Barringer High School - Athenaeum Yearbook (Newark, NJ)

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WILLIAM, A CHARACTER SKETCH. 9 hurret yer feelin’s, but yez can’t dcnoy thet William raly ain’t ez beautiful as Vanus.” I acknowledge that Patrick was, to a certain extent, correct in his estimate of William’s personal appearance. Although I never had the pleasure of forming the young lady’s acquaintance, still I believe that I may with impunity assert, and my assertion is based on the charms attributed to the aforesaid lady, that he was not specially endowed with that fatal gift— beauty. In this respect an affinity existed between us. In spite of William’s gentleness, he cherished some germs of original sin which caused him to be disliked and disowned by his family. But I loved William and brought him to my home and made him the sharer of my joys and sorrows. Time sped ; the days came and went, and in the quietude of my home William thrived. Gradually he learned to appreciate my society; my advances were no longer re- buffed ; but his conduct was at times very' improper. I sometimes gently stroked his head and endeavored in a kind tone of voice to expostulate with him on his ill- behavior. But he also expostulated, and in such a manner as to quite vanquish me by his forcible arguments. So the matter dropped—and I generally yielded. I do not claim that William possessed any abnormal intelligence, and yet a cir- cumstance once occured which greatly impressed me. I was sitting in my cabin, and having, like many other isolated indi- viduals, acquired the habit of soliloquiz- ing» I gave utterance to my thoughts. “William,” I said, “it appears to me that you are about the homeliest specimen that I ever saw.” William walked to the door and gazed thoughtfully at the distant hills. “It seems to me you are totally de- praved, William.” He said nothing, but continued to gaze at the hills. “ I have endeavored to civilize you, but my efforts have signally failed.” Not a word from William. “ I am aware that you are an----” Reader, you may not believe me; you may call me a prevaricator, but it is the plain truth that, before I completed the sentence, William turned his head toward me, and in a contemptuous voice cried, “ Bah !” I was wide awake and distinctly heard that one contemptuous exclamation. Though William was usually docile, he was easily irritated. On hot summer days I loved to stroll along the banks of a broad pond near my dwelling, and let the cool breeze fan my noble brow. One day I seated myself upon a mossy rock beside the placid water, and as I gazed into its depths, my thoughts reverted to former days. I thought of childhood, of the parents who nurtured me. As I sat there lost in revery, a picture of the old school house rose before me. I saw the irate teacher brandishing his rattan as he strove to preserve order. I heard the loud whisper, “ Ba-a-ah.” The prosaic voice of William dispelled my dreams. Would he never allow me to enjoy a moment of calm recreation? I turned with an angry exclamation and gave him a rebuke in the side. William did not utter a sound, either of pain or anger—he simply arose. By a strange co- incidence I arose at the same time-----!! Do not question me further in regard to that occurence. It is always painful to have certain recollections inadvertently aroused, especially is this the case when said recollections tend to produce mental pictures which are not at all conducive to pleasant associations. One autumn afternoon it flashed upon me that I had not seen William since early

