Masters School - Masterpieces Yearbook (Dobbs Ferry, NY)

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TI-IE SPANISH SHAWL By VIRGINIA ROWLAND PI-IOSrI LV 'n r drops of molsture on my forehead and my h11r only partlally covered by 1 tmy Phu cap vy1s crlsply curlrn The fo drrpped softly from the trees, and shrouded every object wxth a mystxc whxteness 'Phe crles rn the dense dark around me had 1n eerle sound sllghtly muffled and especxally vague rn the dlrectlon of Thorneloe Only the door of the great bulldmg I h1d just left w1s y1s1ble and from lt hurrned a stre1m of figures, lrke a swarm of bees But I hastened forw1rd keeplng my eyes on the gllmmefln street lamp at the corner 'Ihe mrstv bl1nket had softened the light to a pale blur and I looked m v11n for the splndlyf figure of the night vyatchm1n I walked slowly now slrppm on 1 stretch of lce now splash ln ln a rut of freezlng w1ter Tod1y we had closed 1 welcome door on the week lNews 1nd C,hor1l yycrt oy er but the frled codfish and odor of omons were yet to come Frlday was 1lso the nlght for my green flannel dress and for yamlla lee cream wrth chocolate sauce The Lmdens was the only house on the campus whlch had ICL cre1m on Fr1d1ys The ymces behmd me we dlrectlon of the buxldxng drew near 'and suddenly I c1me ln cont1ct wlth a bullet he1d and sharp knees Who the whv rt s Gm' Let me h1ve the thlrd w1ll you? I called Fme Salhe 1nd then laughed quletly at my self 1s they turned off at FIFSI House Fr1d1yl I h1d been thmkm thrs an ord1n1ry Frlday thls bug est best nm ht of the school ye1r After weeks of elaborate plans of dance dates, of fussmg oyer costumes of yyluspers and excxtcment I h1d on the ycry m ht for otttn the D A 'X Estherwood german The cod would be turkey, cake would supplement the ICC cre1m 1nd mv scratchy green fl1nnel would be a Spamsh shawl rlch sllken, flower embroxdered My halr would wear a hmgh carved comb Vhth a toss of my he1d would sound the muslc of tmklmg earrings And the hrgh lxttle heels of my slippers would be pamted a brxght scarlet The shawl had been one of my grandmother s t easures and was yery grudgmgly loaned for my costume as an arlstocrat of old Castrle Truly lt was a rrch sllk m whose heayy mvory folds were worked the gay flowers of Spam I loved lts satm smoothness as lt folded oyer my shoulders and draped beneath one arm I was the most fortun1te of all for no one could boast as exqumslte a s awl 1s I Ey en the llttle ch1rwoman cnny had gazed at ll wrde eyed I had found her ln our room the other mornmg She was a pathetlc llttle figure as she stood dr1b and worn ln our sunny brwht colored room She had scrubbed the floors wlth all th strength of her puny bodv her yolummous p1tched gray dress and yylspm 23 ' ,- A.. .mn f..,c... LA nl I..,- ,-..,... . ,.,.,..l AAI La x.: A btbdl use neun Inc mL1tIlA5 anuw. I cuutil feet Inc - ' v V . v . v x 4 Q , Y . V . . . . . , '. . g. g 1 x K K I , ' L Q u K , I' g . . 4 Y Y . . rr . Q - 1 . , ,C r , , g 4 ' . 4 4 .4,, T ' v, , v ' ' . 1 . , . V . Y . Y . 4 . Y . . . . . . . Q . . . - 1 . '. , m L , , C 4 lv K t 1 - C u an - 1 - - ' , n I , . f , . u - - an ' Y V Q y 2 ' 1 ' ' ' .UU 'U ' 2 c v c . ' ' . , x V . . a 1 S - 1 . , - ' Y' g , g ' . I . . .- . . . . I K , 4 K TT , - 1 . . ,. I Y v , . 4 . Q , I ' . V a , . 1 . e, r V ' . , , . . . . . . H . - s ' Y . ' 1 3 . . ! V . .1 . . . , .I 2 ' . , , . , D - . . e , v - ' . V w '- if

