Selwyn House School - Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

Page 16 text:

SELWYN HOUSE SCHOOL INIAGAZINF Qlfxtratts from the ZIBiarp of a pair ut bboes Mrmda,v.' Have just been put in the shop window surrounded by lesser shoes, who make cheap and envious remarks to one another that are called wisecracks . How- ever, we maintain our dignity and disdain to answer their stupid and vulgar sallies at our expense. XYhile mentioning the word expense, l may say that we cost sixteen dollars, the most expensive shoes in the shop, During the day we noticed many jealous glances directed at us by our companions. TIlt'.f!fIl-1'.' We have been bought I f or, perhaps we should say, sold. A gentleman came in this morning, and, after much fuss and trying on, decided to take us. Going along the street we kept our bodies and heads very erect, and did not look at any other shoes, though we were perfectly conscious of the admiring but timid glances bestowed on us by the opposite sex. At the corner, while waiting for the car, a great brute of a lumber- jack boot with red laces lusually denoting low mentality in shoesl stepped on us, and snickered. We moved away, not wishing to create a low and unseemly brawl. ll'm'm'.fr1'11-i'.' Became acquainted with the other shoes and boots of our house. There are several ladies that we quite like, though they are below our social standing. XYe therefore :ict courteously and with dignity in their presence. We have nothing to say about the male shoes of our home, except that they are nondescript and rather vulgar. T11Il7'.fl2IlI'N'.' Ah! :Xt last we know of the gentler passions of nature. In other words, we are in love ! l.ast night we went with our master to an informal dance and waltzed several times with a quiet, renned pair of French slippers. So different from our common acquaintances of the shoe-store Y ' As we held her lightly but firmly in our supple arms, we could not help noticing that we were the object and admiration of all eyes. She, so graceful, we, so manly. VVe talked of music and operas and literature and art paintings. We found she had read all of Dickens, and greatly admired him, as did we. Several times we brought our master over to the refreshment table and gave l.ille Cthat was her namel some wine. ive Cannot here help remarking that our master was quite a dull man, as no less than twice in the evening he insisted on going into a corner with some men and discussing the stock-market , However, to cut a long story short, which is not generally our habit, at the end of the evening the little French Slippers had promised to be ours, and we arranged to meet soon. -h'lllIl7'lf1lVT.' ln the last two days our life has changed completely. Through a stupid and thoughtless error of our master we find ourselves in the most ridiculous plight. Last night he took us to another party. .-Xt about three o'clock in the morning he became what uncultured people call soused , or, to put it mildly, under the weather . Arrived outside our house he took us off, so as not to occasion any unnecessary noise which might possibly reach his wife's ears, However, for some reason or other, he did not seem quite firm on his legs, so much so, in fact, that he forgot to pick us up out of the gutter, where he happened to slip. So there we lay. ln the early morning a very low, dirty and disreputable form of life, called the tramp, tramped hy. As his gaze fell on us a nasty grin came over his face, and, hastily and guiltily looking round, he quickly stooped to us, and . .. Bah Y you can guess our future fate, and if you can't, well, we're not going to en- lighten you S. I.. Leacock. I 101

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FOR THF SCHOOL YEAR 1931i 1932 Qhhentute Once upon a time a little boy called Youth heard of a certain beautiful Bird, whose golden eggs brought Fame. Like all other little boys of his age he thought he would like to possess one of these eggs. The only trouble was that the bird laid her eggs in a little cranny on the face of a precipice. Somehow the little boy didn't mind that, thoughg it would be such fun to leap from ledge to ledge and laugh at all the others who were trying to get up also. After climbing joyously, for a long time, he came across a funny old man clinging as tightly to the side of the precipice as he could. YYhat are you doing that for ? H cried the little boy, dancing up to him on the narrowest ledge you ever saw. Can't you see F said the old man, I might fall over ! , pointing downwards. The little boy looked down and this time, instead of the soft, billowy clouds that were there before, he saw a bottomless chasm, black as night, out of which came horrible cries. Tha! wasn't there before, said the little boy, somewhat troubled. How did you know it was there ?- YYhat is your name F . .. I rarely tell my name. But perhaps I shall tell you some day. said the old man, looking at him queerly. Youth didn't know what he meant by this, but instinctively he drew nearer to the face of the cliff. But I'm alright. he said. Didn't you see the way I was dancing along, just now F Yes. replied the old man, quietly, I saw you. But you might have fallen, these stones are rather loose, and one often slips, even on solid ground. - Be careful. - You may fall, anytime. .. Oh, Nonsense. said the little boy, moving on. Suddenly the old man cried, Look Out l l YYhy P asked the boy in a voice that trembled. You are going to fall - NOW' - called the old man. I' Oh, no, whimpered the little boy - and then - O ! O! O! he shrieked, as he slipped over the edge. .. My name, shouted the old man after him... My name is FEAR Y Then he smiled grimly and sat down to wait. L. W. Henderson. A GRAMMAR HINT Q Far, farther, farthest are adjectivesg Forth, further, furthest are adverbs.l To thefar West Magellan sailed, to know Thef1zrtlze.vf lands this world of ours might shew: Yetfzzrflzer, faringforflz, with wings equipped, Men have the veils from North and South Pole stripped. Butf1n'f1ze.fl will he fare who doth expound Realnisfzzrlher than can on this earth be found. C.'I'..-X. l9l

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FOR 'I'HI-l SCHOOL Yl-Q-XR 1931- Wil 'VHF CHl'R'l' SCI-Nl-' Ulbe fnilertbanlt of iirnttc For the first time in the history of the School an attempt was made to pres.-nt ll Shake spearian play, and we think that we may say, without any idle hoast, that the production of the Merchant , under the guidance of Klr. Harrv Donald, in the liildonan Hall ol. the Church of St. :Xndrew and St. Paul, on March the lSth, was an unqualified success. Although an alwhreviated version of the storv was presented, the ten scenes shewn amply covered the hare lwones of the main story. 'llo one memlver of the audience, f to quote the critique which appeared in the Montreal Gazette- it seemed that no apology was necessary for much ol' the matter omitted. Nearly all the important scenes were there and although the poetry of the Garden Scene hetween Lorenzo and jessica was missed, it was compensated in a measure luv the pantomimic rendering of ether portions ol. the play. The roles were all taken luv lmovs, a fact which, of course, so far as the feminine roles are cen- cerned, takes its precedent from the period of the playwright himself. The delivery of the dialogue featured a kind of linglish heard only too seldom in Montreal so far as amateur productions are concerned. It was singularly pure, and also singularly free from the super- Huous R . The stage presence ol' the liovs was also remarkalwlv free from stillness or other liirnis of fright. There were few who were not thoroughly acquainted with their lines, and the prompters' taskf lthat of lf, l.vman and H. .lacl-asonlf must have been an easy one. llll t.