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

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PRCCDCRASTHNATHQN By HARRY PAIKIX. It was my first aequaintanee with Dante, and I was so impressed, that all the day I thought of nothing but Inferno and the Shade of Vergil. At night as I walked along the avenue, it Seemed to me that I saw imps and red demons. with fiery green eyes, and horns, and long, lolling' tongues, lurking in every clark corner. As I lay in bed and heard the wind howling througfli the treetops. I thought of the iiendish wails of agony that eehoed and re-eehoed throuwhout the s length of Hades: and in the morning, the steam of my breath in the eold air re- minded me of the greenish yellow vapour issuing forth from the Devil 's great eaul' drons. Indeed. so greatly was I affected by the poet's wealth of imagination that I forgot all things else and became possessed of but one idea, namely. to iinish the book in one great eulp, and then to devour it over again. Thus I formed the habit of putting off my work for a more suitable time, and thus fell a vietim to the fiend, procrastination. At first, as with all other bad habits. the menaee looked small and puny, some- thing easily conquered by the will. But gradually it loomed larger and larger until I, who had been thus far deceiving myself, was at last terrified to find that it was my master. The few neglected chapters had beeome a veritable moun- tain of unknown pages: so that an in- grained laziness, combined with the seem- ing hopelessness of my task, eaused me to deeeive myself into believing' that it was now too late to begin again. and I sank deeper into the mire. Each clay I told myself that I would begin again to-morrow, but for me to- morrow never came. To read a book for the pleasure of reading it, voluntarily, is far more agreeable and more easy than to read one as a, compulsory task. So that I had only to let my eye stray from a cold algebra or geometry to the warm, glowing classic of Daute's'and my even- ing's resolutions to study faithfully were shattered. It was now the third time that I was reading' f'Inferno, for, such is the greatness of a vlassiv that, at eaeh different time that it is read, there may be found some new hidden meaning, some new beauty of thought and expression: so that the interest and the enthusiasm is ever inereased by a new light, a new insight into the writer's mind. And so matters might have gone on indefinitely, while I eontinued to fall farther and farther behind. But there eame a day that I was rudely and forvibly awakened to the full, terrible realization of the viee whieh had all but mastered me, and this happened in the following manner: I eame out of school one afternoon, after being.: made partieularly wretehefl by a vigilant teacher, who stressed only too well my most profound igiioraiiee of trigonometry, and beheld a sky overeast by a gigantie blaek eloud. whieh lowered threateningly over the whole City. And, as a person attlieted with a partieular ail- ment seems to gather a eertain pliilosopliie eonsolation on beholding' another afilieted with the same ailment, so I felt somewhat eonsoled upon beholding the wretehed state of the weather. Nature. at least, was in sympathy with me. Turning down Main street, I proeeeded homewards, thinking' with a sinking heart about the coming: examinations. A wind had sprung up, and here and there along the sidewalks, was coinniingling' in a gay Whirl the dust of the streets with the fallen brown leaves. The c-louds had begun to move in a massive blaek line across the heavens, and the western sky was suddenly lighted by a seeming' heav- enly radianee. I hastened my steps in order to arrive home before the storm broke, and of a sudden expr-rieneed a eurious lightheart- edness. Being one of those unfortunates who is governed by moods, I had often experienced an epieurean pleasure at the

