Trafalgar School - Echoes Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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The Heroes Of The Long Sault In the year of sixteen sixty, In the Town of Montreal, That the Iroquois were coming Was thought by one and all. The faces of the people As they walked about the street Were pale with anxious fear At the fate that they might meet. For the Indians had tortures That revolted all mankind, And a way to stop their coming Was what they had to find. The young commander, Dollard, With his band of sixteen strong, Told Maisonneuve he had a plan To stop the Indian throng. ' Twas on an April morning, When the skies were clear and blue, That the voyageurs departed For the rapids of Long Sault. They found an ancient stockade, Which they strengthened one and all, To stop the Indians ' passage To Quebec and Montreal. The attack was not long coming, And they charged upon the band, Thinking that against the Iroquoi . They could not make a stand. They faced the Indians ' cruel attack, Five days they held the fort; They had no drink to quench their thirst, Their food supply ran short. The savage hordes crept closer, They broke the stockade wall; A musket burst among the French And they began to fall. Brave Dollard died and all his men, Some tortured by the foe; But first they saved the colonies — Their story all should know. Betty Brodie, Form IVa. The Romance Of A Pipe WHEN I first was able to collect my scattered wits, and look around me, I discovered that I was enclosed in horrible white crinkly stuff, which irritated me and hurt my eyes. For many da.ys I lay in this glaring prison of white paper, wondering if this was the great busy world. One day I heard a voice say in a loud, rasping tone, Smithers, how many times do I have to tell you to unpack the new lot of pipes? Do you think anyone can see them in this part of the shop? I was then lifted from my prison and placed in a sunny shop window together with pipe ' deaners and evil-smelling tobaccos. I remamed here for a long, long time letting the flies buzz around me in the drowsy summer sun. Some days the sunlight played upon my bowl and I felt handsome and proud; on dull days, I felt sad and restless. I felt that I wanted to spring through the window. About another month passed. I began to notice a young man looking at me with longing. Every day he came, just about noon, and stood outside the window. At last I became proud, and scorned the pipe-cleaners, and other pipes; but one day I was lifted out of the window, wrapped in paper, and carried away. I felt very miserable. That night 1 was freed from the paper, and found myself in the hand of my admirer. You can imagine my delight; why, I almost writhed in my joy. My admirer seemed pleased with me, for he said: Now, I ' m in the law office, I shall smoke my first pipe, and look a man. Someday, far, far from now, perhaps I ' ll be great and make speeches, and lead Canada to greatness. With these words the ardent young man stuffed me with rank tobai i o, lit a match and smoked me. I thought that I should die, for I felt nothing but the intoxi- cating fumes being drawn through me. In the distance I heard a voice say, Yes, perhaps John Macdonald will be great. [ 22 ]

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the papers which he had been studying and made for the entrance of the house. Here my way was blocked by two stalwart Arabs but they let me pass after my telling them in their own language that I had been sent by Jaffa on an errand and unless they wanted the wrath of Allah and their master to fall upon them not to hinder me. ' As quickly as I dared I made for the gates of the city, where I procured a camel, again saying Jaffa had sent me, and tore out into the desert. I thought I had been too lucky so far, so prepared myself for anything, even recapture, but after six hours ' hard riding I reached my destination in the last stages of collapse. 1 ' ' Jane Seely, Form IVb. Roman Cats Foro di Traiano! called the cab-driver proudly. Mother, asked Hester, why are you bringing that bread? Mother, did the old Romans always live underground? asked Christine, as they looked down into the ruins fifteen feet beneath. I see a cat, announced Hester, and everything else was forgotten. Mother took a piece of bread out of her basket and threw it down to the cat. Instantly, a do2;en others came scrambling out. More and more cats appeared from behind the broken columns and from out of all the crevices. I see thirty-five, said Hester, then, counting again, Forty-two. Forty-three, said Christine a little doubtfully, for she was not certain whether she had counted a certain thin lemon-spotted cat twice, but before she could decide Hester had