Greenville High School - Tau Yearbook (Greenville, NC)

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PROPHECY Early in August, 1929, I was leaving France for home. Helen, Eva, and I had been there almost two years. They had been taking high postgraduate courses in piano, and I had been studying violin. But in June, Helen had left off her studies and married de Pourceaugnac, the most brilliant pianist of the decade. Eva had one more month before completing her course, and already she was trying to decide between two offers open to her ; one was a high position at Peabody Con- servatory, Baltimore, and the other, marriage to a most noble and handsome young Frenchman. The night before I was to sail, we three sat up quite late talking of home. As our work had been very heavy while in France, we had had little time for correspondence except with our immediate families, and we had gotten out of touch with most things that did not concern either our country or our relatives. That night we fell to wondering about our classmates — wondering what the last ten years had done for each of them. Of course we could imagine about where most of them were and about what they were doing, but we didn ' t have the very latest news of any of them. So I was appointed as a committee of one to look up each member of our High School Class of 1919 and report on them as soon as possible. I promised to do my best. Quite a while later, I wrote Madame de Pourceaugnac the following letter: My Deakest Helen: ' ' California, February 28, 1930. This is the letter I promised seven months ago to write you. I have written you quite often and told you much of my travels since reaching America, but the most interesting things that I have run up with, I have failed to mention, and intentionally, too. I am now ready to give a full account of our classmates of 1919. Let me begin at the beginning. Five days after I left France I arrived in New York, and Bessie, having learned of my coming, was at the wharf with her husband to meet me. My! My! But I was glad to see her. That afternoon, she took me out to her club— the Epi- curean Sporting Club, of which she is president and a most popular member. Then she said she had something to show me. So we went to the Hippodrome; and there was Ruth, the biggest hit on the program, doing fancy dancing and ice- skating. She is simply wonderful. Don ' t you remember how she used to rave in school over the cute chorus girls that came to White ' s, and how she wished she were one? After the show, Bessie gave a dinner, and we had a most deUghtful time. She enjoys hfe as thoroughly as of old, and I was so glad to see her the little time I did. I would have loved to have stayed longer, but felt that I just had to get home as soon as possible, and I had to stop in Philadelphia on business, too. The next day, while walking down Chestnut street in that city, a sign which read, Madame Henriette de Philomele, French Milliner, caught my eye. The windows were so attractive and the hats in them so good-looking, I could not help but go in. While I was being waited on, someone came up behind me and, taking me by the shoulders, turned me square around. And with whom should 1

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Then, methought, I heard a batter, making quite unusual clatter, As of someone swiftly thumping basket-ball upon the floor. Why, I cried, ' tis Em ' ly truly, Em ' ly by that clatter duly .... Tell me, tell me, maiden, truly, e ' er you pass the open door. When, oh, when missed you the tip-off, out upon the warehouse floor? Quoth Miss Em ' ly, Never more! Now into the chamber dancing, breezed a slight young lady, prancing Quite as tho her head contained not knowledge by the yard and store. And she kept her thoughts unspoken, by her silence gave no token; For her calmness was unbroken, as bright Hennie passed the door. By the sighing caused from envy of her briUiancy ' s store. Merely this and nothing more. And the maiden next appearing, quick the glad assembly nearing. Was the lovely Mary Perkins, smiUng as before. As she came, to show the swaying of our hearts, I stood still, saying, She ' s an angel true allaying fears within our natures sore — A bright angel true allaying fears within our natures sore — Surely this forever more. Ah, distinctly we were hearing how our Annie Bet was nearing, And approached with flying footsteps soon the open chamber door. Eagerly we sought suspicion — what was Annie Bet ' s condition — Whether she di d yet petition knowledge in the way of yore — Knowledge sure, and searching knowledge, which she sought in days of yore- Knowledge sweet and nothing more. And the last to enter to us, one who gladly, sweetly knew us. Burning friendship with her goodness deep into our bosom ' s core. Was the Linda ever glowing with a beauty ever blowing And a friendship always sowing kindness world-wide regions o ' er; Yes, a friendship ever sowing kindness world-wide regions o ' er, Kindly, Linda, ever more. Thus we gathered in the night-time, saying it was just the right time For renewing pledges made so often in the days of yore ; Long and late we sat repeating, always, surely, time defeating; Yet, that very time entreating for a httle moment more, To renew unbroken friendship pledged thus in the days of yore. Friendship broken, never more!

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I find myself standing face to face but Annie Bet Smith! Then I learned that Annie Bet and Madame de Philomele were one and the same. She designs all kinds of hats, and her models are very popular. I have seen lots of Philomele patterns in Vanity Fair and Harper ' s Bazaar, haven ' t you? Annie Bet cer- tainly has reached the top notch in her profession. Her head always was full of ideas. On the train that afternoon I was reading the Washington Post, and in it was a picture I recognized. It was Linda! The paper said that she had lately married a young man who held quite a high government position, and that they were now making their home in Washington City where the bride was most popular in the social circles. Don ' t you remember how very popular Linda always was at school? After I reached home, I happened to be looking at a copy of The North Ayner- ican Review; and what should I see but an article by Roy Corbitt! There was a little sketch in the front of the book which said that after he had finished Chapel Hill and taken a postgraduate course there, he had worked on the New York Tribune. Then he had begun doing magazine work, contributing to some of our best magazines. He now has a contract to write this year for The North American Review. The editors think his work is splendid, and they consider themselves quite fortunate in securing his services. I always believed Roy would do some- thing good for himself. Don ' t you know how he would stick to things he was interested in, and how he worked on our High School annual? And guess what LiUian Jones is doing! She is married, and she and her husband are missionaries in South America. Her town and church are mighty proud of her, you may be sure. I cannot imagine anyone who could fill the place better, Lillian is so patient, so sweet, and so deeply interested in the welfare of Christianity. They say her work is getting along wonderfully. Fannie Bet is teaching in the Durham Conservatory of Music, and she has also done some composing. All of her compositions are for the voice, and some of her songs are beautiful. You shouldn ' t be surprised at this because all day long in school, Fannie Bet used to be either talking about her practicing or writing poetry. Well, one day as I was looking over some periodicals on pedagogy, lo and behold, I came across the picture of Mary Perkins Norman! Why was it there? Why, because she has perfected the Montessori method of teaching little children. Mary Perkins is now quite prominent in the educational world, highly esteemed by all her fellow workers and dearly loved by all her pupils, so the article said. Surely the little kiddies couldn ' t help adoring her, she ' s so sweet and lovable. I ' m glad she has been so successful with her work, because, even in our High School days, you remember, it was her great ambition to teach little folks. About the first of the year, I received a letter from Elsie, one of my St. Mary chums, saying that she was going with a party to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and then to Long Beach to spend the rest of the winter, and asking me to go with them; and she ' s the girl whom Edward Harris has married! Can you take it in? Edward Harris, the boy who always swore he ' d never marry, the boy who said on French class, Je n ' ai pas de femme et jen ' en veux pas une, has succumbed.