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WILLIAM, A CHARACTER SKETCH. 8 did he enjoy more than good wine and venison from the Royal deer. When, we meet “ Brave Robin Hood,” again, he is knocking loudly at the door of this worthy friar’s cell. The “Jolly Hermit ” admits his captain, who summons him to the assistance of the captured party of Ivanhoe. Quickly the friar is trans- formed from a monk to a green-coated woodsman. When the jester remonstrated with the Clerk for transforming himself from a “ Holy Hermit ” to a sinful forester, the Jolly Hermit replies, “ I will but con- fess the sins of my green cloak to my grey- friar’s frock, and it will be well again.” Next in the bloody assault of the castle, foremost among the brave Englishmen moves a little band of yeomen, clad in Lincoln green, doing brave work to aid the weak and oppressed. Fast fly the arrows from the long bows of the woods- men, until the castle walls are stripped of defenders. After their weary siege of the day be- fore, we find the merry woodsmen resting from their labors beneath their trysting tree in Hart-hill Walk, where they have collected their rich spoils from the castle. So much law and order prevailed among this outlawed band that not one of them would have dared touch a part of the booty until their captain had divided it, giving to each one his share according to his rank. Their trysting-tree was an aged oak that stood in the midst of the forest. Be- neath the tree the outlaws had built i throne of the green turf, on which the chief was seated at all their myste riots midnight meetings. Robin Hood’s heart was kind and sy®. pathetic, for when the daughter of Isaat of York is lost he aids the distracted fathe in his search for the beautiful Rebecc . The last scene of all best shows, I think the character of the brave outlawed yec man. After the skirmish with the ban; of men sent by Prince John to kill h: brother, the King, the “Black Knight acknowledges himself to be Richard c England. Almost as soon as the name i spoken, the yeomen, following their chief: example, kneel at the feet of King Rid ard, tender him their allegiance, and be, his pardon for their wild deeds. Rob: Hood, although “ king of the forests,” w. willing to kneel at the feet of his tit appointed monarch, and, without a mt mur, receive from his hands the punis ment for his wild deeds. King Rich nobly said : “ King of Outlaws and Priix of Good Fellows! No deed of thine dee in our absence shall ever be rememl en against thee.” A study of this brave outlaw’s charact reveals to us certain traits and noble qui ties that made his name long remember? and honored in England. A true Englk man, truly he answered, when he saii “I am the friend of my country and my country’s friends.” WILLIAM. (A Character Sketch.) NATHAN KUSSY, ’9O. TILLIAM was my chosen companion, my intimate friend, the child of my care. He was very gentle when not aroused, at times almost lamb- like in his disposition. But I grieve say that William was not admired for : good looks. It did hurt me to hear P rick O’Flynn remark, “ Oi don’t want

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IO PHYSICAL CULTURE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. morning. Disquieted by his prolonged absence, I made a thorough search for him. I called, but there was no response. Near my house was a dense forest which had been penetrated by a railroad. Had William strayed to the woods and lost his way amid the underbrush? I walked along the only path through the forest, halting at intervals to search among the bushes that skirted it. Suddenly I heard the loud, clear whistle of an approaching train. Another minute and I came into the clear- ing divided by the track. As I did so, a loud “ ba-a-ah sounded a short distance behind me. I turned and saw William emerge from the bushes. He walked to the middle of the track, halted, and gazed curiously about. The train was moving swiftly toward him, and he appeared to be astonished at the audacity of the thing that dared approach. His pugilistic instinct» were aroused; with a loud ba-a-ah, m gave a spring forward to annihilate lq opponent. The train was not wrecked by the collision. Finding a piece of meg near the place of encounter, I buried i and erected a small monument upon whiq was carved the following I EPITAPH. O shed a pil'ying lear Upon this earthly mound; William, the billy-goat. Sleeps in the cold, cold ground, In warlike mood he stood Upon a railroad track; He sought to wreck a train. He sought-----alack, alack. And when the train had passed, A piece of meat was found, ’Twas all that’s left of him— He's in the cold, cold ground. PHYSICAL CULTURE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. ARTHUR M. BARNES, '$2. AMONG the various branches of edu- cation pursued in our public schools, there is none so important and yet none so neglected as the training and building up of our bodies. This glorious country of ours spends one hundred mil- lion dollars annually for mental training and an equal sum for moral instruction, but the amount spent for physical culture is shamefully small. I do not mean to underestimate the other branches, but I claim that physical culture is at least important enough for thoughtful consid- eration. In the country Mother Nature converts the fields and forests into perpetual gym- nasia, but in the city, where the space is limited and the air impure, the need of exercise is greatest. It is true that there are places in the city where children may gain muscular strength and agility, be these places are not for the public, b within the means of all. There are pari also, but in order to have a frolic on velvety turf, children must shut their eyd to the sign, “Keep off the grass! ” and: the same time be very watchful to dod£ the brass buttons. In the ancient days it was consider just as important for a boy to develop! strong, shapely body as it was for hr to master all the knotty problems in mat emathics. But that idea has lost fav until now the general belief is, that if boy goes to school five hours a day, k plenty to eat and drink with eight hour sleep, he will grow up strong and inteE gent. There is no doubt that he will grr up if he lives, and doubtless he will '• well educated if he attends properly to I