Morris High School - Yearbook (Bronx, NY)

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The Triumph of Education tion's promises had little effect on me, for I ceased to care for such things. My pretended friends, they stuffed up my brain with as much as they could, and fed not a crumb to my deeper spirit. But Chneeling respectfully before Educotionj I hope I may find here real, lasting happiness. Education: Cruising him upb Indeed you will, dear Gala- had, for those that seek happiness here always find it, but alas, too few have strength enough to leave the other garden and come here. I cannot promise you worldly success, as does my foster-sister, but I promise you spiritual and moral success. The life of the inhabitants of this garden is that of which the poet sings: Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife, Their sober wishes never learned to stray, Along the cool, sequestered vale of life, They kept the even tenour of their way. Cturning, and showing the gardenj, As you see, this garden is boundless, and it is my dearest wish that you should not rest in one narrow spot, but should wander over as much of it as you can, though no mortal being can ever see all of it. I will not try to force anything on you, the natural reaction to force is disobedience. I will rather try to draw out the best that is in you, to guide you along the higher planes of life. If you follow your own inclinations, but let my daughters help you, I am sure that you will find this garden ever beautiful and our company ever inspiring. Intelligence: Though Learning's mandates are important and valuable, there are more vital things in life than she knows of, and so I will try to guide you in understanding character, and the actions and motives of life, in knowing the people of whom this world is made up, in interpreting events, rather than learning them. I will help you descend deep into the well of Philosophy, instead of merely tasting at the surface, as you did with my cousin. Friendship: Love is the dearest and the most precious thing in this world, Galahad. I will try to help you in selecting friends, so that you will soon have a chosen few, who love you, and whom you love. Then will your life become bigger and broader. I hope that you will also grow to love your fellow-men 28

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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

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The Triumph of Education by serving them wherever you can. Reputation requires com- petition, for only by raising yourself above your fellow-men could you achieve the rewards she offers. My faith is in co- operation, in working together with your comrades for the com- mon good. Galahad li.stens eagerly and attentively to them, and is for a time speechless with jour He finally recovers his voice, and exclaims rapturously: How grateful I am to you all! How happy you have made me! You have opened up before me endless vis- tas of perpetual happiness. When I compare this with my nar- row, miserable prison cell, 1 feel so sorry that I was foolish enough to stop there without first coming here. CBursts into tears.D Education: Ctaking him in her armsj No, no, my son, do not weep, you have discovered your mistake earlier than most people-indeed, many never discover it at all. We must learn by sad experience, and yours, fortunately, has been a short one. You have still two years in which you may remain with us, and you can make those years full of bliss- At this point the Soul of Man enters. Her face is heavenly, and there is a divine halo playing about her. She is robed in the colors of the sunrise, the beautiful auroral flush of the new- born day. Her colors are ever changing with the sun. She is indeed not of this sordid earth, but rather some ethereal being. The Soul of Man: Galahad, my dear friend, I am so glad that you have made this choice, for now I can dwell with you forever. I am that deeper, spiritual self in you, I am your soul, that struggled to find expression in the garden of Instruc- tion, but could not. Here I am free to go with you on your journey through life. I am glad that you have given up your senseless book-learning for the cultivation of lasting friendship, fl the thinking of good and noble thoughts, for the apprecia- tion of the good and the beautiful in poetry, in literature, in music, in art, for by so doing, you have brought me to life. Curtain 29