North Bay Collegiate Institute and Vocational School - Northland Echo Yearbook (North Bay, Ontario Canada)

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28 THE NORTHLAND ECHO At this point, the consumer usually throws down his spoon in utter disgust and calls for his waffles. But the more diligent and persevering of our retaliating grapefruit-eaters, stick to the task of carving up the fruit, which California so graciously donates to the continent. He usually succeeds. I, myself, one of the less persevering break- fasters. give up in disgust, after the first attempt. To you fellow-suffers, I have one piece of consoling advice, which will rid you of such a horrid and damp experience every morning. It is as follows: Take the fruit to the kitchen, draw out the grapefruit squeezer and squeeze unmercifully until the fruit is dry. Then discard the con- quered and base rind into the sink, place juice in a glass with a little sugar and down the tangy juice. In my mind, this is the only way to enjoy a grapefruit in a safe and joyous manner. Then you can say, There is more to grapefruit than meets the eye. THE DECLINE OF COURTESY TOWARDS WOMEN EDYTHE WHARRAM Without a doubt, courtesy towards women is not what it used to be. Every day in all kinds of ways, in the many walks of life this fact is evidenced. One has only to step onto a crowded bus, or get caught in a waiting theatre line to appreciate the fact that men no longer consider women as frail, delicate creatures, en- tirely dependent on their strong manly com- panions for protection against the rude ways of the harsh world. This decline of courtesy on the part of the men is, in my opinion, a result of woman's ad- vancement in the general affairs of the world. The men feel, and rightly so, that since women have shown themselves capable of contesting most fields with men, they should not receive special consideration. Today, choose whatever phase of activity you please, you will doubt- lessly find women in ever increasing numbers rivalling the men. In politics, business and sport, the position of women is steadily growing more important. Years ago a woman was edu- cated only in the frivolous arts such as music and sewing so that by her charming wiles she might bring some man to make her the grace- ful head of his household. Today, men and women receive equal opportunities of education, thus enabling women as well as men to have a career or enter into business. As a result, the modern woman is quite independent and not demanding of the same courteous deference shown her home-loving grandmother. I believe also that the modern way of life has a great deal to do with this decline of courtesy. The speed and our lack of confine- ment in our modern society make the stuffy courtliness of former days quite rediculous. Whereas the stalwart of former days swept a stately bow to a feminine acquaintance, the modern youth greets her with a nod and a nonchalant, Howdy, I fear that there are no Sir Walter Raleighsf' amongst our modern males. Today, if a girl is distressed by a puddle she does not look around for some gallant fellow to sacrifice his best coat for her but with a determined look she leaps the puddle and continues uncon- cernedly on her way, which action would have made her grandmother blush for shame. This decline of courtesy does not however mean that men have become rude and incon- siderate of women. The majority of men will give up their seat in a bus or theatre to a woman if she is standing. The man who doesn't, is deemed unmannerly and rude. It is still considered most cowardly and brutal for a man to strike a woman and the old act of dropping a hanky still enables the vamp to gain the at- tention of the men. For these reasons I do not consider that the decline of courtesy towards women is a serious development but rather a veiled tribute to the social advancement of our sex. ' THERE IS BEAUTY IN CANADA'S NORTHLAND ALICE RANEY There is beauty in Canada's northland. While I was driving from North Bay to Camp Lorraine on Lake Temiskaming this fact was impressed upon my mind. The great rocks of ruddy red, to be found almost anywhere in the great northland have a beauty all their own. The northland has many contrasts of beauty. For as suddenly as these majestic rocks had loomed up they gave way to a placid lake fringed with stately evergreens. The fra- grant scent of pine needles refreshed our nostrils. In the course of the afternoon we passed many such lakes. The one that stands out most in my memory was a narrow winding lake charac- teristic of lakes in the northland. High rocks on the left side crowded us almost to the mar- gin of the lake. It was wild country seemingly uninhabited. The jagged shoreline was covered with pine trees through which the setting sun cast rays of deep purples, glorious reds and oranges on the ripples of the lake. As we drove on, the great pine forests faded into forests of tall white poplars, standing like eerie ghosts in the dusk. The evening breeze touched the keys of some mighty organ and the air was filled with its faint soft music. The moon rose over the hill of Lorraine valley showing us a still different aspect of the northland. The dark hills stood out against the still darker sky, the moon cast a golden light on the road and the whippoorwill's mournful voice came to us from somewhere in the forest. There is beauty in the Canadian northland.

