Oakhurst Collegiate School - Acorn Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

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FLOWERING THORN from the Boston Transcripn COLD the winter ocean beats Against, the English shore; I remember well a May When England hawthorn woreh Hawthorn white and hawthorn red; Pale, sweet lilacs on her head Wreathfad in a coronal; Oleanders by the wall, Old, gray garden walls where climb Dark-leaved ivies, rich with time. Now the leaden winter rain Falls on England in her pain; Falls on Lancashire where grew Violets in woods we knew? Falls on paths he trod with me, In that May-time, lingeringly. Now the Winds of winter cry O1er the lakes that frozen lie, Gray and sombre, mirroring No bright sapphire skies of spring. Far in Flanders wild winds sweep O'er my love's entrenchhd sleepa Blotting out his war-world grim. Do these scenes come back to him? Ah, does he recall in dreams, One early, thrush-thrilled morn, May-sweet with English primrose And White with Howh'ing thorn? AGNES KENDRICK GRAY, 1911.

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THE PASSER-BY A BRIDGE HE great bridge, black as its surroundings, was long and narrow. It was a big, massive structure, made up of steel and iron, and suspiended upon thou- sands of cables stretched taut. About the sides and bottom, iron and steel crossed and recrossed each other, forming a black network. The street, which crOSsed it was paved with wooden blocks worn to a color as dirty as the iron of the bridge, by the traffic which traversed it day and night. The vehicles seemed to be a part of this great bridge, as they moved to and fro in long, straight lines across it. The ends of the bridge were surrounded with tall buildings and immense, high skyscrapers. All of this was enveloped in clouds of dirty gray smoke. The whole ponderous mass, suspended in mid-air by the frail steel cables, gave a startling impression to an onlooker. V. W., 18. THE SHOEMAKER That bent 01d man-his crippled fingers ply the needle back and forth. The straps on his leather apron swing in rhythm. Shoes, shoes of all kinds and descriptions are littered about on the floor. With that strange, intent look on his face and the tense set of his fingers, he is like the shoes he mendsewrinkled, old, and changeless in expression. A. B., T7. A SKY LINE The sky line was gray, and as uneven as a jig-saw puzzle. THE TENEMENT HOUSE The huge tenement house was of a dirty red brick, and seemed to be one living pile of filth. It was at least eighty feet high, occupying nearly a square block; it had numerous narrow doors, rickety, tumbled-down steps, and broken window-panes, with rags and paper stuffed in them, which gave as forlorn an aspect to the outside as their rear views, doubtless, imparted to the squalor within. Old barrels and tin cans lay in the frozen mud, and everywhere curious, scampering ragamuffins were to be seen. The windows were very close together, and a care-worn face looked out from almost every one. C. V., ,18. OLD PHOTOGRAPHS Old photographs are very amusing, especially to the younger generation. The hats were rather large, and sat upon ttthree hairs, and this always gave the ladies a supercilious look. K. T., Col. II Themes. A SHIP The decks were occupied by crowds of people, who were waving eagerly to the people on land. The front of this ship tapered to a point, so that the immense bulk cut through the water very easily, while the rear extended straight upward. On either side, thin masts stretched above the smokestacks and a large American flag fastened to a pole rippled in the breeze. The ship was white, but in large, black letters, which ap- peared very small because of the distance, was written Lusitania. L. M., 18.

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TOMMY OMMY MACKLIN had the itjumping fever? Of all the boys on the street, he was really the worst. They had been to a circus, and, on seeing the trapeze performers jump from one swing to another with parachutes attached to them, they decided right there and then to try it as soon as possible, not realizing that wires, too, were attached to the performers. 0h, fellers, look here, Aunt Kate just went into our house and left her umbrella on the porchf' Tommyls voice sounded up and down the street, and soon about twelve boys had gathered around him and the umbrella. ilSayKi said little Jack Spooner, ttmaybe we can try that circus stunt now. HGood boy, Jackfi exclaimed another, HI never thought of that. tiGood lands! yelled Tommy, What dlyou sup- pose I got all you fellers here for? Just to look at me and this black affair? Immediately, about six, with muddy feet, tramped up the white steps of the Macklin home and strutted around on the porch, each trying to get on the rail first. Tommy was first, though, and, opening the umbrella, stood ready to leap. iiHey, hold on, Tom, called someone from the crowd below, ttyou haventt a thing to jump on. Your feet will sting like the mischief if you land on the cement. 22 Why! do you think I am goint to land hard like that? What do you suppose live got this umbrella for? Balancing himself on one foot, Tommy yelled, Look out, and jumped. He came down rather hard and landed in a heap. Oh, gee! he said, after getting his breath, Hthis place isn,t half high enough. By the time air gathers under the umbrella, you,re on the sidewalk. HYes sir, said Jack, that's itiwe need a higher place to jump from. Letis see, where can we go'. , They all looked at each other hlankly for a few minutes, trying to think of some higher place. Whee, I have itefollow! and Tommy started at a wild pace, waving the black object in the air. The boys followed for about two blocks and were greatly surprised when he stopped at the edge of the tunnel which ran under that part of the town to the city. ttHow 'bout it, fellersTt asked Tommy. ttNot for mine, said one, but the majority said, ttFine! Great! and it was resolved to try it. llHey, wait, called one just as Tommy was starting to jump. llIf you wait until a train comes, you'll get a peach of a ride besides. HGood boy, Percy, exclaimed Tom, ttI never thought of that. And so the twelve sat down and