St Josephs Academy - La Lumiere Yearbook (Prescott, AZ)

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IO ACADEMY CHIMES. worth in his “ Ode on Immortality,” when he writes : “ To me the meanest flower that blows can give Thoughts that often lie too deep for tears.” When the everlasting gates of morn- ing are thrown open and the glorious lord of the day begins his state, the morning glory is the first of the flowers to greet him ; then others come to bask in his smile and remain until the day is far spent. Now the four o’clock opens and remains to receive his good-night caress. Before the return of spring come nature’s darlings, the birds. We wel- come the song-sparrow and our hearts glow with renewed life as he sings to us from snow-powdered trees, for he has many familiar songs in his repertoire. The buds begin to swell and that tells us that it is nearly spring. The birds sing in ecstasy. The trees again put on their robe of green, and the lord of day looks on approvingly, with ever increasing warmth in his smile. The dainty flowers peep up timidly to catch a glimpse of him and grow lovelier in doing so. On summer evenings we love to watch the broad crescent moon drop slowly down into the west, pouring its wierd light upon the sleeping world. How beautiful is autumn ! The time when all the promises of spring are ful- filled ! Apples are growing upon the orchard boughs ; the monarclis of the forest stand arrayed in robes of richer dyes than the fairest hues of the orient. Birds of passage have sought their southern homes; all except the robins, who remain, and even they are strange- ly silent. How tranquil are the days ! Nature’s work is completed and she stands calmly beholding the autumn land ’ere winter, the magician, shall turn her gorgeous landscapes into scenes of glistening white. What si- lence ! The cold has changed even the waves of sound and the new-fallen snow muffles the echoes. How it sparkles in the moonlight like so many diamonds. Nature slumbers under her jeweled mantle while we are celebrating the most blessed of all the feasts—the birthday of our Maker and hers. The new year, which brings us such serious thoughts, we know will bring us the springtime, and neither birds now flow- ers will fail us. The winter books of nature hold as many bright, fascinating and wonderful stories as do the spring and autumn volumes. Let us dwell for a moment on the pleasures created especially to please each of the five senses. First—The grand scenery to delight the eye, the beauties of summer, the dazzling glories of winter. Second—All the musical sounds to charm the ear; the ripple of the brook, the note of the nightingale. Third—The fragrance of God’s flower- garden. What would the rose be with- out her fragrance ? No better than the rose on “ my lady’s hat.” And the sweet violets would lose half their love- liness by losing their delicate odor. Fourth—Touch. How thrilling to lay one’s head upon the mossy bank and listen to the stories the tiny rill tells as it makes its journey to the mighty ocean. Lastly—Taste. There are so many things pleasing to this sense, and the tastes of people so vary, that in view of such facts it is natural to fall back on the trite proverb, de gustibus non disputandum, used by rhetoricians in contemplating taste in its metaphori- cal application. Let us be exquisitely alive to the beauties of nature and whilst enjoying them remember that they are but shad- ows of the glories and joys prepared for us above, for God has said, “ Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man what things God hath prepared for them that love him.” Thus we shall learn to look through nature up to Nature’s God. Nettie Hawkins, ’oi.

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ACADEMY CHIMES. 9 record in days of peace and of cruel war, and also by keeping a flag on every school-house. We can never show too ranch defer- ence for the flag of our country, that has ever been the symbol of liberty and justice. The New York Times gives an interesting incident of how this truth was impressed on a number of boys. When the American flag is flying in the play-grounds of a certain private school for boys, one notices that all the lads who approach it take off their hats. This pretty custom, which sends a thrill of patriotism through passers-by, grew out of the following incident: During a general frolic one day a young and heedless student threw a stone through the waving Stars and Stripes. His companions started an outburst of approving laughter, which was suddenly hushed by the grave aspect of the approaching principal. Pointing toward the ugly rent he asked in an awe stricken voice: “Who has dishonored his country ?’’ The culpit hung his head. “ I am willing to pay for the damage.” he be- gan hurriedly, w'hen he was interrupted with— “ What price could pay an insult to an American flag?” “It’s just an old piece of bunting,” the boy insisted. The stern gravity of the principal’s face increased. “ An old piece of bunting when it is of red, of white, and of blue, star- spangled,” he said reverently, “becomes the spirit of American institutions. To insult that ‘old bunting’ is to insult your country. When there is no love of country, there is not a good citizen.” As the principal spoke he moved nearer the flag-staff. “Hats off!” he ordered. At once every head was un- covered. “ And now on your honor as good American citizens, let no one of this company ever again approach that banner except in love and reverence.” With it in beauty no flag can compare, All nations honor our banner so fair; If to insult it a traitor should dare Crushed to the earth let him be. Louise McKinney, ’02. THE BEAUTIES OE NATURE. “ The works of God are fair for naught, Unless our eyes, in seeing, See hidden in the thing the thought That animates its being.” nature means “Created by God.” All nature is beautiful in the eyes of the pure, though noth- ing so perfect in form as the human body—this “ Temple of God,” which is the dwelling place of the soul. Its elegance of outline, deli- cacy of mold, and beauty of color dis- tinguish it from all other objects in nature, and also this peculiarity, that man’s reason is placed above his pas- sions to be the director of his will. Nature is to be studied with the eyes of the heart as well as with the micro- scope, and ever so scanty a knowdedge of its laws helps us to feel that the realms of nature are very near to the human heart and its sympathies, and that the truth of nature is a part of the truth of God. How the heart of man blesses flowers. They are wreathed ’round the cradle, the nuptial altar and the tomb. Witness the love of nature expressed by Words-

