Trafalgar Castle School - Yearbook (Whitby, Ontario Canada)

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24 VOX COLLEGII mare just because of a grape-nut inul- ding. Jean Lennox Aiid this, said tlie rubher-iiecK man as he flourished his big horn, This is where the famous Jean Len- nox first studied vocal. Necks imme- diately elongated that their owners niiglit view the massive building and tlie statue of the famous prima donna as the gyroplane sped past. This college is the famous 0. L. C. of which you have heard, no matter from what part of the world you came. The most famous of its graduating clas- ses was 1923. Miss Lennox, as she was before she started her series of sen- ational elopements and siibsequent di- vorces, graduated in M.E.L. She fully demonstrated her powers as her first husband testified on the witness stand. It is to him she owes her first success in opera. In the apartment house in which they lived also lived a vocal professor. He was so astounded by the volume and tone she produced when she called Henry! that he induced her to start Henry-ing as a business. Thus her start in opera. While singing at the Metropolitan in New York, she met and married Paruso. He died soon af- ter of concussion of the ear-drums ; a few years later she married a scene shifter, the widower of Lorna Rumball, of whom you may have heard. He was very ancient, so did not last long. About this time she published her famous .series of songs, Blessed Are the Married , Double Bliss , What Is Life W ithout Love , and most fam- ous of all My Hubby. Her fourth matrimonial venture proved her last. Her fame brought her to the notice of the Prince of Brazil, whom she married. Unfortunately, his passion for tom-tom music was so marked that she broke her neck trying to drown it out, and died. She is buried in the grounds she lov- ed so well, and the inscription on her tomb is And a song was on her Lps. Blow your trumpets, ye angels. Tlicy oiuittcd the ' Kest in Peace. ' Dorothy Sorby A long time ago. writes a famous Canadian historian ol: ihe 21st eentury, in the beautiful spot where now lie vhe ruins of the ancient town of Whitby, is a p.ctures([ue campus. The campus . r day revels in unrestrained wildness around the ruins of what once were vhe stately walls of Ontario Ladies ' College. One may yet see the subterranean swim- ming pool and the washing machines where was the laundry, both of whicli have gone down in history. Here it was that the most famous benefactress of her age, Miss Dorothea Sorby, dear- ly beloved by all who knew her, receiv- ed her education, graduating first u lionsehold Science and again in piano. She was deeply interested in sports for girls, and upon her final graduation provided special motor cars to convey the young ladies to and from the an- cient railway stations, liy a long, round- about and delightful drive. Miss Sor- l)y was fortunate one day in discover- ing a gold mine by finding how platin- um coidd be made from baked potato skins and the unused beans which were frequently wasted. Realizing that she owed this to the school, she bestowed many gifts and improvements upon it. The remains of the beautiful marble floor in what was then the lower hall, are still one of the marvels of this age. Upon leaving the college after bestow- ing numerous improvements which in- cluded moving stair-cases, gum slots, private mail boxes, and more, she came to Toronto. There she came in touch with the Humane Society, and Central Neighborhood Workers. Through hei ' work there she realized the need of a Home for Mad Dogs and another camp for the unruly children of poor famil- ies. So many dogs were restored to sanity, and so many children memor- ized the Bible that she received the Or- der of the Curly Haired Alligator from

