Petersburg High School - Missile Yearbook (Petersburg, VA)

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12 THE MI88ILE Bantty of HERE are many, no doubt, who say that in the discussion of a question it is unfair to take only one side of it, criticise that one side, and keep quiet about the other side, which is equally in fault with the first. We grant that this rule is true. But if the reader will stop to recall the many articles he has seen or read on the vanity of women, he must pardon here a few words on a subject, equally as interesting altho’ less universal, the vanity of men. For the sake of convenience we will divide men into three stages of life ; first, the young boy ; secondly, the middle-aged man ; thirdly, the old man. This vanity in the young boy has a slightly different aspect from what we usually mean by the term vanity. The boy is at the bragging age, the age when he blows his own horn. It is simply an overflowing and ex- pression of his inwiard vain feeling, which, at this age, he has not diplomacy enough to hide. Not at all is he vain as to his personal appearance of intellectual attainments, for he gives little, if any, thought to such matter. The dainty fixing-up age comes later. The boy’s vanity takes the turn in making him think that he is the biggest, strongest man in all the country around. He loves to bet his companions that he can jump higher, run faster, or swim better than his chum and rival. The next stage of vanity is seen in the middle-aged man. This term middle-aged does not mean necessarily one settled in life, but it means rather the age of the fully grown man. Now is the time of vanity in personal appearance. Most of the attention of body and soul is given to adorning the person. This is best illustrated by citing an incident that happened some time ago at a dinner-party. There was invited to this dinner- party a company of men and ladies. They duly arrived, and after a time of social intercourse, were invited into dinner. A short while after all were seated, there arose a discussion of

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TEE MISSILE 11 with a beaming face, came around to the walk, and clasped her in his arms. “Well, well, honey, ye did come back to your old man anyhow, didn’t you?” “Yes, John, I couldn’t stay any longer. But you did break your word and painted the fence. And it looks so nice and really worthy of belonging to a Spencer.” “Well-er-the fact is, Maria,” he faltered, “as I always said I’m a man of my word, and I well, I didn’t paint that old fence, anyhow. I hated to spoil the family traditions, and so I just had a new one put up instead. Ye don’t care, do ye Maria? You ain’t a’ going to have old John by himself again, just because he was a man of his word, are ye?” And she didn’t. Louise Talbott 1S. AUTUMN FAIRIES The leaves are red and yellow And falling to the ground, The little autumn fairies Are dancing all around. When the autumn’s over They all will go away ; But when the moon is brightest. The little fairies play. They often meet and dance Under the harvest moon. They kiss the fruits and grains And make them ripen soon. When the crops are gathered in The fairies, one and all. Meet in nooks secluded And give a moonlight ball. And when the fall is over And winter days are come. The autumn fairies meet again And scamper to their home. Mary Anderson Gilliam, ’ 15

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THE MI88ILE 13 vanity. Each man had volumes to tell of how women would even allow vanity to carry them to destruction. The women re- mained silent, wishing that they might find something to say in self-defense, or that the discussion of such an unpleasant subject would come to an end. When each man had had his turn and there was a moment’s silence, one lady of unusual courage saw that it was now her time to speak. In slow, im- pressive tones, she said, “The handsomest man at this dinner- party has forgotten to put on his neck-tie.” Instantly, every man at the table put his hand to his neck. There ensued a hearty laugh, some confusion on the men’s part, and a hasty dropping of the subject. Old age vanity is very unassuming and almost unapparent at times, nevertheless it is inherent. These old men think that no new theories must be introduced, for the ideas they have now, which were used seventy-five years ago, were good enough for them, consequently, they should serve coming gen- erations. In many cases, these old men consider it their duty, in all social gatherings, to monopolize the conversation by telling long, ever-repeated stories, wlith every detail of time and place. We do not censure severely these men, for they have a right to all the possible consideration of younger people. We merely suggest the fact to illustrate the point that this vanity goes down to the grave with its victims, so well-grounded is it in man. We have no right ordinarily to pick out the faults of a thing without suggesting a remedy. But pardon us here, we must make an exception. We give up in despair the idea of trying to reform men. We must be content to try to bear, like patient martyrs, what can never be remedied and what will have no end, — the vanity of men. Anria Thomas, 10