Auburn High School - Trojan / Oracle Yearbook (Auburn, IL)

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26 THE ORACLE —1923 and radiant beings who were once my classmates, now changed and trans- formed into citizens of the world outside, even as they had long hoped so to be. And it came to pass that the veil before mine eyes grew yet more and more thin through the intensity of my vision, and behold, I could see them, even as if the intervening years were not at all. I could see our beloved President; yea, even as today, I could see him in all his dignity and majestic bearing, and his words were heeded by that day and generation even as we today of the Class of 1923 have heeded and attended unto them ; for his ambition has led him ever upward and onward until he was even the Governor of this, Ins very own and native state, the finances of which, were being successfully managed by Henry Masterson, Secretary of Treasury. And I looked again, and as I looked 1 could see among the society circles of that far off distant time, and among those who were most fair to look upon, among even those most bright and dazzling to the sight and mind, three, whom, even as I gazed, I recognized, as those beauties, Velma Meiklejohn, Mary Cline, and Ida Mae Murphy, who had succeeded in keeping that school girl complexion. And it came to pass that I also looked into professional circles, and in a large office among many men of many minds sat a prosperous lawyer, the boy, who in our High School days, had not yet learned to lie. Nay, not even on the right side would William Wood say a word that could be untruly interpreted. Thus are the mighty brought to lower planes! And I also happened to find myself on the inside of a large cathedral where a stately priest in his robes of dignity poured forth words of inspired instruction. Verily, it was Carl Cline himself, who has thus entered into the work of the church. And it came to pass, while I pondered these things in my heart, the door of a home swung open before my vision, and I found therein a household made happy by a wife and mother who had found her greatest ambition in the highest of all worldly vocations—the maker and keeper of the home. Verily was my soul rejoiced thereat as I gazed my last upon Marcella Peters and followed my Spirit of Prophecy further on its quest of the Things to Be. And it came to pass, even as I watched the home lights die away, that sweet strains of music held my soul entranced by the beauty and perfection of their harmonies, and as I looked about to know whence they came, behold, I did find a Prima Donna of the American Opera accompanied by the Lewis Orchestra, which except for the fact that Director Lewis obtained the services of Joseph Johnson the great saxophonist, was the same that had so often played the marches for us in High School, and I felt myself falling in line keeping step with their martial airs. Suddenly the scene was changed, I was in a busy street, before me stood a towering sky-scraper, and over the doorway were inscribed these words: “Auburn City Ilall.” On entering I was recognized by my old friend and classmate, John Johnson, who explained that he was custodian of the building. Then be escorted me to the Mayor’s office, on the door of which was printed: “George R. Bradley, Mayor of Auburn,” whose stenographer was none other than Bessie Miller. During the conversation with the Mayor, I learned that he had recently promoted Mae Herron from City Nurse, to the position of Superintendent of the Health Department. Across from the Municipal Building I noticed a large Art Museum, and on inquiring I was told that it had been constructed but recently, and had been dedicated to the famous artist, Keith Corned, because it contained many of bis paintings. Being immensely interested 1 crossed to the Museum and I noticed that a large crowd was collecting before it and everyone was waiting

