Hathaway Brown School - Specularia Yearbook (Cleveland, OH)

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iii' 5?55'5'E5Qi'Z5 go?-' s Emi ter ef in t , , 1, - M. i M, .ra ,.,,,,,,. ir. ' fn . 1. z.. . . 3.31 1. 'if, pression on me,-the maids in their flowing white robes, their dark hair caught up by golden fillets and uncovered by the usual veil, each occupied with her loom, and all seated about Andromache, who superintend- ed their work. I thought that no scene, could be more restful, but still it was far from a happy one, because their mistress was so sad and silent. Wthile they sat thus, I heard a great clam- or inthe courts outside. The maids dropped their work in astonishment. Their mistress went on with her spinning, too occupied by the sorrowful remembrances which her work brought up to notice or care about what was happening in the world around her. Some of the women arose as if to go and ascertain the cause of such an uproar, but after gazing at 'Andromache's silent figure, they resumed their work. Finally, a servant ran into their midst, breathless with excitement, and spoke in low tones to a maidjand she, almost stupe- fied, told her mistress-that she must come to the court below. Andromache, impatient at thus being aroused, left her work, and signing to some of her maids to follow, slowly left the room. I was impressed then by her graceful dignity of carriage as she quietly passed from us. I do not remember how I arrived in the court yard or by whose guidance, but the next that I knew I was there. Here I found Andromache bending over a body which lay on a car in the centre of the court. I learned that the body was that of Neoptole- mus, who hadbeen killed by Orestes. Such an impressive scene it was! The I dead warrior in the center, clad in all his armour, stretched on the car whichrhad so lately borne him triumphantly to battle, pale, sad Andromache bending over him, but uttering no words of complaint or of grief g the maids and servants weeping and wailing around her. . i ' I awoke 3 but I could still see it all, and almost hear them wailing. MINERVA KLINE, '99, 'fam Qlriticiams of jfour Essaga. I. GD6 'dlnoiscovereo IISIHTID. 'The book, Under the Trees, by Ham- ilton W. Mabie, is most delightful reading. The language is simple, the diction pure, and the reader is carried on andon by the flow of beautiful and instructive thoughts. In f' The Undiscovered Islandf' where we retire from the world and find Nature in her loveliest moods, we meet the immortal Shakspere's Miranda and Ferdinand again face to face. Rosalind meets them, the poet meets them, and we, being of the same little party, meet them, too, decked in fresh, new fancies. We' know we have met dear old friends once more, and we cannot close the book without carrying away the beautiful word picture painted in such deli- cate, yet vigorous, coloring. Truly, as the poet says, imagination is a potent factor in everyone's life. It isneces- sary if we want to live broad, helpful lives 5 and by imagination we can catch glimpses of the other side of peoples characters, better understand their motives, and make allowances for what seem to our eyes fail- ings, thereby saving many a heartache by cruel, unjust criticism. The world would surely be much better and happier if we followed out the suggestion of Rosalind, the old Bible saying, Judge not, that ye be not judged. , LILLIAN FENNER, '99. . 9

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Sie verwalteten ihre eignen Geschafte mit einer oder zwei Ausnahmen und alles ging recht gut, bis der Habsburgisch-Ostreich- ische Kaiser, Albrecht, ihr treues Ver- haltnis dem Kaiserreich gegentiber miss- achtend mit der Hiilfe tyrannischer Land- vogte, Gessler und anderer, sie zu unter- jochen und mit den freien Kantonen seine ostreichischen Gtiter zu vermehren suchte. Nach langer Geduld und vergeblichem Bitten verschworen sich die Leute von Uri, Schwyz, und Unterwalden gegen ihre Land- vogte und in olfener Emporung am Neu- jahrstag 1307, zerstorten sie ihre Burgen, toteten viele Unterdrticker und trieben die iibrigen aus dem Lande. Gessler Von Bru- neck fiel von der Hand Tell, eines wiirdi- gen Mannes von Uri. Die Schweizer haben immer ihren Tell geliebt und bis auf den heutigen Tag glauben viele an ihn. Wahrend wir das reinste Urbild der schweizerischen Natur im Tell haben, geben uns die anderen Char- actere ein Bild verschiedener Gesellschafts- klassen. Melchthal, Stauffacher, und Wal- ther Fiirst sind priichtige Vertreter der besten Klassen der Einwohnerg Rudenz und Altinghausen stellen die Jugend und das Alter des schweizerischen Edels vor: Gertrud ist die gute Wirtin, das mutige Weibg Hedwig, die iingstliche Frau und die liebende Mutter: Gessler der Landvogt, der schlimmste Feind schweizerischer F reiheit. Die erste Aufftihrung des ,Dramas Tell fand am 17. Malrz 1804 in Weimar statt. Es machte gleich einen gewaltigen Eindruck und ist bis zum heutigen Tage das wirk- samste aller Schillerischer Stiicke geblieben. Der Grund dafiir liegt nicht nur in dem rein dichterischen und asthetischen Wert des Dramas, sondern auch in seinem patrio- tischen und nationalen Gehalt. Die folg- enden Worte aus der Riitli Scene kiinnen als die deutsche Unabhangigkeitserklarung gelten: , 1 Nein, eine Grenze hat Tyrannenmacht. Wenn der Gedriickte nirgends Recht kann finden, I r - - Wenn unertriiglich wird die Last-greift er Hinauf getrosten Mutes in den Himmel Und holt herunter seine ew gen Rechte, Die droben hangen unverausserlich Und unzerbrechlich wie die Sterne selbstf' EDITH SILVERTHORNE, ,99. H , f'-Rf-'I 1 ID8tI'iHI'Cl3Hl 'wlOmCl1. Studying Homer has certainly made me have strange dreams, for I must have had a dream, although I saw everything so plainly. I certainly was in the palace of Neoptolemus in Epirus, and I was sitting not far from Andromache, who plied her loom in silence. I could see that she was re- spected and admired by the maids about her, although they were Greeks and she was Trojan She sat among them, dignified and calm in her grief, never a word es- caped her lips, but it was plain to see that her task was giving her great pain. In- deed, when I learned afterwards that she was even then designing a picture, the fall of great Hector, on a rich mantle for -her lord, I thoroughly pitied her. - Her maids did not speak, feeling for their mistress in her distress,-and I could not utter a word, but sat silently wondering at all around me. The magnificence of those halls would have pleased even a woman of 'COday. Neoptolemus had furnished them richly, spiendidiy, but this display of Weaith and splendor only aggravated Andromache's grief, for it recalled the happy hours in the palace at Troy with Hector. The scene about me made a great im-

