Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts - Mohawk Yearbook (North Adams, MA)

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.LLA4 .A..L.4..L.l.AJ Glass llbtophecp 1Flo. 2 All my heart seemed bent on slumber But though in my bed I nestled, Sleep in vain had sought my eyelids For I lay there, thinking, thinking, While my tired brain went weaving Back and forth and in and outward, As a spider with her tracing Spins a'web of sheerest gossamer. So I lay there in the darkness, Velvet darkness, soft caressing, Lifted, swayed, and touched my forehead, Lulled me into rest and quiet, And I sank into a slumber, Half a dream and half a vision Till I saw in haze before me Days, that in the life of many Dearest are, those days at Normal. Rose and silver, opalescent, Rose and silver, intermingled, Gladsome days in youth's gay springtime. S0 I wandered out through dreamland Wreathed in gauzy mists of slumber. And a sighing led me onward Seeking that of which I knew notg Onward, through the pale green mosses, Dripping with the dew of nightfall, Onward, through the clinging bushes, Through the beds of purple lilies, Through the fleur-de-lis and violets, Till a voice within me murmured, Whispered low, Your search is ended. And I saw a grove about me Cleared of all the under-bushes. There, like guards of Fate, were standing, Tall and stern., like Druid temples, Swishing pines, tha-t moved and murmured Till their murmurs grew to whispers, And their whispers grew to voices, Till they spoke in proclamation: Listen to this tale we tell thee, Listen to our words of wisdom. Prophets of thy future are we. It behooves thee well to listen. Then the voices fell to silence. Still I listened there, in waiting, Held my breath in sobbing silence, Till a wandering breeze set whispering, Druid voices, fate portending, And with startled heart I listened To the words the night breeze brought me. To a certain shop in Paris, Followers of a new cult wander. There to see above the doorway, 'Clarke and Coue-No more illness.' And to hear a voice a-chanting, 'Come and throw away your crutches. See and walk, you blind and lame ones. Day by day, you doubters, scornful, Better and better, grow the faithfulf After pausing in the breezes Again the swishing grew to voices: In from Williamstown each morning Came a girl whom you loved dearly. 'Lil' for short you often called her. Now she lives in Cincinnati. Teaches dancing for beginners, Social dancing, of the latest. Happy there your Lil is living. Teaching in the Normal Art School, Designing raiment as a sideline, There is Alice Smith, our classmate, Clever in all lines of working She at last has found her calling. And this last you soft must whisper Only to your close companions, Alice Smith is really married In spite of all her protestations Fast and furious, made at Normal, The same as in Fate's every card game Hearts were trumps and Al was winner Congratulations to you, Alice! Again a zephyr stirred the pine trees To their customary chatter, In the Old Ladies' Home at Pittsfield Eighty years from now, you'll wander, There to find Peg Shea, Ann Larkin, Two old pals in years at Normal. Now the very instigators Of a plan for civic welfare. They have formed an Anti-Flirt Club. Thus things change, you see. dear classmates N ow the voices in the branches Swelled, and grew to great proportions. Sang and shouted to the breezes: Your Beth Dunphy teaches music In a finishing school for women. Hearken to the song they're singing. Hearken, said the breezes rightly. And I thought my ears deceived me, For swelling out upon the night wind, Came that song, Beth's only favorite, No, the breezes shouted loudly And the air called back in triumph, We have some bananas today. Then a voice as though exhausted, Said in tones soft and pellucid, Out upon the fragrant prairie, Where a rancher lives in comfort, You will find a classmate living. Medbury, is her name no longer But her life long wish is granted For now she looks at Starrs forever. Now all voices joined in chorus As though refreshed at Mabel's story: In a double house are living In a city, fair and beauteous, Classmates two, and living peacefully. One has one side, one the other: One has one child, one the other, Olive Iles and Ruthie Reynolds, Life long pals and boon companions. And the voices fast continued: In that city, fair and beauteous, Happily, lives another couple: Helen O'Neill and our Blanche Olsted, Partners in their life's vocation, Directors in a fine gymnasium. And the night wind gently touched me, To my very skin seemed soothing. And no wonder, for the statement Made by all the breezes solved it. Principal of a school in Pittsfield, Reputation, wins Kay Drennan. And a little side experiment

