Marywood Academy - Veritas Yearbook (Grand Rapids, MI)

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'Q 'f ii I 'li .X S around, however, to make the temptation less for him. He has promised not to eat the cut-worm until the job is finished. The worm is ignorant of his fate. VVell, Frankie, keep your hopes buoyed up, your day of sorrow is almost over. Fkaonnz FIRE-FLY. vis ek- fif- Botlle Letters was also reprinted by the educational magazine, Catholic School Interests, with the following comment: Bottle Lrltrrx is reprinted from the January 9th number of The Srholaslir, a national magazine for the schoolroom. The issue from which this richly imaginative, and pleasingly simple bit is clipped was a student- written number, but among the more than forty contributors of prose and verse, Illary Irene Miller was the only representative of a Catholic school. The article is not reprinted because of this last fact, but because it ranked by far as the most delightful offering in the issue. The editors themselves called attention to its unusual merit. WANDERING IN THE MEXICAN W ASTE LAN D Illr. jones was known at his club as the Prospector. In fact, the man had even secretly sought for minerals and precious metals in his own back yard. But that does not say that he had not done prospecting on a larger scale. The story of his adven- tures in the Mexicaii Wastelands was well known at the club, but whenever a new man was pledged, each member had to provide some little thing in the way of enter- tainment, and Nlr. Jones invariably told his story. One cold winter night, after Mr. j. ll. Hazing's initiation, the members settled in the lounging room and IVIr. Jones, after filling and lighting his pipe, proceeded with his st01'y as an opening of the even- ing's program. To begin with, IVIr. Hazing, let me tell you I am the hero of the story. In the exceptionally hot summer of 1900 I was making my way through the thinly inhabited Nlexican VVasteland in search of precious metals which lay beyond. The very few and far between houses I had come across proved to be deserted. For five long days the flaming desert sun, unguarded by trees, streamed upon me. Its rays reflecting on the sand and clay beneath my feet, dazzled my eyes already none too strong. Iyly poor pack mule, weary with starvation and wandering, staggered blindly and obediently along, its poor head drooping almost to the very ground. One day, well along toward sunset, I came upon an adobe hut at first almost indiscernable, owing to the fact that a large spreading growth of cactus almost obscured it from view. Summoning all my remaining strength I stumbled toward the door of the shack. The bristly cactus impeded my progress and it seemed as if I never could reach my goal. I knocked- yet it could scarcely be called a knock, the rapping of a child could better be heard. After what seemed almost an eternity of waiting, the old rusty door opened part way on its creaking hinges and a tall, forbidding looking woman stood on the threshold. Her black eyes took in my whole appearance with one long, steady gaze. She was like a statue, so immovable did she seem. .In a voice so weak it could scarcely be recognized as my own, I began haltingly to ask for the food and drink which I sought. For an intense instant her expression changed. There was a slight shifting of her eyes toward the rear of the hut, but only for an instant, and she regained that steady gaze. Even during these few tense seconds my strength was rapidly waning. Was this chance of aid to come to naught? Finally, it seemed that millions of thoughts and questions had rapidly passed through her mind before she wearily nodded that I was to come in, and stood aside as I entered. I 9 'I I3 Page Tlurly 1 un