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II. Gbe open Jfielos. Mr. Mabie proves himself well 'able to hold, as 't were, the mirror up to nature, to paint its varying hues and aspects. His description of the Hplaygroundl' in this essay is spontaneous,-it seems no effort for him to describe it vividly, -minutely, graph- ically. The essay is not long, on the contrary, when it is inished one feels rather disap- pointed because it is no longer. Yet it is complete, one feels sure that the author has said all he meant to say, and that well. Very often similes and ,metaphors in pro- fusion do not enhance the beauty of a de- scription. Here one has no such feeling. The author's likening of the great sum- mer clouds to vessels is very real and true to nature. How often has one had just such an idea of them as they sail through the air, but how few could put it into words as pleasing and as graphic as Mr. Mabie's! Whether he looks up- to the heavens or down to the earth, or turns to the prospects around, he certainly Ends something beautiful and remarkable in everything. ' MINERVA C. KLINE, '9o. 3' III. 1In tbe iforest of Broan. A sojourn in the Forest of Arden with Rosalind is a delightful and profitable dream. To bring us nearer to nature, to point out the universal harmony of all things, and to show the essentials for gain- ing admittance to this fancifulrealm are the aims of Mr. Mabie in his beautiful essay. The contemplation of nature for awhile, far removed from the series of interrup- tions which constitute the life 'of the world, and away from all hurry and care of common life, is sweet indeed and refreshing. Delightful it is to learn lessons, not from books which are mere translations, but from the great original of all books-from Nature herself, and make ' This our life, exempt from public haunt, Find tongues in trees, and books in run- ning brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in every- thing In the Forest, too, we learn the sacred.- ness of true friendship, and locked in the wood, speech is not necessary-wefeel, and that is sufficient. - And what if it was a dream, and what if the Forest of Arden, with all its unspoiled beauty, exists only in the mind, and is only a passing fancy! Should we not wake to reality, carrying the lessons of harmony, love, and inspiration into our daily lives, and shaping for ourselves a veritable Arden round about us? Oh, if we all, with Rosa- lind, could enter the Forest of Arden! FLORENCE W. SHEHAN, '99. 3' T IV. 'Glnoer the Elpple JBougbs. . ' Mr.-,Mabie's delightful book of essays, Under the Trees and Elsewhere, has just been brought to my notice, and my only re- gret in reading it is that I had not known the charm of its pages before. The essay, Under the Apple Boughs, seems to me singularly fresh and dainty, even as the blossoms themselves. One of Mr. Mabie's. most pleasing characteristics is his ability to make you see and feel as he does. You immediately become conscious of the, mys- tery of Nature and you watch with himas the plot unfolds. The workings of nature are shown by him in a newer and fresher way. Then, too, the daintiness of his style touches you and you feel a pleasant thrill, when in describing Nature as she busily works with her storms and sunshine, he speaks of a falling out between the conspiratorsu and sets himself to watch for some disclosure which might escape 'E i f i. S 2 2. E. if f. 1' S a s 3 l I i 'I- t in it l Q in 'il ' r ,, 1 ,th s , .Fr .3 F. ws I r at ..,i Jil . , fig . gl .W -,3!' .Lflf 'Jug '15 I i 'i ,.i il .5