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THE NORTI-ILAND ECHO 27 viceg you do not even hear it. Instead you are feeling the sting of the snow on your face, ex- periencing the thrill of your first leap on that new ski jump, or landing that beautiful speckled trout that you could have boasted about for weeks to your rivals. Then, not having heard two words of the service, you swear that you will never go back again. In this case, the minister cannot be blamed for an uninteresting service. The radio rightly bears some of the blame for poor church attendance. You are afforded the opportunity of receiving the church service to a better advantage at home, since you have the privilege of switching off the radio if the sermon does not suit your taste, or if the story you are trying to read while you listen, proves to be more entertaining than religion. Too, radio reception does not demand an early rising on your part, nor does it require Sunday clothes. Bathrobes and Romeos serve just as well, especially if you are going skiing later on and will later have to deck yourself out in ski clothes. On Sunday night comedy radio programs prove to be a greater attraction than church because you don't feel like dress- ing again after that strenuous day of skiing. Next Sunday, since the weather is bad, you, and a fair congregation, turn out to church and the topic of the sermon is, Poor Church Atten- dance and Lack of Fundsf, You are informed that if you are absent this Sunday, remember the Church expenses go on just the samef, This request annoys you and some of the congrega- tion, who had resolved, perhaps rather unmean- ingly, to reform and go to church more often, and you, now resolve to continue with your air reception where you are permitted to listen if you wish. Once again the church attendance declines. BEFORE THE CURTAIN RISES M. MACDONALD, FORM V The dressing room is crowded, the walls covered with what might be the loot from a mixture of pawn-shops and Bond Street cloth- ing stores. Overalls and stiff shirts, boots and dancing pumps, all are there, spread about in mad disarray. Here and there boys, trying to pull on their socks or shoes, are standing like storks or hopping about like dancing-dolls. What a sick-looking bunch they are-all white as a sheet: you look in the mirror to straighten your tie and-Shades of Sir Cedric Hardwicke! Can this ghost-like creature be you! Why, your face looks like the front of one of those shirts. Funny thing too because it's very warm in here. Loosen your collar: there, that,s better. Now youire ready for make-up, or are you? Letis see, have you forgotten anything? Got that scarf? Mustn't forget it again to- night. Remember what happened at the dress rehearsal. All set? The make-up room is on the next floor up. This way: say, what's your hurry? You took those stairs three at a time. Here you are. First the cream:'rub it in well then rub it all off, remember, its just to soften your skin, not bury it. Try to stand still, how do you expect the make-up man to get that lip-rouge straight? There, that's that! Eyeshadow: just a little. Hair okay? Fine. You might as well go upstairs to the stageg nothing to do now but wait. Wait-only liif- teen minutes more till the curtain. Wait-and your heart beating twice as quickly as your watch. Wait---wait ----- wait. There's a funny feeling in the bottom of your stomach. Come on, buck-up-only five more minutes. Pretend this is just another practice. What do you say when you go on first? What, you've forgotten? Never mind, it will come to you on the stage, if you ever get there. There's a big crowd to-night so do your best: you mustn't disappoint them. Only three more minutes-ah! there's the orchestra now. Three more minutes, one hun- dred and eighty seconds. You never knew be- fore how long a second really is. Thereis the prompter settling into her chair by the end of the stage. It won't be long now and you've a good audience: steady, brother. Say, you ac- tually look happy? Feel better now? Great! there goes your cue, the curtains' rising. So long. Keep your fingers crossed .... MORE ABOUT GRAPEFRUIT H. Nxcor. V To eat a grapefruit is a task in all parts of the educated world. Many breakfasters shun the round, oversized lemon, because it provided them with a shower of acidy juice expelled with considerable force from the large globules, which ruined both apparel and temper. Breakfasters descend from the bath-room and with a cheery morning salutation to the cook, seat themselves at the table and are in- stantly confronted by a large half of a grape- fruit, staring them in the face. With a shudder, the would-be consumer, hesitantly, picks up the culinary instrument customarily engaged for the purpose, and searches for an opening in the mel- low fruit. Cook has been careless to-day and has not sliced the adjoining walls of the fruit so the worst can be expected. Like a wary con- testant in a iistical engagement, the person circles the fruit with his eyes and prods ginger- ly, first at the sides then the centre. He eases the spoon gently down into the side and is re- warded for such an audacious act by a yellow streamer of juice full in the optic. Never daunted, the daring attacker grips the evasive victim in his left hand and with a sudden down- ward thrust of the spoon, jabs viciously at the fruit and receives another liquid torrent, ac- companied by a huge seed.

