Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute - Acta Nostra Yearbook (Guelph, Ontario Canada)

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fl bF Ziff 27 THE MIRACLE By If-an Little, XIB lt was in at hospital ward at ttight tltat the iniratle happened. At least I thought it was a tniratle. There was a wounv soldier lying dai the . 5 nt one ol the beds. and that A doctor had ordered a screen pttt around him for the boy was going to die. The boy's ttante was Michael and he was very tnut-h afraid. .Ks he lay in tlte bed he thought about dxing. He was in great pain. bttt sontt-how that didn't set-tn intportattt. Ht- thought over all tlte tnean and cowardly things he had done :tt titnes. Ht- thought ol the tnen he had killed, youngsters like hintself slaughtering each other bt-t'zutse of other tnen's disagreentents. Ht- thought of how their tnothers tnttst ltare felt, and all because ol hint. .Xt this he sobbed alottd. He was xeri young. Then throttgh tlte darkness he heard footsteps coming toward his bed. One of the nten ht- had known in battle stood at his side. Hello Mike. ht- said. Conte on. lYe're going places. Mike got out of bed witlt no hesif tation and followed his friend. He noted with surprise that the pain had gone. They walked quietly dowtt the long ward. past the dint white blotehes that were beds, past tlte sleepy nurse sitting' at the desk working ox er charts. Soon they were ottt in tlte night. Mike didn't ask any questions. XX'ith a shatnefated sntile he reached for Iinrs hand, which inet his halfway. Ther did not hurry. After a while Nlike saw tltat they were on his own street. They turned in at his drivewax. bttt instead of going in, Klint led hitn to the back- vard. He heard :tn excited bark. and Butch. his old tnongrel dog, was juni- ping up against hitn. lhei went on, Butch running at their heels. ' Soon dawn began to streak the skp. Jint stopped at an old tree. and reaching into the hollow truttk, pttlled out fishing poles. and at couple of tin t-ans. Mike grinned. He hadn't fished with wortns since he was a kid. Thex dug until both Cans were fttll of bait, and then they sauntered on. The sun eatne up. and it was stltll- tnerlindeed. A touple ot' birds began to sing. and everything woke up. No other people were in sight. The air was crisp and tasted good, 'lhe ski was high and eool and very blue. The riter was rippling a little in tltt- earlx tnorning breeze, and Mike was happxp He plll tlte wriggling wornt on tlte hook. 'l'hei sat on tlte rock shell. at tlte edge ol xt deep pool where shadows darted to and fro. 'lltey smoked. .Xf- ter it while thei talked in low voices. sontt-how fearing to destrox tlte world's loreliness with ordinari tonversatiott. Once Mike sititl that ltt- wondered what it would bt- like to die. .lint stniled a little. Suddenlx its tlte sun rose higher and the dai grt-w warnt. Mike was hungrx. He tttrned to ulitn. When do we eat? he said. She'll be ht-re with food soon. .lint replied. Set-Y Oier on the other side of tlte field! Slit-'s touting now. Mike looked to tlte spot where lint pointed, with interest. He Could see tlte slitn figure of at girl approaching with sotnething in lter arnts. Her bltte Llless was blowing in tlte wind. and he eould see the sunny-gold of lter hair. Sontehow front this distant-e she rentin- ded hitn ol Susan. tlte girl he had loied sinee first grade. She had be- eotne a tntrse. and joined the Red Cross. She had been killed. His face darkened for at tnonient. Butch iutnped up front the plate where he had been lying. strt-tehed out in the sunshine, and ran to the girl, barking with delight. She Wits closer now. and he could see her face. Hi Mike. she hailed hint with a ware ol her hand and started to run. Mike tttrned to Elini, You mean he said, You tnean Susan. You tne XXX-'re deadlffu lint nodded silently. Mike stood still for a tnontt-nt. un- tertain. Then he started to run to the girl. lsn't it heaienlxfn he shouted joy- ouslv over his shoulder.

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,Q-' , , f fm I 1 .J Y, , ,'g- -,' 26 - 4- the darkness of night coyered the led- ges and slopes. On and on she trayelled. Her leet pained at each step. Her cape lay deserted on stones far behind, lor each weight pulled heayily on her aching shoulders. The warinth of the sun had gone. Night was falling. Quickly she ran: the rocks. inountains. the riyer all were a blur belore her eyes. Suddenly she stopped. Th the opposite side ol the group of inen. They had one was raising an indistinguishable Her brain were Iapan- ere, on riyer was a sighted her: obiect to his shoulder. lilashed the answer. These ese snipers! She treinbled. How lool- she would n's canip. ish she had been! Now neyer reach General Chang-Ku A shot rang out! Tan-Yai lelt a searing pain in screamed as she 'Then eyerytlting The damp her right arin. She lell lroni the ledge. grew dark. night air lelt like a blessing upon her skin. She reniained niotionless. the iagged rocks cutting deep into her flesh. She inoyed her eyes, gazing at the darkness above. and to her right the yertical wall of the niountain. By now her arin had be- Plllllf WIIUKIIIS II .tiff Essay-Senior. Torn Harcourt XIIIA: junior, Dick l'hilp IXC. Short Story-Senior, jack McLean XIUB: jun- ior. Caroline Yan Loon IXC. .il 5.-1' Mt . ' come numb with paing her body was a tnass of stars and bruisesg blood lironi an open wound on her cheek tasted sticky and sickening as it trickled into the corner ot' her mouth. I niust get through, she sobbed. Slowly she crawled and then rising, she stepped lorward blindly. Gradu- ally her eyes began to locus and her steps took the lorni of stumbling n1O- tions. .Xs the hours passed, her breath canie in short quick gasps, and the wound on her cheek slllilg as though pierced with a thousand red-hot nee- dles. Nothing appeared real except her one thought. I must get through. She was hardly conscious of the the arins of a shouts. and the dawn, ot' lalling into surprised guard. of his appearance ol' General Chang-Kun. lfrom swollen. blood-.tained lips, the the retreat. ,Ks word Tan-Yai the lace of General succeeded. aged general learned ol' she muttered the last smiled up into Chang-Kun. She had Tears lilled the old inans eyes as he lowered her lile-less hand. China will neyer be defeated , he whispered. Neyer, as long as there are woinen like Tan-Yai. WIISTII.-I l'lllVlI'li'l'l'l'llllll5 Poetry-Senior, Jean Little XIB1 junior, Jackie Thorns CIX.-X. .Kit-Douglas Sneyd XA. Tj' 'X 'K . , . - . Q 1 lu tee.. .. if Q 1 , j . .Q f -'41 W . . ggi W . ,-...Q . by f 1 K: 8 w ' ., .3 G , 'V' . lllll A . . .I in U . ustc V y Ax Lit ' 44. ' fx if 7 f f t . . QV . ,QM . I fe I g ,' Kal , Q ai-'X ' ' sw L. 57' me . ' X. - f - 41 Y . i . , , W . fy 2' ' L V l ,yy W t i -Q -, dw.-if my M E t ' ---4-v , 'LJYLE H I l ' . ..,' - .. .e,.+f'fg'il. . .tn - .- .--..- .-.. .L ZL .-... .....,.--...., .ee -. -- J ALPHABET OF SCHOOL .XCTIVITIES BY THE ART CLASSES

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