Milford High School - Oak Lily and Ivy Yearbook (Milford, MA)

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CAST OF A ROSE O ' PLYMOUTH TOWN.

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10 THE OAK, LILY AND IVY the despotism of the dregs It is a case of ignorant people being led by selfish and short sighted leaders. With four fifths of the lower classes unable to read or write, how can one expect them to understand the true meaning of democracy? They have witnessed the progress of Aneriei; thy have seen from afar the workings of American freedom. So n they found themselves able to give free rein t their ambition. They revolted. Phey dethroned the Czar and overthrew bis monaichy, and then, alas tor Bussia ! She was pow¬ erless. At this moment she stood in the open door of revolt, tree to go out into the world of liberty and democracy If Russia had had 1 aimed and intel¬ ligent men to lead her as France was led, she would nc w stand forth among the nati ms of the world, an important factor fighting for the cause of human¬ ity. But the blind cannot lead the blind, and Russia, unable to grasp the brilliant opportunity offered her, has fallen back into the barbarity of the past. The Russian soldier has deserted his ranks and has lost the little self- respect he had formerly possessed. His rifle and his militiiy service, al¬ though disgracefully concluded, give him the license he styles “liberty,” and he has returned from the trenches to be despised and feared by the other classes of Russian society. Even at the front, when the Bolshevik doctrine had thoroughly sunk into the minds of the war-weary peasants, the officers had been barely tolerated. So wholesale had been the murder of the officers that hundreds of Russian privates were severely punished by the Germans for their utter disrespect for higher authority. After all, what is Tavarish but an embruted peasant, the victim of gener¬ ations of autocratic tyranny and injustice? He is not responsible for his ina bility to think. His ignorance of the meaning of patriotism, honor, loyalty and democracy must be laid at the door of those powers that denied him the privileges of a rational human of this age. What example more striking than the story of uneducated Russia is needed to prove to even the most thoughtless American the necessity of edu¬ cation? Imagine the mind of the Russian peasant as he stares at a German poster depicting the ill treatment of the Russian soldier by cruel figures typi¬ fying John Bull and Uncle Sam. On the memories ot what literature or what experience can he draw for aid at this moment ? He falls, an easy prey to the subtlety of Prussian diplomacy which has been able to overcome Rus¬ sia, because it has understood that huge and helpless country tottering on the brink of ruin. it is, perhaps, difficult for an American blessed with every opportunity for advancement to picture a country, as Rus-ia, with so Urge a proportion of its people utterly ignorant, lacking ability even to read or write. But such are the educational conditions in Russia today. Let us always retain before us the vision of dismembere l and helpless Russia as a warning lest we allow the light of learning to grow dim in this independent and liberty-loving land of ours. Let us continue our studies as long as we possibly can and train our minds that we may prove ourselves more worthy to be citizens of our beloved, our free America. Lillian Edna Sweet, ’18.

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12 THE OAK, LILY AND IVY Class History. Iti the life of the untaught Indian boy, Hiawatha, the slaying t f his first deer was a momentous event. It marked the achievement of his earliest am¬ bition. It meant to him what the completion of the grammar school course and the entrance into high school means to Uncle Sam’s more civilized nephews and nieces. There is the flush of triumph and satisfaction in their feeling, coupled also with the instinctive expect incy and awe of the mist- enshrouded future. It is no different, except perhaps in the matter of inten¬ sity, from the emotions of all people on entering upon a new and untried path of action. With a whimsical feeling of amusement tinged with the sadness of part¬ ing, we recall tonight the welcome extended in the September issue of the Oak, Lily and Ivy by a sedate senior to the entering freshman class. The welcome ended with these words: “Little freshmen, enter and be happy.” We on this platform tonight were those little freshmen. And it is that feel¬ ing of welcome and good-will exhibited by teachers and schoolmates alike which have made our entire four years so pleasant to look back up m and so hard to leave. We numbered one hundred and thirty then, and are seventy-three tonight. Our first acquaintance with Mr. C. A. FitzGerald was as sub-master of the school, but four weeks afterward he became our principal on the resigna¬ tion of Dr. Derry, with whom we did not have the opportunity of becoming very well acquainted. It did not take long, however, for us to feel the in flu- ence of Mr. FitzGerald’s kind and sympathetic interest in each one of us. We might with heart-felt sincerity expatiate upon the generous instruc¬ tion of each of our teachers, but we must pause only long enough to extend our thanks to them all for their patience and interest. There are few important events which very directly concern a freshman class, for newcomers must wait awhile before they may attain to any distinc¬ tion or recognition in school affairs other than by faithfulness in study. But an honor fell to one member of the class during the freshman year of which we are justly prou 1. A prize, to be competed for by our class, was offered for the best essay on “Why Milford is a good place to live in,” and it was won by Helen Broughey. As is always the case, a numbtr of those who entered with us grew weary and dropped out before we had well started-on our courses. During our first two years two of our members died and two mairied. In our sophomore year we made our first appearance on the rh( torical platform, and found the experience not nearly so fearsome as we had anticipa¬ ted. During this same year we were represented in the celebration, which was held in our Assembly hall on April 16, of the three-hundredth anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. Warren Chilson took the part of the school-boy in “The Seven Ages of Man” from “As You Like It.” So happily and busily the days and months flew by and we became mem-