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vox COLLEGII 23 town. We had walked about eight miles when we saw a station — the sign at the end was Dumbell. We thought this rather a queer name for a town but as we neared the main street we no- ticed all the stores were named after some apparatus used in the gymnasium work. I began to think it was lucky we had had the wreck because Dumbell was not on my tour and I had not known it went in for the work so much. We stayed for the exhibition at night and I was greatly surprised when I saw the instructress. She was very tall and very, very stout. There was something familiar about her features and yet I could not think where I had seen her. After she had finished giv- ing directions she said For the love of Pete it ' s all over — I at at once recog- nized my old classmate, Jessie Brown ; I made my way forward to congratu- late and beg a talk with her. It seems that she had had many pro- posals and had finally married her first sweetheart who was a banker and was now manager of the Sterling bank in Dumbell. She invited me home with her for the night and when we arrived she intro- duced me to her housekeeper, whose name was Isabelle. Afterwards I found she was an old schoolmate of Jessie ' s and her last name was Ster- ling. We certainly had a great old talk together of the old days. Alicia Hambly A combination of O.L.C. corn, beef and cabbage and grape-nut pudding- sent me to bed one night with rather an uncertain feeling. The natural out- come of course is a dream and usually a very bad one. My memories of a dream that night are very vivid. I felt myself being car- ried along through space, rushing and swaying from side to side. Also being poked in the ribs by many sharp and spiky things. This was agony for a moment, but when my vision cleared I saw immediately the reason for all this disturbance of mine. 1 saw myself sur- rounded by a yelling and jostling crowd all rushing on towards a huge sign on which was printed in large letters Toronto Exhibition . Next I was in- side tlie gates still being impelled by the mad excited ei ' owd. On past the huge buildings on and on we rushed 1ill we cam- to another jam of people outside the Grand Stand. I had a feel- ing of wishing to withdraw but on hear- ing someone say that these was an es- pecially good programme on and ra- ther than use up all my energy in try- ing to get out I was pushed forward till 1 found myself inside the Grand Stand standing in the aisle, evidently doomed to stand throught the whole performance as the Grand Stand was packed right up to the roof. I saw a series of parades, dances, etc., when suddenly everybody became excited, programmes Avere fluttered and necks were stretched. I heard whis- pers about a beautiful girl who had evi- dently met fame. Ah ! — the l)and struck up and out lumbered four huge elephants, then out fluttered a slim whisp of a pink lady with fluffy hair and a brilliant, flashing smile. She danced around and cracked her whip for a few moments, lining up the four huge elephants. Si- lence then the music crashed in and the el ephants performed very diffi- cult and puzzling motions led by this charming pink lady. I felt puzzled and then light dawned and as I watched my mouth opened and my eyes pro- truded and I hurriedly poked my neigh- lior and asked for a programme which in my excitement I had failed to get. Yes, my thoughts were confirmed — an O.L.C. girl; Alecea Hamblie, Fam- ous French Elephant Trainer — former Star of the Vaughn Glaser Players . In other words Alicia Hambly of 0. L. C. 2Dutting elephants through push exercises before the Grand Stand of the Toronto Exhibition. And all this night-

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vox C ' OLLEGII 25 His Majesty. She then entered politics, and by her influence in the Agnes Mc- Phail Uplift Society for the supremacy of women in the home, she had the law passed against women washing dishes and a contraband placed on grape wine that would pop the cork more than two feet in the air. In her old age she turned her atten- tion to gardening, raising garlic and angle worms. Her contributions to botany, zoology and cookery brought about thereby has baen one of the rea- sons she has gone down in history as one of the greatest benefactresses of her age. Marjorie Speers One Sunday morning 1 was motoring into the country and passing through a little village was attracted by the beauty of the chimes of a nearby church. My time was my own so T went into the church for the service. After a few minutes a tall, sweet- looking lady entered the church, follow- ed by seven small boys. They occu- pied the front pew, so I was able to watch them closely. The children were remarkably well behaved and took the g-reatest interest in the music. As I was leaving the church someone addressed me and I turned to see at my side the aforesaid lady, who to my sur- prise should be none other than Marj. Speers. She urged me to come to her home for lunch, and I was glad to do so. After lunch, when the little boys were all having their nap, or at least suppos- ed to be having it, and Marj. had wash- ed the dishes (she wouldn ' t tolerate a maid, as she enjoyed domestic ' activi- ties so much) she told me what great changes had been made in her plans of 0. L. C. days. She said that after graduating from O.L.C. she had gone abroad to study for concert work. Her masters had predicted a brilliant future for her but social successes had interf?red and so diverted her attention that she gave up her career and returned home. She could not decide which of her many suitors she prefei ' red so she gave up all thought of marriage. As her father and mother were both dead now, she was very lonely, so she determined to adopt a child. However, all the children who came in answer to her advertisement were so attractive that again she could not choose, but this time she took them all, and all boys. She told me the children ' s names, a few of which were familiar. This co- incidence was explained by the fact that she had called them in memory of her rejected suitors, some whos3 names I had often heard at O.L.C. She was very amliitious for one little boy, in- tending him to go to S.P.S. and be a civil engineer when he grew up. She kept herself young and fit by swimming in her private tank and Dy riding horse-back. She taught the little boys herself and all but one had won his l ronze. Marj. seemed very contented and judging by the order with which tilings ran. had retained all her old skill of managing. No doubt someday she will be very proud of her adopted children, and certainly the name ' Speers ' will not soon be extinct. Grace Moodie It was the year 1943 and I had just returned to Toronto from foreign coun- tries, where I had been been doing Bac- teriological research work. I left the new Union Station which had just been opened and decided to go up to Eaton ' s, as I needed some elastic and a few other trifles. Arriving at Eaton ' s, imagine my sur- prise to find only a two story budding in place of the large fine structure I had known. I went in and learned that the de- partment I wanted was on the second floor. T ' he-e weve now no elevators ny ( colat; rs and one had to u e the stnirs. Tlie articles were poor and