St Johns College - Yearbook (Annapolis, MD)

Page 237 text:

X' To William Devries, of St. John's Preparatory School. N nw Yomc CIDY, March 1, 1902. NIEIN LIEBER 'VILLUMZ , I haf yust heard id some veeks ago dot you vas py der schoolhouse in, making knowledge chump ub und bite you unterneath your forehead. Such is a goot idea to be so. Nuddings Villtdo a boy so much benefit as to pinch off a leedle knowledge und use id Ven he is a man, alretty. 1 Knowledge vould be easy to remember if dare yas nod placed in our prains a machinery to forget mit. I V unce a schoolteacher, chentlemans, handed me a large bunch uf knowledge, bud I yas careless mit id und id eggscaped. I know der teacher handed id to me, but vare 'dit id vent I doan'd know. 4 A ' Knowledge is like fortune, because id is alyays in a hurry yen id runs ub der front stebs und rings der door knob. If you vas slow mit obening. der door knowl- edge will ged an impatience und try to see if dare is someding doing next door. I haf heard id dot you yas also learning to' coax moosic ouid uf der bass drum. To me der bass drum is vun uf der sveetest instrumentalities in der vorld, mitt der eggsception uf a manpudding in a load uf coal. In my heart I haf alvays such a pidy for der bass drum because der moosic has to be. kicked ouid uf id. I dink der besd yay to ged der melody to flow from a bass drum isto be chentle, like der olt proferb yich says id, Der yorm yill turn yen der lane is trodded ubonf' I I A Id is der same mit a friend as id is mit der bass drum. Chentleness means more in der pocketbook. If you touch der friend chently you may get abouid zwei tollarsg if you soak him you ged arrested. ' Dot is der philosophicals uf life: Easy touches lead to Easy Street. I am glat dot you yas learning knowledge und also der bass dru1n. Der knowledge vill pud bumps on der topknot part uf your face und der bass drum vill make muckles on your arm. . - You know der beautiful poeticals vich vas yunce wrote abouid der bass drum, vare id says id, T ouch der drum lightly, my fair Louisa I Shookespeare' wrote dem luffiy vords, und he vas vun uf der besd bass drum- mists der yorld has efer vitnessed. I Please tolt your teacher for me dot if he cannod beat knowledge into your head to beat id into der drum, und Ven der drum,graduations you can took id home. i ' ' ' Ven fou come J f New York I vill vish fou to la f me a bass-drum solo, 3 3 5 P 3 . perhabs. Ve haf a nice policeman und maybe I can borrow his beat for you. 223 'Z-r