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TITE ORACLE —1923 depart thence, to go each a separate way, to lands they know not of, to do, they know not what. But “let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.” And now may the blessings that ever attend the noble and good and true, follow and abide with us, each and all, now and forevermore. Amen. Class Creed Class Reuelations.—[Prophecq] bq IDilliam IDood Listen, O ye men and women, youths and maidens, and little children! Listen, all ye people of Auburn to the words of wisdom from the lips of your prophet, who now speaketh unto you what hath been revealed unto her, even as it hath been decreed by the powers that be. For it has come to pass that the evil of the future hath been rent in twain, even as it was so rent in the days of the wise prophets of old, and the Spirit of prophecy hath descended from the spheres to envelop my soul with her mystic power. Aye, 1 say unto you, men and women, youths and maidens, and little children of Auburn, it hath been given unto me as the chosen one of this great and good people, the Class of 1923, to dream strange dreams, and to see strange visions of the glories of the years yet to be. Now it so happened when it was decreed that the future of the Class of 1923 was to be given unto the hand of this, your prophet, to do with even as she listed, that she cried out in a loud voice of lamentations, saying: “Who am 1 that the future of this great and glorious class should depend upon me? What am 1 that the fate of these most fair and beautiful of damsels, and these most sturdy and noble and manly of youths, should rest upon the decisions of one so humble of intellect, and so infirm of purpose?” But behold ! even as the cry of weakness did ascend from the long-suffer- ing soul of your prophet, a voice from the heavens spake unto her, even in the words of old, saying, “Hear now my words. If there be a prophet among you, I will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream,” and straightway, from the clouds of the centuries gone, and from the shadows already “cast before” by the “coming events” of the proverb, there appeared unto her the fair and lovely Spirit of Prophecy, the angel of Things to Come, and lo, she did with her mystic touch roll back the curtain of the dim Beyond from before my prophetic vision, and did permit me to gaze at will down the long vista of things yet to be, that I might behold all things that now are, transformed into all things that they shall yet become, even as it was so granted to the wise men of the past. And lo, as she drew back the cur- tain she pointed with a long, transparent finger down the avenues of a strange land, and opened her lips and spake unto me, saying: “Look! Listen! Prophesy unto the young men and young women of Auburn High School even these things which you herein behold.” So, even as St. John, the divine, said unto the world, so 1, your prophet of the Class of 1923, do say unto the people of this audience, in this the twentieth centrv, “Blessed be she that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand!” For as I looked into the land of the future I could discern moving among the dim shadows of the peoples yet to be, the familiar shapes of those fair

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THE ORACLE —1923 27 breathlessly. I asked a nearby policeman what the trouble was, and he ex- claimed that the famous Arthur Sabine was going to read his latest poem from the steps of the Museum, and the people were gathering to hear him. However before tire reading of the poem came, I was again whisked away. This time I was landed before a great farm before which stood a gi'eat arch on which was engraved, “Hogsdale Swine Sanitarium, Charles Foster and Wife Proprietors.” The strange thing about it was that Charles Foster was written in very small letters while Wife was written in Capital letters. I then entered into the Sanitarium and 1 was just about to the main building when I heard a woman’s voice, which I recognized as Louise Van- Doren’s sav: ‘‘We women have been the slaves and serfs of men long enough, and we should say, as Patrick Henry said of old, ‘(live us Liberty, or give us Death,’ am I not right?” And then Charles’ little male voice answered. ‘‘Quite right, my love.” And then I knew why wife was spelled in capital letters. While I was still standing here a man whom 1 recognized as Howard Workman approached. He told me he was a nerve specialist of the Sanitarium and that as soon as he finished operating on Susy B, the prize piglet, he would take me to the vaudeville to see the world’s famous Tumblers and Acrobats, Gibson Evans. Lo, and behold! before the time arrived a change came over the spirit of my dreams, and I felt within my heart a strange, burning desire to see my old chums, Frances Stevens and Julia Maddox, till the Spirit of Prophecy, responding to my unspoken wish, conducted me to a bachelor girl apartment in a large foreign city where the two sat by a large fireplace, talking of the past. Frances, now a famous pianist, was calling forth sweet strains from her polished instrument, while Julia danced a jig in delightful time to the music, her figure swaying from side to side at the appeal of the fantastic air. Verily, was my heart stirred within me as I saw the vacant chair and noted their frequent anxious glances toward the doorway for the coming of their prophet- ess to complete the charmed circle. And verily, as I beheld this scene and marvelled thereat, thinking, ‘‘Aye, even so shall it straightway come to pass with each and all of us,” lo, the strains of music died away, the veil was drawn over mine eyes, shutting out from my vision the Things to Be, and I turned mine eyes back to the Things that Are, sure that as ‘‘coming events cast their shadows before,” only good- ness and truth and prosperity shall follow all the days that are to come to the fair and talented members of the Class of 1923. Class Eulogy—Junior Class Poem—Arthur Sabine The Class TL?ill—Henry ITlasterson Ladies and Gentlement, Board of Education, Principal, Teachers and Friends: Lpon behalf of my client, the Class of 1923, of Auburn Township High School, of the City of Auburn, State of Illinois, IT. S. A., I have called you to- gether upon this solemn and serious occasion, to listen to her last will and testament, and to receive from her dying hand the few gifts she has to bestow in her last moments. Cutting so rapidly loose from life, and finding so many things of such gigantic proportions to be attended to before the end should come upon her, realizing at the same time that she had no longer any time left to spend in cultivation of her own virtues, she did, collectively and individually, deem it best to distribute these virtues with her own hands