Robert E Lee High School - Leeway / Record Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

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Class Prophecy r HAD been the greenest of all valleys through which Divineresse had been traveling. The heat of the day and the never ending ines of trees and the ever stretching velvety grass were begin¬ ning to weary the brain of an already weary traveler. More¬ over, Divineresse, due to the purity of the surrounding air was now beginning to see mirages. And this was the reason that he rolled up his coat into a pillow and lay his head upon it, under the shade of a pas- pareil tree. Just as the traveler closed his e es something touched him. He jumped up and looked all around but could see nothing. As he was about to lay his head back upon his pillow, however, he saw a little figure about a foot high standing beside his folded coat. In his hand the little fellow held a chalice almost as large as himself. Parenthesis (for this was the little fellow’s name) calmly regarded the man so much larger than himself and said in a piping voice, “Men enter this valley but never leave it. Tis the Valley of Shadows over which Queen Fantasia reigns. But before thou diest, we grant thee one wish. What shall it be?” Divineresse’s head drooped, but only for a second, and then he jumped up with a start. “I wish,” he said in a quavering voice, “I wish, I wish to be taken out of the valley alive.” The dwarf turned livid with rage. “Beast,” he said, “dost thou think thou canst escape me? For that wish thou shalt remain here to die. Dost thou hear me, fool? To die.” In his fury Parenthesis dashed the chalice to the ground, and instantly a shining object sprang up from where it fell. As Divineresse gazed he saw that the object was a mirror composed of numerous parts in the shapes of triangles, rectangles, circles, polygons, and many other geometrical figures. “And for that wish also thou shalt be made to suffer. While thou sittest in torment thou shalt view the happiness of others; the happiness that might have been thine hadst thou not entered this valley. This place is enchanted; thou canst not move from it. From here you must view what real happiness means, the happiness of the Class of ’26, passed on but not forgotten. Each of these figures reflects the bliss of some member of that beloved class. Thou canst not move on, thou-must-look-upon-it!” There was nothing else for Divineresse to do but look into a small triangle on the left side of the mirror. It reflected a small girl taking the part of “Topsy” in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” This was the famous diminutive actress of negro • i.r n

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Salutatory R1ENDS, teachers, patrons and fellow students of Robert E. Lee High School, it is a great pleasure and privilege to have you present and to welcome you on behalf of the High School and the class of ’26. While because of the matchless activities of Mother Nature under our Baldwin Street school building, we have not in the session now closing had a “local habitation,” vet we have none the less had a “name.” Neither our enthusiasm, our effort nor our activities have been dimin¬ ished. We hope that our teachers have not found any curtailment of our work or inferiority in our attainments. We very greatly envy our successors in the coming enjoyment of the splen¬ did edifice now far on the way to completion as the capstone of the public school system of Staunton. They will work amid the perfect equipment and adequate facilities of that magnificent building which cannot fail to conduce to uninterrupt¬ ed and effective study and the comfort of its physical conditions will, without doubt, tend to help the teachers also in imparting their knowledge to the students. We regret very much that on account of the continuing unfavorable working conditions we have been able to do no more than that which is presented to you in our program this evening, but what we do exhibit is, I feel sure, a matter of great pride to each member of the graduating class and the real results are no less in the acquisition of knowledge, mental improvement and character building. Some of us may plunge at once into the serious and exacting world work; some of us will no doubt be so fortunate as to continue our studies in the higher and more advanced branches of learning. Whatever may be our lot I know none will forget the happy associations of the class of ’26. 1 bespeak for the whole class a happy, full, and successful future. Class of 1926, I salute you and for you give most hearty and sincere welcome to our friends who are present. -—Martha Merriken,

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parts, Blanche Harris. The next figure was a rectangle. In it were seen a physical instructor, Bessie Lewis, and her assistant, Mary Helen Harris—still together as always. In the third figure was seen Dr. Henry Bastien, performing one of the most difficult of operations. In a circle there was a large, modern building, the new R. E. Lee High School, in which both Frances Crawford and Dorothy Sutton were capable members of the faculty. Next the scene shifted to a farmer’s convention at which John Rutherford and William Brown, two progressive farmers were the principal speakers of the afternoon. There was reflected from a square a young pianist executing skillfully arpeggios and runs with the dexterity of a master. This fair damsel was none other than Marjorie Mower. In a hexagon near the center was seen Herman Weinberg, M. D., Ph. D., LI. D., and his staff of renowned nurses, Margaret Collins, Mary Markley, Helen Borden, and Thelma Hulvey, each of whom was invaluable to the Western State Hospital. The next figure showed a graceful girl, Alicia Kivlighan, the premiere star in the Beverley Street hit, “Gnat.” The scene changed and became the studio of the well known designer, Mile. Louise Long, using as her model, Martha Merriken. The next revealed the of¬ fices of Mat and Andrew Spriggins, attorneys-at-law, otherwise known as Ruth Hartman and Billy Glasgow. In another section was perceived Atwell Haines, president of the International Athletic Council. Claire Lvtton was next seen in her laboratory, testing the “Houff” germ, the cause of a peculiar kind of heart disease. The mirror following portrayed a bill board announcing the coming of Keith’s Vaudeville, featuring fohn White and Campbell Pancake, the world’s most celebrated strong men. The adjoining figure depicted George Towberman at his newsstand reading a review by the Critic, Rodes Woodbury, of Palmer Stover’s latest book, “Love Letters of a Collegiate Papa.” On the other side of this was seen Henry Hardy, the first night watchman at M. B. C., to use a “Leaping Lena” to chase prowlers off the property. In an oval was seen Mary Louise Timberlake, head of the Matrimonial Correspondence School, seated at her desk reading the applications of both sexes for mates. The adjacent figure disclosed Pauline Gross’s happy marriage in the “Smoky City.” In the last figure Thomas Larner was shown, happy in having procured the contract for the erection of a new settlement house which was made possible by the diligence of Catherine Fisher and May Slusser, social workers. As the last picture faded away Divineresse’s head fell upon his breast and he was dead.