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ACADEMY CHIMES. 15 basement, where I came in contact with many clumsy tools, of which the hammer was my greatest enemy. My new owner, too, persisted in “ sitting on me,” an abuse that any one will resent, whether we use the expression in a literal or a figurative sense. The next evening quite a number of his friends assembled in the basement at one of their club meetings, which, as I soon found out, was a newly organized body. I felt rather distinguished, as my owner was president of the club. Soon they took up a collection and I heard him exclaim : “ Well, boys, I lack one cent to make the amount due.” Then a bright idea struck him. He remembered the cent he had put on his work-table. He took the lamp and with his companions searched for me. I was readily found, but as they looked me over, they were rather dubious as to whether I’d do, but finally they agreed that I could be put in the collection box on the condition that he (my owner) would give a substitute for me at the next meeting. I was placed in a bag made of chamois skin, which the treasurer kept under his mattress. Here I remained for about two months, when one day they decided that they would have the pennies changed for silver; thereupon we were all taken to the drug-store, and the ever-accommodating clerk, in exchange, gave them two silver dollars. The soda-water clerk then took me out of the drawer and gave me to “ a sweet girl graduate.” I may be pardoned for judging, but I quickly concluded that the young lady in ques- tion was not the clerk’s sister, though it is quite likely that she has since told the poor boy, in soothing terms, that she would be a “sister” to him, when he tried in vain to picture his life without her, and each time produced only a blank. Trials enter into mortals’ lives as well as into metals’, and mine had only commenced. The dear girl gave me and four other pennies to a street car conductor, who handled me rather roughly and looked me over before taking me. I was very soon given to a washer-woman on the car who was taking home a weekly washing, and now I began to realize that the world was a hard place to live in. While in this poor, humble dwelling I learned many lessons of sacrifice and resignation. I was next given to a peddler, who placed me in a dirty leathern bag, but he got rid of me pretty soon at the house across the way, where the servant girl was a little uncertain as to my worth. That night I was taken to the post-office, and the girl purchased some stamps with my companions and my- self. There I was placed writh a pile of pennies, but being on top was soon given to a shop-girl and went as far as the elevated railroad station with her, where she paid one-fifth of her car fare with me. The conductor accidentally dropped me on the floor in the super- intendent’s office and I stayed under the desk for weeks, till one day I was rescued by the office boy and put into his pocket, which was full of tobacco, etc.—anything but a pleasant abode. He did not seem anxious to part from me. I was put into his “Sunday suit ” pocket, and dropped in the collection box at church. After the services I was transferred to the pocket of the worthy clergyman. I was happy here, and sel- dom disturbed, felt quite at home. Hav- ing remained about three weeks, I thought I had at last ended my wander- ings. One day his house-keeper came into tell the good Padre that one of his very poor dependants was at the door asking for money. My heart was in my mouth for fear I should at last be disposed of in charity. My suspense was soon at an end when, much to my chagrin, the good pastor poured the contents of his pocket into the woman’s hand and, of course, I went with the rest. She expressed her gratitude and went on her way rejoicing. She took us through a crowded street and into one of the shabbiest houses, up the rickety stairs to the fifth floor of a tenement house, where she turned to the right and opened a door. Inside all was cheer- less—the room absolutely destitute of furniture, with the exception of a bed