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

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Vox Fluminis 21 than ever. There I stood looking like an artificial girl. Then, all of a sudden things began to rock, the mirrors cracked and the floor fell through and I seemed to drop for miles and miles sending my heart spinning. Then bang! It was all over. I was awake on the floor, clinging to my nice brown locks for dear life. Mary MacKay, Grade IX, Garry Hall. 1 T0 SPRING Oh! Spring, thou herald of the new born earth, Come once again and give our world new birth. And with thy silver flute triumphant call All nations be at rest. Peace be to all.', Let thy new seeds from hill and valley spring, Let bush and flower forget the nettles sting, Wipe from the earth the scars of wars scarce done, But that the years unveil a fiercer one Oh! Spring, stretch forth thy gentle hand, And calm the tumult of our restless land. Peggy Auld, Grade XI, Garry Hall. NATURE EVERYTHING was still. The lake was as smooth as a mirror, and the motionless emerald trees stood in relief against the bright blue arch overhead. The sun was still lo-w in the east, but this beautiful morn was warm. The stillness was overpowering, as you stood and tried to hear the sound that was not there. Not even the birds were carolling their morning sonatina. Apparently they, too, were impressed at the motionless day that was being born. A harsh noise suddenly shattered the stillness. It was the sound of the motor of a swiftly flying boat, skimming light- ly over the mirror-like water. The boat was quite far away, but this seemingly winged vessel soon passed the beautiful bit of shore I was standing on, disturb- ing the water into large ripples which soon died away, as they lapped gently against the golden sands. In the boat were some unfortunate mortals going away from this beauty back to the noise and grime of the city. Mary Mathers, Grade VIII, Douglas Hall. -L11-l-T1--.1-Q THE CITY OF BENARES T'was crowded out with children, And such happiness was their's, For they were on a voyage On the City of Benares. They were fleeing from the danger Of bombshelled London town, None of those kiddies ever guessed Their ship was going down. How were they to know, poor things, That they would die that day, By a cruel and mighty German stroke Of hate and unfair play. The ship was struggling through the storm When the submarine was sighted, The warnings echoed from the bridge And the distress flares were lighted. No panic swept along those decks So packed with little ones, They had their lifebelts safely on And stood and watched the Huns. A mighty crash soon rent the air So survivors stated, Another English vessel caught And precious cargo fated. How many lives were ruined When that torpedo was released? Hundreds of children's names appeared In the column marked Deceased The crew all made a valiant try To get the lifeboats down, To help those little children In their efforts not to drown. But no one came to help them, The sea was in a rage, And so this German slaughter Was the tragedy of our age. Jill Riddell, Grade XI, Garry I-Iall.

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20 Vox Fluminis THE PIPERS' CALL From over the wooded highland hills Into the sunlit glen, The notes brought thrilled and quicken- ing beats To the hearts of the listening men. So tall and straight in the swinging kilt, He soothed her quick alarms, Young and eager to answer the call, The pipers' call to arms. And with the thought of other battles Well fought, but dearly won, She watched him climb the mountain path, The last, and best-loved son. In the purple haze of a heather field, Against the evening sky, The distant figure looked back once more, Then went to win or die. A wooden cross on a lonely hill In the bleak, grey down, And a woman, with tearless, anguished eyes, And none to lean upon. Marilyn Smith, Grade X, Garry Hall. i..11.T....i-..l. NIGHTMARES I WIGGLED and squirmed in my bed until everything stuck to me, and my flannel nighty felt like a layer of seal- skin around me. Why wasn't I born a Betty Grable or a Joan Bennet? I'd simply love to have green eyes and black hair instead of the most common in America. Even if I did brush it a hundred times each night it would still look the same. Straight as a poker and brown. I wriggled some more but only felt worse. I must ask mother again if I can dye my hair black. I am sure it would look so much better. Mothers are so difficult these days. I expect I must have worried myself to sleep for the next thing I remember was entering a large beautiful green plastic building which made me feel like Alice in Wonderland. Over the doorway was written Through these doors lies beauty for all. At the door were two footmen dressed from head to toe in lollipop-red suits. They opened the door and I pranced in, in my dirty gingham pinafore, feeling like a queen. The first room I entered was filled with bottles of perfume with most exquisite scents. Small bottles, large bottles, green bottles, pink bottles, all in different shapes. I picked one up in the shape of a flower. It was called Happiness, and underneath it said, Price-Contentment. How silly, I thought, I guess I can pay for that. At the end of the room was a door labeled Lip Charmsf' so I hurried on to it. Tubes and tubes of bright lipsticks in beautiful cases, red ones, orchid ones, every kind. I pulled out a mirror from my pinafore pocket and commenced to delicately dab some Stop Red on. I walked to the end of the room where there was a door labeled For brown hair. Hurry, I said to myself, and boldly stepped in. I found myself in a room filled with dainty pink basins all filled with dyes of different colors for drab brown hair. I quickly chose a blue black. My hair emerged for the most part black and, even thought it was straight, I imagined myself quite attractive. The next room was for the nails and face. I applied some dark red polish to my nails and flourished some eye- shadow on. I fancied the marshmellowy creams a little old. The door at the end of this room led me into one for powder. I delicately powdered my nose with a grand feather puff but found all the powder hard on the lungs, and moved on to a door labeled You. This was going to be fun. Excitedly I opened the door into a mirrored room. Oh! my goodness, is that me, my hair, my lips? Mercy, it couldn't be. There was eye shadow all over me and I looked as if I had two black eyes. There was lipstick on my teeth and nose. My hair was dripping with blue black dye and my eyes looked browner

