Eastern High School - Echo Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

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Golden Butterflies Which Predict a Brilliant Future for Daphne By MARTHA A. M. THoMs, '32 PRING had come at last! Daphne stood very still in a small clearing in the woods and feasted her eyes on the new beauty about her. Golden sunbeams dancing through the new leaves, beckon- ing her, teasing herg birds caroling away in lofty tree-tops, a Hash of color as a red robin darted through the green of a young tree, shy purple violets growing in clumps at her feet 3 a soft breeze fanning her cheeks and moving her hair ever so gently! Back where the Sunday School picnic was in full sway, all was bustle and confusion, here in the woods, all was peace and cool quiet. Daphne took a deep breath. Then, timidly at first, but gathering courage as she went on, she began to dance. Taking tiny running steps, bend- ing and dipping, she played her favorite game. Now she was a beautiful butterfly flitting in the sun, never pausing to rest but dancing joyously from one flower to another until, exhausted, she dropped to the ground. And now she was a tall white lily, bending and swaying in the breeze. Now, most glorious dream of all, she was a fa- mous dancer, performing before a distinguished audience. She paused suddenly, however, and regarded her feet with distaste. The slippers which her mother had declared very sensible for a ten- year-old childl' hindered her and made her feel clumsy. Acting on the impulse of the moment, she took them off and with them the long Hsensi- ble stockings. She laughed with glee as the fresh young grass caressed her little, pink, bare feet. It felt good! Now, let's see-, she was danc- ing before an enormous audience. One would bend soisway a bit, perhaps--. Ho, ho! Daphne thinks she's dancing. Look! She can hardly bend back at all. See, Daph, look how far back I can gof, Her glorious game of make-believe so rudely interrupted. Daphne stood back with five of the six little newcomers and quietly watched her sister Claire, who was a year younger than she, easily perform the back-bend. 'fYou're awfully stiff, too, continued Claire critically. t'You ought to loosen up. Oh,' yes, I 'most forgot. Mom wants you to come and help her pack up the lunch basket. VVe're going home soon. I want to get some more violets first. Come on, girls, I think I see some down theref' Thirteen' Merrily she dashed away, followed by her ad- miring companions. Slowly Daphne put her shoes and stockings on and slowly she walked back to- wards the Sunday School crowd. Outwardly she looked cool and calm, but rage was tearing her heart. Claire had laughed at her again. Claire always laughed. No use telling mother, she always sided with Claire, called Daphne silly and a dreamer. Was it so Wrong to dream and pre- tend? As she approached her mother, the latter regarded with extreme disfavor the thin little figure with its nondescript brown hair, serious brown eyes, and tiny freckled nose. VVhere have you been all this time, Daphne? Fooling away your time again? Here, help me with these tbingsf' Silently, Daphne scraped mustard and sausage skins from the greasy plates, and dreamed of the cool green woods and the soft spring breeze. 4: sf if ir as Hello, Anne. Supper 'most ready? inquired Mr. Turis one evening in the early part of Sep- tember. 'tYes, be ready in a minute. Call the girls, VVill. They're playing out on the back lawnf' Mr. Turis, having bade his otfsprings to 'tCome in here this minute, and don't have me call you again, seated himself at the head of the table and fingered the carving knife with a purposeful air. Hard day todayf' he mused. Cooper liked those reviews of mine, though. Said they would 'go over big' He gave me a couple of big shows to cover, too. Anything good coming on? asked his wife from the depths of the pantry. Yes, That famous dancer, Lady Clarissa, is dancing at the Packman Theatre next week. I've got three passes for Saturday. You can go and take the children. Speak of the devils and theyire sure to appear. Hands spic and span, girls ? Daphne and Claire proudly held out their clean little hands and took their places at the table. I was just telling your mother that Mr. Cooper gave me three passes to the threatre for next Saturday. Lady Clarissa, the dancer, is go- ing to be there. How would you two like to go ? 'tOh, daddy! The theatre! shouted Claire. t'Goody! Mom. may I wear my new pink dress ?',

