Oroville Union High School - Nugget Yearbook (Oroville, CA)

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THE VISION It had been a dieary day; the rain had poured down in torrents, until scarcely an hour before, when it had quieted down to a gentle drizzle; and then the clouds had lifted a little and it had ceased entirely. Now evening was come, and as you looked upward, you could see the clouds as they had broken apart, showing little spots of blue on the otherwise gloomy sky. Then all at once, the world was bathed in glory, some clouds looked like banks of the whitest snow, while others were edged with gold; and still others were of the brightest rose, which had faded and faded until it was lost in the blue of the sky. as the sun burst from behind a cloud in its struggle to give the world one glorious promise of a new and better day. A little boy stood at his window, amazed, almost enchanted by the glory of this California sunset. Never had he seen the like before. Always having lived in the mountains where the sun is so often quickly lost to view, he thought this the most wonderful of pictures. All day long he had sat at the window in the new home looking at the vast California plains, and all day long the longing for his old home and dislike for the new had grown; but now he was satisfied to stay, now he would want to stay. The long rainy day had been hard but the sunset had paid amply for those dreary hours, for little Cedric was a beauty-loving child, with the eye of an aitist and the soul of a poet. He turned from the window, with a sigh, as the last ray died away, and said. “Ob, mother, that must be where the angels are. Don’t you th»uk it was pretty, mama?” He was quiet a minute. a3 the lit'le mind studied to find a way of expressing his thoughts; and then. “Oh. mama. I wish. I just v.ish everybody could see that.” The mother, a tall, sad-faced, though beautiful woman, left her sewing and crossing the room, threw her arm-; about, the little hoy. Drawing him to a low chair, she seated herself and took h'm on her kr.ce as she began telling him again the old. old story of Sir Galahad, and his Quest for the Holy Grail. The lad iistened. with, solemn eye fixed on his mother's face Many and many a time had he heard the story, but never had it seemed so beautiful as now. And. mama, can I be like Sir Galahad? he a«ked. 14

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MARGARET PUTNAM CLARENCE WRIGHT LAURA FOGARTY ELLIS PACKARD BETH HAUGHT EDITH HAUGHT LILY BRANDT GLADYS CRESS FERN DAMON . LUCILE STRANTZ ABE PROTZEL GEORGE ALDA DUENSING ANNA MOONEY HAROLD JONES VIOLET DRESSER ETHEL HAYWARD NAOMI GARRETT GILMAN ROBERTA SHREVE 13

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“Yes. my lad. you can be as Hue a knighl. as he; be always courteous be alw'ays ready to do your duty, and above all be pure, be true to your principles, and stand always for the right; and you. too. my boy. will see Galahad’s vision. You may not see the Holy Grail, but you wrill see a vision. You said you wished everyone might see that sunset, my boy. It was a vision to you, but those who are not pure have lost that vision. They see nothing beautiful in a sunset, they are looking for gold and pleasure. “Cedric, my boy. promise me that you will live pure, and that as you look at the sunset, if a call comes to you to go on any quest, that you will answer that call?” “I will, mother. 1 will.” And then a little later he stood at UIs mother’s bedside and repeated that vow', ’ere she went to follow her quest and find her lost Lord. Years past, and Cedric grew to manhood, always with that vow before him. When tempted he would go to the window and watch the sun as it cast its dying rays over the earth, then the thoughts of that other sunset saved him. Years went by and Cedric met a girl, a beautiful little thing with brown hair and beautiful soft brown eyes. He learned to love her. and she returned that love. One day in October as the sun cast its last rays across the broad California plains, he led her out to the foothills near his country home, the foothills where the tall pines tower above the great oak trees and are the very last to catch the sunsets glow. And there he showed her acre after acre of cultivated sunlit soil w'hich he had earned. “And I earned it honestly. Gertrude. he said. And then he turned to the west, and as they gazed at that picture which no artist has ever been able to paint, he told of his vow- and his love. “I have never heard the call. yet. but 1 have lived honest and clean. I have kept my vow so far. and if the call ever comes. I must follow it. It may be hard, but you remember. Galahad said, “Thou, too. shall see the vision when I go; and the master said. Lo. I am with you always;” that holds a promise to me. Gertrude. Will you accept this vow with me? There is my home won with honest labor; I offer you a heart that holds love only for you. a name that has never been sullied, and a vision (not an idle dream) of happiness over there.” She turned to him in silent joy. her lips did not move, but he read his answer in her eyes. “You love me. can it be!’” Yes. Cedric came the low reply, “I love you. and whenever that call of which you spoke may come, you will go. for I will send you; but until then, my friend, we will walk life's read hand in hand. Shall It not be so?” Ah. yes.” and hand in hand they trod the way to her father's home. A few months later, he took her to his home, a happy br'.de: and it seemed that no shadow could cross their path. But even then, the low rumblings of a coming storm could be heard by some in the seats of Government. But in that far-off Western home, all was joy and peace and contentment. Three years passed, and all at once, the storm which had teen brewing so long, broke. The news spread over the country like wild tire. Germany has declared war on France.” The news reached that Western home, and the young rancher went to his wife and children with a sad and troubled face. Time went on and he read of the ruthless treatment of the Belgians, of the devastation in Northern France. Night after night found Cedric walking the floor. He could not sleep, he seemed to hear the voice of Armenian and Belgian childhood crying at his door: and yet to leave his home, his country, to go over there, and maybe give his life! He could not do it. Day after day he fought it out; and then one rainy afternoon. he stood at the window and once more he saw the sun as it burst through the clouds and bathed the world in glory. He could hear his Mother's voice saying. Always be true to your piinciples. my boy. stand for the right. You. too. will have a quest, and you will see a vision.” It was sixteen years since he had heard that voice, but how well he remembered; and standing there, he heard the call and answered it. 15