Plainfield High School - Hermiad Yearbook (Central Village, CT)

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22 THE HERMIAD the ground icn which we fought . As the procession marched on, Marcus walked along beside it. As they ascended the Capitoline Hill, he noticed that some of the captives were with- drawn from the line and conducted to the prison to be put to death. As soon as their death was announced, the 'cxen were sacrificed and the general placed the laurel bough on the lap of Jupiter. The general and his friends then went to the temple where they were publicly feasted. As Marcus's father was an intimate friend of the general, he attended the banquet and Marcus went with him. They were both very glad to see each other again and had many stories to relate. The banquet was grotesque and revolting, rather than magnificent, judged by the standards of today. There were no stcols 'cr benches, but couches upon which the banqueters reclined while eating. The couches were made of silver. Wine was used for the hands instead of water. Very extrava- gant dishes were served. After they had feasted for a long time the general went home late in the evening, accompanied by flutes, torches, and a crowd of citizens, anvcng whom were Marcus and his father. Then Marcus went home, very tired, but very happy. That night, because he had eaten so much and was so excited, Marcus had many wonderful dreams. He dreamed that he was a very prorrinent general, that he had just won a great victory in a foreign war, and that a triumph was being held in his honor. He awoke just as he was placing the laurel bough upon the lap cf Jupiter. 'CSD Extract from a Newspaper of the Year 3015 or the Year 159 of the New Era fEthe1 Seidman, 1934 J 64 XCAVATORS have dug up the ruins of a village the name of which suggests that it was originally open country or a large field. The ruins of some brick buildings have been dug up, however. These' show that they were ancient factories that made some sort of heavy cloth. Near this town has been found a brick building in an excellent state of preservation. From varicus writing materials and books fcund there has been gathered the fact that it was an institution of learning. This building has been found so intact that the excavators have been able to determine just what the plan of it was. It corresponds almcst exactly with the description of an 'cld American school fcund in the Modern Magazine . From recent excavations made in the eastern part of Old United States

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THE HERMIAD 21 suspended and all the pecple were clad in their holiday garments. Practically everyone had laurel bound' around his head. All temples were- thrown open, and every altar smoked with incense. The streets were strewn with garlands. Marcus was in a hurry to see the procession and especially to see his father wha had been away from home for some time. Finally the parade appeared. He heard the sound of the trumpets and saw the senators who led the procession. They were dressed in their togas rrade of white woolen cloth with narrow purple stripes interwoven for a border. Next he saw a body of trumpeters, follawed by a train cf carriages and frames laden with the spoils of the vanquished. In addition to the arms, standards, and statues he saw representations of battles, towns, rivers, and mountains of the con- quered country. Next came a body of flute players, followed by the white oxen, which were decorated with laurel and had gilded horns. They were to be sacrificed and were attended by priests with their insignia and implements. There followed then the distinguished captives with bands of inferior prisoners in chains, after whom walked the lictors who were the attendants of the imperator. The lictors carried the fasces wreathed with laurel. Marcus noticed that they were bundles of rods, but he wondered what they signified, There was a Roman man standing near him. Pardon me, sir , Marcus said to him, but can you tell me what those bundles of rods that the lictors are carrying mean? They are called the fasces , answered the man. They indicate power, and outside the city they have axes bound in with them, signifying the death penalty. The axes are taken from the bundles inside the city . I thank you , said Marcus, and he turned to watch the rest of the triumph. The hero of the day came into view, the imperator, crowned with laurel, in a circular chariot drawn by four horses. He was accompanied by his young children and his intimate friends. He was dressed like the Capitoline Jupiter in rcbes of purple and gcldi borrowed from the treasury of the god. In his right hand he carried a laurel bough, and in his left an ivory sceptre surmounted by an eagle. His brows were garlanded with Delphic laurel. A public slave held the golden crown of Jupiter abwe his head, and reminded him in the midst of all his glory that he was but a mortal man. His grownup sons, the equites, legates and tribunes, followed on horseback. Behind them marched the infantry, their spears adorned with laurel, shouting Io TrIumphe , and singing hymns to the gods. Among the soldiers Marcus saw his father who wore a crown which, as he learned later, was called a civic crown. That night his father, holding up the crown, said to him: Marcus, look at this chaplet of oak leaves with the acorns. It was given to me because I saved the life of a comrade in battle. He had been fighting all day and was very weak, when one of the enemy's soldiers assailed him. As I was near, I ran up and after a long hard struggle I killed my opponent and maintained

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THE HERMIAD 23 in North America we 'have been able to find out just what the old system of teaching was, and how the schcols were laid out. As one entered a broad dzorway, one came into a hall. On the left hand was a room that was evidently used as a library and reference room. On the right hand was the chief overseer's office. These two rooms were equipped with good sizedidesks and niany seats, all made of wocd. Also were found in these rooms various colJred pieces made of a material called paper. These show that the students in the school were not always of the best demeanor. A broad hall ran the entire length of the building, with rooms branching off from it. One of these was larger than the cthers and was, from all appearances, an assembly room. In the rear of this asserbly room was a good sized open space which was probably used as a physical torture chamber. The building contained three stories, but other buildings of a similar kind that have been discovered prave that some of then were of a great height. This is just a brief description of an ancient school. A more detailed one may be found in the history written by Eva March Tappan IV . C-331 A PRICELESS PRESENT fErnest Cooney, 19315 I HEN I came to work in a small store in the town of Paradise, the first person that I met was Bill Reynolds. We liked each other at first sight and I did not find it hard to persuade Bill to take me into his home to beard. His wife was a very pleasant woman, and his two little children were always with their father while he was at home. Bill was a jolly sort of fellow who, never wanted to go anywhere when he was not w:rking. He never told me anything of his past lifeg naturally I never inquired of him about it. Even his wife knew little that had happened before she met him. t One frigid Christmas eve Bill and I walked home from the store. Bill usually talked and joked whenever we were tcgether, but that night I noticed that he was very quiet. He seemed to be in deep thought. After eating supper Bill and I went to the sitting raom to rest and smoke. I picked up a paper and began to read. The youngsters came and climbed upsn Bill's knees. They were full of some mysterious secret which, after a bit of ieiened indifference on his part, was soon let out. It seems that they had' invited an old lady who lived all alone in a small cottage near them to have dinner with tliem the next day. They called their new-found friend granny , a name which comes readily to little lips. Bill said nothing though he contin-