City Park Collegiate Institute - Park Bench Yearbook (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada)

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56 THE PARK BENCH F I NALE I suppose there are not many, if any, who remember Ioseph Stevens. He died about ten years ago. For a short time after his death the papers played it up, and there was a great deal of interest, but then people found other things to talk about and Ioseph Stevens was soon forgotten. I have thought a great deal about his death. It was an event that contained, to me, the mystery of a tale from Poe, and the more I think of it the more it fascinated me. I find that I can no longer keep from putting down the story of Ioseph Stevens' death. The first time that I saw Ioseph was at a festival in Boston. You see, he was a violinist. I remember at the time remarking to myself when I heard him play that here was a genius. Uncultivated, true, but a genius, I felt, who would some day force his music into the staid hearts of music critics everywhere. I went up to him and introduced myself, for I was deeply interested in this man who could thrill a hardened newspaperman like myself. We talked for a while. He talked little and with restraint. We spoke of his music and of his life. I learned that afternoon that he worked as a clerk in Stamens Grocery, a small store in Boston. I-Ie told me that it wasn't much but it gave him his nights free to practise his violin. I learned that above everything he had a tremendous love for music and particularly for the violin. ' When I returned to New York I unfortunately lost touch with Ioseph Stevens. Then one day I noticed in the Times an announcement that lose' Iturbi was presenting his protege' Ioseph Stevens at Carnegie Hall on the 26th of Iuly. Ioseph Stevens was to play his own Concerto for Violin. I immediately reserved a box, for I took a kind of pride in Iturbi's and my mutual opinion of Ioseph. That night I shall never forget. Iturbi and Ioseph appeared together. I was very shocked, but my amazement soon turned to sympathy. For walking out on the stage was Ioseph attired in an ill fitting business suit. This caused a murmur throughout the audience and I heard a few laughs. I could see that he was ill, for he was pale and his face was drawn. He tripped slightly, and doing so he dropped his bow. This caused a general laugh to break out and I could see things were going to go bad for him. Iturbi raised his baton and the orchestra started the concerto. I was very dis- appointed. For stemming forth from Stevens' violin came not the beautiful music I had expected, but rather frightened music that was unemotional and uninteresting. As the concerto progressed the audience became restless. There was a general stir- ring. Stevens looked very ill. Then as he began the final movement a change came over him. I don't know whether the audience noted it or not in him, but they noticed it in his music. I have never in my life heard music so fine and beautiful. It was truly inspiring, Words can not describe the effect it had on everyone. The music grew and reached its climax. Iust as the last notes of Ioseph's violin died out, his bow dropped from his hand and he slumped to the floor. I felt a personal interest in Ioseph Stevens so I hurried down to the stage. A doctor was summoned. This is announced that Ioseph Stevens twenty minutes. This announcement caused superbly a violin concerto. As then because there seemed no people stopped thinking about But I have thought about at is almost too unbelievable of Stevens' Concerto we were the strange part. After examining Ioseph Stevens he was dead and had been dead for at least fifteen or quite a stir among us, for we hod just seen him finish I said his death caused quite a stir for awhile and explanation other than that the doctor was mistaken, it. it often ever since. The only explanation I can arrive to be practical, I believe that for the last movement listening to a dead man play. Yes, a dead man. A

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THE PARK BENCH 55 Why don't they hurry? To Iacques they seemed to be deliberately torturing him. The rifles were raised. Now its coming, l've got to hold on now. And through all this the scng continued: lls viennent jusgue dans nos bras, Egorger nos tils, nos compagnes. They are coming into our arms, To slaughter our sons, our friends. A silence. Fire! The hills echoed back thesound of the valley. The figure beiore the cliff stilfened for an instant and then slumped tc the ground. But suddenly the song retumed, at once triumphant and I little sad. Triumphant cver the ccming victory of France, and sad because of the deatlrr ct one of her sons. Aux armes, citoyens, iormez vos bataillcns! Marchons, Marchons, Qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons! To arms, citizens! prepare your battalions! March on, March on! Let their vile blood flow through our fieldsl' Marchons, Marchons! Qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons! -BRUCE CLARKE, BOCKS The world doth lie, shining, beneath the gaze Ot him who views it from the page of books. Before him lie, seen through a silver haze, Treasures of such brilliance, that human looks Would never see by ordinary ways. A glowing wonderland unfolds around, From stories, and from poetry, and lays Ot ancient days, and also modern sound. You live al thousand lives, both old and new. You laugh with Shakespeare, Steele, and Wodehouse, too, And cry with Dickens, Pce, and Burns, and you Do thrill with Shelley, Keats, and others who Felt strong within them freedom's ilame. All these Do guide you o'er this lite's tumultuous seas. -BRUCE CLARKE. l suppose your landlord asks a lot for the rent cf this place. A lot? He asks me for it nearly every week. Mr. Anderson Cat lost and found tablel Does this book belong to you? The name is obliterated. Sludent- No sir, my name is O'Brien.

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THE PARK BENCH 57 man whose soul had left him and joined his music. That is why there was such a brilliant change in the last movement. He had lost his life but his music had gained it. I heard Ioseph Stevens' Concerto once since. l'm sorry to say I did not enjoy it, for I shall never forget that evening ten years ago when the most beautiful music I have heard, came from the bow of a dead man. -NEIL HARRIS. EXCHANGES It was with great enjoyment that we read over the year books of other schools- noting each peculiarity, each improvement-appreciating the effort that had been put into them, and above all, conscious of the school spirit that had made such excellent publications possible. We wish to congratulate the following schools for their good work, and we hope the next year will be as successful. Our thanks go to the following ...... THE CYNOSURE-Prince Albert Collegiate, Prince Albert-Good, original class notes: outstanding literary section-especially Cabin Boy . Lack of photographs: caters too much to the seniors. R.S.D. ROYAL DUNGANNON SCHOOL-Belfast, Northern Ireland-Very different from the Canadian type cf magazine. No individual class notes, only general school notes. Mainly a literary magazine with short write-ups of all school sports. Lack of pictures of any sort tends to make book uninteresting. HERMES-Nutana Collegiate. Saskatoon-Very striking cover: takes in all phases cf school life, but what happened to your literary section? Bigger candid camera section would be better. KELVIN YEAR BOOK-Kelvin High School, Winnipeg, Manitoba-A complete, all round book. Outstanding section From Our Boys In Uniform . Complete literary section containing articles from their short story contest, photography competition, poetry competition essay contest and cartoon contest. Odd detail-girls wear uniforms. CENTRAL OUTLOOK-Central Collegiate-Moose law, Saskatchewan-Novel sketches, introducing sections, add to it greatly. Book lacks oomph -better printing and arrangement of sections would help. SCOTT ECHOESfAScott Collegiate-Regina, Saskatchewan-A good, newsy magaziney lacks a candid camera section: Something new .... write-ups on teachers, e.g. Mr. Steer.-Wine, women and song-well, a lot of song anyway. NEW ERA-Brandon Collegiate-Brandon, Manitoba-Work of assembling, typing, illustrating, done completely by students . . . . that's what I call a school magazine. Congratulations. Good literary section, especially your play. YE FLAME--Central Collegiate-Regina-Excellent candid camera sectionfbest yetp too much space for class pictures and notes. LANTERN-Bedford Road Collegiate-Saskatoon-A well-edited account cf student activities: neat arrangement of sections. Good photography with especially good candid camera shots.