R J Reynolds High School - Black and Gold Yearbook (Winston Salem, NC)

Page 32 text:

30 THE BLACK AND GOLD lessons of purity, truth, perseverance, determination, unswerving obedience to duty must be heeded if they would crown their labors with successf' The vision faded. But clear in my mind remains the lesson it brought, and gladly did I share it with my classmates. MADGE S1LLs. Smnzet lflanh Did you ever hear of a wonderful land just beyond the sunset glow, Full of birds that warble throughout the year And Howers wherever you go? The land is there if we only could reach The signboard that points 'the way, And the path that leads to the open gate Is for only the joyous and gay. 'Long the path grows the dew-sprinkled Violet and rose, It's but wide enough for two, And the luscious berries that sparkle near by Would be food for me and you. There is music there and the melodies Are tuned to the Maker's ear By the bubbling brook as it gurgles along And the breeze singing far and near. And through the gate stretches far away That beautiful sunset land. There'll be merry, laughing children there, And lovers strolling hand in hand. So please go with me to the little path Near hidden in its winding way, And together let's find the gate and the joy Of our Sunset Land, today. LUELLA COCHRAN.

Page 31 text:

THE BLACK AND GOLD 29 ing, then on through a by-path she brought us into a barren, wasted land, strewn with fragments of building materials, broken and defaced. The Plain of Failure, said Imagination. 'Tis here in this suburb of Ideals, that many, losing sight of lofty aims, waver in their purpose, and so, swerving from the path Ambition would have them follow, waste their lives in fruitless endeavor. Un every side you see signs of greatness, but alas, greatness accom- plishing nothingg for without steady Purpose, Determination and Stick-to-it-ness no one can accomplish Life's tasks. And just over the way lies Successf' I murmured, for through the wavering tree tops I could detect the shining turrets of the House of Success. Just over the way, repeated Imagination, but separated by a deep ravine -and so saying she brought me through a rugged path into-not a clear, beautiful country as I had always thought Success to be in-but into a hard, forbidding land. Can this be the end of our quest? I cried. Is this the House of Success? And I pointed to the unadorned, rather insignihcant structure standing before me. Yes,,' answered Imagination, but see, the House of Suc- cess is built on the foundation stones of Hard-work, put together with Thoroughness and Determination, and see, though the out- look is poor, how bright is the uplook- and she pointed to the dazzling radiance above the turret-tops. Just then the portal of the house Hew open and Patience, with her ponderous keys, stood ready to unlock for us the shining treasures within. But Experience, grave with the weight of years, gently thrust her aside. Not yet, she said, not yet-may a representative of the Class of 1916 enter the House of Success. Go back to your classmates, she turned to me, and say to them that some of them will go into the world as lawyers, doctors, busy workers, others will remain in the quiet circle of the home, but no matter what their work, no matter what their sphere of influence,

Page 33 text:

THE BLACK AND GOLD 31 Quin EI ilivllnm EH P215 W Y, HEN I entered High School, highest ideal was I to graduate as soon as I possibly could. In the ninth grade I envied the graduate more than ever Tis,?gj before. In the tenth I laid my plans as to how I was going to act when I graduated, whom I was going to send invitations to, what my graduating essay was going to be on, how many medals and honors I was going to carry off, and above all how proud I was going to make my parents when they heard me delivering my declamation which was to win the silver loving-cup. All this rushed to my head when I was a Junior. Ah! how mistaken I wasl Vacation came. I worked at the store and prayed for the time to fly faster that I might become a Senior and graduate-above all, graduate. It seemed that time just would not hurry, it in- sisted on lagging and making me wish all the harder. At last, with a cry of delight, I tore the August sheet off the calendar and welcomed September lst, the day I was to be- come a Senior-but now all my desires to graduate were gone. None of the happy thoughts which had greeted me when I thought of the wonder of being a Senior and graduating occurred to me. A feeling of despair came over me, something like sorrow, some- thing like-ohl I don't know how I felt, but if you have ever been to see a sick friend who you know cannot live very long and that that is the last time you will see him, you know something of my sensations as I came back to the dear old High School for the last year. For weeks this was the uppermost thought in my mind, medals, honors, scholarships, everything that I had planned was forgotten. A feeling of depression had taken possession of me. But at last I began to brighten up, there was college to plan for, the chance of another four years with my books. And so the days have passed, the time draws near when the end shall crown my labors. As I have not yet graduated I can- not tell how I shall feel on that important occasion, but one thing I am sure of, the memories of graduation day will live in my heart forever. H. BANKS Niawxrax.