was able to understand the violin as it sobbed forth the story of winters desolation or told with wild joy the wonder of beauty, love and life. Before many years, the bitter- ness had all departed from her father's heart and he became reconciled. Travellers soon discovered the genius hidden in the little mountain home. lVlany offers to june to go out among men and tell them the stories made known to her through her violin, but happiness had Come to the cabin on the mountain, where June stayed to be her father's eyes. -l lE.l..EN KlNNE.Y. 'E , Q -1. 1, ,fniw . if ef K li ' if iitrr A . it miiyfffdwiw W 1 fc rz?zf,,,v' f of 2? 1 4 l ! l Eli alx X xiii' ., fn, 'V+ - N ef, .5 :L A' 5 Qi , ' L.'5'1f Q Lf! fir- i ,fl4?W if JI I 9 2 I U XXX,