Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School - Echoes Yearbook (Peterborough, Ontario Canada)

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THE 5594335 Slxting O'er snow clad Helds up hill and down VVe wend our way, forsake the town, Glad to be free as the winds that blow, Glad to feel the touch of snow. And we gaze at the beauty of all around, As it sparkles and Hutters to the ground. To cover the earth with its mantle so white- Small wonder our hearts are so filled with delight. For the beauty gives looks and feelings that dart Like rays of sunshine into our heart. Nature's enchantment it is that thrills, That crowds out our cares, our woes and our ills. If you would Care for this kind of at thrill And be not afraid of a bump or a spill, Don your warm garments and try out the breeze, You'll enjoy to the full a jaunt on your skis. I lllargaret Illorgan, Form III H. pt. Ghz willow 'fflattern HE collectors and admirers of earthenware and porcelain, dceorated with the willow pattern, have ber-ome very numerous. Who has not heard the fascinating little poem: Two Pigeons flying high. Chinese vessels sailing by. Weeping willow hanging o'f-r Bridge with three men--if not four: Chinese temple, see it stand. Looking over all the land. Apple tree with apples on, A pretty face to end my song. There are several versions of the rhyme, but this is the form in which it was taught to many people. The little poem isn't the only story connected with the willow pattern: tradi- tion ascribes the scenes depicted to incidents in the love story of a beautiful C'hint-sc maiden. Koong-Shu was the daughter of a wealthy mandarin, and loved Cllang, her father's Secretary. The mandarin, who wished his daughter to marry a wealthy suitor, forbade the marriage, and shut his daughter up in an apartment on the terrace of the house which is seen in the pattern to the left of the temple. From her prison Koong-Shu uwatched the willow-tree blossom, and wrote pot-ms in which she ex- pressed her ardent longings to he free ere the peach lmloomed. Cflutng inznmgf-tl lu .31-

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,,1, a Z - ,KK Y -,. ,giil ,,,, THE EC . ES hands bound in her hair and flowing dress, to restrain her. She had followed on and on, enduring weariness and hunger, scarce noted forthe greater pain in her heart. And now she bends over him and weeps, St. Kevin stirs and awakens, and his eyes meet the mild eyes of Kathleen. Sternly he starts up, he seizes the gentle maiden in ruthless hands. and hurls her from the rock. The gloomy waves which soon became Kat.hlecn's grave, flash hatefully a moment as the moon shows through a rent cloud, then settle into st.illness. Too late, St. Kevin felt her lover and mourned her. As he cried Heaven rest her soulf' sweet celestial music drifted lightly round the lake. and Kathleen's ghost was seen to rise and glide, smiling. from the fatal place. Helen Steer, 5.X. Only o. flhub of'f1Jaint OU see that picture there? Now, I don't know where that picture came from, 'who painted it. nor the real story it represents,-but to me it means something. o effin wi 1, am a over o' an if s. Q s was rumma 'in .11 . - T b O tl I l l t ue X I g g 1 an old awn shop one day. I happened upon this picture. The keeper of the shop was an eccentric old gentleman, inclined to be looked upon as being in his second childhood. iVelll Yvelll I knew l'd sell that picture some day. It's been here live years, but I daresay those things mellow with age, eh? VVhy, only the other day, I was say- ing to my wifelf' I would have been there yet if I hadn't grabbed my precious burden and fled. There is something really to the picture, which. even at first glance. compels you to look again. That which struck me first. was the woman. standing in the field, a sheaf of wheat clasped in her arms. Her face is turned toward the setting sun and the reflected light is uncarthly. It smoothes the lilies of care on the wearicd brow with gentle fingers. You catch your breath and a feeling almost akin to holiness steals over. The sun is gathering its great dark cloak over its face and with a last cheerful grin, as he calls his children. sinks slowly to rest. The little beams come dancing back, playfully touching the water of the tiny creek on their way. They twinkle through the old willow, which stands on the bank. its graceful fingers idly rippling the placid water. .X high arched bridge spans the surface. adding an old-fashioned touch to the scene. , From the woman's expression you can imagine she sees her dream realized. The parted lips, the set of the tired shoulders and the eyes-which have seen the trivial worries of a day-yet the cares of a lifetime-all tell the same tale. Uver all, an atmosphere of peace seems to reign supreme. Perhaps the painter of this picture lies forgotten in some strange land, or is a poor, struggling artist. who never dreams that his painting has touched a human soul. But whoever he is I say only this-'tThank you. Beverly Rogers, IIIA Academic -30-

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f f ?.-9:1 , fl-LPLQQ1,-, f ' 'L wif 0 THE EC if . E5 communicate with her by means of a writing enclosed in a small cocoanut shell which was attached to a tiny sail, and Koong-Shu replied in these words, scratched on an ivory tablet: Do not wise husbandmen gather the fruits they fear will be stolen? and sent them in a boat to her lover. Chang, by means of a disguise, entered the mandarin's garden, and succeeded in carrying off Koong-Shu. The three figures on the bridge represent Koong-Shu with a distaff, Chang carrying a box of jewels, and the mandarin following with a whip. The lovers escaped, and lived happily ever after in Chang's house on a distant island until, after many years, the outraged wealthy suitor found them out and burnt their home, when, from ashes of the bamboo grove, their twin spirits rose, Phoenix- like, in the form of two doves. The original English rendering of the willow pattern was designed and en- graved by Thomas Blinton for Thomas Turner of Caughley in 17805 and specimens are generally marked with a crescent in blue under glaze filled in, the letter C in various forms, and the letter S sometimes associated with a small cross or cross swords. In addition to the story or first pattern there are other willow pattern designs, all Oriental and all equally interesting, some have one man, some two men on the bridge, and all of them have a willow in a prominent position. These patterns, copied from porcelain which was so largely imported from China at that time, were engraved between 1780 and 1790 by Minton and his assistants. One of the first of the designs was the pagoda or second period pattern, made for Josiah Spode. A conventional border used with this design is the butterfly', border. It seems to have been made by Hrst drawing a butterfly as Nature made it, and then, by the use of petals and fish-roe motifs conventionalized. Between the butterfly and separating it, is the sceptre made up of curved lines, which are filled in with trellis pattern. The lattice pattern, on the rise of the plate, is also somewhat different from the Caughley design. The third willow pattern period dates from 1800-1830. during which time most English factories, and several Continental ones, made use of it in various forms, and during this time it was not unusual to find specimens marked with the Staffordshire knot, this device being also used on the top of covers in place of, or round, the knob. Following the prevailing fashion. Wedgwood used the willow pattern. Pieces marked VVedgwood and bearing this decoration, are to be met with. The pattern is a faithful copy of the Caughley pattern, except in two particulars-namely, the fret of the fence and the number of apples on the tree, Wedgwood's plate having thirty-four and the dishes more. There are other renderings of the willow pattern, such as Davenport, Clews, and Swansea. All of them are more or less alike, but with slight differences in detail, which materially add to the collectoris interest. The Swansea willow', pattern was transfer-printed in dark and light blue. also in black and brown. In addition to the larger pieces generally met with, many small and dainty specimens were made, such as leaf dishes, soup and sauce ladles, and also pretty little pickle dishes, all of them are still to be picked up at a moderate price. Isabel Skitclz, H. A. III. -39-