Morris High School - Yearbook (Bronx, NY)

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The Triumph of Education Learning: Qcalling out in dismayj Mother, Sister, come here quickly! Galahad is no longer willing to stay with us! Instruction and Reputation come running up. Reputation: What, Galahad, do my charms no longer please you? Is it not your ambition to stand high in the eyes of the world, to have all men bow down at your feet? You have been a faithful pupil to my sister these last two years, continue so two years longer, and I will lead you to an earthly throne, amid the plaudits of all. ' Galahad: Cscornfullyj I care no longer for your empty show. There are better things in life than mere selfish pride and ambition. Instruction: Galahad, does this garden not give you, do we not give you, happiness? All others have remained with us, and have gone out, knowing all things, and standing high in the eyes of the world. VVhat could one seek that is better than that? Galahad: Nay, Madam, this wall hems me in, the garden has lost its beauty for me. Others may have been happy here, because they knew of nothing better, but last night, as I slept, I had a vision of another garden, which is boundless in extent, and which always keeps the beauty of spring, where earthly things are forgotten, and where one lives in higher and purer regions, I will not rest content until I have entered that gar- den. Oh Thought, please come and deliver me from here. Immediately a cloud appears, deposits Thought, and van- ishes. Instruction, Learning and Reputation draw back in fear. Thought: I heard your prayer, my son, and came here straightway. Know thou that whenever thou wishest Thought, she is right at hand, ready to help thee. The vision of last night is that of a real garden, the garden of Education. It was sent by me to make you tired of lying here in a rut, to make you wish for something better. This garden can offer you nothing real, see how they cannot stand against me C pointing to the three fig- ures slinhing sullenly awayj-But come, enough of this, we will pass into the garden of your dreams. 26

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1 ' The Triumph of Education Thought: Cwhispering to himj Remember my Warning Galahad, do not choose to rest here until you have seen the other garden, or you may pay dearly for it. Enthusiasm: Cinterrupting in a loud uoicej Go, master, I fol- low. Who could wish a betterplace to live in than this, where one has helpful Learning and mulch sought-after Reputation! Galahad disregards Thought, and walks on, closely dogged by Enthusiasm. Caution lags behind. 'Thought exits, discon- solately shaking her head. After her exit,:the one door in the garden vanishes, leaving a solid wall. Curtain ACT II. Two years later Scene I. -The same garden, but greatly changed. Most of the grass has died away, the little that remains is yellow and .shriveled up. The daisies droop their heads, and the buttercups are faded. The roses have all disappeared, and the bushes are now nothing more than bare twigs. Against one of these are seated Learning and Galahad. The latter looks tired, disap- pointed. Enthusiasm sulks away to one side. Caution looks unusually grave. Caution: Cto Galahadj Alas, Galahad, see what you have done to my sister! Instruction and her daughters no longer please her, they have crushed all the spirit out of her. You have suffered in her an irremediable loss. Why do you not break away from your prison here, and go with her to brighter climes? P Galahad: Indeed, Caution, I am tired here. The smallness of the place oppresses me, and its beauty has vanished, as you see. I can no longer find pleasure in the garden nor with these women. CTo Learning, impatientlyl Come, cease your talk. You may be valuable to me, you may develop my brain, but man is more than a mere machine for cramming facts. There is a deeper spirit, a more holy Hame in man, which struggles for existence, and which you do your best to stifle. I wish I had never chosen to rest with you. 25

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The Triumph of Education As Galahad, Thought, Enthusiasm and Caution approach the wall, a door suddenly appears, through which exeunt.J Curtain Scene II.-Another garden. This garden has no walls and no limitsg it stretches on all sides as far as the eye can see. There is no entrance to it, the four travelers have in some miraculous way landed in it. The grass all about is covered with violets and dark pansies, with rose bushes at more frequent intervals than in the other garden. Beside one of these are seated the god- desses of the garden. Education, clad in white, is in the center, grave and thoughtfulg of tall figure and commanding bearing. At first glance, she is not so attractive as Instruction, but as Galahad gazes more steadfastly on her jet black hair, her rosy cheeks, and her wonderful deep brown eyes, which have in them worlds of feeling, he forgets the passing charm of Instruction in the deeper, more lasting beauty of Education. And so it is with the two figures in deep blue on either side. Intelligence, at the right, is dark, like her mother, and her face is so expres- sive that Learning, with her emotionless features, pales into in- significance compared with her. Friendship, the third member of the group, has also that dark beauty which does not attract so many at first as the fair and charming Reputation, but here one can never tire of gazing on that serene, happy, beautiful face. Education spies Galahad, and comes forward with her daughters, their hands outstretched, and kind smiles on their faces. Education: Welcome, my son, I am glad to see you. I am glad that you have escaped from the snares of my foster-sister, Who, pretending to be me, has caught many who were coming here, and kept them with her forever, poor unfortunates. How fared you there? Q Galahad: fin disgustj Ah, Madam, at fir-st I was overjoyed at being there, but soon my joy was turned into misery. I -found that I was cramped in by the wall, through which I could flnd no means of escape. The garden grew uglier and uglier day by day, and I saw that what I had mistaken for beauty in Learning and Reputation were merely surface charms, which soon vanlshed. I grew sick of gazing in Learning's empty face, and Reputa- 27