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22 Vox Fluminis BETWEEN TW Ol SUNS ALL nature seemed asleep. To the flaming ball of sun showing its blushing forehead above the horizon, the world was a pleasant sight. It was as if at dawn each day, a new era began. The grass and trees stirred, trying to rid themselves of a drowsy stupor that had held them captive for twelve short hours. T'he little stream meandering through the friendly forest regained its lost gaiety. Twigs snapped a few yards away, and a small deer trotted into the mossy glade. He was wobbly on his long gangling legs, and his winter coat, shaggy now after long winter months, was being replaced by smooth fur. The slight animal's alert eyes searched among the shrubs for his friend, Snubby. But Snubby was nowhere to be seen. He was playing footy with the sandman under the shade of soft ferns. He and Snubby were only a few months old, but were already loyal friends, although as different as black and white. They were the hare and tortoise of the woodland universe. Gabby being the fleetest, was the hare, and Snubby, habitually trailing behind, was the tortoise. Gabby was thirsty, this fine spring morning and so he bent down to take a long, cool drink from the clear pool. Snubby chose this moment to wander aimlessly into the nook, with his eyes half-closed. He neared the bank of the shallow pond and ran head-long into Gabby. The latter fell into the water, while Snubby overcome with exhaustion, sank to the ground and proceeded to finish his game with the sandman. This episode had the opposite affect on Gabby. It revived his spirits and the thought of food entered his head. As- he stumbled over Snub-by's un- conscious form, he whistled a tune in his own deer way, and set off through the forest in search of breakfast. S-nubby, recognizing this pre-dinner lullaby, followed Gabby with amazing alacrity,-for ,Snubby lo-ved his food. Having replenished.themselves they started down the mountain. T'he shrill shriek of the annoying jay roused. their anger, and off they sped. The clear, bristling air cleared their lungs and filled their bodies with an exhilarating sensation. Never would they tire of this, now they were free to so-ar with the birds as swiftly as the wind. They neared the end of the hill an.d came lolloping in for the finish. Gabby turned to see lovable Snubby wearily wend his way into the coo-1, sequestered valley. They would have to rest awhile before beginning the weary ascent ba-ck home, but they could bide their time by scraping the velvet OH their new antlers. Gabby began vigorously rub- bing his horns on the rough bark, -but Snubby used his tree for a leanin.g post and promptly began to snore. Turning to waken him, Gabby's eyes caught the gleam of metal flashing in the surrounding woods. This was the enemy! His first thought was for Snubby. He whistled wierdly and Snubby' sens- ing the danger, fled from the hostile valley beside his fleet friend. T'error struck at their hearts. Their legs seemed filled with lead. Why wouldn't their feet go faster? They ran wildly, blindly! A bullet grazed the soft fur of .Snubby's ear. Another found its way into Snubby's right' flank. A third missle stopped his heart. He slumped to the ground with a retching gurgle. The pupils of his baby eyes sank out of sight. The sound reached Gabby. He turned and his blood froze in his. veins. In- stinct warned him to leave, but all at once he felt lonely. He wanted to stay and talk to the silent form beside him. Something told him he had witnessed a similar scene once before in his life. Only this morning he had stumbled over Snubby's unconscious form. Only then there hadn't been the ominous silence there was now, nor the pool of blood behind his head. Gabby couldn't cry. The tears just