Branksome Hall - Slogan Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

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24 The Branksome Slogan A Toussaint Knight It was Saturday night and Jacquesi slammed the kitchen door and stamped into the room. He was in a very angry mood; he had looked forward all week to visiting Therese, only to remember that it was To ' usaint and that he couldin ' t go. Why couldn ' t he go? he asked him- self savagely; it was only a silly superstition, no one had really seen the evil spirits. Anyhow he Wasn ' t afraid of lany spirits, evil ot other- wise, and he would show Therese that he wasn ' t, and perhaps she would think more of him! He dressed carefully, putting on his only stiff collar, and arranging, with the. greatest exactness, the brilliantly coloured tie that Therese had given him. As he entered the kitchen again, his old father in his stoick- iing feet, smoking a pipe, was sitting in front of the great double-decker stove, looking at him sadly and shaking his head. Jacques went to the stable, led out the grey mare, and harnessed her to the buckboard that he had carefully washed that afternoon. He drove out of the gate and turned the horse ' s head towards the ranges where Therese lived — a ten mile drive. Th night was cold and clear, and the old horse jogged along at an easy gait. Needless to say, Jacques was a little uncomfortable, and every time he heard a sound, he jumped nervously. The great October moon threw weird shadows across the road and Jacques was not sorry to reach the farm of Therese ' s father. Therese was deligjited to see Jacques and looked upon him with a great deal of admiration for having ventured to visit her otn Tousaint. One of her brothers was sent to put away the horse, and the younger members of the family, who had retired for the night, appeared again. Therese ' s father got out his old violin, and after they had danced and suing for a time, her mother produced pies and doughnuts. Jacques was treated like a hero, and Therese centered all her attentions upon him, there being no other young men to claim their share. About eleven o ' clock (much to the amazement of the family, who had taken it for granted that he would stay all might) Jacques announced that it was time for him to leave. However he insisted upon going, even though, secretly, he would rather have stayed; for he wished to show Therese that he was not afraid to go home alone. The whole family came to the door to see him off, and he left, feeling like a hero, and knowing that nothing would ever make him regret his visit. At first all went well, for Jacques was still much elated about the attentions which Therese had shown him, and he did not notice the loneliness. The moon had set by this time, and the stars shone brightly, while the only sound was the steady ringing of the mare ' s hoofs. After

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The Branksome Slogan 23 A PRAYER FOR ENGLAND Of all the things I ask of Thou, 0 God, Of all the pleas ascending to Your throne. Grant that this one, this cause of English hearts Which has our prayers, may also have Thine own. Grant this, 0 Lord, that England ' s forests deep, Her purple nfiountaims and her ramibling streams. Her misty valleys and her gentle fields Where poets wandered weaving wondrous dreams. The hidden hamlets and the city streets. Her rolling downs, her rose-em- bowered lanes. Her birds which joyful fill the air with song. Her frieindly sunshine and her welcome rains. Her churches and her castles his- tory bound. The tomb wherein the unknown warrior lies. The twilights and the splendour of her dawns. Her people and her childrens ' trusting eyes. Of all the thiings I ask of thee to grant — Grant this, 0 Lord, that these may never see The hated symbol of an alien flag, The horror of a conquering enemy. SHIRLEY SHOEBOTTOM (Form V A). IT HAPPENED IN SEPTEMBER One night, above the Midlands, Above the Sussex downs. Above the Kentish villages. And the sprawling West-coast toiWHiS : Over London, over Plymouth, And over Exmoor ' s heights. Over the whole of England Flared up the Northern lights. They spread their fiery streamers Of scarlet-staining light From Aberdeen to Blackport, From Kew to Isle of Wight : And I, all England watching From the quiet cliffs of Kent, Saw their beauty and their splen- dour And wondered what they misant. It was rumoured that their coming Brought bloodshed, death, and wars. And, low on the horizon. Hung the blood-red war-star. Mars. ANNE DOBSON (Form VS).

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The Branksome Slogan 25 he had gone about three miles, Jacques began to feel a little uneasy and gazed behind him several times, half expecting to see a ghostly figure sliding from tree to tree. He was coming to a long stretch where they had been repairing the road. The woods loomed up dark on either side, and the sudden neigh of the horse nearly made Jacques fall off the buckboard with fright. He was beginning to regret his heroism and wished that he was safe at home. Suddenly, something struck him across the back with a terrific whack, which seint him to the floor of the buckboard on his hands and knees. He dared not look back for fear of what he might see, but seized the reins and whipped up the mare. He was trembling so that he could hardly hold the reins. Then something struck the seat, and he broke out into a cold sweat. The horse, frightened by the noise, rushed over the rough road, and the buckboard swayed dafngerously. Jacques, by this time, had control of the reins, and the frightful whacks continued repeatedly. He was nearly beside himself with fear and crouched on the floor with the rug over his head, praying to all the saints to defend him and vowing that he would never again venture out on Tousaint. After what seemed like ages, Jacques felt the buckboard swing around the familiar drive way, and heard the crunch of the gravel under the horse ' s hoofs. The panting animal drew up m front of the barn door, and only then did the horrible whacking cease. Jacques leaped down from the buckboard, and shouting at the top of his voice that evil sipirits were after him, tore to the house. His old father wakened by the noise, hurried into the kitchen, fumbled with the latch, and opened the door. Jacques rushed in, slammed the door shut, and bolted it. By this time the whole family had been aroused. Jacques stood with his back against the door, his hair dishevelled, his eyes wild, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps. When he explained what had happened, his father reminded him that it was his own fault, and without further comment proceeded to the barn to put the mare away. Next morning when Jacques went to get the buckboard ready for church, he noticed a long sapling caught in the wheel. He gazed at it stupidly for several seconds, and the truth slowly dawned upon him. He glanced around, to be sure that no one was watching and carefully removed it. To the astonishment of his family, Jacques never mentioned the incident again. JEAN SEIFERT (Form niA).