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THE NORTHLAND ECHO 29 QUEER NAMES BETTY MACINTYRE, FORM V Do you blush a deep scarlet and mutter mm-umph or some equally incoherent reply, when someone asks what your middle initial stands for? Well, perhaps the little tale I am going to relate will make you feel better about the whole matter. Last week, finding myself short of reading material, I turned in my hour of need to the city's best known book, the telephone directory. I had heard one can actually derive entertain- ment from its contents. With no definite plan in mind I struck out aimlessly, arriving first among the C's. In a short time my efforts were well rewarded, for I found names like the fol- lowing: Cann, Coones, Cork, Coo, Cow, Cottin and last but not least Cakebread. In compari- son with what I found later on, these few are exceedingly conservative. Listed under the Dis were two outstanding names, Death and shortly below it, Deadman. After that I didn't con- sider names like Dew, Dollar, Drinkwater and Dithers the least bit out of the ordinary. In fact I was almost prepared to accept even Pickles which leaped out at me when I skipped over to the P's. To make matters worse there were no fewer than eight people called Pickles. In the same pages I came across five called Pidgeon, four called Pusey, eight called Peeker and nine called Pye. The greatest enjoyment, however, was found among the T's. Here there were some excellent examples of queer names. On the first couple of pages were Tarbottle, Tax, Towell, Tunnah, Tufts, and Trump. In each case the number of people bearing these names exceeded six. At length I retraced my steps and stopped with interest under the His. Herd was the first I discovered then shortly after came Horseman and Hossies. Before I should end my peculiar trip I de- cided to pay a quick visit to the S's. With a swirl of paper I reached my destination and found that my effort was not a wasted one. Here was a veritable dumping ground for queer names since Swallows, Swails, Salads, Sequins, Sonnets, Sparks, Spoons, Shanks, and Specks were alphabetically arranged in the next two or three pages. This last encounter with queer names ended my trip. In closing the book I decided that we shouldnit feel so ill at ease over a peculiar middle name which can be cleverly concealed by an initial. We would really have just cause for complaint if we had to write down a sur- name, like some of these I have just mentioned, for the world in general to gaze at with merri- ment. VIEW FROM LOOKOUT ON THIBEAULT HILL BETTY BROWN GRADE XA Standing on the lookout at Thibeault Hill one can see in the far distance, both to the left and the right. From here there is a marvellous view of the city of North Bay, the surrounding country and the lakes and islands. Looking immediately in front of us we see the low, rolling hills and vales covered with the soft blanket of snow. As our vision turns to the left of this great expanse of land, we see the frozen waters of Trout Lake together with a few of the buildings making up the village. Next in view comes the Home of the Aged and the jail with the Scollard Hall appearing not far distant from them. The T. N. O. Railway shops can plainly be seen amidst the numerous houses and buildings. Even the wide stretching Trans Canada Highway is a marked line in this glorious view. The spire of the French Church towers decidedly higher than other places men- tioned. The aerials at C. F. C. H. radio station seem to gently wave to and fro in the breeze. Still turning our gaze from the left to the right, we can see the top of the Empire Hotel. The great spire of the Cathedral reaches far into the sky with the Collegiate appearing in sight slightly to the north. Then to extreme right are the great waters of Lake Nipissing with the Girls' College located on its shores. As we gaze over these ice bound waters, they seem never ending. BARGAIN DAY GWEN PRICE IIIA CoLL. The out-of-town visitor was about to take in her first bargain sale in the large city. She arrived at the store fully fifteen minutes before the time of the opening but she found that al- ready by all four doors were long lines of women. Nearest to every door was the inevit- able group of short stout women in dark cloth- ing, chattering in a foreign language or in broken English. The visitor crowded into one of the lines and soon the group closed in behind her. They crowded closer and closer so that soon it be- came difficult to breathe. For a moment she had horrible fears of being knocked down and trampled when the doors opened. Time drag- ged on very slowly. Suddenly she felt the crowd surging forward and she was carried helplessly along with it. She soon reached the door. On entering she found to her surprise that the lines did not spread out but headed straight for the nearest flight of stairs leading to the bargains in the basement. She was terrified lest someone should stumble on the stairs but miraculously no one did.