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THE AXIS 25 IDYDDDBCP mo. 1 What a coldness clutched my heart! What a shiver in- Vaded my spine as I entered that room, deathlike in its stillness. The single candle sputtering and flickering in the comer doggedly did its duty. On the walls and over the scant furniture, grotesque and awful figures danced in sol- emn, sad succession. A single chair, weary of life, was lean- ing dejectedly against the wall. Suddenly a shrill scream broke the silence. The candle flickered, fiamed, and died. The hush of the room seemed to be broken for a moment and with the return of that ominous quiet I became aware of a presence. A voice, sweet as the song of a thrush, startled my ears by saying, Long, long ago, as far back as '23, you took a trip to Washington with your class. A visit to the Capitol was made. When you were leaving to each one was granted a wish. You deliberated a moment and then wished that you might at some time know what each member of your class was doing. Many years have passed since that day, but we have now decided that the time has come for such a disclosure. I am to reveal the facts to you. Do you remember how skilful Rit Agan was with a bas- ketball? She has increased her efficiency, for today three balls hang outside the little shop she runs. It is conducted exclusively for Normal students and Rit accepts everything from broken down hairnets to a contract for Teachers' Pension. There is an author of great renown, known as Marg. Dadson. Her latest and most popular book is entitled, 'The Faithful Shepherd's Son.' Edith Fobes, after the training she received at North Adams Normal, has taken a position as night-watchwoman on board The Monitor. Here, her duty is light compared to what it was in Normal for everyone observes the 'ten bells' signal. Harriet Hawks, Harriet Hawks! Oh! yes. Many moons ago she was in a tableau at Drury Hall. What a charming bride she made! A certain Archie was present that evening and from that day forth decided that Harriet should be none but his. He is still striving to win her heart by singing hymns to her every Sunday. A sweet and dignified lassie dances before my vision. Yes, it is Gladys Hall. Gladys has taken pity on her less fortunate sisters and, to assist them in the rules of etiquette, she has invented a square knife with a contrivance by which peas may be safely and gracefully conducted from the plate to the mouth. Ah! The column which attracts the women-the only reason for which they buy the Boston Advertiser. You've guessed it, the Lonely Hearts' Column, edited by Florence Mack. Florence has had much experience and is fully qual- ified to answer all questions that bob up. What is that I hear, a song? 'Pat McCarty, hale and hearty! Pat went in for a number of things. She started a barber shop, a second-hand clothing establishment, and finally ended up by inventing a mouse trap, guaranteed to catch all night prowlers without hurting either the trapper or the trapped. It is absolutely noiseless. Edith McCann has gone in for music. She and Irene Messier travel together and conduct, very successful con- certs. As a result the two young ladies are now touring the country in their own Fierce Sparrows. 'Soup' for the first course? Oh, no, we're just chatting about 'Gene' O'Brien. After teaching a few years Gene decided she was equally talented as an artist. From actual observation she has produced a painting which is in great demand by the whole class of '23. The name of it is 'The Blue Boy.' A short history, wr it'ten by the author, accom- panies each copy. Was there a Kathleen McCann in your class? She has developed into a very efiicient business woman. Kathleen is manager of a guide tour in Washington. Occasionally Kat allows her husband to accompany her on her tours about the city, to keep him in practice for special parties. There is another member of the Class in Washington- Louise McDonough, who has taken an office position there. Since Louise's arrival in 'No Man's Land' the name has lost its significance. A frequent visitor to Miss McDonough's abode is Ruth Potter. Ruth is a leading politician and spends quite a bit of her time in the District of Columbia. All letters to Miss Potter may be addressed to the Winston Hotel, Washington, D. C. A married woman is also in your class. You knew her as Joe Mooney. Joe lives in Yonkers with her husband and two children, Henry and Josephine. Have you seen the new screen actress? Yes, it is your own darling 'Marj' Kennedy. Marj has replaced a name- sake of hers, the famous Madge Kennedy. You had in your midst a Salvation Army lass, Jessie Scott. Jessie has done much for the organization, partly because of the fact that she looks so charming in her uniform. Your best all round girl, Madeline Tracy, was always the kind who liked her 'Bills' to come promptly the first of every week and preferred 'Gym' on Wednesdays and Fri- days. She is now attempting to get bills from Jims. From door to door she trudges with her little set of books, in- quiring, 'Have you had one of these'?' She has an able as- sistant in Gladys Wemple, her silent but powerful partner. Ruth Wilder never liked cats but, to strengthen her will and incidentally to put some psychology into practice, Ruth has established a home for these little creatures. Ding, dong, bell! 'Dot' Wheeler heard bells once too often. The last ones were the wedding bells for Dot is the happy wife of a lumber merchant. He has a flourishing trade selling toothpicks. It was once believed that Ruth Nesbit would lose her buttons, but 'Neb' has turned the tables on you. Because of the diligent way in which she used the early hours of her Junior year, after waking her businesslike neighbor, Nebby is now a skilled seamstress. 'Jack of all trades and master of all' is Beth Cooke. Beth has taken up a number of things. VVhile rooming in No. 13 Beth became interested in bees, and as a result spent much time teaching bees to call each other, 'Little bunch 0' honey? Beth also made a success of swimming. Through her efforts everything from stones to ducks make an aesthetic appearance in the water. The last thing this 'peppy person' did was to establish an institution for refugees made home- less through fires. You would never recognize Catherine McCarty. She is traveling as the fat woman in the circus of which Gert Tyei is manager. It happens to be the Barnum and Bailey Circus. What was that I heard-a bell? Not one, but two, no three. It was half past six and these were the rising bells It had all been a dream. Katherine Drennan

