Ramsay High School - Rams Horn Yearbook (Birmingham, AL)

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Desires God. fwould be bound To the xtriinso ue ft wetness of little things. To the scarlet flash of Cardinal wings. And the radiant miracle of new-born springs. ()! 1 would be forever bound To the verdant smell of uvl, fresh earth. To gabled windou'S bulging girth And ivy clinging gently round An old wall musty, crumbling. To clover-bees' contented rumbling And the quiet murmur of Nature's sounds. Lord, let me not be freet Hut bend my son I in silent glee With these, the gifts from Thee to me. With these, the prayers from me to Theef - Ki.iz.wjetii Zimmerman. AAA I Saw Qod l sat in the crotch of an age-old tree With its xhellcr'ng arms around me. I looked at the tree, and I looked at the sky, Then looked ut the hills that bound me. I glanced toward the earth, and I saw the sod. Then lifted my startled gaze—and 1 saw Cod! —Kj.UAMUH ZlUMINMAN.

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 Oration MASTERS EE OURSELVES Friends, Ci.assmates: The four years we have spent together have meant much to us. In the future the memory of those yeans of friendship with teachers and with each other will mean even more. During this time, by our association and by having interests in common, we have been unconsciously forming otir ideals which will govern our future. Our success in the future, whether we are in college or in the business world, will depend upon the standards we have raised and striven for in our high school career. The true meaning of success is not only favorably accomplishing what we have set out to achieve, Imt also the leading of a clean and honest life—this is developing character, a character that has self-respect. John Hughes, a contributor to The Spectator, wrote: “Whosoever has a mean opinion of the dignity of his nature will act in no higher rank than he has allotted himself in his own estimation! I t we consider the men and women in history and in literature who arc today our ideals, we find that self-respect has been a determining factor in their lives. They have gained their exalted position in mastering themselves by the pursuit and achievement of strength and wisdom, of skill and power, of honor and righteousness, of nobility am! generosity. In the early Roman times a noble Roman citizen suffered death rather than to sacrifice his honor. Marcus Atilus Rcgulus, a Roman consul during the Punic War. was captured by the Carthaginians. When he was sent to Rome to obtain peace and to exchange prisoners, he refused the opportunity to l c released and he returned to Africa where the Carthaginians tortured him and finally put him to death. Today I hope that each of us has acquired those ideals that will make us have self-respect ; that is. we will have such a high opinion of ourselves that our sense of honor, of right, of honesty, ami of truthfulness will be a power in governing not only our own actions but also those we may influence in our association with them. N'onc can measure up to the standard of a good character unless he possesses efficiency. The success of future business t« lav depends on clear thinking and on obtaining better knowledge. We may well ask ourselves. Have we formed these habits? If we consider those tasks which we liavc best performed in the past, we realize now that pride played a big part in succeeding. Pride gave us the courage and Strength to overcome many difficulties. It was Diogenes who said that no work i% good unless it aims at producing courage and strength of soul rather than of Ijodv. Duty is another important element in forming character. If we arc to be masters of ourselves we must fulfill our obligations. Do you respect those who neglect their duties? Roln-rt h. Lee said: Duty is the Miblimcst word in the English language, and no man must shirk it.” Duty involves not only honor but our debts to others. Mam- of us have exjKrrienccd in the past some little act of kindness, some sacrifice, sonic denial of pleasure by those who love us. Our reward to such friends should Ik the elevation of our own worth. Modesty teaches u not to have a contempt for ourselves, but to measure and rate ourselves by considering the worth of others and by comparing what we have accomplished to. what we might have accomplished and what we hoj»c to achieve. We, classmates, will have the courage to stand by our own purpose and ideals, to possess Mich integrity that will endure the greatest scrutiny if only we remember the advice of Polomu to Laertes: “To thine own self be true: And it must follow, as the night the flay Thou canst not then be false to nnv man.” Then, indeed, we will have a strength of character and know that not to govern others, is true glory. to govern ourselves. —Bex Huck.

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On Success A bursting bud shotted faintly red. A shadow through the garden sped. The bud been me a radiant rose; The shadow grew as flowers grow. The rose was cut, its glory dinttn’d; It died forgotten on the stem. The shadow, having reach'd its height. ITas flitted by. pass'd out of sight. —Elizabeth Zimmerman .