Riverbend School for Girls - Vox Fluminis Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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30 VOX FLUMINIS A sudden hush-then a slender, graceful girl in beige with a scarlet sash stepped quietly across him. For the next two hours the pain in his shoulders was forgotten,-he was living in a heaven of glorious sound. Music, applause, roses-more music, more applause, more roses-and then, just when he thought he would collap-se from sheer joy-it was over! Who was she?-this being who could call forth such exclamations of delight from the beautifully gowned ladies and handsome gentlemen as they went down for coffee- such a well-arranged program, better than a Celebrity, charming personality. Surely it couldn't be--yes, it was-his own Maurine, whom he saw every day, tuniced like all the rest, playing for prayers and gym and dancing-and he hadn't recognized her! JUNIOR PLAYS One of the most enjoyable afternoons during the year is the one on which the Junior Plays take place. To the seniors this is usually a complete surprise, for they know nothing of what goes on in the younger grades. This year grades one to four presented Betsy's Wish, and grades five and six The Pot 'of Gold. Both were extremely well performed and we were still more amazed at the talent of the juniors when, between acts, some of the actresses played for us on the piano. T A.R. PRUNELLA N THE evening of December 18 the parents and friends of the pupils of Riverbend enjoyed a presentation of the play Prunella, Behind the scenes the excitement was intense. Miss Fellows hurried around quieting performers and reminding the off-stage noises that the play hadn't started yet. . Soon Miss Sheffield arrived wearing a corsage of orchids which the cast had presented to her. Finally there was a hush and the curtains parted. The play, being directed so well and with the lovely costumes made by Miss Dunlop and her helpers, went through without a mistake. The story was of a young girl, Prunella, played by June L-ear, who ran away with a band -of mummers or strollingplayers. The leader of this company was Pierott, played by Mary Harris. Strange to say, there were no accidents behind scenes due to the timely warnings of Miss Sheffield. Of course, there was the time when the dinner bell, used for clock chimes, nearly fell off the edge of the platform and was heroically rescued by someone-nobody knows who-but there were no major disasters.

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VOX FLUMINIS 29 LILAC TEA Everyone was frantically running around in search of pins, carrying chairs out to the lawn, wondering if it would rain, asking who had seen so-and-so, or where someone else had left her cake. Such excitement could be caused by only one event,-the 'tLilac Tea. All the confusion was, of course, quite unnecessary, for although the day was very hot, there was no storm and every- thing was a great success. Each of the three houses had a table decorated with house colors. The fish-pond and the home-cooking booth were the most popular attractions. We can only hope that our Lilac Teas in the future will be equally -as satisfactory and enjoyable. , A.R. GLEE CLUBS The different glee clubs under the direction of Mrs. Dempsey gave a Christmas Carol program on Tuesday morning, December 22. At the beginning of the New Year the girls in the AH Glee Club began practising on three Shakespearean songs to sing at the Junior Musical Club on March 8. The songs were '4Where the Bee Sucks, Full Fathom Five, and It was a Lover and his lass. The musi- cale being over, Mrs. Dempsey coached a number of girls to sing solos and duets in the festival. We then held a small one of our own to choose the four best girls in each group to represent us in the large festival. The girls did very well, and made us very proud of them. Three songs, Lift Thine Eyes,'i Beauty Lately,', and Song of Shadows,', are now being practised for the closing exercises. M.G. THIS was a new experience for the gym stage. Never before had he felt such gnawing rheumatic pains in his shoulders, as if two great weights were bearing him down. Earlier in the year Napoleonic soldiers had strode across him, and dainty ladies in blue and gold and green had shown ladylike- excitement over these same dashing gentlemen. Earlier still, there had been on one of his corners a little cottage surrounded by a deserted and desolate garden filled with queer grey-cloaked figures and a dainty pierrette. Those days had been fun--the p-eople had said and done such amusing things, and he had had fascinating decorations over him and had shone in all the blazing glory of footlights. But this was different-a chair-filled gymnasium as usual, but there had been no rehearsals, and now there was only a row of ferns and aspi- distras instead of his beloved lights-and in the Easter holidays as well, when, of all times, he might have expected a rest! People in evening dress began to arrive and to whisper quietly to one another. It must surely be an important occasion. If only his shoulders wouldn't pain him so much, he might be able to hear what it was all about.

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VOX FLUMINIS 31 The play was a great success and we all feel that it is a credit to its director and to those who took part in it. J .J . SENIOR PLAY FROM THE INSIDE THE Senior Dramatic Club got considerable enjoyment out of the production of Quality Street. Of course, it-had its unfortunate moments. It was not on the whole a pleasant sensation when after much hurrying, scrambling, and going without breakfast, one pre- sented oneself at about two minutes after ten, only to be met by reproachful glances and still more reproachful words, You've held up the whole thing, everyone has been waiting for positively hours. Then there was the time when everyone within earshot heard one of the staff hysterically proclaim that there was a man in the house! Her bedspread and window curtains were gone. However, it was a false alarm. They were soon discovered gracing the Blue and Vtfhite Room of Quality Street. The last rehearsal was a hilarious one. The subject of our merri- ment was our heroine's fPhoebe of the ringletsb headgear. In order to hide her celebrated coiffure in the schoolroom scene, Phoebe wore a bonnet which had been quite obviously manufactured from a piece of curtain. With its long ties floating in the air and its much be- puckered crown, it presented quite a dazzling sight. Imagine alas! the far from stifled merriment when our Phoebe arrived on the stage for the pathetic scene with her bonnet on back to front! She de- fended herself afterwards by declaring that one of the brighter members of the cast had insinuated that it might be more becoming that way. We all had our pet worries the night of the play. Susan confided to me afterwards, ''Iwaspetrif1edthatIwouldeitherfillthecupstoover- flowingormissthemaltogether.3' And poor Patty, already notorious for dropping things, had to carry a loaded tray all the way across the room. Peggie Willson, one of Napoleonis noble adversaries at Waterloo, feared that during the duel in the ballroom scene, she might not only lose her life, but also her trousers. Jean Vinson, whose discerning characterization of a prim and proper spinster won her much applause, was greatly worried because she habitually addressed some members of the cast by the wrong name. What is that drone off-stage?-merely Tonsy Guy practising her lines. How to convince Captain Brown that the ball was much too plebeian for her to attend? Should she start at High C and descend? ul- ani ' obt - Credibj - awed a Carglzfnformed that th e WOO11en dfaperss daughter has