Elmwood School - Samara Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

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with flowers the graves of the soldiers who were killed in the War between the North and the South and in the War with Spain. The next holiday here was another new one to me, the King ' s birthday. The next holiday in the States was the Fourth of July, which I missed the most. It is called Independence Day, because it celebrates the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. Next to Christmas this is the day the children enjoy most, because they celebrate it with a great deal of noise, with firecrackers large and small, and horns and cap-pistols and torpedoes. In the evening they have all kinds of fire-works. The first of July was Dominion Day here and I thought it was going to be something like our Fourth of July but it seemed very quiet. It is very nice to have a holiday every month in the Summertime, for in New York they don ' t have any in August and here we have the Civic Holiday. Labour Day here is the same as in the United States, the first Monday in Septem- ber. In October in the States there is a holiday, the twelfth, which is Columbus Day. It is to celebrate the discovery of America by Columbus. Thanksgiving in the States is the last Thursday in November. I was so surprised when I heard that it was the tenth of November here. Election Day in the States is another holiday which always comes early in November, and then comes Merry Christmas, which is the same here, there and everywhere. MARION COOLIDGE. THE POOR BOY ' S CHRISTMAS It was Saturday night, two days before Christmas, and Dickie had gone out to sell papers, (and to look in the shop windows) to try and see if he could earn enough money to buy a gift for his little sister Sally, who lived alone with him in a little shanty in the poorer district. Paper, Sir, he cried, darting out to the middle of the road. Be careful! Step back, Run for your life, were all the things that Dickie heard, but he did not care as long as he could sell his papers. Get out of the road, cried a man, but Dickie heard no more, for a motor car had knocked him down and broken his leg. 7

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The Greek looked at him scornfully. Athens, he said quietly, is the home of all great ideals, the home of art and poetry, and of all things of beauty. Why then do you say your city is greater? The American smiled confidently. Because we are far more civilized and advanced in every way. We have electricity, steam engines, aeroplanes, motor cars, wireless and many other things you didn ' t have. But what, demanded the Athenian, have you of beauty? Nothing! You have no ideas of art or beauty. What sculptor have you that can compare with Phidias, or statesman to com- pare with Pericles, or what buildings to compare with ours. You have none! and what is science compared with all these? ' But, gasped the now astounded American, I never knew you had so many things unlike ours. I never . . . Then how do ye, who know so little and are so ignorant, dare to judge us and our civilization. Thanks be to the gods that I live not in your time! and the philosopher suddenly vanished. The American rose to his feet. Good Heavens! where did he go? he murmured, and added regretfully. If he had only waited a little longer I could easily have shewn him how much better our civilization is than his. M. HOUSTON. THE HOLIDAYS I came to Ottawa on the fifteenth of May. One of the first things I noticed was that on all the buildings was the British flag instead of the Stars and Stripes. After I had been here eight days there came a holiday that was new to me, the Queen ' s birthday. A few days later there was a holiday in the States that is not celebrated here. May thirtieth, which is called Decoration or Memorial Day. The reason they call it Decoration Day is on that day they decorate 6

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Sally waited till ten o ' clock and when Dickie did not come she threw a shawl about her and walked to the corner where Dickie had told her he would be. It seemed hours after she got there and was looking for him when an old man came up to her and asked what the trouble was, for she was crying. I c-can ' t find my b-brother, ' she sobbed. ' ' What was he like? said a man behind her. He was ten years old, and had a grey cape and sweater. Do you know where he is? she said. A negro happened to be passing and, on overhearing the conversation, said: Why, dat ' s de chile that I seen hit by a motor car and broke his leg. Now, you just come along with me, said the kind old man, and we ' ll soon find him. What did you say his name was? Dickie, she replied, and mine is Sally Gould. Where am I and where is Sally? Oh! and Dickie sank down among his pillows, for his leg hurt. Here I am, said a little voice behind him. Now you must go to sleep, because it is Christmas Eve, and nurse and I have a surprise for you all in the morning. In the next room was a beautiful Christmas Tree, with candles, sugar sticks, silver and gold bells, and, on top of the tree, was the most beautiful star you have ever seen, all ready to be moved into the large ward as soon as the children were asleep. On Christmas morning, in the middle of the ward, was the tree with all the presents round, and best of all was an old man with a long white beard who was dressed in red and standing by the tree. Santa Claus, cried all the children, and indeed it was. All the children got the most beautiful presents. There was a motor car for Dickie and a doll for Sally and many other things, but I think that Sally and Dickie enjoyed it most of all. Don ' t you? JOCELYN WHITE. 8