Essex High School - Odyssey Yearbook (Tappahannock, VA)

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The ball becomes cloudy--is it the end? No, the scene has changed. Across the globe spreads the drawing room of a Rhode Island home. A sophisticated lady comes smiling to the foreground. It is Dorothy Bundy, an elementary teacherat the Beth Page Elementary School. Her husband, an undertaker, appears to be James Gray. Now slowly, it fades and a beauty shop comes upon the scene. The busy beauticians, Grace Muse, Barbara Peterson, and Beatrice Wright are at v ork. Now all is black. I am tempted to flee, but a light appears and I see a hospital, with ambulances at the door, and nurses rushing here and there. The head nurse is Pauline Wil- son and the head doctor is James Smith. I see two other neatly dressed nurses, Anna Pratt and Mae Pearl Lee. The scene fades and there appears an office building on Wall Street, hear the tap-tap of a typewriter. At a desk, with a sea of papers before her, sits Grace Johnson. Oh! The scene vanishes; I see now a city street. Here on this street is a large auto- mobile factory ov ned by Harry Lee. Far, far away comes the strains of an old Beethoven melody. The music surges upward, then decreases in volume. Sarah Cauthorneis at the piano, andsinging beside her is Barbara Blagmon. Ensuing is the scene of the SandCastle School. I see that Betty Beale, Rdsetta Cauthorne, and Gloria Smith are elementary teachers there along with Laura Morris who teaches math- ematics. This scene v as followed by the appearance of a courtroom. Seated on the stand is attor- ney-at-law Ann Jones. Just as news travels fast, so quickly goes the scene to Boston ' s largest publishing house. There at the desk is Ruby Muse who is a graduate of Miles Stone University. The scene changes to titat of a dense forest. Outlined against the top of the trees, I see a tall towered structure surrounded by a high v all where within sit two wealthy men, Lloyd

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3 Jie Aec Tired and weary at heart from my search among the ruins of the ages for that most cov- eted of prizes, the crystal globe, which would enable me to see far into the future, I sat down to rest at the base of an old pyramid. Suddenly the thought came-- You have not searched here; try this before giving up. Arising, I looked at the network of stone and fate bade me to enter. Through a labyrinth of secret passages and a winding maze of time, Ihad attained the entrance to the mysterious chambers of the Ancient Sear in the underground depths of the pyramids. I firmly brushed aside the portiere and passed into the dimly-lighted room. Clouds of pungent incense arose incessantly from theseveral oddly formed urns at the base of an immense golden shrine. The entire chamber seemed steeped in mysterism. At the center of the room upon a beautiful golden tripod reposed a huge, transparent crystal sphere in which could be seen the future, present, or past of mortal man. Standing exultantly before it I cried, O mirror of all ages, show to me the Class of ’56! Trembling, yet eager, 1 gazed into the crystal ball. It suddenly assumed a milky whiteness that gradually became clear. Crowds, rov upon row, were squirming among an ocean of seats. They rose to look upon tlie portrait designed by Mary Hill, tlie Queen of Arts. Tile scene changes, I see a home of the Spanish type. Inside a dainty young lady moves easily about, placing a chair here and a pillow tliere. She stops to smooth the hair of a handsome man, who reposes in an easy chair. They look up and smile, and I see that they are our own Barbara Taylor, a criminal lawyer, and James Jackson, a mechanic. They are now Mr. and Mrs. James Jackson.

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Johnson, electrical engineer, and Harold Byrd, a brick mason. As 1 go on, I see Arnetta Taylor, a seamstress, and Katherine Ruffin, a designer. Appearing now on the scene is a large party taking place at the home of bachelor Allen VVormley. His maid is ushering in his guests; Charles Hill, a press agent, and Joseph Noel, a barber, are among them. Slowly, the scene fades, and the crystal becomes clear to remain so forever. Arising, 1 relieved the tension of my nerves and the weariness of my body and mind. With a long sigh of wonderment and sadness, 1 turned from the room with a murmur of, Thank thee, Omir- ror of ages, and went out into the soft golden twilight of an oriental evening. Barbara Taylor Pauline Wilson k i