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

Page 17 text:

THE NEW ERA 15 The Royal Standard from the English gone The Battle of Hastings completely won The Norman Duke’s eyes with victory shone In a fierce and glorious way. His resolute forces in battle undowned Followed their leader to London ground Marched forth thro’ vict’ry and William Crowned The following Christmas Day. —MARY DOBUSH “HUSH OF THE WILDERNESS” In the deep-wooded heart of the northland, free, The smoky mountain caresses the cloud. That sleepily rests, in soft furrows plowed By a gentle breeze from the slumbering sea. Oh, the hush of the wilderness, the memory Of Indian summers! The berry-bush bowed With fruit unpicked! Of your heritage proud O soil of faith, 0 stilly north are we! Country of solitude profound! The silence at night Is broken only by the far, dismal hoot Of the great horned owl, and the muskrat’s splash On the shore of a lake. And from the forest of trembling might Comes the mournful serenade of a lone coyote. To the sentinel moon; while the auroral rays flash. MARY DOBUSH. FIRST PRIZE PROSE INTERLUDE I was wandering about waiting for the others to return from sas¬ katoon picking. In my wanderings I happened upon an untidy look¬ ing field where some farmer in the years past had planted roots of strawberry-rhubarb. The roots were equally spaced about ten feet each way. Some showed their broad, green leaves and some their seed stalks through the wild oats and barley which had been allowed to grow up since. On the far side of the field was an old gravel pit which had evidently served its pur¬ pose at one time, for a side track from a near-by railway ran into it, but now it was over-run with weeds, clumps of willows and yel¬ low clover. Soon tiring of looking at this abandoned scene and of trying to step on elusive grasshoppers, I struck off through a small clump of poplars finding greenish-brown unripe wild raspberries, hearing crickets chirp, and catching my battered straw hat continually on the low branches. Crossing a nar¬ row stretch of plowed field where immature corn plants showed up every hundred feet or so, I came upon a stretch of trees bordering the rim of the Assiniboine River valley. Half way down a hay-wagon trail that opened through the trees, I stopped to view the scene before me. Stretched out below were lush haylands, rows of red willow, clumps of elm and maple with here and there glimpses of the Assiniboine sparkling in the sum¬ mer sun. In the distance, the hills appeared a smoky-blue, while towering over it all was the Hydro line, the massive steel towers carrying electricity.

Page 16 text:

14 THE NEW ERA LITERARY CONTEST 1st PRIZE POEM THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS — 1066 An iron-clad knight with shield and spear, I live in an age of valour and fear, On errands I travel far and near. At our king’s command. I ride by night ard 1 ride by day On fleet-limbed steed in battle array, In bands or alone whatever the way, To honor’s pledge I stand. About the time of Alfred the Great, Rolf claimed in Northern France a state, He reared his banners, legends narrate, To a nation’s heraldy. To the Frenchman’s custom soon did they yield But their Norman heritage they kept sealed In their loyal hearts. They deeply revealed Their pride for Normandy. With William I sailed to claim a land. Where Julius Caesar had once his stand; A matchless scene, to an eye that scanned Us rowing through the bay! Duke William was a warrior brave To his dauntless deed the Normans gave; Their royal veins did they enslave. Their spirits did not sway. Entrenched near Hastings we repelled King Harold’s men from the hill that swelled With the sound of battle fierce. They held The Normans checked below. “Charge! Charge Again ' ” the order came, But the Englsh troops were hard to tame; We fought for honoir, pride and fame, And boldly charged the foe. Their defense was strong with spear and axe, No chance for Normans to relax. We advanced again to the attack, But the English guard was stout. We rallied our men and feigned retreat. Then faced about the foe to meet. The kingdom of England was at our feet As we circled them about. The sun’s red streamers mourned the day; In William’s command gay gallantry lay; “Shoot high Ibrave archers, that the arrows may Fall upon the head”. The descending shafts flew fierce and fast, One through the eye of Harold passed; Without their leader they gazed aghast At their numbers dead.

Page 18 text:

16 THE NEW ERA A sudden scolding “chirr” star¬ tled me out of my meditation. I turned quickly and caught a flash of brown as its owner scurried off into the woods. I peered in¬ tently. Then a chirp, and up a low slanting limb scampered a chip¬ munk. He stopped and began dain¬ tily to wash his face, his slender tail waving gracefully as though signalling me. Finishing his toilet he scampered out of sight hut only for an instant. Another scurry and he ran out of the tall green grass bordering the road down which I had come, and sat about a yard away in the middle of the wagon tracks, his brown stripes showing quite plainly. Again he was gone hut his curiosity proved too great, for once more he reappeared on the road. The third time he seem¬ ed to he curious over my white shoes for on returning to t he grass he scampered excitingly about and before I could realize what had happened he had leaped from the edge of the trail square onto my shoe, wheeled, and disappeared! Astonished at his boldness, I searched my pockets for possible crumbs or grain hut found none. The little ’munk, either sensing this or hearing the faint sound of my chums approaching, scamper¬ ed onto the road, sat up, looked at me, and as quickly scurried to the far side of the trail and off through the woods. Deeply wonderding at his utter lack of fear I turned and went on down the path. A few moments later I heard my companions shouting excitedly; so I retraced my steps. On reaching the top of the path I looked out along the plowed field and saw the hoys run¬ ning toward me. The leader, his empty pail slung over his arm, clutched his sling shot and proud¬ ly held up by its tail my little brown chipmunk. TED SPEERS REESOR’S Jewelery Store Brandon’s Finest Jewelery j Gift Store Where Watch and Jewelery Re- j pairs are better and lower in price, j D. A. REESOR “The Jeweler” Issuer of Marriage Licenses j j Buy | McGAVIN’S BREAD j I Fresh i 1 FROM YOUR GROCER I Sports | Headquarters For I Fishing - Tennis J Golf - Baseball Johnson Hardware ! Co. Ltd. A full and complete line of f Farm Machinery and Tractors, perfected by over a century of Factory and Field Experience. I John Deere Plow Co. Ltd. BRANDON, MAN. ! W. A. Prugh, Manager