Trafalgar School - Echoes Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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In Pursuit of Knowledge The Ross Lectures HAD you been abroad between three and three-thirty on the afternoon of May 12th, you might have seen a strange procession wending its way along Sherbrooke Street. It consisted of a winding file of girls, walking in pairs, with here and there a mistress. If you were curious enough to inquire who these young girls were, you would have learned that the Trafalgar girls were on their way to a lecture at McGill. It would have been quite true — we were going to hear Dr. Eve speak to us on ' ' Sound. ' ' When we arrived at McGill, it took some time to have us all placed, and we were as carefully packed as sardines. When everyone was seated, Dr. Eve began. He spoke first on the senses, and told us what marvellous messages the brain sends to different parts of the body. The senses serve as danger signals, he said. He next showed us eight pieces of wood, of exactly the same length and breadth, but when they were dropped on the table the tones emitted were those of the notes of the scale. Arranging these pieces in a slightly different manner, and dropping them one after the other, he played ' ' God save the King. This was explained by the fact that although the pieces were all of the same length and breadth, they were of different thicknesses. The next experiments were made with tuning forks, and were of various kinds, illustrative of the quality of sound. Then followed experiments with strings, explaining the principle of the violin. The room was now darkened, and we were shown lantern slides, dealing with vibra- tions and reactions. The last and certainly the most interesting experiment was that showing the vibration of the human voice. A very complicated apparatus had been arranged, whereby, by means of a light reflecting on a screen and connected with a phonograph, we saw the actual vibrations of the human voice. To illustrate it further. Dr. Eve called up Sam, his assistant, and commanded him to sing. Poor Sam! We all pitied him, but he did his duty manfully, and did not show his embarrassment. At the close of the lecture, we all rose, gave a hearty cheer for Dr. Eve, and then dispersed. We returned on Friday morning to hear him lecture on Colour. If the first lecture was interesting, the last was fascinating. He began by teUing us something of light, and by means of carefully placed mirrors he illustrated reflection and refraction. Then Dr. Eve showed us numerous other beautiful experiments. He illustrated how light becomes broken up when passing through a prism, and throwing a beautiful reflection on the screen he explained the colours. Pink, red, and white flowers were placed in the different colours, and we observed that the shade of the flowers changed, the red becoming almost black when placed near any colour but red, the white taking any colour, and the pink changing slightly. This experiment was repeated in a slightly different manner. On a prism- shaped stand, different lights were focused. When the flowers were placed in these lights they reacted in much the same way. The next experiment was one that Dr. Eve said he could not explain very clearly. A certain metal, found in Iceland, had some power over colours. To illustrate this, he flashed several pictures upon the screen, and they changed colour before our eyes. Newton ' s experiment with the revolv- ing disc was not forgotten, in which the colours, when the disc is moved, seem to blend into a grayish white. This was again illustrated on the screen, and it was as beautiful as one could wish to see. An exceedingly good joke was played upon one of our schoolmates. Dr. Eve gave her three carnations, and asked her to put them in a vase at the other side of the room. She walked over, but when she came to the vase she put out her hand to take something out but found nothing there. It seems that when one was in the right focus a most beautiful red rose was so reflected in the vase that it seemed to be growing there.. Everyone had a look afterwards at the pretty rose, and it was certainly a marvellous illu ' ion. [23]