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And naught IS left of 111 thy glfllill tmm For when the rose nlltd month ot une wxs near Some went former some until ntptt year The slghts 'md sounds of populfttlon ful lNo cheerful screlmlnff ffrttts the morning mul No buss steps the grfass ffrovtn clrele treud No long proeesslon to the church 18 led Those busy hours when lessons held the sw '13 NL UIS t N lOllLN Wkllll lIl5 'Y Those healthful sport thtt frrzttcl the peietful scene, Lned m e1Ch look, 'mtl bI'l lltCI1t.ll 111 the green T ose, fu depwrtmff Vblfll the urls ure td u IS tt Sweet Dobhsl thou pwrent of the bll99l:lll hour Thy Qlatles forlorn 'Ire bne of 'gurl 'intl flower Here, is I twke nu solltwry roundz And mint '1 clfu elftpsul, return to new Wmcrt once, tVS0llL1IlllILCl uls plwsecl umlttcl 'md frrtu mtmlr ut x t e ls II! mx hu mst ul 1 Iltes IH 11185 mx t ut ut, 111 1 mx xx mc erm rs IUllI1Ll lllS world ot C e n all mx ffrlefs mc ml VXI out ms shire stlll rememhel mn mx l1 LpplI'lkwb OI strlte Dobbs cltstxt tl l D hhs l1 R h 1 on , ,, , A J I y 'l'hoe- ho of cone -rt', n F- 1: 3 :1lf'-- ' Q z g s :' C 1 X- , I , h t . . ' t, Q 5 : 2 fl' Fc ' it is holitlzus :xml Dohhs l-nfl. Y W A 1 ' X. I Y , 1 1 1' e l L ,, Amidst thy empty walks and tnngling grounds, K K li, 1 , t . , , 1,, 4 , .H Q2 y :,Y Re ' V11 'e Yrxlcws, with :xll her vloyotxs pzxfn, QW l 5 ' Y' '-: Q-nz nz ' ' e luff n j ruin. B 'zll 1' 1 1V9,'-t tf' ' nr, I . ft' 1G ll: f t D Illlf ll' . 'ti' '. H Not . 1 e -aut o I Vit l'fmfl

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hair, both flapping with the same motion. Tl1e shawl had been lying o11 the bed, and she had crept up to look at it. The ruff rolled aside, a stream of water trickling from tl1e mop, a scrubbing brusl1 and a cake of smelly yellow soap ly mg bes1de tl1e pa1l, her tlllll red fingers had wayermgly toucl1ed the lonffest frmge The recollectlon of enny s look of passlonate longmg sober d my I'lSII1g sp1r1ts for a moment, and my stumblmfr r11n slowed down to a walk Yes, undoubtedly enny had not an ent1c1nff land of emstence But by th1s tlme I had reached the street lamp and there was the frlendly watch man From under h1s great coat h1s legs looked absurdly th1n and reedy H15 face was caday erous He called to me 1n a br1sk, cheery lngh greetmg as he stood teetermv back and forth on l11s toes, l11s m1sty lamp swmfflnff about h1s knees I passed h1m and flew across the road, and shppmg over tl1e treacherous ICI 1nd deep pools, ran down our dr11e The german thls year, It was whlspered, was to be elaborate and especlally exc1t1nfr That new members were to be taken on the D A A was the pers1stent 111mor and I had bet most of my next week s ca11dy on the cho1ces I could almost hear the orchestra a spec1al one and I carelessly sped 11p tl1e steps of Lmdens X 1 rule lt would have been a most reckless proceedmv for two respected lIl1l1'lI s