Seven Hills High School - Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

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HIGH SCHOOL PRIZE STORY Windy Hill Standing in the dim old hallway, Robert F arquharson, a tall, heavily built, dark young man, suddenly knew, with sickening certainty, what had caused the turmoil that lately so dominated his usually high spirits. With a clutch- ing fear he realized what had made him wander through dark, bleak halls to the door before him. The Farquharson family, an old and formerly wealthy one, living in the north of Ireland, had known for some time that their youngest son had . Hisli'rrot-hers felt that this younger man, of an uncertain temperament and a large amount of determination, would make himself, if allowed, a discordant note in their midst. Hence his approaching departure was viewed by them, with an air of calm complacency. But standing with the cold air from the window chilling his back, and listening to the ceaseless rushing of the wind around the rugged old corners of Windy Hill, this youngest son of the Farquharson clan, felt a passion of love, and kinship for his home that for the moment crowded out the fears and doubts that rushed through his troubled mind. He saw with amazing clarity why he had been afraid to leave this land, this house, these brothers. They were all a part of his individuality. Strong as he was, he could not throw them aside and step forth unchanged into a new life. With an im- petuous motion he pushed open the door and walked, with a defiant air into the room beyond. A small bright eyed woman smiled up at him, and motioned to a chair by the fire. ul wondered how long you and your haverings would go on outside my door, she said. This small, quick woman had the power to make any of her numerous sons ill at ease by her shrewd perception, and rather uncomfortable wit. Robert, no exception, moved restively in his chair and finally pulled himself together for the effort he was about to make. Clearing his throat, he proceeded: HlVlother I have been meaning to talk to you about going awayf' Here he looked up to see what effect his statement had had, and was rather pained to see that she kept a steady, calm countenance. He faltered and went on. Wiafm, 193 Q I53I

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HONORABLE MENTION The Mountain Lake Sanctuary and Singing Tower Situated in the center of Florida, the Sanctuary is a natural halt for birds passing north and south, or crossing from the Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico. Bok Tower, often called the uSinging Tower, is on top of Mt. Iron, and is surrounded by beautifully planted grounds where hundreds of birds make their homes every year. Mr. Bokls reasons for building this sanctuary are due to his ancestors. Many years ago the Dutch government entrusted the care of a dangerous sandbar off the Dutch coast to his grandfather. It Was infested with pirates, and was absolutely barren of all vegetation. Nevertheless, order was not only established here but more. His grandfather was a great lover of beauty and by his own art and persistence changed this sandbar into an island of rare beauty, where birds rested on their way across the North Sea. Many people, such as poets and artists, came here for inspiration. The message left by his grandfather umake you the world a bit more beautiful and better because you have lived in it,77 became Mr. Bok's thought throughout his life in America. But he did not find a place in which to really realize his grand- father's message until he had seen the spot where Bok Tower now stands. He felt that this mountain, once worshiped by the lndians of Florida, who used to meet here every spring to reverence the Great Spirit, was the place to establish a sanctuary for birds and humans. The Tower rises to a height of two hundred and five feet, where, by gradu- ally tapering lines, it becomes octagonal and is but thirty-seven feet wide. Around the top are panels of roses and palms, and its pinnacles are in the shape of herons. The detailed carvings encircling the Tower are of pelicans, herons, and many other Sanctuary birds. The huge sundial carved on the south side of the Tower shows the longi- tude and latitude of lron Mountain. lt is known as an uErect Declining Dial as it stands vertically at an exact right angle with the surface of the earth. Surrounding the dial are twelve figures of the Zodiac and their an- cient mythological characters. Except for the original pines, practically all the planting has been brought to the Sanctuary since nineteen twenty-three. Over one-half of it has been collected from the wilds, and much of it was found within a radius of twenty miles of the Sanctuary. The fifty-three acres of beautifully planted grounds entirely cover Mt. Iron, which is supposed to be the highest point in Florida. JANE GOODYEAR, Eighth Grade W afm, 193 Q f52l

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4'You know ever since father died and Nigel became head of the house, I knew l had to gofi 4'And now the time has come, you feel you can,t,7' said the quiet voice, putting into words the source of all his misery. Looking at her with a queer sense of shame, Robert answered in a low voice. '6Yes, that is it, somehow my whole life is wrapped up in Windy Hill, in Ireland. I seem to have just realized that all the things I know are connected with itf, An even voice from the dusk beyond the firelight, prompted him with the very words his reason had so often spoken to him. uOthers have done itfi Losing her calm untroubled manner, his mother suddenly became intense. Leaning toward him she spoke with fierceness. Hlreland's decadent, old, our family, others, all around us are people who are leaving, people who have been here longer than we. You go to this new country and make your- self another Windy Hill. Carry our name and traditions into a new land, and when you've settled I'll come and help you live, for I love you best of all my sonsf' The last delivered with a sudden departure from her fierce manner, with a gentleness seldom displayed to her sons, silenced and de- lighted the young man. He could only look at her with joy in his eyes. Finally he ventured, uBut what of the others and our home here?,, His mother smiled ruefully and said. 4'Our house won't stand long now. Since your father died, I've known that, your brothers even now are begin- ning to split up. But you are my son, you've my temperament, hot headed and intolerant of discipline. You could never spend your life here, ruled by a brother. As you grew older you would always blame me for not mak- ing you go. America is drawing men such as you from all over the world, adventurous, enterprising men who are seizing the opportunities that such a wild, free land has to off er and making themselves rich. You will be the one to carry the honor of the family into foreign places. Do you see now what you can be? Will you go?', She had made him at last come face to face with the decision he must make, and slowly, but surely she was drawing from him the answer that they both knew to be the best. He knew that he had to say yes. He knew how hard it would be. Perhaps it would prove too hard, but he stood up smil- ing, and pulling his mother to her feet he said, HI'll go and be a success, but you,re coming to help me live and make a new Windy Hillf' With perfect understanding his mother smiled up at him, yet she knew the agony of feeling he was going through and was full of pity. A peasant toiled up the steep road which led to Windy Hill, panting he W mm, 193 9 l54l