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2000 A.D TES, my dear ' said Granny, removing her left eye, ' ' times have greatly changed since I was young, ' ' and she looked fondly at the eye she held in her hand with the one still left in her head. ' ' Take for instance this, she said as she held out the eye. When I was young, my mother wore things called glasses, which were held in place by means of hooks, over the ears, or else they were pinched on to the nose. Terribly uncomfortable things they were and always falling off and breaking. Of course youVe all seen a pair in the Museum. But I musn ' t waste time reminiscing for I have promised your mother that I will have lunch with her in Spain and then we are going on to Venice for the Water Carnival. Oh, dear! there ' s the bell again. Dorothy will you answer the radio, please? Five minutes later back came Dorothy with a message for her grandmother. Mother is in Mexico, Granny, and she wants you to meet her there instead. She said there is a sale of air cars at one of the large roof stores and she thinks you might see something you ' d like, as yours is terribly out of date. You know you ' ve almost had it a year now. Just then in dashed John, who thought he was quite a man of the world, having just turned eighteen. He was dressed in skin ' tight, kneedength trousers and a short sleeveless coat, which also fitted him rather snugly. His legs were bare as were his arms, but his feet were protected by sandaMike shoes. Hello, everyone! he cried. Try and guess where I ' ve been. Oh, said Dot indignantly. You ' ve been swimming at Wai ' ki ' ki Beach again. You know mother said you were to keep away from those Hawaiian boys. Just wait till I tell her. All right, said John, not a bit abashed. Then I ' ll tell her what you did last night. Children, children, interrupted Granny. If the customs have changed a great deal since I was young, it is plain to be seen the younger generation still gives as much trouble as ever. Yes, continued John, not noticing the interruption; I ' ll tell her that you flew down to Argentine last night and entered the Round Hop contest at Buenos Aires. Oh! gasped Dot, How do you know, for I didn ' t tell a soul? You see, sister darling, John replied in a very superior voice, yesterday morning I was in a great hurry and my knowledge pills got mixed up and I happened to take a double dose of those pmk ones. You know the kind you take in the morning so you can know what ' s going to happen to yourself through the day? I don ' t see what that has to do with me, cried Dot impatiently. About six o ' clock last night, continued her brother, I happened to say to myself ' I wonder where Dot is, ' and then a picture of you flashed into my mind. You were seated in your flycar and you were speeding too. Yes, I know it, for you had on your red feather coat. So I decided to watch and see where you went. Of course it was rather a surprise to be able to see you, but remembering the pills, I put it down to that. But what did you want me for? curiously enquired Dot. At this point Granny rejoined the conversation. I see by the morning ' s paper, that they are trying to revive some of the lovely old dances of my girlhood. At this, groans were heard from both her grandchildren. They were beautiful, she remonstrated, and much more dignified than the dances of to- day. Take for instance the Charleston, what could be more graceful than that? And she started to jump around in the most peculiar manner. Granny, advised John, to-morrow morning, first thing, you fly over to Paris and be reju- venated. You ' re getting old. Goodness! gasped Granny. If I ' d said that when I was young I ' d have been well spanked, and deserved it too, and if I had time I ' d scold you, but I must hasten away and meet your mother. Marian Zealand, Form Lower VI. [22 1

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In conclusion, Dr. Eve said: ' 1 am afraid that I have given you the impression that Physics is an easy subject. It is, in reality, an exceedingly difficult one. It is fascinating, but it demands a great deal of work. I have studied Physics for forty years — I am still only at the beginning. We closed this lecture, as before, with a cheer for Dr. Eve, and I am sure that we will not soon forget the fascinating and delightful lectures which he gave us. Like Oliver Twist, we only ask for more ! O. Mary Hill, Form Upper V. Silk Stockings Silk in material, always rather sheer, Everybody wears them, but not all the year. For in this climate it ' s not very wise. On account of the weather being hard on the dyes. And in the space from December to June The colours may vary from blue to maroon. The storekeepers say there ' s a change in their stock, From the ones with the plaid to those with the clock. As for myself, I admire the plain, But then, like the fashions, my tastes wax and wane. In these days we seem to lay on them such stress That our mothers implore us to value them less. And I think I am likely to strike the right chord. When I say ' ' sheer silk hose is a modern byword. Alice Brown, Form Upper V. The Enchantress spring, that enticing sprite, That coaxes the buds from the bare, black boughs; That lures the robin from the sunny south to cheer From dawn to dusk our heavy hearts; That brings forth the green from out the chilly earth ; That makes the flowers burst forth and bloom; That wheedles silk catkins from the slender willow, And draws us from misery by her sweet choristers. Ruth Bishop, Form Lower VI. [24]