had had an hlstorlc tumble on those steps one sleety nwht and so from Decem ber to hflarch we ascended them w1tl1 ca1c B11rst1nff opfn tl1e door I 1n1d for the sta1rs hes, there yyas no atroc1o11s smell of Ofllfllls, and tl1e door to the dmmg room yy IS myster1o11sly closed 'XI1y be 1 yeas o11ly 1 ch11 aut poss1bly tl1e t1ble yyould lat decor1ted Xxltll 1 llillllj le rt re farded rules, and leaped up th sta1rs tvyo at 1 t1me I reached tl1e l'lI'ldlU'T 1nd 1 ltll a slngle hound 1nd push, H1111 f yy1de ooen o111 door 1r11ptly hiltlllf on tl1e ehresl ld 1 1nle 1 o 1 111 x11cte1 1 t 1ttle blue lamp hety een 111 be a1 e e 1 s 1oo1r1 Peff s bureau was l1ttered yy1th combs P11197 p1ct11res, and bottles 'Vlafa71n s 11 1 e eu tam ay Ink QI ots sp1ttere1 Ile br1 lht hlotters, the ruff l1ad frayed where the closet doo1 syyunef oyer lt X b11y nlloyy l y on the floor, on tl1e co1t r1ele s1lyer rnuslexat a11d l11rnber1r1en shnes hunf f 1otesquely tofretherr Ll a U1 of mateless arct1cs and rubbers Xnd finally on tl1e counterpane folded yfy1th m 1rleed care 1n that orderless room draped Peff s shawl, shaded orange and cr1mson, d 1rk flowers ymth frolden cente1s Her tyyo sllm sllppers w1th heels pI'lIT1lX toffether stood on tl1e comforte1 I ipI lI1'Y 1nto tl1e room and t11rned tovy ard my b d but I ll3I'LlDfll stopp d Xkflfll th 1tt e f1een yuffs of hot water 9IIINllIlU' If 1er t t 1 r mop tl tee afunst t1e reau, 1nd her back to me, n1y s ffllflllkfl T t ef It 11 e II the 1n11 eechless, he1 Ullgfilllflf ey t she d ed t e q3WI1l9ll sh1yyl mo c osely nound l1er s111 lll fr1111e 1nd clutched It t111tl1 u11der l1e1 Clllll IC s ooe rooted U der the 111 fl1 C4ll1l3, h1l111ced IH the sualse h11r, I1 eye r yy as lll 'lCI' than 1ts mate Ll cheeks yyere flacenl Th d111 1 c 4 I 5 4 I g 1 1 f g 4 .1 V, ' 1 1. . 1. . 1 1 1 , 1 1 U . 1 . J , 11 . 1 . 1 11 .1 . 1 1 1 1 1 1 , 1 1 1 1 1 . .1 1 11 .1 . 1 . a 1 1 . . .1 1 1 . Q. 5 . C I 6 5 11 ' 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 ' V I ne K- A K 1 e .1 V 1, I I :g 4 1 Q n a ... . , 4 , C Y . n C e sn 1 -11 ' -1 1 11 ' 1 1 ' 1 1' sz ' 1 ' by 1 1 ' 1 e1 1 . . .1 1 1 1 1 ' .1 1 1 ' 1 ' . .1 ' S 3 1 ' .e 1 ' ' 1 'z ' 111' . 1' 11' 1-'t ' 1 1' z 5.1 ce, l f : ' 1 1 1 1 . I' a 1o11 ' L l 1:1 I dis- 51 1 1. e . 1' 1 ' 1 1 ' 1. 11 1 1 ' S 2 'J' 1 1' f 2 1 1 5 , ' . Al 1 ' 5 1 ' 'flll , ll' '11 g fr II the' 1e.'1 ' -l l'ght of he l' 1 1 1 o ' als, my gl11c1 l:Ze1dly' ,wept the ' ' . 5, 1 1 ' 1 5, ' ' 1. 1 . 1. 1 .51 1' e, and newspapers were heaped o11 tl1e chair :1t the foot of my be-d. The shades we1'- 11neve1 and on' 1 '. 1 v1'y'. ' .Q 1 5 : 1 l la '91 1 1' : 1 11' .1 '1' 1 '1 '. 1- :l1'1' ' a1' 1 1 1 1 -11' ' '- 1 'K 1 1 5 VU 3 g' F - v. '. ple 1 1 .11 '11 1 1. 1- 1 1' 1 1 1 '1 1 ' 1 f 1 fe 1 l I . ' 1 l ' , ' 1 ' . 1 '1 N ' 1 I ' e 3 1 ' 1 1 1G . ' Ie l'l15' 'C '. 1: 'sz l1 4.'e'.le' A 'l1l1c:'5 l bu 1 2 1 ' 1 11 g' ' '- 'ace is 111' xl z 1 '1 1 ror. Sp 1 1 ' b '. 1 ' 9 i'l'l'lfIC!l, 1. .ragg 1 h1 11. '1 : ' re l 1 1 ' 1 ' 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ' 1 1' ' ' . Sl. .I l ' . Il ' 1 'E 1 1 1 ' ' 1 fy. 1' o e' 1l1 o','.' 'II , ' 1 1, H1' ' 1 1 1' . e .'1 ligl t aught 2