Oakfield Alabama High School - Oracle Yearbook (Oakfield, NY)

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LITERATURE Latin MODERN TRENDS AMONG THE ANCIENT ROMANS N studying the life of ancient Romans we learn that they were not so different from our moderns. First of all, we note their vanity. Bald-headed men tried then in every way to disguise their disiigurement. Even the great Julius Caesar did it. That women spent hours trying to improve their beauty with cosmetics and elaborate coiffures is proved by certain references in literature and by the finding of various toilet articles in Pompeii. Roman barbers showed familiar tendencies. Martial, the Roman poet, says that one barber of his acquaintance stopped so many times to listen to or enter into the conversation of the loungers in the barber shop that, by the time he had finished one side of his patron's face, the beard had started to grow again on the other side. Martial also describes the person who went into an art shop and asked the shopkeeper to show him practically every article in the shop and set forth the merits and price of each --- only to emerge finally after buying a mere trifle. Many Roman homes had bathtubs, and the huge public baths with their very small admission charge offered bathing facilities to the Roman people. Roman politicians were also addicted to graft, as well as ours, if we are to believe the Roman writers. Fragments from the diary of Maecanas, who was a close friend of Augustus Caesar, the first emperor of Rome Q27 B.C. - 14 A.D.J, state that the emperor and some members of the imperial court were devotees of golf. Sometimes the august personage missed the ball, as the following lines, translated by Bert Lestor Taylor, prove. He swung the driver with terrific force, And - missed the ball a foot or two, of course, A caddy snickered, then discreetly blew, And Caesar after him the driver threw, With certain objurgations, warm and tinglish, That look less rude in Latin than in English. The Latin III Class. 1.1. OMETIME in our life, we allreceive an education. Usually when we are old enough to reason for ourselves Cabout five or six years oldJ we are sent to school Ca place of studyingj. We pass gradually through the grades and finally emerge into high school. Then comes the long tedious home work and studying for tests. If we are fortunate and have studied our lessons daily, we are most likely to pass. First we become freshmen, then we rise to become sophomores, and next we achieve the position of juniors, and finally after enjoy- ing a year as seniors we graduate from the school. On commencement night we are given a diploma which proves that we have earned the right to graduate. We set out upon the journey of life to find many rough places and bumps and many bridges to cross. After much strenuous work and worry we reach our destination in our ambition. Old age creeps upon us and we wait for death to take us away to eternity. Death finally comes and we are carried to our grave, a corpse. , In the above paragraphs the underlined words are words that come from Latin words either directly or through some other language. Bette Brumsted, Latin III. 24

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LITERATURE French LE PRINTEMPS A Mere Nature deplie ses vastes portes de paradis et expedie l'incident le plus gai de toute l'annee-le printemps. Toute la terre semble prendre une somme legere pendant l'hiver long et froid. Mais quand avril vient, la Mere Nature s'eveille avec de l'energie et de la beaute toutes neuves. Tout le monde accueille le printemps. C'est tres agreable de faire une longue promenade dans le bois. L'air est plein d'un riche arome. Marchant a travers le bois, c'est comme un riche tapis epais sous les pieds. Avec le depart du vent, le silence du ruisseau et le silence de la nature, le soleil, par degres, se couche derriere une basse colline pittoresque. A une vue pareille, ce n'est pas difiicile de comprendre la grandeur de l'oeuvre de Dieu et Sa puissance supreme. Ruth Merkel, French III. i-Q-. MONSIEUR FRANCAIS Monsieur Francais est tres unique Il est un bon ami Mais quand il montre son physique Je sens une maladie. J Je l'aime beaucoup un jour ou deux Et fais ma part tres bien. Mais quand probleme se trouve, parbleu, C'est fort, je n'y puis rien. 'Mais il a peur d'une seule jeune fille Qui porte le nom Brewer Car quand ils viennent aux mains Je les aime de tout mon coeur. Jennie Pilato, French III. L+.. LE PRINTEMPS LE MECHANT HENRI Tous les jours, toute la journee, Henri se leve au mauvais temps, Je vais jouer, danser, chanter, A neuf heures moins un quart: Et chaque oiseau, est bien content, Il va a classe bien rapidement, Car maintenant c'est le printemps. Ses lecons faites en part. Mabel Genesky, French I. -.,... CET HIVER? 'HIVER a commence au mois de novembre, est reste pendant une semaine ou deux de decembre, alors vraiment a disparu. Ou est-il alle? C'est un tres grave mystere. Avant Noel quand 1'hiver nous a fait une courte visite, nous avons eu de la glace, mais nous n'avons pas eu de patins. Depuis Noel nous avons eu des patins, mais nous n'avons pas eu de glace. C'est dommage. Les Skis n'ont pas ete pris du grenier et les traineaux y ont ete retournes deja. Les ecoles n'ont pas pu jouer au hockey parce qu'i1 n'a pas gele assez. Il y a plus de pluie que de neige. Si l'hiver retourne aux mois de mars et d'avril quand le printemps devrait etre ici, je pense que j'irai demeurer en Floride! Jack Shilvock, French II. 23

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LITERATURE English SONNETS A FRIEND Are you a friend to those who are to you- Who'd give their lives and all their glittering gold That you have your share of happiness to hold, Or just a friend to but a favored few Who're always carping others' deeds to you? Are you the type of friend to be cajoled By words and let bad deeds go uncontrolled When you might teach others to be true? You must be true in whatyou say and do, And not condemn a man behind his back. All faithful friends are precious finds todayg Then let us love the old as well as new And have our faith be flawless in its track And teach and trust our friends through life's hard plav Virginia Standish English IV lg-1. SATAN'S FRIEND I often wonder why the woodland trees Loose all their leaves when fall time comes around Why winter has to come along and freeze And spoil the wonderous beauties that abound. Frost chases to the root all of life's blood, And there he covers it with sheets of snow Sequestering it in pools of dirty mud, Where it can't help a thing to live and grow. Jack Frost, to me, is merely Satan's friend, Who loves to see the beauties all destroyedg But God in springtime does these harms amend By making all these acts of Satan's void. Then, when we see the trees leave out in spring, We all praise God and laugh and shout and sing. Earl Warner English IV l . HAPPINESS What greater care has any heart than life, Since all the sorrows, laughs, and sighs are naught And as each sprouting day appears, there's strife Among the crowd where joy or love is sought? Our happiness is sprinkled here and there. Unless some fool can find a way to mar it, The perfect path becomes too hard to bear. The shifting shades are always sure to cross it. The giggling brook bids birds sing cheery songs For those of us who cannot take the timeg While we berate the ones who do us wrong, And pat the backs of those with whom we shine. Of all the paths of life in countless glory, 'Tis happiness which makes our life a story. Jennie Pilato English IV 25