College of William and Mary - Colonial Echo Yearbook (Williamsburg, VA)

Page 27 text:

inglj Inexhaustible store of knowledge, wnich the seven wise men possessed and the wisdom of the lordly Senior were the deepesl of mysteries, but before the end of our first year these mysteries had become as Eamiliar to us as the mysteries surrounding the right angle triangle and Cassar ' s strategic movements during the Gallic war. The next year we returned, no longer as Dues, but now as Sophomores, and the absence of many familiar faces revealed the fad thai there was no royal road to education, and that many of our number had fallen in the Slough of Despond, and turned back. So each succeeding year has marked a decrease in our number, and of thai greal host which began, iil eighteen have scaled the steep and thorny heights which lead to the much-coveted A. ! ' .. and ran now. as heroes, look down in sympathy upon our lower class-men and struggling humanity, and cr oui in our wisdom, Labor omnia vincit. A good many of our number have already become famous. In fact, iheiv i- scarcely a one of us who ha.- not distinguished himself in some phase of college life. Among our number may lie found heroes of the gridiron ami the diamond; poet®, orators, statesmen, politicians : members of the Eater ' s Club, members of the Liar ' s League, members of the Bachelor ' s Club, members of the Baldhead Club, members of the Calico Club, ami so on. iiil infinitum. In politic.-, those of us who are not too old to vote arc Puritan-pure prohibitionists, ami as such will supporl Judge Mann hi certain condition-. We are also firm believers in expansion, ami would advise Uncle Sam to devour everything in sight, excepl Japan, which migh! probably overtax his digestion. But probably one of the most remarkable facts about our class is that all of us, with the exception of one. have thus far successfully eluded the .-haft of Cupid, hut in obedience to the President ' s request, I shall not mention the names id ' this worthy disciple and victim of Cupid. We have found that ye ancient capital. like her fair maiden.-, improves on acquaintance, and our advice to those who arc mentally defective in any way would he to come to Williamsburg. The historian would here fain dip his pen in the ink again, and. guided by our brilliant past, prophesy for us a still greater future, Inn our future is with our prophet. .My task is done, ami as the curtain fall- u| this, the lasl scene of the lir.-l act in the drama of life, we turn to pay a parting tribute to our dear alma mater ami. as we cast our last lingering look upon scenes around which cluster so many happy memories and pleasant associations, inadvertently the ' re -teal- from our lip- the parting words of the poel : Farewell! a went that must lie. ami hath lioen — A sound which makes u- linger; — yet — farewell! 23

Page 26 text:

SENIOR CLASS HISTORY. XT is with mingled feelings of pleasure and reluctance thai your scri i up his pen and addresses himself to the i nentous task of writing the historj iif the Senior Class of L905; for, while it is a pleasure to look hack upon and record our greal deeds of the past, yet, in a class so large and so illustrious, the task of the historian must necessarily be an incomplete one, - to record individually the history of these distinguished sons of America would be impossible in the shorl -pan ' and time allotted to him. So your present historian will have to content himself by touching only upon the mure importani facts in our history, and leave the completion and perfection of his task to the future and more capable historian. Ii was on a bright October morning, a g I many year- ago (a you have doubtless observed) that we arrived in the city of Williamsburg. The weather was still quite warm, and though ii was the time of the last rose of summer, all nature bore the unmistakable -lamp of the good old summer time, and ye ancient capitol was, I presume, looking her best. As we alighted from the train and caught our first glimpse of the city, about which we had read so much in our histories, we began to think that we were the victims of a joke, and that the conductor had landed us in a portion of the country that Columbus had purposely overlooked, but as we walked up the streets, and beheld on every side the moulding ruins of so many places Eamous and sacred in the annals of our history, we became convinced thai we had arrived at the right place. Doubly assured were we of this fact, when, on arriving ai the end of Duke of Gloucester Street, we beheld the old College, in front of which stood the majestic figure of our ancient friend. Botetourt, who seemed to he beckoning us to enter within the sacred portal.-, and drink of the fountain of knowledge from which Jefferson and scores of other distinguished sons of America had drunk in the great past. The Due Class, in which this stately and august body had its humble Ii. ginning, was, as you may guess, quite a heterogeneous mass, and represented nearly every known specimen of humanity. Among us could be found the stately peda- gogue, who. having disposed of his meagre store of knowledge, had come to College to replenish his stock; the farmer hoy. whose action- were sufficient proof of the fact that he was one of the greenest productions that hi- father had ever -hipped: and another class whose furrowed cheek and shining foretop bore testimony to the fact that they, like I ' once de Leon, had come searching for the fountain of youth. For a while the novelty of our new life delighted us, hut soon came that awful feeling of isolation, known as homesickness, which was not in the least alleviated by the midnight visit- of the old boys, who. having given us ample opportunity to display our abilities along various line-, departed, leaving upon us impressions of the mosl lasting nature. To our yet untutored mind- the wonderful ami seem- r 22

Page 28 text:

SENIOR CLASS POEM. XI i; K AM Kl) one night in joyous balm] June, 1 beneath i he i l- ni ■!!— silver n Phantoms passed within the shadows of tin- trees, MM winged elves 1 1 « bj with every breeze. All was silent, save from yonder wood, When r 1 1 . 1 1 1 .i • ; ia in oak. so stalwart, si I. There ea me t he ow let ' s weird, ominous i i Mid the pine-tree ' s moan and wear] sigh. Ml was silent, save from yonder « I There tame the pini tree ' s moan, the owlet ' s weird cry. Before we passed a living, rushing stream, Looking ghastly in Diana ' s yellow gleam, Rushing ever on with ne ' er a pause, Struggling as for some immortal cause. The stream of mortals never ceased to flow; And some mute power beckoned me to go; Bui yet another power stronger -till Bade me follow ii t the tempter ' s will. The stream of mortals never ceased to flow, Ami yet I followed not the tempters will. The voice that tempted me was clear and bold, And bade me follow her for fame and gold; I i i when I looked, a woman ' - form stood near. Then bending o ' er me whispered in my ear: ' Forsake, young man. the idol in thy heart. For wisdom i- in life a dreary part; Give ii | • thy aims, ambitions, and thy pride, And win the goddess Commerce to thy side. Forsake, young man. the idol in thy heart. And win the goddess Commerce to th] side. Far in the distance whither flowed the stream, A lighl burst forth — a mellow golden gleam. The temptress pointed with her jewelled hand. And there upon the shining, silver sand, Great man-ion- rose like magic in the air. And si, one in all their splendor, grand and fair. 1 looked again, and thro ' the golaen sheen A city ' s splendor could be dimly seen. iwi.it mansions rose like magic in the aii ■; A city ' s splendor could be dimly seen. [ 24