Lick Wilmerding High School - Commencement Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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fune,1927 L1W1L LIFE Hamlet Goes to England K. SERKLAND, 27x. STEALTHY hgure rounded a corner of the castle, and, now looking to the rear and now to the side, made its way cautiously and rheumatically to a small side entrance. There, after another hasty glance backward, it turned to go up the stairs. just at that moment a person in Howing robes stepped out of the door and touched the other on the shoulder. VVhy, now, Polonius, said he, what ails thee ? Polonius gulped nervously and pointed to the corner whence he had just come. HI-Ie -- she --they are around that corner, on the end of the battlements, talk- ing, conversing, and holding speech with one another. Let us away before they espy us. That is, let us hie us to some place of more secure refuge. Well, and what is thy haste? demanded the king, for that royal personage indeed it was. I trust that thou has not been eavesdropping again? And from whom, in any case, should the King of Denmark and his faithful courtier flee? From Hamlet, who will wax full wroth if he know I know his business, said Polonius, once more tugging at the king's robe to urge him away. No doubt he will, returned the king. Is what thou knowest of any importi- to us ? Ay, forsooth. I can tell thee that will make thee leap to action like an arblast from a crossbow, like a hare released from a spring, like a drunken man who smelleth free liquor, or anything thou wilt. But first let us seek a more retired spot, for I fear that Hamlet will shortly come this way. At this, the king, who had heretofore been only amused, assumed a half worried expression and turned to go up the stairs with Polonius, without a word. , The next morning Hamlet might have been seen walking through the gardens, with head bowed, thinking deeply. In his hand was a message from the king, informing him thatthe court had decided to send him to England. The reason given was to avoid disturbances. This might be true, thought Hamlet, and then again there might be a deeper motive underlying the plan. For, though it was true that he had killed Polonius, had not Polonius needed killing? VVas it not more likely that the king suspected how much he knew of his father's murder? This appeared a more logical surmise, so Hamlet resolved to twatch carefully for treachery, retraced his steps to the palace, where an escort was waiting to put him aboard the ship. Still in deep thought, he was shown to his cabin. There he remained for the rest of the day. But that evening, knowing that his companions' cabin was next to his, and, that its tenants were on deck, he slipped into their room and removed their commission. When he read it, his doubts were confirmed. The missive ordered the King of England to put him to death. Though he was startled, Hamletys mind worked quickly. He procured writing materials and changed the order to a request for the deaths of his companions. just as he replaced the counterfeited document, a cry of Pirates l rang out along the decks. Seizing a sword, he rushed out to join the battle. As he reached fRage 191

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L1W1L Lim 4' I I .1une,1927I Romancing in San Francisco Book Shops JULA SAMUELY, 271. HE romance of San Francisco is stowed away in little nooks and corners that seem to be entirely out of place. They are dingy little old shops, most often second-hand book stores. These are the little byways that the old authors are so fond of describing. To most of us they contain. a certain Eg g fascination and interest that is lacking in alarge commercial establishment. Many a time I have wandered along upper Market Street and looked in a window filled with books so dusty from long standing that I could hardly read their titles. Inside are long rows of tables piled high with books of all sorts and descriptions. The high Walls are covered with closely placed book shelves. On one wall are some old classics looking as if they had had a very interesting history since they left the office of their printer. Among these are books printed as long ago as eighteen hundred, or even in the latter part of the eighteenth century. Their linger marks and torn pages enhance their value, and the notes scribbled in pencil on their margins by some fond owner are doubly interesting. On the next wall are medical and scientific books. Here also many valuable books may be discovered. t l 'Zn wg f'c2tf9l fm 15 Farther out are other types of stores. In these there are sometimes long tables of lurid mystery stories and age-old sensation. Heading these are books on character reading, horoscopes, and all types of star gazing and fortune telling pamphlets. Almanacs, containing dry statistics, are almost tempting, so old and dusty do they look. In a far corner sits the old proprietor of the shop. He is a gray-headed bookworm himself, and enjoys nothing better than gloating over his treasures from above the rims of his spectacles. I do believe that every time he parts with a book he goes through all the agonies of parting with a favorite child. I noticed, how- ever, that his favorites were not the handsome classics or the valuable scientific books, but those on the table which contains the mystery stories. The second-hand book stores, however, are not the only interesting ones. In a little shop on Sutter Street there is a rare book room. Visitors are invited and are shown the precious volumes. I-Iere are found First editions of Thackeray, Dickens, Scott, Keats, and many famous authors. But the most irresistible of them all is a little shop down on Mission Street. I have often thought it an injustice to humanity that the immortal Dickens is not here to make it live. On the window in worn and scratched letters is Written, Rare Books and Old Violins . The old shopkeeper and his cronies sit on disabled stools and revel in the atmosphere of romance created by the rare books. Old Jim plays a fiddle which he fondly believes to be many hundreds of years old. Another old man, ragged, blue-eyed and dreamy, sits fondling a battered copy of Poems of a Sailor . It is at a time like this that one longs to be a painter, an author, or a poet, that he might immortalize these old characters. Even if you have lived your lifetime in San Francisco, you know nothing of the real heart and soul of the city until you have discovered the romance in these dingy, dusty, charming old book shops. f Page 181

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if HLTWYLYLIFE .ug Wi g gg gpg gggggg ,fune,l92Zgi the deck a broadside roared, and a shot went whistling past his head. It carried part of the cabin away. A few minutes later the marauding vessel grappled them, and Hamlet, supposing that there would be a hand-to-hand fight, leaped over the bulwark, sword in hand. His progress was checked when his sword entered a man's chest up to the hilt, and a group of pirates surrounded him and seized him before he could withdraw it. His shipmates, instead of standing by to receive boarders, managed to cast off the grappling hooks and break away. From a little distance, her heavier guns worked havoc with the pirates, who were forced to withdraw. They bore with them Hamlet. Seeing that he was a person of some consequence, the sailors took him to the captain. This one, on learning that he was a Dane, told him that if he were one of the common people he should become a member of the pirate crew, but that if he were a noble he must die. VVhy, sir, what's your conceit in that? said Hamlet. The Danes be good sailors and truef' replied the captain, but 'twias their king who drove me to piracy, and he, or any friend he has, may expect no mercy at my hands. lf you should be shown a plan whereby the king would be killed, and you well rewarded for it, what would you say? demanded Hamlet. The captain contemplated him a moment and replied, If thou knowest such a plan, speak. UThe matter is this, returned Hamlet. Know you that I am nephew to the king, and that he has done me a grievous wrong. If thou returnest me to the shores of Denmark, and permittest word to be sent to a good and trusty friend, thou shalt receive an ample ransomg and I, in my turn, will guarantee to set the king's soul at liberty to begin its course through perditionf' Thou soundest more like a pirate than a prince, said the captain. XVander we to safer quarters, where we may plot the furtherance of thy plan. So saying, they disappeared below, and from the captain's cabin came forth sounds of deep thinking all night long. Consolation J. SAMUELY, 271. The sweetest of blossoms that bloom in the spring Were the tiniest buds that were least promising. The vine that was heaviest under the snows Is the one that now offers the creamiest rose. The tiny bird dropped from his nest on the wing Is the one whose sweet songs the wind ecstasies bring. Then, too, the drab bark on the old rugged tree Is the one whose heart harbors a sweet melody. There's life to the north windg there's snap in the mistg A downpour or showers make rainbows exist No matter through what cloud the sun may be shining, It's the same sweet old story --that bright silver lining. I Page 20 I