Trafalgar School - Echoes Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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A WINTER SCENE There was no sign of life in the forest, but from the distance, breaking the calm stillness, came the crackling of the twigs and sometimes the song of the trapper as he made his way on snow- shoes to his traps. Once or twice, shrill cries were heard coming from some trapped animal, but these only served to intensify the stillness. The ever- greens were weighed down with the snow which clung to their branches. The deep azure blue of the sky overhead, together with the green trees, decked in a dazzling whiteness, and the long, flickering shadows cast by them on the snow, made a scene which was like some Fairyland, and one almost expected to find there all the spirits of winter and perhaps even Jack Frost himself. 3 THE DAILY HOUSE ROUTINE AT TRAP. (with a few passing remarks) 6.45 a.m. — Rising bell and cold baths accompanied by varied yells. (15 minutes later, a very sleepy voice) What time is it somebody? 7.20 a.m. — Devotion. Are you all ready girls? Y — e— s. 7.30 a.m. — Breakfast. Voulez-vous votre dejeuner? 8.15 a.m.— Walk. Who hasn ' t got a partner? 8.55 a.m. — School, and I ' m late for benches! 1.30 p.m. — Dinner. 2.05 p.m. — Slips signed — if you ' re lucky! 2.40 p.m. — (Rest over.) Do we have to get ready for the walk now? 2.45 p.m.— Walk. Bags after the Fifth ! ! I 4.00 p.m. — Biscuits. Any candy in to-day? 4.05-6.00 p.m. — Study and practising. 6.25 p.m.— (Tea, 6.30). Oh, what ' ll I wear to tea to-night? 7.00 i).m. — Prayers and bad marks reported. C.W. — I only have three bad marks. Think Fll get out Saturday? 7.10 i).m.— Mail. There are two letters for you, you lucky thing. 7. 1 . ' ) p.m. Study or practising. 27

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The room swims. Only one thing can we see clearly, our own desk. We make the distance between us as short as possible amidst a storm of applause. Then we hear our opponent explain that all we have said is utterly false. We got, at the same time, some important results. We decided that women should have a university education, and should take up politics, that solitude is more conducive to moral and mental development than society, that life in a city is more beneficial than life in a small community, that a set curriculum is better for pupils than a choice of subjects. The most important decisions, however, were that a constant attendance at the movies is detrimental to the development of the individual, and that powder is detrimental to the complexion. The arguments were heated, but they were child ' s play compared to the battles which ensued in the Sixth Form cloak-room after- wards. Nobody wore her best hat on Tuesday. Now, when we are aged, and can, like Old Father William — finish the goose, both the bones and beak , we shall say, I argued in the Sixth Form debates, and the muscular strength that it gave to my jaw has lasted the rest of my life. R.S.— VL $ THE NIGHT BEFORE EXAMS ' TwAS the week of exams, and all through the school, There was not a word spoken nor broken a rule. Our pencils were sharpened and near by were laid. With ruler and compass to come to our aid. Both girls and the teachers had settled their mind. And all were prepared for a steady week ' s grind. All evening we studied till terribly late. Trying to find in our memories a name or a date, And then, quite tired out, to bed we would go, And dreams would arise that would cause us much woe, For Caesar and Shakespeare seemed quite to change place, And amo — to love — took the ablative case, And all the French verbs seemed joined into one. And the rays of the moon had more heat than the sun. Poor Chaucer was priest, and Joseph, the poet. And Spenser went blind, though the world didn ' t know it, The sides of triangles were less than the base, And parallel lines were enclosing a space. Charles I. fought at Hastings, and won it what ' s more. And ' Amiens ended the Seven Years ' War. And so it went on all, all through the night, And when we awoke we were shaking with fright But all were relieved, though real it did seem, To find after all it was only a dream. M.B.J.— V. 26

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8.15 p.m. — Recreation. Let ' s go up and dance in the gym? Will you play? 8.45 p.m. — Visiting. All come down to the Lower to-night. 9.00-9.20 p.m.— Getting ready for bed. Hurray! there ' re only 73 more days till the holidays, girls! 9.30 p.m. — Lights out. Good-night, girls. Good-night, Miss . Chorus — Good-night, everybody. M.M.— IILA. THE SIXTH FORM SLEIGH-DRIVE Early in January, the Sixth Form decided to give a sleigh-drive and the day fixed upon was Friday, the 22nd of January. On Monday of that week the thermometer registered about forty degrees below zero and practically all the Sixth offered to stay at school and look after the supper. It gradually became less icy, however, and by Friday it was nearer forty above. Friday after- noon was spent between decorating the playroom and watching for the rain. About half-past four there was a smart shower, but fortunately it stopped a little later and it turned out to be a nice balmy evening. We went all the way round the two mountains and it really seemed as if all the small boys on the way must have heard of our drive for we were pelted with snow-balls at every turn. We enlivened the way by singing, and the effect no doubt would have been good if the two ends of the sleigh had been able to agree on a song, but most of the time they insisted on singing differ- ent ones. On arriving back at school, we had supper and a few dances before we went home, and we all felt very grateful to Mrs. Young for enabling us to have such a jolly evening. M.A.R.— VL 28