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40 VOX LYCEI Christmas, 1923 :1v:nil, Il1l5XV01'+?l1 11, gray-11ai1'Qd squire. The he-st Steed could hardly take us th:-re In-forv dawn now that thc bridgu is d0st1'uywl. A 1115111 must hnvv wings to gn-t ovm' The river. . Wings! vrie-d Ellllllil, her eyes b1'ig'lmtv11i11g with suddou joy. My d0VC! LK ' -A Y'7 lnxu-lluut. 9XC'1flilllCl1 Lzuly Roszlliml, as shm- hastily wrote a note- :xml tip-fl it zxruuml thu 41OYC'S ui-vk. They took it to H10 town-1' and set it froe. IT 1lflVl'1'f'l'l about the tower for :1 fvw miuutvs, :xml H1011 tlvw toward Fn11w11be1',g', 1ll'k!0lll1lflIli0il by the good wishes 111141 l1o:11'ty 1PI'1lyL'1'S of :111 in thc vzlsflv. Thai' cvellillg, the fillllnf' of F1llliL'llvIlC1l'g hull sat :Town to SIIPIUCI' without fvxu' or sure. Thu' bcnms of the svttixug sun worc- Sfl'1'1llllillQ,1' t1l1'CllIg'11 tho windows, ligfhtiug up tlw 0111 hull, whcn :1 page crunc- to Zllllllrllllvl' thu il1'1'iV1'll of fllrmf llilg'l'ill1S. Sir Tln-ub:1la1 bmle that Hwy Im ,LfiVL'll fl good meal. As tlwy now sut tulkillg, little- Thinking what gxlvsfs these wwe, Agn:-s spr:mg,5 up wyimlgg, HS1-e-luy dow-! Louk, f1l01'L' is :L lliifl' Til-fl T0 its !1k?1'k!N Slw lvt The dove ill. Thx' knight luokvmi vlnsdly :if H19 Svrull :11111 saw on tlllf' out- Sidm-, Tu lu- IWSIII1 :IT 01xc0. As sown :as Tlwolmhl ruml the uotv, he se-uf Lllllf' Ottiliu :und Agmfs into YIIIOHIOI' ruom, puf on his Hl'IllUll1', :md 0l'l1U1'l'l1 :x IIIIIIIIPCI' of Sflll'4lf' 1mf11-:xt-:nrnls to he pn-sclmt. He thvn lst the Stl':iIlg'Ql'5 be llfllllgfllf into his lll'l'SI'lll'P. With lmnrhlc micfu :md lowly 1't'Vl'l'l'lll C Hwy k'llfUl'UKI T110 111111, :11111 T110 vlmlcsf be- gun his tnlo in tones of Thv most IIUIICYWI 11.VIll'l4'1'iSyZ HIHl1ST1'iOl1S 101'll mul knight, ww tlnmk you for your hospitality: und oh, Imw luvky wo do vount oursvlvcs to Sul fzu-U Tn fave the man wlmsv fnmv fills all thx- llllltl, nsthep1'otrwto1' of the poor. Voldly :md sternly he asked: XYho uw vnu, may T ask? KK'1'lll'1'0 your pilgrims trzlvvlliug 1101110- vv:ur1ls, wus the IIIISXVCF. '1Wlmt sm-ok you in this 4'nsTle'? Nu1hiug but a lli,Q,'I1f,S S111-In-1'. To, llIlll'I'UXV :nt 1-on-k-1-row W0 C'OII'fiIl1lC our jfllll'lI1'IX'.m You HM suddenly exclnilnwl the lclliggllt in :1 Voimf of fI1111ul01': fund his sword flnslu-11 out of its sheath. You come not from the Holy Land, are not pilgrims, but robbers and 1111l1'd61'E1'S. Not to sevk quivt shcltn-1' came- you hero, but to ki'1l :md dvstroy! Seize them! At thc word, the false pilgrims were bound :md thrown into a dungeon, with Sir Tl10o'bz1l41's words sounding in their ears: Thus furv all evil-4106-rs, and full into the pit which they dug for another. At I'IO1l1'IlIPt'l'jI, Euruln :11111 her mother Wvre lf-ft lung' in distressful zmxioty for their frimlds. As twilight du-w on, mother and dnllgllter placed thexnselvm-s at 21 window looking toward F:1lke11Iw1'g, and thx-re spcnt :111 the night, fP:11'i11g to sec thr- sky 11-dd011f-el by fi distant glow of destlwlvtioll, for token that their device 111141 I,l1'f'Il Ill VlllIl.' It wus Izxtv in the Ilft9l'll0Oll bcforv Emma t'Illlg'l1f sight of their friends vom- ing Hl1'0l1Q.flI thc' forvst. XVith :1 shout of joy Slllr' rnu vluwn from her NVi'lfC1l-TOXYCI' vrying 'I'lm.v rome tlleluselves to ta-ll us :111 is well! Sho wus right. Tllsta-ml of SOIILHIIQ' :I IIl0SS4'llg'1 1' thu'-y had Come Thvlu- solvvs to znnlmulwv their happy 4lelive1':1m-0 to the frivnds who had brought the rob- bers' 4lC'Sig'll To llzlllghf. How vnu wv n-xprvss our gl'1lTifl11IL'?M suifl Sir 'Flu-uln:ul1I to Lady Rosalind, ns he SIYYIIIIQI from his lmrsv. There is no 1l4'L'41,,y S110 wplioml. Right gland are we to be able, in some lll0HSlll'l', to wpzuy your kindness. But, if :my thanks 1111' UXVill,Q,', it is Emma who thought nf m:nkiu,g' thv dove the luvssml- gov. And that, mid Emma, Hf'fXll1t' of Agxws' 'Ll'0IlCl'USifj' in giving me her peff' 'I':'ukv it lmvk, :md :1 tllouszuld timvs wclconu-Y 1-rival Agnus, who had brought the dove with hor in ll basket. Ottiliu said, I'Ic:lv011 be f111lI1kSf'l that from such peril has saved our house, througlx thu IIIUHIIS of so lllilllf' good frionmls and :ln illllOl'L'1lt dovv! This IIZIIIPOIIOI1 many years ago, but the massive cznstlv of Fnlkenberg still stands in its SPIUIIIIOIII' to romind t1':1v9He1's that a ,good zwtimx is ncvm' clone in vain, even to the simplest of GUNS C1'6?lfll1'PS. Mr. Shu-phvxwl- P11t away that Friend- ship Book. When I start Geu1net1'y, all friendship Qcnsvsf'

