Louisiana Polytechnic Institute - Lagniappe Yearbook (Ruston, LA)

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McNairy will now have his turn, and I am mute for want of suitable words with which to sound forth his praises. Truly has it been said that some men are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them. How true of McNairy! He is one of the central figures in this the twentieth century; for he is one of the seven wisest creatures in existence, and his charming manners, and gentle graces have won him friends by the score. However, I never realized the aching void our absence would leave behind us until last week. I by chance was an unobserved visitor in Mr. Keeney’s office. The temptation of watching him check up our records, giving a pass here and there as he saw fit, was too great for me, so I tarried to see what would happen. He seemed literally wrapped in deepest thought and I wondered what the outcome would be, but a wave of tenderness swept over his dear fatherly face, and I heard him exclaim, “I’ve tried hard to keep them, but I’ll do the thing that I know I ought to do, and let them go, for I know every one of them will make themselves ‘worth while’.” I stood appalled in his presence, for of this I never dreamed, but, fellow students, let me admonish you to wind yourselves around his heart-strings, as it has been our great privilege and pleasure to do, and you will never have cause to regret it, for to this class he has ever been the councilor, the friend, and the true brother, and each of us will remember him with love. Before I close this great history, I wish to record that to each and all of the faculty 1 bring our trophies of the battle fields, for second mily to my mother, I hold you most dear. Mr. Roosevelt says that he doesn’t care how brave, how honorable, how honest a man is, if he is a natural born fool he can not be a success. He must have the saving grace of common sense, the right kind of heart, must be upright, decent, and brave, but above all must have common sense and intelligence. If he has these, then he has in him the making of a first class American citizen. Do you suppose that when he uttered these words he ever even so much as dreamed of the possibility of such an American citizen? Doubtless he never did, so it must be with happy pride that the Industrial Institute of Louisiana presents, as her maiden gift, to the grand old Republic, this wonderful seven. M. V. K. 29

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thing was ready. Nell, in her eagerness to do the right thing, upset the water tumbler and cried about it until it took us all to comfort her. I have heard of tears over spilled milk, but this is the first time I ever saw them shed over just a simple glass of water. Once not so far removed into the dreamy past, our beloved and dignified Marion lost his dignity so far as to actually run down these ancient and majestic halls. As he neared the back entrance a great, merciless bird swooped down upon him and carried him away in his cruel clutches to his grim and horrible nest. Poor Marion! we were doubtful of his fate, and with bated breath we anxiously waited to learn of his doom. After a few hours he returned to us, and since that day he has worn a sad, solemn expression. There is only one serious member in this great assembly of master minds, and that is Cora. She is the maiden who tries to solve the problem of evolution and is especially inter¬ ested in man’s origin. At times she is ruled by involuntary action of the will and not by reason. It has been said that history repeats itself, but in this particular instance I hope it will never prove true. Last year on that memorable first of April a little tragedy was enacted within the Dormitory walls. Cora, our fair member, had swept away the bonds of restraint, as had all the rest of the class, and had celebrated her birthday as she thought proper by innocent fun at the old Chautauqua grounds. But like all other good things it came to an end, and when the slanting rays of the evening sun announced that the day had ebbed away it found her wandering footsteps nearing the sheltering walls of this her Alma Mater. Things went very well till she was in her own dear little room that night, when all at once a spectre appeared to her, and announced her doom. Cora looked down from her superior height upon the apparition, and with pleading- voice begged for mercy. Will, the true and brave spirit that he is, has always faced work with the heroic resolution to do or die. As a class we have a warm place in our hearts for him, and we girls always know that he has his pockets stuffed with gum, with which we have eased many a difficult task in days gone by. But when he speaks we bow before his extraordinary powers, for it is with the wisdom of the great lawgivers that he offers his words of counsel; it flows forth as from a boundless ocean, and we can but reverence his mighty gifts. But every morning he uses one hour to curl his hair, and if he could overcome some of his vanity he—well, he would be the star of the mighty seven. Since remotest antiquity, size of stature has never been the measure of man ' s intelli¬ gence, and certainly not of woman’s. If size had been a specified requisite for citizenship, Louisiana would have lost one of her proudest citizens. Jena, the dwarf of our class, is gifted with a wonderful mind and has in her keeping the invaluable faculty of a great and fantastic imagination. She can weave most wonderful stories, whose woof and webb have their origin in her own fertile brain, and for hours she has entertained the class, especially in the English department, by pouring into Mr. Collins’ sympathetic ear her great and heroic deeds in class work in the little past just behind us. But we knew the ruse and we thank her, for it was a sure means of delivering us from the hands of the enemy; for while he drank in her gentle words he let glide the hour of our work. She has not learned the golden lesson of humility, and sjie holds her head high in the air when passing along the halls and from room to room. 28

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m 1 m Colors : Old Gold and White. Flower : Daisy. Motto : “Be up and doing.” OFFICERS. Tom McCall . Fannie Burroughs Ruth Knowles . .. Minnie Rawls W. H. Tipton .... . President. . Vice-President. Secretary-T reasu rer. . Historian. . Poet. 30