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THE EASTERN ECHO 'KI suppose so. Now, go ahead and eat your supper. Daphne, take more spinach than that. But Daphne did not even hear her mother. Her mind was far away in the cool recesses of a green forest. She was not dancing this time, however. Hnddled at the foot of a tree, she was watch- ing a gorgeous dancer named Lady Clarissa. Pk Pls Pls Pk Pk One by one the lights in the theatre flashed off, and soon only the footlights gleamed in the darkness. 'Wave after wave of soft music rolled ont over the heads of the tense, expectant audi- ence. Thousands of eyes were focused on the tiny part in the gorgeous curtains. Slowly, slowly, they separated and there, revealed in the power- ful gleam of a spotlight and poised gracefully on tiptoes. stood Lady Clarissa, the dancer. Daphne held her breath in wonder. The hgure bending, swaying, dipping on the polished stage was so beautiful, so light and free! She wished Claire would stop eating those chocolates. Every time the child put her hand into the bag for an- other candy, the paper crackled, and Daphne did not want to be reminded of material things. How she wished she could dance like that, like a spirit from another world! The afternoon passed in a maze of enjoyment, and the entire audience sighed when the curtains closed for the last time. That evening the family was assembled in the living room. Mrs. Turis was sewing, Mr. Turis reading, Claire playing with her doll, and Daphne staring pensively out of the window. Finally, Daphne went over to her father and said, Daddy, may I take dancing lessons? Mr. Turis looked into the grave face of his little daughter and said kindly, A'VVell, now, we've never talked about anything like that before, have we? VVhat makes you think you could dance, Daph?l' 4'Oh, Daddy, I just feel that I could,'l she re- plied seriously. t'If Daphne takes lessons, I want to take them, too, spoke up Claire decisively. May we both take them, dad P 'Wvhat do you think, Annef' asked Mr. Turis. VVell, if we can afford it, I think it would be a good idea. It would at least teach them to be graceful-Daphne especially, she's as stiff as a boardf, Oh, we can afford it. I suppose, O. li. kiddies, yonlre off on your dancing careers. lint now, yon're off to bed. Scootf' As the two little girls obediently went upstairs. Mr. Turis tried in vain to forget the hurt look which he had surprised in Daphne's eyes after her mother's last remark. Finally he could not help commenting upon it to his wife. You really onghtn't say things about Daphne in her or Claire's presence. Anne. She'll be get- ting an inferiority complex if you always remind her of her stiffness and so on. You kno','.', we can't all be Lady Clarissasf' The child is entirely too self-centered any- how, VVill. A few plain truths now and then won't hurt her. replied Mrs. Turis with some heat. Upstairs, Daphne was already in bed. Her eyes were tightly shut but she was not asleep. She was a golden butterfly, Hitting in the cool, green woods. Say, Daphne, dancers make heaps of money, don't they? remarked Claire thoughtfully. Daphne did not hear her. Pls bk Pls its Dk For three years now, the Turis girls had been taking dancing lessons from Professor Sigmon. For three years, Daphne had been practicing her steps daily, at first happily and hopefully, and finally desperately. But you must relax, you must limber up, the excitable professor would shout. HNow watch Claire. See how easily and lightly she moves, how gracefully she sways. But you-you are too stiff! And Daphne would blush and tremble and be- gin to cry. And as she stood at the window and looked down at the streams of traffic below, she would close her eyes and pretend that she was in a cool green forest where golden butterflies were Hitting over clumps of purple violets and where there was no one to criticize. One evening toward Christmas, when Mr. Turis came home, there was a discouraged droop to his shoulders, and he ate his supper in silence. Xl'hen the children had gone upstairs to do their homework, and Anne was clearing away the sup- per things. he strolled into the kitchen and stood staring morosely out the window. Something's happened, XYill. XYhat is it? asked his wife anxiously. Yes, something has happened, Anne. I got a cut in salary today, Cooper said my last re- views haven't been so good and they don't feel that I'm worth what they've been paying ITIS. I am to get thirty dollars a week from now on. From fifty dollars to thirtyl Oh, VVill, that's terrible! lYhy didn't you tell Cooper a few things? VYhy didn't you ask him to give you a couple of decent shows to write-np for a change. No wonder your reviews haven't been so good F ourteen