counted up to forty-six. Christine bit her hp with disappointment that Hester had won the contest. Isn ' t it funny how some get all the bread and are fat and others can ' t get any and are thin? she said. Jenny woul d be one of the fat ones, said Hester. So would Bearsey, added Christine. Jenny and Bearsey were their cats at home. Just then two nuns came out of a church nearby. The two girls went on with their discussion Bearsey would be one of the thin ones, said Hester. No, she wouldn ' t, said Christine, getting a little impatient. As the two nuns came nearer, one of them exclaimed: O, i biondi angeli! Thin, like the lemon-spotted cat, whispered Hester in Christine ' s ear. Christine could think of no proper retort except a swing of the arm on Hester ' s head. A second later Hester lay scrawling at the feet of the horrified nuns. She got up, but just as she was planning to get her revenge, her mother stepped between her and Christine and beckoned to the cab-driver. Hester, much against her will, was pushed into the cab. Then the cabdriver came to the rescue and asked Christine to ride up high beside him. Soon he began to tell her some wonderful stories about his own cat, who seemed able to do everything. The stories were so interesting that before long Hester ' s head appeared between Christine and the cab-driver. She had forgotten about the fight, and anyway Jenny and Bearsey were so far behind this Roman cat that there was no use quarellmg about them. Christine fmallv said she had never heard of a cat doing such remarkable things, to which the cab-driver answered : E una buffa cosa, sai, che non e ' e nessuno gatto com ' il gatto Romano. Christine Williams, Form IIIb. [21 ]

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Every night I was smoked in this way. My whole appearance changed from yellow to black, and I began to grow aged. A year passed, and I was still smoked every night. My master, John Macdonald, no longer went to the law office, but to a huge building where there were many men. Of course, I could not see them for I was in my master ' s pocket. He stood up and talked in a loud, resonant voice, and I felt afraid. For a long time he spoke, and everybody was still. He once said, Really, George Brown, have you forgotten your very Liberal policy? He said it in such a tone that everybody laughed. He made more and more speeches every year, and became more and more important. More pipes came to live with him, but he still patronized me. His hair became grey but the ardent spirit remained, and helped him to keep up his work. One day the streets were decorated with flags and bunting, and John Macdonald made a speech. Women wept and men pondered. His speech was rousing; and dead silence reigned supreme. He thanked them for their help. Confederation had been accomplished, and owing to the devotion of Sir John Macdonald it had been completed with success. That night he puffed me for a long time, and then he clenched his hands and said, with a voice trembling with emotion, I have achieved my ambition; I am great. On his death-bed, I lay on the table by his bed-side. He took me in his trembling hands and broke me in half. He said, You have been as good a partner to me as George Brown has been a critical opponent. He chuckled, and I died happily. Sir John Macdonald died too, with a nation ' s love. He was one of Canada ' s greatest fathers, and his name will live as long as Canada does. Ruth Mallory, Form IVa. Abner Ben Adam (With Apologies to Leigh Hunt) Abner Ben Adam (may all mice decrease!) Came home one night with a feeling of peace, And saw, between the stairs and empty room, By the delightful light of a fitful moon, A cat who came walking on carpet gold; Adventure had made Ben Adam bold, And to the Persian in the hall he said, Why walkest thou? The cat he raised his head, And with a purr made all of sweet accord, Answered, For mice, like you, I love, my lord. And have you one? said Abner. Nay, not so, Replied the cat. Abner spoke more slow, But bravely still; and said, Oh save me then, And I will never tell my fellow-men. The cat agreed and left. The next night He came again with foot more light, And laid some mice before him in the hall. And lo! Ben Adam lay amongst them all. Jane Seely, Form IVn. As Others See Us (With apologies to Punch) Do you think we will? Yes, perhaps; on the other hand, we had one last time. But you never know when they will spring them on us. No, that ' s true. What are the dates of Napoleon — 1620? Yes, yes, I think so, but do you know those Acts; she ' s sure to ask us them. Remember when Betty said rice, instead of corn? Oh, do you really think we will have one? I don ' t; I hope if wc do, it won ' t be on foolscap; it scares me so. [23]