Santa Rosa High School - Echo Yearbook (Santa Rosa, CA)

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THE ECHO FOR OLD GLORY ( Third Award) Their shades brood o’er it, For they love it still—- XTRA, EXTRA, E-e-e-vening Star-r! Extr-r-ra! Paper [- ‘ Mister ?”’ ; So range the newshoy’s chant from the street % below. NAL Qld Mr. Norton lifted his head and listened, then turned and gave me that rare, beautiful smile of his, which so often, out of the full maturity of his kindly old age, he bestowed upon me. “The newsys cried thus on the evening when I enlisted for the Great War,” said he. “For ‘Old Glory,’ they said.” “Who,” I questioned, “the newsys?” “Why no, the presidents.” “The presidents?” said I in perplexity, “you mean that Taft and Roosevelt——” “Oh, no,” said he then. “Time was when I would not have told the story. Even during the war such a tale met with ridicule, but now—. Well, the tale may amuse you. !’m but an absent-minded old duffer now, not much use to anybody; still if my story would give you a little pleasuse—— “Ah, there were great mien in those days,” he began. “They moved the world, those giants of power and intellect; but some of us, we could only see visions, see visions and dream dreams.” I glanced at his worn old Croix de Guerre, one of France’s highest honors, above the mantelpicce, and smiled to myself. “Yes,” continued the old man, “I remember that I bought a paper from a newsboy, that evening long ago, and I recall the dolorous tale it brought. Those days saw the height of the great offensive, the last successful offensive of Prussia. The Germans had cut their way far beyond Amiens, Messines Ridge was waver- ing, but a few more victories and even the Channel ports would be lost to us. America lose! [it struck my deadening patriotism. Should Liberty lose? Should Old Glory be defeated? And, as in the experience of all of us in that trying time, borne upon me as never before, came the real significance of the war, the true mean- ing of that titanic struggle. “It is doubtless difficult for you, today, to understand the lethargy of our spirits. So far from the seat of battle, how could we understand the nature of the Leonidian sacrifice which France was making for the world? Yet to each of us came his awakening.

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THE ECHO 21 so and so at the last party, and who fell in the creek at the school picnic. Her presence very much enlivens the conversation among us, and [| find that there is not one who does not speak of her as that sort of person who is usually called a happy, intelligent and fascinating person. [ cannot tell whether I am to account her of whom I am next to speak, as exactly one of the faculty, due to my better understand- ing of her as a relative, although when I do describe her as such, [ can base my obseryations upon a careful understanding of her characteristics. She is a mathematician, a very precise woman, one who strongly inclines to her own opinion, and is slightly co- quettish. She has the misfortune to be of a weak constitution and is hard pressed by accepting the cares and responsibilities of her duty as class adviser. She seldom introduces the subject of her teaching. She is a blonde of willowy form with eyes that resemble that pretty blue wildflower that one may see in the green ineadow in spring. This young lady may be found either in a seven passenger Studebaker or in a spacious white mansion on Wright treet. When she is among us she seems to fall on some interest- ing subject which she treats with authority. These are some of the members of the faculty with whom I come in contact John Stump, 20. Within the Echo office did I sit, ttending to the flow of brilliant wit, When in did come the First Assistant fair And sit herself forlornly in a chair. “Now,” quoth she, “a poem is my behest, And since I have requested all the rest. To no avail, ’tis you I order now To write a poem.” And she made a bow, Then lo! she smiled! “lwas such a smile that launched a thousand ships; Twas such a smile that played on Cleo’s lips, So how couid J, a mortal weak and frail, Against the witching of the smile prevail? Twould be a creature cold and hard to bend That to her smile no little warmth would lend: And so have I been trying all the night Some semblance of a little poem to write, And here it is! —F. L. F. ’1o9. LINES TO THE ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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neh, ECE @ And perhaps my awakeuing will account for the strange experience which I will relate, and will explain the story that I tell. “T talked the matter over with my wife, and we decided that it was my duty to go. I was in class 4A, wife and children to support, but we had a little money in the bank, and I would always have my army pay So that evening IT committed one of the greatest acts of my life. “After the enlisting formality was over I went out into the hot, still night, so filled with anxiety that I paced the streets of the Capi- tal, and could not, perforce, turn homeward Flow long I walked the darkened avenues I do not know, but some time in the silent watches of that wonderful might [ found myself in the vicinity of the Capitol building. The whole structure seemed dark to me at first, and then | noted a steady, white light, shining from the windows of the council room. This lone hight, shining from out of the mass of darkness, drew me, with a mighty and insiduous at- traction, and I moved slowly forward, mounting the long stairs, scarcely conscious of the motion which impelled me. “T found the great doors of the (’apitol ajar. I entered, and found my way down the hall, at the other end of which a faint ligoht was glimmering. J] paused! [ listened! There was a sound 2 a of subdued voices, then came the scraping of a chair. ““Sirs,’ spoke a voice, quiet, resonant, yet mellow. ‘Sirs, I have summoned you hither in this time of our country’s peril that we may consider her dilemma, and so far as is in our power, mitigate it. We all love America, and only the more because of our long sepa- ration from her. Onur nation is embroiled in what is admittedly the most terrible war in history. people across the sea, with whom we never dreamed of waging battle, has begun an attempt at world-wild conquest. This struggle has dragged on for several years, and what now seems to be a decisive battle is now raging, evidently in our enemy's favor. Gentlemen, it is that we may save our beloved land from the terrible humiliation of defeat that [ have called you here tonight. “There came a silence, a silence so deep that the very sound of my breathing seemed to wake echos in that inky hall. I could bear it no longer. I MUST look. Shaking off the uncanny feel- ing, I approached the door, approached it slowly, and pushed it open. “The room was pervaded py a strange, unearthly light, in a certain degree resembling moonlight. “Then there met my eyes, in that hannted room, a sight such as is but seldom vouchsafed ovr mortal eyes. [ beheld before me a lengthy tab!e, about which a number of men were ranged in vary- ing posture. . At the head sat one seemingly lost in thought, his face bent in his palm, so that ! could not perceive his features. 23