Holten High School - Onion Yearbook (Danvers, MA)

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THE HOLTEN 7 they do resort to war it is from some unselfish beautiful motive. They kill to protect their country, their homes, their families. They kill to free them- selves from bondage, to make them- selves better men. The Wicked as you say may sit in high places, but they are not always going to remain there. Any high place that is held by a person not deserving of it is too high for him and eventually he will fall from his lofty perch. Do I hear you say that many wicked men have never fallen from their lofty perches but have enjoyed every advantage during a lifetime? I will admit that many have. No one in this world has the power to prevent them. But in the next world each one of these will face the Almighty Father. He is Om- nipotent and it is he who will punish and put down the mighty from their seat and exalt them of low degree. I should think that you could learn from the examples of certain great men in our country that poverty does not crush childhood. Rather, the child born in poverty is sensitive be- cause of it and is determined to leave it behind, as he matures. He succeeds because in his heart he worships men like Lincoln and sees that even though born into poverty they have struggled to the top of the ladder. The fact that a child is born poor in- spires him to a great ambition, the ambition to be somebody in spite of his poverty. Poverty does not crush a childg it uplifts him. You claim that storms destroy us, the sun scorches usg the winds blow cold. It is a well known fact that men do not live forever. Death is an in- evitable thing. If storms do not des- troy us something else will. Then, storms are not as dangerous as you would have us believe. Heavy storms are not frequent and the whole na- tion is not wiped out by them. I am certain that you would feel the lack of those foods that require the heating sun if the Almighty sud- denly decided to please you. You would also quickly tire of weather that was neither warm nor cold. Without doubt you would long for a cool breath of the winter Winds. I am afraid that you want a perfect land, and since nothing is absolutely perfect, there doesn't seem to be much hope for you. You are one of a few who are dissatisfied with all phases of the weather. If the earth should become as you want it, what would you do with the Negro or the Eskimo? We must think of -others be- side ourselves. So you don't think you owe anything to any one? In my opinion you owe a debt to the coun- try for even tolerating you. I cannot begin to enumerate the debts you owe to your government. The government protects your property and your life. The government educated you. You have the wrong impression of your- self if you think you are totally in- dependent of everybody and every- thing. Like Diogenes you think that there are so few honest men in this world that you need a lantern to find one. Like him you purposely close your eyes to the good and obstinately per- sist in hunting out the evil. Diogenes was wrong. If you would find good- ness you needs must only openyour eyes. - Dorothy Hart, '31.

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6 THE HOLTEN if 4. i , -m. Q EDUTURIHLS REB! - THE CORRIDER CROW Lately I have had reason to accuse Carrie Crow of being a sentimenta- list, which charge, however, she flat- ly denies. Draw your own conclusions, though. Yesterday I found her sing- ing wretched jingles like this: There's a corner in the heart of ev'ry crow Reserved for loved ones she may knowg And the corner in my heart when all is said and done Is for the graduating class of nine- teen thirty-one. Believe me, I certainly crowed over Carrie until she called me all sorts of names, accused me of being crow- footed, and even threatened to crow-n me with a crow-bar. Carrie has a vio- lent temper which she can't seem to control since she's had her tongue slit. I really think, though, that Car- rie's show of favoritism for the Sen- ior Class is quite indiscreetg at least, I shouldn't want rumor of it to get around the corridors for fear of a- rousing jealousy. By the way, such strange actions have been going on in the corridors lately. Carrie and I were knocked nearly unconscious by a full-fledged ball game and wrestling match taking place on the third story. That's why Carrie and I prefer the Senior corridor, for it is always so quiet and orderly. Well, Carrie and I both dread to say good-bye. We decided that a telegram would be the swiftest and most tear- less way. We should like you to know that it was quite expensive,-the tel- egram, I mean. Western Union Telegram Best Wishes and Happy Returns of the day stop Be good children stop When you are old stop and begin to fuss stop remember us. Carrie and Jim Crow stop--for good. EDITORIAL THE SCORNERH Recently I came across an invective against the spirit Thanksgiving which prompted me to write a reply. I am going to read the words of the Scorner first and then my reply. The Scorner has said in his heart: There is no good, I find no signs of it around me. Evil walks about in broad light seeking what it can de- vour, men kill men, poverty crushes childreng the wicked sit in high places g storms destroy usg the sun scorches usg the winds blow cold. En- vy, hatred, greed and violence are everywhere. Then why should I be thankful? To whom do I owe a debt? Thanskgiving also is a humbug. Dio- genes was right: if you would iind goodness, you needs must search with a lantern. To the Scorner There is much good in this world. 0, Scorner, I see it in all about meg you do not see it because you do not want to. You say that evil walks a- bout in broad light. Why don't you try looking in the cracks and crevices for the good? Evil may stalk in the broad light, but when it tries to force itself into the innermost regions, it is checked by good. According to your point of view men kill men be- cause evil prompts them. You are wrong. Men kill men only when there is dire need of killing. When

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8 THE HOLTEN Q ,L iifiigi iii Qfiliflis LITERARY VALEDICTORY Mahatma Gandhi: His Personality and Power There is no figure in the world to- day more important or more interest- ing than Mahatma Gandhi. Although his activities center in India, his sig- nificance is to the entire World. Gandhi's great political objective is the gaining of Swaraj or home rule for India. The desire of India for in- dependence is not remarkable. The leaning toward self-government in the East is one of the inevitable results of the World War. During the war India had been led to believe that some measure of independence would be granted her in return for her loy- alty and support. When, therefore, at the close of the war, Britain's promises were not regarded as being satisfactorily fulfilled, the spirit of India was awakened to revolt. It was at this point that Gandhi assumed the leadership of India. Mahatma Gandhi was brought up as an orthodox Hindu of the third caste of trade and agriculture. In de- fiance of Hindu custom and sanction, he was sent to England to study law. It was during his three years in Lon- don as a student that Gandhi came in contact with the doctrines of na- tionalism and of democracy, which were to influence his future life. Having passed the bar examina- tions, he returned to India and at- tempted to build up a law practice, but as a lawyer he was a failure. His natural timidity and shyness were a- gainst him, and his refusal to prose- cute for debt or to accept cases which seemed to him unjust lost him many clients. Then occurred the incident to which the world owes the discovery of Gandhi. He accepted a legal case in South Africa. While there he saw racial prejudices against the Indians which stirred the depths of his soul. Determined to free his Hindu bro- thers from their shameful oppression