Brandon Collegiate Institute - New Era Yearbook (Brandon, Manitoba Canada)

Page 16 text:

THE NEW ERA 1 1 SECOND PRIZE THE LOST HAT Jim Johnston At this moment there is a hat whose sole wish is to be back with me. Whatever part of the world it may be in, it will be pining away under the use of the new master, whom it must follow. The powerlessness of this in¬ animate object distresses me and prohibits it from crying out about the mistake that has been made. Inanimate as it is, however, I feel that my hat—if it had tongue with which to speak would say this: “Take me hack—take me back to the master with whom I was happy so long. He has been my owner since 1936, when he pur¬ chased he in that shop on the Avenue de la Portage in Winni¬ peg. I kept so trim and soft for him; and I had just the brim he likes, snapped a good deal. We went everywhere together, first to Vancouver and later to Edmonton. While in the former city he wore me on his hikes up into the Capilano canyon. Once I remember he laid me down where he had folded the rest of his clothes but when he tried the water, he found the Capilano Creek too cold to indulge in more than a brisk plunge and a few racing strokes. My master was no hardened salt. Thus when we crossed to Victoria on Vancouver island, the water being rough I lay in the cabin unmolested and out of use until we made port. In Victoria I adorned my mas¬ ter’s head while he walked through the quiet streets and parts of the city. This place was too retired to suit my young owner, and conse¬ quently we hoisted anchor for more exciting places. Eater, in the same year, 1 accom¬ panied him on a week-end to the western city of Regina. There I had ithe unduplicated pride and delight of hearing him repudiate the off er of a Homberg. Ry which I do not mean a German prince, but a hat fashioned after the busi¬ ness man’s derby. I, being of Ty¬ rolean or Swiss cut, he liked me a deal more than the later-styled head-gear. Nor did he, as most travellers do, bring away a peanut straw: which I consider further proof of his good taste. I was with him when he indulg¬ ed in his first chocolate eclair, and heard him declare this to be his most ecstatic moment. I was with him when the peo¬ ple at the station of Grenfel mis¬ took him—the young man with sun-glasses—for a wanted juvenile thief, little knowing that a week later, alighting from an airplane in Toronto, he was to be mistaken for a famous film star (who had not been seen there) and mobbed accordingly. And I had looked forward to the time when, through the years, 1 would be needed more and more because of his hair becoming thin with age. Now I have said enough. Oh! new owner, carry me back to the Y.M.C.A. where I was lost. Return me to the desk where my master has been calling for me for weeks. You do not really like me and perhaps your old hat is pining away as I am.” That is what I like to think my lost hat is saying. Always keep your boots polished. You can shine at one end, if you can’t at the other.

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THE NEW ERA 13 a position promised him a life of ease, for he had to sacrifice his happy home life to his hard work which occupied him all day, and often Ion into the night. Even at mealtimes he was pre-occupied with documents that needed im¬ mediate attention. If it was not for these reasons, then, why did Eden accept thus position? The reason for his choice was this: he had a desire to serve his country to the best of his ability. The lure of pub¬ lic life is like the lure of war, which every citizen obeys though hard work and dangerous risks are demanded by it. The majority of people would not give up every¬ thing for such a service as was Eden’s. For this reason they mis¬ understood, and often misrepre¬ sent him. After learning the reason for Mr. Eden’s acceptance of his posi¬ tion, we wonder why he resigned. Mr. Eden had, and still has, cer¬ tain ideas concerning the welfare of his country. These ideas, how¬ ever, differ from those of Prime Minister Chamberlain. Eden’s pol¬ icy was “to co-operate with every nation, but to take dictation from none”. He realized that a close alliance, such as Chamberlain de¬ sired with Mussolini, would mean the discarding of this policy. Mr. Chamberlain wanted an Italian al¬ liance, and he was willing to sub¬ mit to any Italian terms in order to secure peace for Britain; Eden would have made Italy an ally, hut only after the latter had with¬ drawn her forces from Spain. Neither would he have recognized Italy’s sovereignty over Ethiopia, as Mr. Chamberlain is planning to do. These are the main differences of opinion between Britain’s for¬ eign minister and her Prime Min¬ ister, but they are not the only ones. For a long time each has been conscious of a different out¬ look on matters concerning inter¬ national problems and the meth¬ ods by which these problems should he solved. The situation be¬ came so tense that Mr. Eden could endure it no longer. He felt he could not recommend to Parlia¬ ment measures with which he was not in agreement. Neither did he think it fair to the country to have two men, directing her affairs, working in “uneasy partnership”. This is how Mr. Eden felt at the time. His country’s welfare was his chief concern, yet he was al¬ lowing another man to work out her destiny by a method of which he did not approve. He might have chosen to fight his opponent in order t hat he might carry out his method, and indeed, there are many who think he should have done,so. They are afraid that Eden has forsaken his country, and has let it fall into the hands of a man who is willing to secure peace for his country at any terms. If Cham¬ berlain proves to he such a man, then the British people have rea¬ son to mourn Eden’s resignation. In such a case, the year 1938 may go down in British history as the turning point for Britain, and Feb¬ ruary 20 as the day which marked the beginning of Britain’s decline. But, no one has thought over the matter more carefully than Mr. Eden himself. He must have fore¬ seen no real danger for Britain in allowing Chamberlain to go ahead. It was very hard for Mr. Eden to give up his position, hut he did it, and in doing so chose a better, though a harder way, a way which makes him despised by many and trusted by few. Those who still admire him have confidence in his belief that Britain is not in im¬ mediate danger, and they have hopes that he may, someday, again hold a high position in the British Parliament.

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THE NEW ERA 15 ANNE OF GREEN GABLES This year’s major production proved to he one of the most suc¬ cessful that B.C.I. has ever pre¬ sented. Every member of the staff and the student body was whole¬ heartedly behind the play. Its re¬ cord-breaking success testifies to that. It broke all previous records for advance ticket sales, and for general excellence. Miss Clenden- ning, the director, was largely re¬ sponsible for the high standard at¬ tained, attending to every detail, from showing pictures of Green Gables to the cast, to finishing off makeups. She worked long and hard, spending much time and effort, plus thought, on making the play a success. The final re¬ sults proved that her time had been well spent. The choice of “Anne of Green Gables” was a fortunate one, for the play is particularly adapted to the abilities of high school stu¬ dents. Its many amusing situations and delightful characters provide ample scope for the young actors to exercise their talent. Anne, of course, is the central character around which the play revolves. This imaginative young lady suc¬ ceeds in getting herself and her friends into many scrapes. Some¬ how or other, she always seems to come out of these scrapes un¬ harmed, but unfortunately, the others do not always emerge un¬ scathed. The poor orphans at the Hopeton Home suffered long. It is difficult to say whether or not they suffered more than did Miss Minnie Stearn. Mrs. Alex Spencer at last relieves them of this dis¬ turbing influence in their lives, transferring s aid disturbing in¬ fluence into the lives of Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. Anne’s es¬ capades and tricks tickle Mat¬ thew’s fancy, and bring about his rejuvenation. Not so with Marilla. In vain does she endeavor to hold a restraining hand over Anne. This spitfire lets loose her temper on Mrs. Lynde (although she af¬ terwards apologises most profuse¬ ly), and on Gilbert. The latter feels its full force for some days