Oak Grove Coburn High School - Oak Leaves Yearbook (Vassalboro, ME)

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OAK LEAVES influence and help, Oak Grove has prospered. You have shown your inter- est in many ways and as we greet you, we express our appreciation. A flood of tender emotions comes surging in at this hour as we greet you all, managers, teachers, parents, schoolmates and friends. We open our hearts for you to see there the gratitude and love we feel for the com- bined help given us in our training for life. We promise to do our utmost not only to meet and fill well the requirements of our age, but also to be an honor always to you and dear Oak Grove. There are few dawns that have been welcomed with as joyous salu- tation as the one ushered in by the imaginative little factory girl whom Browning has immortalized in his dramatic poem, Pippa Passes. As the little girl bounds from her couch at daybreak, she is eager to make the most of the one holiday allowed her in the whole year. Her heart overflows with intense anticipation as she greets the morning. Day! Faster and more fast, O'er night's brim, day boils at last, Boils, pure gold, o'er the cloud-cup's brim Where spurting and suppressed it lay. Oh, Day, if I squander a wavelet of thee, A mite of my twelve hours' treasure, CBe they grants thou art bound to or gifts above measure! One of thy choices or one of thy chances, CBe they tasks God imposed thee or freaks at thy pleasurej -My Day, if I squander such labor or leisure Then shame fall on Asolo, mischief on me! Thus she begins her one holiday of all the year with lofty resolution to make the most of every moment. She ponders as she dresses and won- ders how it would seem to be one of the four great persons of Asolo who seem so happy to her. Although overwhelmed by her own insignificance, Pippa decides that on that day she shall play the role of these four. It is here, as Pippa takes comfort in the message of a New Year's hymn, that the keynote of the poem is struck when she says, All service ranks the same with God, and Browning reveals his theme that each person, no matter how lowly, has his influence upon the world. The little girl from the silk mill hurries up the hillside to the palace where the haughty and unfaithful Ottima is receiving the courtier's homage. Through her singing, Pippa unwittingly arouses their consciences and frees them from their past. Pippa passes next to the home where are the artist, Jules, and his innocent Pheneg and here again, the song of the little girl has an influence all unknown to her. When evening comes, Pippa passes near the Turret as young Luigi and his mother are entering, and 11

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OAK LEAVES q Q 0 V I , I ow' ' 'ou 50 VSV ' Vnfv? 'XVNN V VW I 'J' Wm f ii lfuflfligzl lllywz ' if N A I mt 0' 1 l l llsisgmgjggql . . , , -as-1 --W - ' n-as so . I I Wynn 'wr llitwoh, . -,v F A i i XXX SA LUTATORY Our Class Day! With what eagerness we have anticipated this occa- sion! Now that it has arrived, We realize the honor that accompanies it and question our own worthiness. We are happy, however, in the con- fidence that our deep affection for our dear Alma Mater fills every place where we may be lacking. Because our school is so dearly beloved by us, this day has a tender significance. As our thoughts turn to the whole meaning of our Commence- ment, we realize that we owe a great debt to you, our Board of Managers. It is the greatest honor to welcome you. We know that what the school is, and what it is to become, rests with you. We are happy to believe that our Alma Mater is in wise and affectionate care. Dear Faculty, it is indeed a pleasure to welcome you. We are finishing a year, made fruitful by your earnest efforts. We have learned from you more than mere classroom studies. We have formed true friendships that will help us endlessly. We are happy in the thoughts circling about our instructors. Our Parents, we know that this day is even more blessed to you than to us. You have cared for us always. You have been self-sacrificing that we might benefit from Oak Grove. Our hearts are filled with joy as we welcome you to our Commencement. Schoolmates, we extend a hearty greeting to you who have shared this happy school life with us. Between us has grown up an affectionate friendship that has meant much to us already and will add new value with succeeding years. Dear school friends, you know better than all others how we have loved our Alma Mater. Today we beg you ever to care for her and always to keep her colors bright and her name fair. You, too, friends of Oak Grove, we welcome happily. Through your 10

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OAK LEAVES the child's song stirs the young patriot to action. As night draws closer, Pippa passes by the palace where the powerful but unscrupulous and bold Monseigneur is moved to follow the night. Although the weary little girl is not conscious of it as she drops to sleep, yet she has had far-reaching influence and her service has ranked high with God. Pippa had one dayg we have one life. How are we to use our days? As Pippa expressed what she was, so we express what we are and our influ- ence goes forth for good or ill. Behind all our institutional life is the power of personality. What lies behind such institutions as Mount Holyoke and Wellesley Colleges? It is noble womanhood in the persons of Mary Lyon and Alice Freeman Palmer. What lies behind our political freedom? What brought the Constitution of the United States into being? Was it not the strong characters of noble men and women? What lies behind Christian- ity? Is it not the matchless character of Jesus Christ? We cannot express what we are not. Our first duty, therefore, if we are going to influence others, is to build strong, beautiful characters. How do we express our characters? There are laws which govern our influence upon one another. Pippa expressed her personality through song. We may not be talented in that way but there are three powerful ways in which we all exert an influence. One of the general ways in which we influence others is by our attitude toward life's joys. This is also true even of nations. The things in which the citizens of Rome, for example, found their excitement, reveal their character. The same is true of other nations, our own included. If our tastes are low, the influence which we convey is low. Persons who delight in unlovely pleasures, not only become unlovely themselves, but they tend to debase others. If, however, we find our pleasure in things which really ennoble human life, our influence upon others is ennobling. In the second place, we influence others by the attitude we take toward life's tasks. If we are careless in this respect, we influence others to be careless. A thorough and generous Workman inspires others to thorough- ness and generosity. If we develop a high regard for each day's task, we shall convey the sacredness of duty to others. In the third place, our personality is expressed by the way in which we meet the difficult things in life. We girls, going out from Oak Grove, are among a vast multitude of girls graduating at this season from secondary schools. Neither they nor we can expect that life's way will always be smooth in the days to come. As our parents have had to meet difliculties in life, so must we. Everything, so far as our influence upon the world is concerned, will be determined by the way in which we meet these difficul- ties. A cowardly attitude on our part will tend to weaken others. A brave, courageous spirit will tend to strengthen them. This is why the real heroes in life are so inspiring. Our attitude toward the difficulties of life may be the hardest test of character. Persons conquering obstacles become the 12