Klamath Union High School - El Rodeo Yearbook (Klamath Falls, OR)

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4 KLAMATH COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL BOOMER. The Holy Grail. WALEDICTORY ORATION BY ALICE LUCILE cox, t07.1 The San Greal, or holy grail, according to the mythology of the Romancers, was the cup out of Which our Lord drank in the last supper with his disciples; It was brought to England by Joseph of Aremathea and remained there for many years an object of adoration and pilgrimage. This cup had the wonderful power to heal all who beheld it, but in order to keep it here on earth those who had charge of it must be chaste and pure in thought and word and deed. There came a time When sin and sorrow abounded in the land and even the court of King Arthur, which was supposed to represent all that was pure and noble, was touched by sin. It was then that the Holy Grail was taken back to heaVen. There lived at King Arthuris court during this time a nun who was the sister of the brave Sir Percival. She was as pure as ever a maiden could be. It was her great desire to live such a pure life that she might see the Holy Grail and perchance bring it back to earth. For this she fasted and prayed. One day she went to her brother,-her eyes shining With a wonderful and beautiful light. .That night she had been awakened by a sound, as of a silver horn, from over the hills which gradually increased as it drew nearer. And then a cold and silvery beam had streamed through her cell, and the Holy Grail, rose-red and beating as if it were alive, softly glided down the long beam until the white walls Iwere dyed with rosy leaping colors. Then the music died away. the Holy Grail vanished, and the quivering lights passed away. She begged him to fast and pray and bid his brother knights to fast and pray that the Holy Grail; might come and dwell among them. When Sir Galahad, the purest and most. noble of all Sir Arthur's knights, heard the story of the vision, his eyes filled with the same beautiful and wonderful light which had shone from the face of the nun. One Summer evening, When King Arthur had left the. court and all the knights had gathered around the round table, Sir Galahad sat in the chair which was called the HSiege Peril-

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KLAMA'11H COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL BOOMER. 3 was unskilled in such matters and had deemed not that they would disturb her happiness in this fair home. i Then it seemed that the V pure walls of the palace grew discolored and gloomy, the sunshine faded away, there was a frown on the face of the prince, and the lovely dream was gone. . Helena sat up and winked the sleep from her eyes. The sun Was low and from the direction of the kitchen came the familiar Sounds of her mother preparing the evening meal. IiWhat a ridiculous dream she laughed, and yet perhaps there is as much truth in it as i11 the story I read this afternoon If some prince SHOULD sometime claim me and carry me to a castle of my own I should hate to be f011nd i11 such a case as I was in my: dream I believe I had better go to work and acquire more skill than I have at present or it might happen so. a ' ' So she left the hammock and the romantic story-book for more practical occupations in the culinary department. 7' '

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Iw Mn. $ur- m u W hat: mm: In? an: mmm' um m: M 1'? 37' punt 0th o What: .mmpc N sown: 311i I canal w'i, m m WTWW aunt wwugzval l1, OW nit, KLAMATH COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL BOOMER. 5 ous. If any one who was not entirely pure sat in this chair they were lost. All at once they heard a great cracking and tearing of the roof, a blast and thunder overhead, and in the thunder a cry and in the blast a long bearn of light smote down the hall, a beam of light which was seven times brighter than day. Down the long beam stole the Holy Grail all covered with a bright and luminous ' cloud that none might see Who bore it, and then it vanished, but each knight saw his brothers face bathed 'in glory. All the knights arose and Sir Percival was the first to speak. He made a vow that since he had not seen the Holy Grail he would ride a year and a day in search of it. Many others made the vow, among - them Sir Galahad the pure. When King Arthur heard of the strange visions and the vows which had been made his heart was filled with sadness. He knew that many Of them who were needed at home had gone in quest of that which they could never find. And so it was; for of all those who went on the great search, Sir Galahad alone was successful. The others traveled far and wide and in many countries, following as it were a mocking fire or phantom cloud. . The Holy Grail symbolizes the higher life; and few there are that find it. There is an awful discipline needed; men must cross the broken bridges over the troubled sea of life that only Galahad traversed in safety. Such quests are only for a few; even Arthur himself, the ordinarily noble soul, cannot undertake the Grail at all times; he has a lowlier human task to fnlfnll first. Those who seek for the Holy Grail need not spend their lives searching for it in many countries and far away; but most often it is found at home and ma lowly form. How often do we who are searching for the higher things in life forget to look for the It is not so much what we do but how we do it; for Christ has said that no matter what we do, even if it be only to give a cup of cold water, if we give it in his name we give unto him also. The poet Lowell has told us the story of another Knight, Sir Launfal, who also searched for the Holy Grail. It was Spring when he started out and it was also in the Spring time of his life. His heart was full of sunshine and hope as his charger sprang He was full of his noble purpose and anxious lowly human tasks first. through the gate.