Emmerich Manual High School - Ivian Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

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MIXD AND HAND. beyond the impenetrable darkness. Then he resumed his weary pacing, and the little boy closed his wandering eyes. On the lower deck was a group of men. Their faces were lit up by the yellow light of a lamp, and wreaths of blue smoke twined sinuously overhead. The clicking of dice and a low counting, with occa- sionally a loud laugh, were all the sounds to be heard. One of the men pulled a pack of worn cards from his pocket and com- menced dealing them rapidly out. What ' s that? he queried, suddenly. The men listened. ' • Somebody riding the waves, suggested one of the group, as an indis- tinct plash of oars was heard. A oices floated across the water. Them ' s for Jim, cried a childish voice, as a huge bunch of fragrant water lilies and pale gold lotus was thrown over the railing. My kid brother, said Jim, apologetically, as he picked up the dewy flowers. Half hidden by the larger blooms were gleams of vivid scarlet, graceful sprays of prairie- fire. The men sniffed eagerly at the freshness of the mysterious blossoms. We ' re not home yet? asked a re- cumbent figure hoarsely, as the boat com- menced its excruciating whistle. No, said another, gazing critically at the gov- ernment lights that shone wbitely on the indistinct shore; a bridge signal, I guess. A huge mass of darkness loomed up before them. Its irregular string of red and green points of light broke as part of the mass revolved slowly and heavily until the boat could pass through. Beyond the bridge the city lights were plainly seen, even to distinguishing be- tween the steely radiance of the arc light and the yellow tone of the gas. But a ten minutes ' ride, and then a bump and an im- mediate confusion as the steamer touched the wharves. Valentia Euan. PIPPA PASSES. In the village of Ascolo, Many, many years ago, When the old mill played the silkworm With a murmur soft and low; When a child-face at the window Watched a child-face work within, Then our Browning ' s little Pippa Learned to labor, sing and spin. Once, a day was given Pippa, Only one, but all her own ; And the eastern sun rose smiling Over meadows freshly mown ; Early woke our little Pippa, Sweet and happy, bright and fair, And her simple song of gladness Pose upon the morning air. And the dreamy pale-faced Poet Heard, and changed his mournful lav; Laid aside his worthless writing Thus, to hear what she might say. Down the dusty, winding roadway, Sinning as she went along, Pippa cheered all them that heard her, By her simple, happy song. And the lovers that to Pippa Seemed so happy in their love, Changed, and saw its deeper meaning As if by some power above; And the men of proudest nature, Rich and poor, both high and low, Saw a meaning in her singing Like a river ' s undertow. When the cowslip ' s turning yellow, And the birds are in the trees; AVhen the air is full of fragrance And the buzz of humming bees ; When the buds are full to bursting And the brook creeps soft along, It is then that little Pippa Cheers the whole world with her song. M. Ethel Burke, 11B, English. (2)

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MIND AND HAND. MILTON. ©F the three authors, Chaucer, Shake- speare and Milton, whom we have studied this term, Milton is, perhaps, the most interesting. He is not so simple as Chaucer, nor so thoroughly appreciative of human nature as Shakespeare, hut in his choice of subject and manner of treatment he can not be surpassed. His genius is undoubtedly at its height in Paradise Lost. As it was not founded on any truth, on real history or legend, Milton ' s imagination was here drawn on to a great extent. Having undertaken a vast enterprise, he did not hesitate; and, wit- ness the result: A book whose grandeur has never been equaled; a book which, though largely imaginative, is strangely consistent all the way through. The poet ' s phrasing is magnificent. His figures are bold but very apt, as can be seen from the following : What if the breath that kindled those grim fires, Awaked, should blow them into sevenfold rage, And plunge us in the rlames? Or from above Should intermitted vengeance arm again His red right hand to plague us? The story is a harmonious mixture of classical myth and biblical event, with now and then an earthly touch which renders the whole charming. In the invocation of the Muse — Sing, heavenly Muse, that on the secret top Of Oreb or of Sinai didst inspire That shepherd, who first taught the chosen seed In the beginning how the heavens and earth Rose out of chaos. This is aptly illustrated. Milton has a peculiar way of inverting his clauses, whole sentences, in fact, which renders them exceedingly forcible. Satan ' s appeal is masterly. Here we have a natural flow of words that is dis- tinctly characteristic. We are brought face to face with the Evil One, not as some shadow lurking in the distance, but as a living being, a powerful, passionate being, the symbol of defiance: ' Is this the region, this the soil, the clime, ' Said then the lost archangel, ' this the seat That we must change forheaven ? this mournful gloom For that celestial light? ' In this short quotation is one of the au- thor ' s rare touches of pathos, strange though it may seem in its connection with Satan. It is true there are some passages in the book which are not as good. They seem to have been studied, forced, and the result is rather monotonous. But these, how- ever, are comparatively rare. On the whole, from the study of this epic we get Milton ' s style as we could get it from no other one of his productions. Anna Kautsky, 12 B. THE CHARACTER OF RICHARD I, AS PORTRAYED IN IVANHOE AND THE TALISMAN. §IR WALTER SCOTT is skillful in his choice of historical characters, and manages to weave into his romances some well known incidents in the life of national heroes. The two stories, Ivanhoe and The Talisman, may be called companion pieces, in that both deal with the life and charac- ter of Richard I, of England. Although Coeur de Lion is not the hero of either book, his deeds form a large portion of the action of both stories. The disparity in the two pictures may doubtless be explained by the wide differ- ence in the setting. The trouble with the Regent Prince John, of England, made Richard ' s arrival in England an occasion of great joy and thanksgiving. The atti- tude of the people brought out all the softer traits in the king ' s character. Therefore he is represented in Ivanhoe as a liberty- loving monarch, ready to raise his arm in