Harpeth Hall School - Milestones Iris Yearbook (Nashville, TN)

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TObe Senior fl ropbec canto r. ING, oh ye Muses, how by Zeus ' aid I, to the summit of Olympus came ; How Kronos ' son did to me favor show And, with his hand, did lift up from mine eyes That veil insignia of mortality. I saw far in the dim obscurity, That hanging o ' er the future, hides it well From the eager, questioning sight of humanity. Of what mine eyes beheld as I gazed thus, Oh sing, Calliope, ye Muses sing. Breathless and weary from my toilsome climb, I sat me down to rest, and turned mine eyes To where the marble turrets of a city Did rest upon the winding Arno ' s banks, A city built of marble, gleaming white, Where all was richness, beauty and delight. Thronging the streets with majestic step and slow Did countless numbers of fair women go. And all in students ' cap and gown were dressed Their faces bright with wisdom ' s holy light. And as I gazed thus, in perplexity, A voice I heard that spoke with winged words t 44 ' Why ponderest thou, in great bewilderment ? I turned: my soul did know her glorious name. Ail hail, Athene 1 Brighteyed Goddess, hail ! I pray thee whence these robed maidens come? Hath war ' s loud summons called the men away ? And who are they? Methinks that in my mind A faint feeling of recognition comes. ' And then she made harangue, with winged words i Oh mortal, these of whom thou askest me Have forsworn follies, the world, and men. To lift their sex into a higher plane. To set aside those strict conventional laws That claim their inferiority to man, This their vocation is, and here apart From all the world, they in communion live With nature, science and philosophy. Mine eyes she quickened then, and bade me look. I saw the most learned professors were Misses Park and Neil, I looked again. And in the train of students thronging there Were Misses Sanders, Simpson, and McLean, And further on the crowded thoroughfare Were Lillian Dearing and Louise Chesnutt.

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4-tev 6i ' winter of hdYcl worhr Qu do i , Je »«-p felted To -find i hat f)er pic fl re e f be mCjT 6amired ( o Hie b ' t ' iiioo

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ip CANTO II. BEDESNT ever to that Spirit ' s will, I turned mine eyes unto another land ; A massive auditorium there I saw. Resplendent with a thousand gleaming lights, And softly to mine listening ears there came A plaintive strain, enchanting, low, and sweet ; And then a voice, whose magic reached my heart, A song did sing. The sweetness of that voice Had Martha Campbell so renowned made That half the world her praises loud did sing, While others praised the heaven-inspired tones Coming from Mademoiselle Carter ' s violin. Enchanted, fain would I have lingered here. But some strange power elsewhere drew my sight. A room I saw, in which were grouped about Great unhewn blocks of marble, statured forms. And the strange implements of sculptured art. And there two worked -with unabated zeal. To me, my quickened sight showed them to be Misses Summey and Rauscher, sculptors famed. And now methought I saw an eager crowd. That all impatient were trying to enter Into what, though I gazed, I could not see. To my Brighteyed Companion then I turned And query made, to which she answered thus I Oh, questioner, there is one unto whom The gods have gracious favor shown, and given Power to paint such pictures that all men In wonder gaze. For but a glimpse of one These people throng. I questioned who she was, And that wise goddess answered, Tom Odil. CANTO III ND now, methought I saw a theatre Where many came to see the famous stars Who there would play that night. Who has not heard Of Agnes Bennett, the tragedienne ? Of Cecile Bryan and Leonora Bailey, Who over all excelled in comedy? And as the orchestra did softly play, I looked among the spectators to see If anywhere was one familiar face. There Nannie Craig I saw, most richly dressed. The cynosure of every eye. I knew That In society she was the leader. The model of all fashion for New York. There in a box did Valery Trudeau sit Surrounded by a coterie of beaux. And yet none others in that throng I knew % So I did ask Athene, the Brighteyed, Of all the rest, whom long ago I knew, And she answered : Oh most impatient one. But wait and unto thee I will show all. Yet give thine ear unto me. There are two