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42 VOX LYCEI Christmas, 1923 thought of lying curled up in luxurious comfort before a cheerful tire, a book spread out in front of me, while the wind howled outside and the rain spattered upon the roof overhead. So that this night I welcomed with joy the thought of spending a pleasant evening. As for my work, that would keep for another time. Meanwhile nothing must interfere with my comfort, no unpleasant thoughts concerning algebra and trigonometry must mar my enjoyment. As I walk, the world becomes shrouded in :L veil of darkness. How fickle is nature! The heavens, but yestcrnight a moonlit sea, have without warning be- come a swirling, raging whirlpool! Now and then short lightnings shooting through the sky reveal a heavy onrush of ominous clouds. Suddenly the thunder, beginning with a low growl, breaks forth in a mighty roar of fury, and thick, stinging drops beat down in my face. The storm, as if released from a long bondage, overwhelms the earth in a, mighty cataract: a wind- blown sheet of icy water, which, like a merciless war-lord, drives all to destruc- tion. And thus, throughout the long night, the tempest rages. Ah, unfortunate one that I am, with what relish I ate my substantial slipper that night! Had I but the slightest inkl- ing of the experience which I was soon to undergo, perhaps I would not, like a greedy gourmand, have asked for a. third helping of dessert. Nay, it is more likely that I would have left my supper-of which I partook so heavily, and which was, I am certain, the cause of all my woes-totally untouched. As it was, I smacked my lips, as would a Falstaff, after satisfying the foremost law of nature, and sinking down i11 glorious ease amid the soft down of a morris chair, I drew up my legs under me, while the fire crackled pleasantly, and was soon deeply engrossed in the depths of Inferno. On and on I read, undisturbed by the frequently flashing lightnings, and the thunders, which, growing ever stronger and more fierce, seemed as if they would rend the very house from its foundations. But at last Morpheus, whom I had thus far rebuffed, would brook play no longer. Slowly the book slid from my hand, my eyelids began to close drowsily, and I experienced that feeling of lethargy which comes over one after partaking too freely of the earth 's bounty. I became but half-sensible to 1ny surroundings. In a darkening haze the room took on weird, grotesque shapes, the tire seemed to tlare up suddenly till it assumed the proportions of a furious conflagration, and-I fell back in deep and profound slumber. Then I dreamed-a vision such as only a supper like the one I had eaten could create. It seemed that the four walls of the room, animated by some supernatural force, quickly receded until they disap- peared in dark, gloomy eavernsg that the tioor gradually descended, lower and lower, till at las' it took shape as a rocky ter- race in the very bowels of the earth. From everywhere, and yet from nowhere, came a long, drawn-out wail. which sud- denly broke off into a harsh, rasping, demoniacal laughter: then, as suddenly, rose to an agonized, blood-curdling shriek, Good heavens! What child of caprice could this be? IVhat name 'had this foul nest of fiends? Of a sudden, the air is rent by a thun- derous roar, a. thick, yellow-gray smoke oozes forth from the porous walls, malici- ous tongucs of fire shoot out from every corner, and, pursuing a 'horde of crazed, shrieking creatures, in cold terror I rec- ognized the very master of Hades him- self! Then he is gone, in his fiery chariot, drawn by two green-eyed serpents! For a moment I stand, my eyes staring, un- able to move. Then comes a sweeping reaction, and I shake as with the palsy, like an aspen leaf. For a space all became silent. Then, turning, I beheld in mute wonder, Dante, and accompanying him, the august Shade of Vergill My heart leaped within me! Surely, with them I could find protection, shelter from the countless, unknown dangers conjured up by my fertile imag- ination. All at once the Shade of Vergil looked up, and beholding me, beckoned to me to approach. W-hen I had done so, in a surprisingly cultured and gentle voice it asked of me, How earnest thou here? I do not know, I replied, in what strange manner I made the transition from our earth to these hellish regions. XVondrous, indeed, are the Ways of