Hamilton Collegiate Institute - Vox Lycei Yearbook (Hamilton, Ontario Canada)

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Easti-1' V O X li Y 1' 'IG I 1921 I I BEI-ll D THE SCENES I Frank H. Smye. HE great event had arrived at last, February the l8th, a date not histor- ically noteworthy, but histrionically -oh! thatis itl That was the chosen date for the Collegiate play, the social event of the season. That evening the halls were thronged with eager faces, impatiently waiting to see what talent the school har- boured. The gigantic posters had not flared for three weeks, in the halls of the great old school, in vain. The pictures of the cast were ably car- tooned by our talented young artist, Wm. McCullough. Although very hand- some indeed, the picture represents a view, not unlike Miss Nellie jones' bible class, out for a good time. From the ad- vertising, the students expected a play about as humorous as Macbeth, as the posters were tragic, nay-positively pa- thetic. On the largest bill the hero, Brighton Early, was gaily decorated with a pair of bristling moustaches, of which the ex-Kaiser of Germany would have been justly proud. Opposite him, on the same bill, Professor Solomon Spiggot was gifted with a highly intelligent counten- ance, besprinkled with side burns, tortoise- shell glasses, and all the paraphernalia which represented the futurist idea of what a college professor should be. The pictures of the ladies of the cast would have made Harrison Fisher and Sir joshua Reynolds green with envy. Little Ange- lina appeared strangely like one of Raphael's angels about to take wings of the morning and soar through the billowy clouds to a better world. But Aunt Para- dise, yes, poor old Aunt Paradise, was por- trayed strikingly, with cheeks, oh what cheeks. Well, they reminded me of a page out of a doctor's book showing a collo'd lady with a bad attack of the mumps. Yea, verily, the artist had a very poor conception of the cast. ln spite of this. and the fact that our genial business manager, George Allan, refused credit, the seats sold like hot cakes. Cn Friday not a seat remained, that is not a reserved seat for our patrician patrons--as for the plebeian hordes, search the potter's field, er,-rather the rush seats. The dressing rooms were both numer- ous, costly and beautiful. There were two of them. The young ladies had a wonderful salon d'art. It was nicely decorated with numerous etchings and paintings of grapes, angels, horses and other choice objects diart. The gentle- men were assigned a little room, very cosy, l'm sure, with a temperature of about zero degrees absolute. After the leading man 'Andsome QHJ Ed. 'ull as the matinee girls called him, had stepped on Malachi Meek's eyebrows, and kicked Professor Spiggot's side-burns all over the room, he was forcibly ejected and told to seek a better 'ole. Likewise poor Miss Longnecker was exiled from both dressing rooms. She had to find neutral quarters for herself and her evening gowns. lmagine the art student trying to work in such a bizarre atmosphere. lr was Bo- hemian, to say the least. One budding artist was outlining a picture of the Soul of a Lily. just at that moment a coon cook lady passed the door in an elaborate costume of red, yellow and black, garnish- ed with green spots. Another chap, illu- strating C-ray's Elegy in a Country Churchyarcl, saw a bevy of beautiful dam- sels fox-trotting up and down the halls. To use, if l may, a hackneyed expression, such is the irony of fate. The curtain has gone up. A hush falls over the audience. The would-be actors and actresses await their turn, tremb- ling the while, in the wings. Their knees knock together. ln trying to repeat the cue. the old familiar lines fail them. Their tongues are so dry that the words refuse to come. Stage fright for the moment is about to fling its magic spell over the cast. Then looking out from a hole in the cur- tain-yes, there were many-,our actors and actresses see pa and ma and the whole

