Trafalgar School - Echoes Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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The Mission Box The mission box, both old and worn, That lies in IVb ' s room, Can tell a tale of things forlorn, A tale of woe and gloom. When I was new and bright, it said, I lived with two small boys. Much money then to me was paid. And I lived among their toys. I lived with them for many years. And with them oft did play, Until one day, despite my tears. They threw me right away. I had not long lain all alone In the cellar on a shelf. Before their sister, with a moan. Came and took me for herself. She had been made a Mission Rep. (Whatever that may be), She left me while she did her prep., Then turned and said to me, ' You are a shabby box, I know, But I guess you ' ll do all right. For I know iVe not a cent to blow On a new one, nice and bright ' . 1 5 1

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It rests entirely with ourselves; whether we will develop the talents that were given to us, or let them remain dormant: — You are the girl who makes up your mind, Whether you ' ll lead or will linger behind. Whether you ' ll try for the goal that ' s afar, Or be contented to stay where you are. Take it or leave it. Here ' s something to do. Just think it over — it ' s all up to you. Helen Hendery, Form Upper VI. The Masculine Point of View Scene: The Nursery. (Little boy and girl are both on the rocking horsej. Little Boy — One of us will have to get off so that I can have more room. Very stout lady (to social service worker who has just taught her to do the Lazy-daisy stitch) : Excuse me, ma ' am, but is it all right if I skip from flower to flower? Do you like my dress? Is it too short, or are you too far in? Movietone THE newest modern invention is Movietone. The screen, heretofore silent, now breaks into speech whether you like it or not. This innovation may be disliked, but it cannot be dis ' regarded, for it will affect moving pictures in many ways. One thing it will change is the actors. We shall soon be missing some of the old familiar faces whose beauty could not triumph over an atrocious accent. For now the voice ' s the thing. The foreign actors who once shone brilliantly will return home, unless they can learn to speak perfect English in six months, or some such ridiculously short time. Perhaps this weeding out of actors is a good thing. Legitimate actors, or those who have been on the stage at some time in their career, have the best chance; acting on the stage has always been superior to the acting in the movies — a pretty face, in the movies, goes far towards stardom. And then, the stage actors have trained voices — and the greatest asset of a legitimate actor is his voice. What will talkies bring us? Firstly, they will bring a truer form of the drama. Spoken lines will take the place of sub-titles. Thus plays which have been movie-ized will retain more of the original. But then dialogue is not as interesting to hear in the movies as on the stage, and it also slows up the action considerably. There are many eminent dramatists and dramatic critics who croak, Talking pictures are ruining the theatre - -and so on. They are too impatient, for it is still too early to judge the talkies. Every new one is an improvement on the last. They may be only a passing fancy, or they may take the place of silent pictures altogether. Talkies can never approach the stage plays, but they are improving. Talking pictures have not yet proved their worth, and there is still a variety of opinion con- cerning them. Some people are enthusiastic about them; others think they are a tale, told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Betty Stewart, Form Upper V. ! M 1

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' ' She took me with her to her school, And put me m a drawer, And soon again I was half ' full Of money less or more. But now that happy time is o ' er, And little I contain. Girls, please be kind and bring me more, Or I shall die of pain. 0 girls! take heed of this sad tale, And give the box some ease. 1 do not wish its health to fail, So mission money, please! Jean Harvie, Form IVb. The Battle of Thermopylae The mighty Persian host advanced. Some million men there were. They meant to take the whole of Greece And thus create a stir. But at Thermopylae they met Three hundred Spartans brave. Who did not mean to let them pass. And to them trouble gave. Their leader was Leonidas, A valiant man and true; He said to them, We do or die, We must not let them through! The Persians then they scoffed and said, The sun you will not see. Because of all the arrows Before which you will flee. But the Spartans bravely answered. While hacking at the foe, In the shade well therefore fight, And to you defiance throw! And though the Persians fought all day. The pass they could not take. Until a traitor showed them how The Spartan line to break. He led them round another way And when the day was done, The Spartans had made their last stand For not a man did run. And now although they Ve dead and gone And though their time is past, Yet through their daring bravery Their memory will last. Margot Seely, Form IVu.