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THE AXIS Makes her even more so famous- Ask your favorite druggist for it, 'Kay's Complexion Cream'g he'll have it. And I remembered how we always Used to wish we knew your secret In those days at Normal, Kay dear. Again the night wind swelled with music And the breezes spoke t-ogether- Kay McMahon, a great composer, Wrote this song and many others. Music supervisor is she, In that place called New York City. Quite a future, Kay McMahon! Then the music faded softly Into one grand acclamation, As for some great person shouting: And I listened to the voices: Bessie Hurley, the class darling, Is a senator at Congress, Favorite speaker of both Houses, Honors the name of Massachusetts! Hail to Bessie, our class darling! All at once a deadly silence Fell upon the night winds' sighing. Would they speak no more that evening? Maybe not: but, yes, a voice stirred, Whispered, rustled into speaking: See this picture here before you,- Tall and stately, on a hilltop Stands a mansion, 'Sheerin's Boys' School, And the matron, Alice Sheerin, Is a woman well worth knowing. Now her one strong regulation Makes us think of days at Normal: 'Any negroes herein entering,- And the same applies to Chinese- Are required to bleach complexions. This, per order of the Matron. Reason :-Recall that trip to Washington. Then the breezes laughing softly Kissed my brow and swept to northward, Leaving this among the branches: In from Williamstown with Lillian Every morning came Peg Dunfrey. Now our Peg has wandered southward, Wandered into New York City. There to start a shop for women. Fashion worships at her footstool. At her word, turn whims of fancy. Queen of beauty, found in Paris. Then the breezes blew on calmly, Steadily spoke the Druid voices: If you'd ever chance to wander Back some day to N. A. Normal, There to find a matron living, Know her for your Marion Woodard. Know you that she was House President In the year '23 at Normal, And so well she did her duty That she now presides as Matron. Then the breezes started dancing As a violin bow dances Till they spoke in measures lilting: Married to a splendid fellow, Happy now is Pauline Johnson. But because she still loves dancing, She composes dances now-a-days, And is joyful in her fancy. So the dancing breeze continued Softly, to the words that followed: Dancing feet trip ever lightly In Miss Edwards's lisle stockings. So you have a patent, Bunnie, Queer it is that they are lisle. Then the breezes, soft and crooning, Sang a lullaby of dove notes, Sweet and low, the breezes whispered, Sweet and low, the echoes murmured. And so the lullaby continued And they said: Look at this picture, In a cunning little love-nest, Sits your Carrie Finck a-rocking, While dimpled hands rub curly top-knot And a voice says, 'Sleepy Muvver.' Oh, those breezes, how they scampered Coming Through the Rye, they shouted, While the Druid voices murmured: Margaret Dowriei your own classmate, Now at length a book has written, And the title is 'Scotch Folk-Tales.' W' Happy then the zephyrs shouted Till I heard a girl's voice singing Top o' the Mornin' sang she blithely, And I thought of Bessie Barber. Then the breezes spoke in union: Prima donna now is Bessie, Singer at the courts of Europe. All the little breezes brought me Scents of flowers in their bosoms, And the voices still relating Said in accents mild and mellow: Grace Bunnell is in a city, Owner of hair dressing parlors, Dressing hair and selling flowers, So her life-long wish is granted. Then the winds blew through the tree tops And the clicking of the branches Sounded like a busy ofiice. All the breezes whispered gently: Genevieve Coffey now is working In an ofhce where she's manager. Famous now is your 'Gen' Coffey. Then the idle zephyrs brought me The sweet clean smell of new-turned furrows And the voices of the Druids Spoke in accents faint and distant: Gertrude Mazanec now is partner Of Luther Burbank, far renowned. Now she's famous and successful- Honors Class of Twenty-Three now. Gertrude Boyle is now in business, Keeps a boarding house in Boston. O. Henry is her favorite author. Then, in fading, dying music, The mystic breezes ceased to murmur. And in fading, left behind them Incense of a Druid temple. Then a small, far voice spoke gently Further search is futile, mortal Stay not here, for all is ended. Depart, frail one, and come back never. So I rose and started horiieward. Homeward, through the purple mid-night While the sky above me glistened, . Shone with souls of by-gone lovers, Stars of heaven, looking downward.