Central Catholic High School - Echo Yearbook (Fort Wayne, IN)

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16 THE ECHO Evolution When Grandpa started off to school, Each morning long ago, He tramped along a country road With younger folks in tow. Whistling in his simple glee He walked a mile and maybe three. And Daddy not so long ago, -When he was a little tike- With Aunty on the handle bars, Rode schoolward on a bike. Spinning down the village street As gay a sight as you could meet. When I am started off to school, Although it isn't far, I am very carefully wrapped And sent in my motor car. Now the Grandson of my Grandpa, I Think of my Grandpa's days and sigh. I see the past and I can see The future just as plain, When in his turn my boy Shall sail to school by aeroplane. Be it a-foot, a-wheel, a-wing, To go to school is just the thing. -William Ryan, 523. Jackis Return It was a cold night in the middle of December, and the snow was falling from the clouds in a great white fleece. In a lonely house, on a dark street of a mining town in Pennsylvania sat poor Mary. She was a tall, frail crea- ture who had lived alone for several years since the disappearance of her brother, Jack. All the time Jack Robinson was away, Mary had spent her time sew- ing and helping those about her, and on this very night she was making Christmas presents for some poor children who lived nearby. From time to time as she plied her needle, her thoughts shifted to poor Jack, and she prayed for his return. Every night she would pray to the Christ Child for the return of her dear brother if he was alive, and for the repose of his precious soul had he departed this life. On the day before Christmas while she was distributing a basket of Christmas gifts, she had dropped a package from her basket. She felt very sorry about losing it, and on her way home she looked and inquired for it, but to no avail. She did not mind the loss of the package, but she felt downcast because Little Georgie Flack would have to be disappointed. P14 Pk 24 Pls All the time Jack was in the army he had been thinking of his good sis- ter, Mary, but had not had a word from her in three years. It so happened that Jack was detailed to guard the coal strike district. Little did he dream he would find anyone he knew in the town. As he was making his way down the street he found a package lying in the snow bank along the path. He picked it up, examined it, and found that it bore the name Mary Robinson, 504 N. Salsbury Street. Could this belong to his own dear sister? It did not look like her hand- writing. He inquired the direction to Salsbury street after his watch was over, and went directly to the house. When Mary opened the door she exclaimed with ecstatic joy, The Christ Child has heard my prayer. -J . Raymzmd Murphy, ,252 Family Prayer We hear much about labor unions, social unions, all sorts of unions. Employers have organized, laborers have organized, wherever you turn you find an organization. Why? Be- cause men realize that as units they

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THE ECHO 15 place, so also in our lives every aiair, however trifling it may seem, plays its part and leaves some effect upon us. We have often been told that it is the little things that count. Let us never despise small matters for they are of the greatest consequence and make up the happiness or misery of human life. -Edwin O'NeilZ, 223. A Good Listener Wherever we go or in whatever po- sition we find ourselves, we are al- ways expected to act as gentlemen. In other words we must be polite. And no matter how stiff or how bor- ing the rules of etiquette may seem, we can always derive some good from their observance. This is particu- larly true in our social relations either with our fellow-students or in public gatherings. A respectful reticence while others are speaking, and a visible interest in what they have to say, should be prominent in our behavior under the circumstances just mentioned. When we are engaged in a conversation we should remember that even if the subject does not interest us personal- ly, it does interest those who are dis- cussing itg and out of regard for them it is uncharitable as well as unman- nerly to make them conscious that their conversation is uninteresting to us. What I have said about private con- versation applies to public speech as well. Let us bear in mind that no matter how dry the subject is, the speaker is doing his best to tell us in a pleasing way something that he be- lieves will interest us. Moreover, there are those in his audience who are trying to get all that he has to say, and who will be distracted by our lack of interest. What then is the rule which will make us good listeners? Merely place yourself in the speaker's posi- tion, and then follow the Gospel maxim: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Psychologists tell us that to tear a piece of paper into shreds, and then throw them on the lawn, and then to pick them up is a good exercise for developing will-power. To my mind, to sit patiently through an uninterest- ing speech, or to listen to a conversa- tion to which we would rather not listen, is a much more profitable means of attaining the same end 5 for no matter how dry the subject may be, we can usually learn something from the talk, and if we carry away nothing else than a stronger will and the resolution not to be equally unin- teresting when we ourselves are the speakers, we shall not have spent our time in vain. -Julian Kochi, '22. Christmas On this day hearts will know no bounds, oceans will melt into noth- ingness and space will be annihilated, and around the Christmas tree of our youth we shall gather and around the crib of our boyhood. Young hearts will beat the faster as they are gathered back to the bosom of the family 5 those in the midst of life will hasten home with joy and yearning, and even the old feeble will totter back with silver locks and dim eyes to be children again for at day. And those far away in sorrow and mourn- ing will lay aside their grief as they kneel by the crib of Bethlehem, and will breathe a fervent prayer which the angels of God will carry back to the old home and mothers. ' -Selected.

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THE ECHO 17 have no power to attain their pur- pose, whatever it may be. The only kind of union that seems to have no attraction is one of prayer. How many have ever reflected seri- ously on those words of Christ, For where there are two or three gather- ed together in My name, there am I in the midst of them ? From all ap- pearances the number is very insig- nificant. Yet those words are fraught with a lesson worthy the se- rious consideration of all, especially of parents. Upon father and mother, to a great extent, depends the future welfare of their children. Theirs is the duty of instilling into virgin minds the knowledge of Cod and the obligations toward Him. And surely no lesson should be taught more thor- oughly or more perfectly than that of prayer. Fortunately most parents appreciate this fact, but how few there are who illustrate their teach- ing by practical example. It is not an uncommon sight to see the entire family going to the movies or to some place of amusement and recreation. But where can you find a mother who practices the beautiful old custom of calling her little ones about her for evening prayer? Enter a home with such a mother and you will find a family upon whom the blessings of God have fallen. Their prayers have not been in vain, be- cause Christ was with them. Place a single log upon the fire and it will give forth light and heat. Heap more and' more logs upon the same fire and in a short time the light be- comes brighter, the heat more in- tense. So it is with prayer. The de- votion of one increases the fervor of those about, and thel prayer that is offered leaps like a flame to the very throne of God. May the beautiful Christmas-tide inspire fathers and mothers to inaugurate the holy cus- tom of family prayer. -J. E. D. Honored Guests Shortly after the noon hour on Wednesday, December 7th, we assem- bled to welcome, to entertain, and to be entertained by the Right Reverend Monsignor Noll, LL.D., of Hunting- ton, and the Reverend Thomas Con- roy, pastor of the Cathedral. Monsignor Noll was very recently honored by Pope Benedict XV. with the title of domestic prelate in recog- nition of his nation-wide influence and popularity as editor of Our Sun- day Vvlsvltorf' Father Conroy, pastor of the Ca- thedral, has spared no effort to make the Library Hall as near modern as possible before turning it over to the bishop to be used for purely high school purposes. Father Conroy has endeared himself to all of us, and is extremely popular with our boys due to his holding the essay contest and again by oiering a gold medal as a prize for the winner of an elocution contest. We, as Brothers' boys, were glad to have this opportunity of showing our appreciation of these good priests -both products of the Old Brothers' School-and we thank them for their keen interest in our welfare and above all for their most beautiful words of encouragement and advice. -Albert Schoenlc, 223. ,L..,l,.l-11-.l11 The reporter who wrote up the In- dianapolis game said, C. C. H. S. could not withstand the assault of Al Feeney's charges. It should have read assault and battery.