Humberside Collegiate Institute - Hermes Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

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C1 Z, ?f N we l'lEV2WlEfi' I 11.ff67,. ,f7 HM li if fx 1 IIA. . J f' I ' - - I X 1 I Qi ffvii if il -- 111 -I ' ' ,if ' ' Y .ffl 11 1+ c 1 J 'Ml X .NN breezes sway their branches' the gay I ' ill--I W 4'Xi lil ' 1- - 1 Q1 C1 ll I i C1 E' :lf.:,1L 5,-:W-If LM ,MX M I, pic xeie. .wee , an ye ow an w ite . ijp.,1 :-Ev,-J, W I lywfx. In water-lilies, whose pads provide- seats . A, if -, 3 fl lil. IQ lx If forthe deep-tonecl orchestra of frogs, 'f ggfl' '11, f y ll A ' the marshy bank ablaze with purple I fi loose-strife, always so prodigal of J , li Q bloom, and the shy cardinal flower fl' l ' QN7 . XX hiding its brilliant blossom in some f.. 'l'. XQX l fl! i- Z , 1, --,- 1 I Q shady nook. 1 -A -. iQ I paddle there softly, so that I may ' - leave the solitude undisturbed and ?q -.I have an opportunity of observing the many birds along the shore. In this if ' ' 'C -L l , way I have made many acquaint- ET W: ggi- ances-many of them distant ones, to 'f' 2-. 1- - 7-15 .-fn' be sure-and I have learned much . - I .11 : I A , about the wild ducks, the bitterns, and Years ago, the Tay was a busy canal, but no longer does it echo to the throb of steamboats or ripple to the swirling suction of tug-drawn barge. Seldom now does the put-put of a launch disturb the stillness. The straight cuts of the canal and the winding curves of the river-bed are fast filling with rushes and wild rice. It is a delightful wilderness for flowers, birds and water fowl, and a paradise for those interested in the study of natural science. Each summer I enjoy its beauty more-the distant skyline of graceful elmsg the weeping willows over- hanging the water and slipping their leaves in its sparkling surface, as light the cranes. Last summer, I added another to my list of friends. As I drifted among the eat-tails, one morn- ing, a large bird raised its head, spread out its wings, and soared slowly but strongly farther down the river. My was that the huge bird first thought was a crane. Later in the morning, however, on river, I saw turning a bend in the him again, and decided he was none other than the rare blue heron. What an aristocratic fellow he was, standing quite two feet high when he stretched his neck. This position, however, was apparently not very comfortable, for he always chose to bask in the sun with his head cuddled close to his body. As he again unfolded his immense wings for flight, I saw that his breast and under

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THE I-1ElQIVIQf dred people take part, including those in the orchestra and in the chorus. The actors regard t-heir parts with great rev-erence, and train themselves for the important event by putting on other plays before the year of the main performance. The costumes are all designed and made in the villag-e itself, and are wonderfully true to the characters and to the period. Neither wigs nor make-up are used by the players. The drama is enacted on a large open-air platform, the spectators occupying an auditorium with a capacity of about six thousand. This year, the first performance will be given on the first Sunday in May, and will be repeated every Sunday during the summer, with several extra performances. VVhen it was presented in nineteen hundred and twenty-two, there were sixty-one per- formances and it was estimated that over three hundred thousand people attended. During the last four decades, so famous has the play become, that tourists have flocked to the little village from all over the world, and the proceeds have mounted in proportion. This money is divided into four parts, the largest of which is used to keep up the theatre and defray the 'expenses of the production. Another is laid aside as a village improvement fund, a third given to the church and to the poor of the community, and the fourth part divided among the seven hundred players. ln eighteen hun- dred and eighty, Joseph Maier, then playing the Christus, received two hundred dollars for his summer's work. Many attractive offers have been made to have the players travel and perform their magnificent spectacle in other lands, but so far they have been true to the religious principle guiding them through the centuries. This summer marks another tenth year, and again at the foot of Mt. Kofel will he enacted this greatest drama of the ages. Fortunate are those people who can journey thither and catch the devout sentiment of these simple-minded peasantfolk. -W. f. -llnllasfcr GIICZI F. L. Zlfrffiziz, III-C. My Lake You may talk of your oceans, so vast and so wide, You may talk of your seas, with their high-mounting tideg You may talk of your rivers, all rolling and grand- But give me my lake-the best in the land. lt may not be as huge as the oceans, nor rise With the moon, changing high in the skiesg Its waves may be smaller than those of the sea, But give me my own lake, and happy I'll be. Then give me my boat, and my lake in the north, And I'll take up my oars and fare happily forthg And I'll go where chance wills, and friendly we'll be- I With my lake and my own lake with me. -H. Clark Balmer, IV-A.

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THE I'Il2I'QIXAEf', Y., wings were of a slatish-blue colour thence his namej. Across the upper wings were striking-looking bands of black. After this first glimpse, I watched for opportunities day by day to become better acquainted with my new friend. His neck was long, his beak very sharp, and his tail rather short. His body was small in comparison with the length of his limbs and neck, so that when he stood on his long, slender legs, he appeared very angular and ill- proportioned. But when he llapped his wings and rose above the tree-tops, the angles disappeared and one saw only his majestic grace. Mr. Heron was plump and sleek. and much heavier than he thought he was, for often when l stole up unawares, I would see him try to balance himself upon a slender twig. Snap it would go, and down he would fall with a splash into the water. lt was very amusing to see his pride take a fall, for he usually looked so wise and dignified. v x. One day, I had an opportunity to see him have his mid-day meal. His choice of dishes would appeal to a French epicure, for his main diet is frogs. Mr. Heron skimmed the shallow water, his eye intent upon its muddy bottom. Suddenly, down went the sharp beak and immediately pulled out a fat, juicy frog, which he greedily devoured with one gulp. l often wondered where Mr. Heron had his home. He usually flew away towards a group of tall elms. One day l turned the field glasses in that direction, and could just discern in a crotch, quite fifty feet from the ground, a pile of twigs. Undoubtedly, this was where he kept his family, for the herons build their nests high up in a tree, shaping rough twigs into a strong platform, with a slight de- pression in it, where the mother bird lays her eggs and cares for her young. Some day next summer, in the early morning. l hope to renew my acquaint- ance with the blue heron and his grown-up family on the River Tay. -Helen Illrlfiizz, IV-.-I. fi ifff 'X xxxk 6 ,B'NN-NSXNXEX XXXX 'J . Q- --- . , i 3- f ' H' - 5 ' . , X D T' 4-se, S22 F k Lrg: . I .L Q, -. T A-.xi I IEQM, If' 4 ' i fi H-.47 5 QT- Q'-' I 4 Q , l I