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Easter V U X Brandon College Quill. -A Fine, little publication. Your stories are very Fine, but where is your exchange column? Why not a regular joke column? Your magazine could be greatly improved. Call againl The Dart. -You are to be congratu- lated on your snappy magazine. Why not a few more jokes and a picture of your stag? D0n't fail to remember us next time. The Comet. -The Comet has a good start toward becoming a top-notch paper. Your stories are excellent, but why not some more jokes and a few cartoons? The Review. -A typical High School paper, but it could be greatly improved. Why not classify your literary material, have a few more jokes and create an in- dex to the contents? Western Canada College Review. - We gladly welcome this Western paper. Your stories are excellent and your edi- torials superb. However, we have tried in vain to find any cuts or photographs of your staff. Why not put your columns at the head of each page instead of be- ginning in the middle? The size of the print used is decidedly smaller than any we have seen heretofore. Be sure to send us your next issue. The Blue and White. -Altogether The Blue and White is one of our best exchanges. Your column headed Form Notes is especially worthy of mention. lt is very well classified. We wish your paper every success. Au revoir. The Lake Lodge Record. -Your paper is splendid, but it is given up en- tirely to sports. We are looking for great improvements in this magazine. Good luckl Acta Ridleianaf' 1 Congratulations, Acta! Your paper is a credit to Rid- ley, Your Sports department is un- surpassed by any other exchange we have L Y l' E I 1921 received. You could improve it by a few more interesting editorials and a good index. The Puppet. -Your magazine cer- tainly has a great deal of pep, and your joke department is fully developed. How- ever, the jokes are not up to even the average standard. A great deal of work is needed in your literary departments, and less work on those jokes. The Trinity University Review. - Your monthly publication is always re- ceived with pleasure by us. Your poem, Leif the Lucky, is a poem for which one would have to search diligently 'ere its equal could be found. Remember us next time! Keramos. -An excellent monthly edition. Your athletic department is ex- ceedingly well edited, but where are your index and cartoons? We expect to see them next issue. Acadia Athenaeum. -There are sev- eral things we appreciate about Acadia Athenaeum. First, your literary depart- ment shows a brilliancy and directness of thought which is surpassed only by a very small number of other exchanges. Also your athletic section is especially com- mendable. We congratulate you on the success of your play, The Man on the Box. But where are the cartoons and personals? Room for improvement in these features. Macdonald College Magazine. -Full of enthusiasm and p-e-p. We admire your motto, Mastery for Service. Your article on Cow-punching needs special mention. Every department is fully rep- resented except -lokesn-you need a few more of them. We are anxiously waiting for your next number. Thistle. -Your stories are snappy and interesting. Those cartoons are one of the best features of the issue-humor ous and original. We are glad to say we can offer no adverse criticism on your book. Come again!

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Easter V O X family in the front row of the rush seats. They had paid for all their tickets pro- viding they should applaud in the right places. After being on the stage a few moments, they gained possession of their faculties and made such a hit that even the cattiest person in the audience could not say l told you so, l knew that nut would spoil the show.' While one of the members of the cast was running down to change costumes, Cl wonder who it was?Q, somebody open- ed the glass door in the art room and, like Annette Kellerman, this little actor made a perfect dive through the glass. One of the art students wanted to paint a picture of this little scene and call it Through the Looking Class and What Alice found There. But the scene was copyrighted by Realart Pictures, Ltd. The play went off perfectly. The ap- plause was deafening. Yes, the relations of the cast certainly did their duty nobly. Two catastrophes, however, were witness- L Y C E I 1921 ed by those back stage. Some stage door johnny sent little Miss Longnecker an in- vitation for a little supper after the show. Of course she had to refuse, as she is far too young to be going out with boys. Then Chops Spigot, while looking into the audience to see if his sweetheart was there, lost his balance and only for the kindly aid of his sister, Eupepsia, would have fallen over on top of the orchestra. Chops received a scolding from his mother, Mrs. Spiggot, and was promised a thrashing by his father as soon as they returned home. Some of the cast received bouquets of roses, orchids QPQ, violets, and dandelions. Other members received bouquets, but alas! they didn't smell of violets, Billy jackson received a spray of daffodils and onions. while Aunt Paradise's gentlemen friends sent her a delightful corsage of cabbage, onions, and, the unkindliest cut of all, a piece of garlic. CURTAIN. MOLES IVIENTEIVI AGITAT Continued from page 30 That, explained the little hand, as Marie stopped to laugh, and examined the box curiously, is a dictograph: they are in all the rooms, for the use of members of the Vox and Lyceum staffs who are forced to miss classes. A record of the lesson is taken on a disc, and- just then Ed Hull entered hastily, open- ed the box and removed half-a-dozen rec- ords. nl think this is all l missed to- day, he murmured, l'Il run them off on the Victrola to-night, and slipping them carefully into an envelope, he left the room. And now she was attending a Lyceum meeting in the crowded auditorium. A splendid program was presented, at the conclusion of which, the treasurers of the Vox and Lyceum each reported a large surplus in the bank to the credit of their respective organizations. When she recovered from the shock of this amazing intelligence, she found her- self in the splendid big gymnasium. There, as one of the surging crowd of spectators, she eagerly applauded the various events in an athletic exhibition, in which the contestants covered them- selves and the school with glory. A thrill- ing basket-ball game, won by the H.C.l. in the last two minutes, brought them all to their feet, and the walls re-echoed, as again and again, with wild enthusiasm, they followed Challen's leadership in the old Phi Ki Si. Six o'clock, chimed the little French clock merrily, and Six o'clock, the old Grandfather clock sounded, humbly. The door was softly opened, and Marie entered on tip-toe. Such a wonderful dream, she was explaining happily. l believe l can fin- ish my essay in time after all, and seiz- ing a pencil she began to write. Puzzled, but unconvinced, the big clock looked across at his rival. How did you do it? he asked. For answer, the little French clock pointed one slender hand at the calendar. There, beneath the date of the preceding day was printed: Partial eclipse of the sun, commencing l0.30 p.m.