Trafalgar School - Echoes Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

Page 16 text:

LITERARY Pictures I have Loved pICTURES were the very earliest result of an attempt at civiliziation. Long before there was ■ writing there were pictures. At first, they were not beautiful, they were merely useful. They were the means of conveying facts from one man to another as our business letters do to ' day. But, as their use diminished with the introduction of a simple form of writing, their beauty increased. All the history of man is spread out before us in pictures. The wonderful, unwritten history of thousands of years is our heritage through those pictures. From the days of the Neolithic man, through the ages of Egypt, of Greece, the Empire of Rome, the dark ages cf the Mediaeval world and right up to our present time, we have that wonderful history of pictures complete. They are useful; what is better still, most of them are beautiful. They are not all pictures in colour, on canvas; many are cut in stone, many are statues in marble or bronze, but they are all pictures never ' theless, for they all depict life, they are all representations of the life or thought of the age in which they were made. The ever increasing heritage of beautiful paintings is the greatest treasure man has given to the world down through the ages. I do not think a picture to be beautiful need necessarily be realistic. As the poetical mind soars above sordid fact into a beautiful fanastical world of unreality, so the painting should surpass the subject. As I glance back in my mind I see many a picture which has left a deep impression. It is a very varied collection which fills the art-gallery of my heart. The pictures, in general, are not famous ones. They are not the works of Michaelangelo, Rembrandt, Millet or Gainsborough, for I have seen but few of those. Perhaps if you were to enter that gallery you would turn away disappointed and say, ' ' Let us go somewhere else. But, if you will step inside for a few minutes, I will show you a few of the pictures there, a very few. Here is a picture of a little hill, snow-covered. A small red house and one single, graceful tree crown the hill- top. I found that picture years ago, it is one of the first in my collection. Here is a very different scene. It is a Spanish picture across which stretches a great colonnade of creamy- white with graceful arches. Before it is a green lawn where a peacock struts, and in a patch of sun- light sits a lady sewing. In the foreground is a fountain with the graceful statue of a child upon it. I will show you my favourite statue which is called ' ' Les Ailes Brisees. The figure is that of a falling [14]

Page 15 text:

the girls make the future of Trafalgar Guides very promising. Turning to the Sixth Form of last year, we are glad to say that five girls got their complete matriculation. We wish to congratulate Bea ' trice Carter especially on winning the Trafalgar scholarship. Once, we admit, matriculation did not seem the most tempting of unattainable goals; but this year, with the examinations looming threateningly in the future, we begin to appreciate what former Sixths have done. In the editorial of last year deep regret was expressed because Dr. Duncan was leaving for Scotland. 3ut this year we are glad to be able to say that Traf. has found an equally good friend in the Rev. Mr. Donald of St. Andrew ' s and St. PauFs. We already know him from his talk at the Easter closing, where he showed clearly his interest in Trafalgar. In closing, we wish to thank all those who have either contributed to the Magazine this year, or worked in the advertising section, for their assistance. It is easily understood that everything offered cannot be accepted for pub ' lication but we can only thank those whose con ' tributions were rejected — if, by any chance, they should happen to read this editorial — for their efforts, and urge them to try again next year. We wish the best of luck next year to the Sixth Form, the Magazine Staff and the School generally. C i C K!) K9 Ernestine Ellis Jean Jamieson Betty Robertson Jane Howard Eileen Whillans Prefects Shirley Sampson Leslie Fuller Viola McAvity Ruth Whitley Marjory Doble Form Officers Presidents Vice-Presidents Form Upper VI. — Ernestine Ellis Lower VI. — Viola McAvity • Upper V. — Jean Macalister Lower V. — Marguerite Sumner IVa. — Margaret Bain IVb. — Helen Stocking IIIa. — Carol Ross Upper II. — Ruth Seely II. — Betty Hurry Shirley Sampson ISOBELLA SoMERVILLE Beatrice Howell Helen Findlay Marion Hand Ellen Fisk Eileen Mitchell Betty Vaughan Alma Howard [13]

Page 17 text:

angel. The lines are beautiful and full of life. I could show you a hundred pictures more. There are etchings and paintings, rough sketches and finely drawn designs. The gallery of my heart is very full, yet there is always room for more. There are other scenes besides the work of man which I have loved well. These are the scenes in nature. I think I have loved them best of all. They are always mine. While they remain on earth they will belong to no single person. Three stand out above all others in my memory. I will describe them to you. The first is a sunny summer day. I am in a canoe, gently paddling up a winding river. I think it is the most beautiful river in Canada, at least it is so to me. It is full of twists and sudden turns. The sand on its banks is yellow and at the water ' s edge grow clumps of rushes, green ' Stemmed tipped with feathery pink. Bright blue flowers hide among the grass. The banks are high and at one turning we come upon a solid patch of bright red berries with shiny green ' black leaves. The sky is blue, the water is very still and clear, against the sky stands out a single, great, black, rugged pine. Another scene? It is a still, calm night, and the air is cool. We are on a little promontory over ' looking the lake. The moon has arisen in a deep blue sky and a single feathery cloud is seen across its bright fullness. There is a white path of light across the water and the pines look very black. Stillness, then the weird cry of a loon, silence again. Oh, it is perfect! The last scene is a very different one. It is a stormy winter night. No moon, no stars, but flying gusts of snow and howling wind. Through the black night and swirling snow there shines a solitary light. The flakes are huge, they fly about me like little dancing goblins in the blackness. That is all I can describe, but it was very beautiful. Without pictures, these I have described and many others, my life would be a very different one. In them we find a beauty and a romance seldom known in our dull daily lives. Or else we see it around us but cannot appreciate it until some artist comes, puts it on canvas shows us our old friend in a new form. The words whic h Browning puts into the mouth of Fra Lippo Lippi are very true : For, do you mark? we ' re made so that we love First when we see them painted, things we have passed Perhaps a hundred times, nor cared to see ; And so they are better, painted — better to us. Which is the same thing. Art was given for that; God uses us to help each other so. Lending our minds out. Pictures stir the imagination. They fill our minds with fancies and give us a new world to live in. All the beauty in life that we cannot see ourselves is there before us on the canvas, perhaps more beautiful than reality. There is the colour, too, and the beauty of line. Those count far more than the subject. The pleasure I find in a medley of beautiful colours I cannot describe. I would rather see one scene of a play, full of beautiful colour, costume and line, than read the whole play. I shall keep on adding as long as I Hve to the collection in the gallery of my heart, and, wherever I may be, I shall always have with me the remembrance of the pictures I have loved. Marjory Doble, Upper VI. [15]