Medina High School - Mirror Yearbook (Medina, NY)

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THEMIRROR 25 THE LOST HELIXIR OF LIFE EARL Go1.DMAN H E CAME into our village one night, from where or how no one knows. He was old and withered with age. His gray beard formed a frame for his weather-beaten and wrinkled cheeks, and his steel-gray eyes glittered like pin points from 1111- derneath his shaggy eyebrows. One day he told his story to a group of which I was one. I was a boy at the time, but so vividly and intelligently did he tell his strange tale, that to this day I recollect it and now for the first time I will try to tell it. lt is, as nearly as I can remember and as my literary qualities permit, as follows: Many ages ago my fatheri was-an alchemist, that is, he was devoted to the science of trying to produce gold from lead, pre- cious gems from glass, and most important of all-to discover the elusive 'Elixir of Life,' that precious formula for which the best brains of ages had been seeking. When he started he was a very rich man, who could afford to hire the best of instructors and to equip a laboratory which surpassed any established before. The day came at last, when my father reaching the peak of all the information teachers could teach him, found himself penniless, except for all his knowledge, his hopes, and his won- derful laboratory. The latter seemed to be the only thing upon which he could rebuild his shattered fortune, and, with this end in view, he retired at the age of thirty-five with only me, Cmy mother having died some time beforej to a secret retreat in the mountains, a cave, where he had moved all l1is apparatus and chemicals. That is all I remember for about the space of ten years, except that my father seemed to grow more absorbed in his work every day. t'One evening, when I was about the age of fifteen, my father rushed in, a complicated glass system of laboratory apparatus mounted on a platform in one hand, and a glass vial of a thin greenish liquid in the other. 'My son,' he cried, 'our fortune is rebuilt. The fame of our glorious name shall spread from one end of the land to the other. It shall travel through the valleys and down the rivers until it reaches the ocean, wherein the Gods and demons dwell. There it shall make all the rulers of mortal destiny shake on

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24 TIIEMIRROR floor. She is very rough, believe me, girls ! said Giggles as the last whistle for the second half blew. Sue Pond won the tip-off this time in fine fashion while t'Tasy grasping the ball made a pretence of throwing it to Peggy, twirled towards the baskets, then let the ball go. Straight to its mark it sped, dropping through the net with a sound which was almost music to the plucky Welton team. Cheer after cheer rang through the gymn. If the team would only keep up after this little encouragement, a close game could be assured the spectators. After tl1e next tip-off Tasy by diving beneath the outstretched arms of guards, twirling or rather pivoting on one foot towards the basket with the ball in her hand, then throwing to Peggy instead , succeeded in so confusing the guard that two more baskets netted easily caused tl1e scorekeeper to write: H8 and 10 in favor of Evanston. Time was called, after which Evanston team went back into the game with the determination to win in spite of the renewed vigor displayed by their oppo- nents. In the next few minutes of play the Evanston forward scored on a free throw. The next tip-off was won by Sue and with a few amazingly swift, short passes the ball sped toward Peggy at the far end of the court. One swift toss and Welton's score was within one of its opponent's. The time-keeper called, Two minutes more. Both teams put forth every ounce of strength. The play was fast and fur- ious. The side-lines were crowded with yelling students, and the gallery was equal in its loud roar of excitement. Tasy had the ball! Twirling towards the basket she cooly took aim. She'll never make it, groaned the sophomores. With one arching toss the ball dropped securely in the basket just as the whistle blew. Such a pandemonium as ensued! Students crowded the court and the players were warmly congratulated while the building fairly shook with the yells. Arethusa sorority had made no mistake in taking Tasy Ames in, that was certain, and fur- thermore Evanston had been beaten for the first time in several years. - VVasn't it wonderful, girls? said Peggy. Basketball forever! gasped t'Giggles as she staggered into the dressing-room.

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25 . TIIE MIRROR their thrones, yea, quiver in the fear that their slave, mere man, shall become immortal and, who knows, perhaps usurp some of the mighty knowledge and supremacy of the very Gods them- selves. My son,' he said, his voice sinking low, 'I and I only have discovered the great secret of LIFE. I have discovered it and made the means to perpetuate its marvels to all generations. Come, my son, draw close and l will teach it to you,' he conclud- ed, setting the glass apparatus Very, very carefully down on the table. All that weary night, he taught me the secret, that had taken him long years to discover. Wlien at last we were finish- ed, the pink tinting of the sky heralded the approach of morning. Cautioning me to guard the apparatus carefully and not to touch it, he lay himself down to rest and dream about his new found wonder. He slept the sleep of the exhausted all that day and the following night until he awoke after having slept twenty- four hours. 'Now son, we will test this product of my efforts,' he re- marked finally after studying the various tints of coloring in the 'Elixir of Life' He said this, trying to be calm, but I could see that he was trembling like a leaf and that his nerves were crying out at the immense energy that would be required to drive him forward to test the fruit of the work of his life. I was silent respecting his state of feeling, and wonder- ingly watched him go nervously into the next room and bring in a hypodermic needle and a small cat. But such a cat! It was lean and gauntq one ear was half off, its whiskers were torn, bent and drooping, it had the scars of many fights, and its fur was off in some places and coming off in many others. It was so very filthy and dirty, old, wretched and forlorn that my heart gave a great bound of pity for it, and for what it was to undergo. Holding the cat on the table, my father trembling, slowly filled the needle with greenish liquid' and injected it into the cat. He watched for a moment, but nothing happened. Then slowly before our very eyes, the transformation took place. The whiskers, so old, bent and torn, straightened and replaced them- selves, the old scarred head from which the flame of life was passing, raised itself profoundly, and carried its two alert ears forward, the eyes brightened, the old fur was replaced by new, fu I l