Branksome Hall - Slogan Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

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A prize, the gift of Miss Dora Thompson, was offered this year for the best essay on Toronto in 1834 . The winner is Phyllis Ritchie and the essay is as follows: — Extracts From a Diary March 4th, 1834 Father took me to the lake today to watch the men curling. Since it was a very cold day, we were grateful for a lovely dinner of steaming hot pork, potatoes (our only vegetable, unfortunately), and, as a great delicacy, sago with ginger, brought all the way from the far east. Our evening was spent with a good deal of merriment even though, as our dear friend Mrs. Jamieson says, our amusements depend purely upon the individual endeavour, or upon groups of friends. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson arrived in town last evening but were forced to spend the night in one of the inns overlooking the waterfront, simply because they were unable to find our residence in the woods. This does sound ridiculous to me, for our town is quite widely peopled, and our streets, though perhaps a little out of the ordinary, are as a rule quite easily traversed in a wagon. It was on our last trip into the country that we had any real difficulties, and with each bump of the wagon over the corduroy roads, I became more and more bruised. It really is quite trying 25

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24 The Branksome Slogan PHANTASY I lay upon the soft green turf My cup-shaped hands did hold my head, When, lo! — my eyes beheld a path — I rose to see just where it led. Around a tuft of daisies bright, And through a glen I wandered on, I hurried, lest in loss of time I ' d waken, with the vision gone. At length upon a crystal pool I came, and there I stood, and gazed At nature ' s work, so beautiful. It left me wondering and dazed. The emeralds green, and sapphires bright, Which melted in diffusion there. And glistened in the sun that shone. Made me forget this world of care. For I was in another world From which I wakened on the grass, And roused myself in time to see My momentary vision pass. VIRGINIA PIERS (Clan Campbell). AS TIME PASSED BY One night when all was dark and still I sat upon my window sill. And watched the stars up in the sky. As time passed by. Then all at once a change occurred. The sky was dark, the stars were blurred. But soon again shone clear the sky, As time passed by. ELEANOR McDOUGALL (Clan MacGregor). THE RAINSTORM Ceaselessly beating. Never r reating. Always defeating; Yes, it ' s the rain — Sometimes crashing Ofttimes splashing. Usually dashing; Yes, it ' s the rain — Endlessly whirling, Crazily twirling, Forcefully curling; Yes, it ' s the rain — Continually pounding. Always resounding. Joyfully daunting; Yes, it ' s the rain. EDITH ELY (Clan Mac Alpine). LIFE Life is like a running brook. Running till it meets the sea. Sometimes marred by rocks and nooks, Other times it runs quite free. It has many curves and bends, But its aim is to be straight. For crookedness it makes amends, But oft-times it is too late. Sometimes it is helpful, Sometimes it does harm, So to the sea it brings, Its little song of charm. DOROTHY EDWARDS (Clan McLeod).

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26 The Branksome Slogan on one s nerves. I often wonder if the wagon is to be the only means of conveyance over our Canadian roads. Father tells me that our town is slower in progress than our southern neighbours because the trade and wealth follow the south shore of the lake and, continuing ever in a westerly direction, do not touch even upon our surrounding tracts of unbroken forest. But York, in spite of that, doesn ' t lack distinction, except in having .a very common name, for here we glorify the family life, and traditions are held high with the strictest rigidity, while I am certain that we treat class distinction with all due concern. How foolish I am, to become troubled over such matters ! Goodnight, Diary. March 5th, 1834 After a day spent in the kitchen, helping with the baking, I am con- sidering, deepl} and sincerely, masquerading as a boy and attending school. Fm sure girls need to go to school as much as boys, and it would certainly be a great deal more pleasant than baking and sewing. Father was very angry today. A number of sheep came straying into our property and were quite destructive. Besides this being quite unlaw- ful, father, one of our few doctors, says it is very unhealthy. He insists this is one of the causes for the hideous cholera epidemic two years ago, when one out of ten died, and one out of every four persons was attacked by it. It seems plausible, for, after the city was somewhat cleaned and the epidemic returned the next summer, only half the number was affected. Something may be done to remove the animals from the streets, but it would seem strange if this w ere the case, for somehow they seem to lend a picturesque air to our town. Considering the condition of York, however, in due fairness to the critics, such as Mrs. Tamieson, I honestly admit something should be done to better the state of affairs here. It is annoying to have visitors speak with disdain about muddy York. Father says the ground here was formerly lake bottom, and it is owing to this that it is never properly drained and dry. Surely there is a remedy for this and I secretly hope for a day when muddy York will be no longer and in its stead will be a well built and prosperous city. Why, it is quite a dangerous undertaking just to walk along King Street, particularly in the spring, for, save for a narrow footpath, a few stepping stones, and some logs, there is nothing to offer protection from the mud. And, in addition to that, one is often obliged to quit the path for the mud when desirous of passing another. There is only one truly safe place in which one might walk and that is the land around the tannery of Mr. Ketchum. The tan bark he has spread on the ground has done wonders in making the land neat and dry. What a wonderful citizen he is ! There seems no end to the proof of this, especially considering the large sites he has given for churches and for