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Page Thirty-six .. , .'3g, BOTTLE LE'I 1'ERS if N Clleprinted from the Student-written Number of the Scholastic, LETTER NO. I 500 Ft. Above Sea Level. To Any Fellow-Firefiy VVho lNIay Come Upon This lVIissive: I am at the top of Stony Cliff which rises at the edge of the huckleberry forest. l am held captive by a family of shalligars-huge birds with horny, hooked beaks, great wide wings, and talons like the steel points of a pitchfork. I will explain my situation so that anyone with even a wee soft spot in his heart will pity and help me in this my hour of despair. One evening about two weeks ago, as I was flying about humming the Anvil Chorus and shedding my cheery sparks in all directions, I spied, first two and then four great moon-like orbs staring out of the darkness at me. I was almost liquified with fear and fell senseless to the earth. I awoke later to find myself chained with a huge horse-hair to the end of a straw which was part of the nest of the shalligars of the moony eyes. They keep me here to furnish light when the mother or father shalligar must get up in the night to End food foratheir ever hungry baby shalligars, or when the father must pace the nest with a howling young one. I will give a few directions for my rescue which can be carried out with facility. The shalligars sleep best between the hours of eight and ten. Bring with you a cut-worm, and wait for about half an hour after the Pipsisewah roars, for the family takes this as a signal for retiring. Approach silently, IVIrs. Shalligar is a light sleeper, and have the cut-worm eat away the hair which bindsme about the wings and body. I write this by the light of myself with my right antenna dipped in my copious tears made blue by the sky which hangs so near to me, upon a dried blade of grass which the wind wafted my way. I will enclose it in the next raindrop which falls near me and then trust to the love of 1ny brother and sister fireflies to rescue me from this awful slavery which is worse than death. FRANKIE FIRE-FLY. ik 952 LETTER NO. 2 Huckleberry Forest. Dear Frankie Fire-Fly: Your letter fell into good hands. In fact, I am your forty-second cousin on your father's side and thirty-fourth on your mother's. Thus you see that one so closely connected with the family could not fail to assist one of its members who is in such dire trouble. I have set the second night after you receive this letter as the time for your rescue. Here are the details: On the night appointed at the time set, namely, about half an hour after the Pipsisewah roars, you must keep awake and at intervals of two or three minutes light yourself for about two seconds. This will show us your exact where- abouts, and it must also be a signal that the shalligars are asleep and that the time is ripe for work. I have enlisted the services of that excellent bird, the calaril, to carry us to and from the cliff, also to bring this letter to you. He has been almost entirely cured of eating firefiies by swallowing a red-hot one and suffering such internal burns that he has not attempted it since. You had better keep glowing while he is U a i .1 if fi

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Y li R I 'I' A S f'The hut contained only one large room, rudely furnished. What impressed me most was its cleanliness. Therein did this differ from the other hflexican huts. I sat down and she prepared the food, quietly, but efficiently. Still, no word escaped her compressed lips. What motive had prompted her finally to allow my entrance? VVhile I hungrily ate, she kept her steady eyes upon me. At last, my hunger was satisfied, my thirst was quenched. Looking up, I noticed that her lips parted two or three times as if to speak, and quickly snapped together again. Something bothered her and she felt she must, for her own peace of mind, tell someone. At last she made a final effort, and to my astonished ears came forth this story: Less than a year ago another weary prospector had stopped at that very door. She had allowed his entrance with abso- lutely no hesitation. Her husband had come out to make the greeting even more gracious. The man hungrily had devoured the food and unsatisfied with this, had asked for a large quantity of money. Her husband refused this request and the man, half crazed by his wanderings, engaged in a fight with her husband, finally killing him. Since then she had dwelt there alone, distrusting everyone. All were turned from her door. Yet, she said, something in my condition rekindled a spark of pity in her and she sought signs of unfaithfulness in my countenance. Something told her that all men were not unfaithful to a trust and she took the chance. Now, concluded Mr. Jones, as men Will, had it not been for the chance that woman took I should not be here to tell you this story tonight. -H ELEN IVICKENNA, '26. KING HENRY THE FIFTH King Henry the Fifth, with whom we became so intimately acquainted in Henry the Fourth as the jolly good--for-nothing, foppish Prince Hal, now appears to us as the majestic, powerful, and royal sovereign. He is what we call a developing character. To prove this fact we must review his youth as does the Archbishop of Canterbury in the opening scene of King Henry the Fifth. Hal, the Prince of VVales and heir apparent to the throne of England, was a mis- chievous but honorable young man. We see him exchanging jokes, punning Words, and coining names with old Falstaff. Yes, it is he who goes on the robbing expedition, and he who is found joking in the tavern. Do we admire such a man? Certainly we do not admire his associates and their questionable habits, yet it is his own will power that keeps him from drinking, rectifies the thieving and makes good the debts of his friend. Is not this the test? Then as suddenly as a butterfly emerges from the Chrysalis, we see him rise from that life, lead a vast army, and Hnally kill Harry Hotspur. After the death of his father, we recognize that same jovial Hal, reluctantly assuming the responsibility of the crown, debating in commercial affairs, discoursing of war and fearful battles as if that had been his study. Now we see him carrying the affairs of his kingdom. He is business-like and blunt, allowing no time for trifling with his courtiers. He is determined in his treat- ment of the Dauphin and holds to his opinion regarding the seizure of lands. He is self-reliant and independent. He respected the opinions of the Lords merely through policy, as he always used his own judgment in settling any matters of importance. We admire him now and realize his greatness, while before we were apt to appre- ciate him more for his wit. -EIQGENIA SCHMITZ, y27. 1 9 2 6-I I Inge I'l1uly eight