Trafalgar School - Echoes Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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protecting Poland from Britain. Excuses of this sort have been made by the Germans when they invaded other countries, also. In open joe may prove a curse. But a pretended foe is worse. ' ' Everybody talks nowadays about the beauty of civilization, and the horror of uncivilized days when men tortured their enemies. But are we any better today? Is the bombing of fighting men and civilians alike, and the persecution of the Jews — is this a great improvement on those savage days? It is only ourselves who can answer this question, and tell whether this civilized world is one of our greatest hypocrisies or not. Lois Tyndale, Form Vb., Fairley House. THE FOAL Who capers gaily o ' er the green. With head held high and eyes so keen? The fairest child that Earth has seen — The Foal. Who stands in the shade of tlie great oak tree? With mind alert and heart so free. Who from ungentle words will flee? — The Foal. Ann Taylor, Form Vb., Barclay House. CAESAR RETURNS Scene: The scene is laid by the bank of a stream on a sunny spring afternoon. A middle-aged man of small stature and military bearing is resting beneath a large Weeping Willow. A teen-aged girl with new rubberboots, a fishing-rod and a guilty conscience meanders cautiously along the stream until she suddenly observes the stranger who has been calmly regarding her approach. Girl: (Startled) Oh! — I — (glancing nervously about her) — I was just — Man: (Warmly) Good afternoon! (with enthusiasm) Won ' t you be seated? Girl: (111 at ease) Well, thanks very much, but, I ' ve an appointment with a trout upstream — Man: (Urgently) You must stay! I ' ve a message for you. Girl: (Puzzled and agitated) A message? Man: (Persuasively) Yes, for you. Girl: (With an air of resignation) Oh, all right! (She sits down, placing the pail of worms between them.) I haven ' t much time. [23]

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to come hack ainJ adiiiil llicy iiiadi; a niiHtakc hccauKc you know vvc.ry one of u» can make mistakes, remember that. Then; are also iIiokc wlio { et shoes that are loo small for them to go around Haying they have small feed, even that is very silly heeause they walk through life leaning on everyone or everylliirig ihey meet, they make everyone around them imhappy. If J were you 1 would buy these oxfords; they are very comfort- able and look neat, with these you may walk on any roa l of life or anything that may be on that road. I am yomig , I said, do you think I want to wear these shoes? Why that is tlie kind I had in school, no, please give me the [)umps, they look so much smarter. The old man looked at me as I gaily walked out, he was sad, yet 1 said to myself: The others sprained their ankles because they did not know how to walk: they were not careful. I am positive I can do better. Renee Bissonnette, Form Vb., Fairley House. THE HYPOCRISY OF HUMAN LIFE Why, I can smile, and murder while I smile; And cry content to that which grieves my he irt. And wet my cheek with artificial tears; And frame my face to all occasions. HUMAN life is indeed full of hypocrises, and I think one of the most frequent is the practice of telling lies. If you went up to someone and told him he was a liar, he would immediately deny it. And yet, I doubt if there are many people in the world today who have not told one lie, however small, during the past week. I am sure most people have heard of the disastrous consequences, in the play NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH of the man ' s promise to tell nothing but the truth for twenty-four hours. Most people have been brought up to be truthful, but there is that horrible moment when your best friend asks what you think of her new hat. You think privately that it is hideous, but say aloud: Isn ' t that sweet! And the colour suits you so well! I think people in the shops are most unfortunate in this way, for by their code, The cu stomer is always right. Pope has written a very apt couplet on one of these social lies: Before her face her handkerchief she spread. To hide the flood of tears she did not shed. As well as social lies, there are written lies, by which I mean advertisements. These can he seen all over, in the daily newspapers, magazines, street cars, and now they are being spoken over the radio. Everyone knows that children do not cry for a certain medicine, and that such-and-such a soap does not make clothes a shade brighter. Yet ihcHc lies are seen everywhere. A type of hypocrisy especiially prominent loday is thai shown by Hitler and his Nazis. One of the excuses given by them when they invaded Poland was that they were [22]

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Man: (( omiiif ; directly to the |)(»inl ) Do you Im-Hcvc in ni l ' iii|)Ky liOHi8? Girl: What! — er — 1 ha your pardon? Man: Do you believe in llie transmigration of tli(; houI ; Girl: (Emphatically) Of course not! Man: I do. Girl: (Alarmed) Who are you, sir? Man: As it happens, I ' m a lawyer; but, for an hour eacii year 1 have the power to remember my former lives — the most interestin};; of which was that of the mighty Julius Caesar. Girl: Art thou some god, some angel or some devil — Man: Do you believe me? Girl: I ' m trying terribly hard to make up my mind. — (annoyed j you said you had a message. Caesar: Ah, yes! — The allied nations will win this war — Girl: (Rising) Well, thank you, Mr. Caesar! Now, if you ' ll excuse me — Caesar: I said, the allied nations will win this war on one condition! Girl: (Amused) Yes? Caesar: On the condition that every individual does all he can by sacrifice and service, to help his country ' s war effort. Girl: (Eagerly) We do! All our organizations and everything — Caesar: Now, wait a moment! Are you a faithful member of (the girl pales, con- science stricken) aren ' t you supposed to be attending a Red Cross Meeting, this afternoon ? Girl: (Embarrassed) Yes — bvit! — such a perfect day for fishing! Who would criticise me for spending an afternoon in the open? Caesar: We tyrants have found it easy to overcome nations, the people of which neglect their duty. Girl: But, the other members are all at the meeting! Caesar: (Sharply) I have told you, young woman, that you will win this war, only if each and every person does his duty ! Girl: (Meekly) Yes, sir. SILENCE Caesar: (Changing the svibject Have you ever studied my life — at school? am constant as the northern star Of whose true fix ' d and resting quality There is no fellow in the firmament. (jirl: Yet Brutus said you were ambitious. Caesar: ( Reminiscently ) 1 was a great conqueror; I brought many captives home to Rome where ransoms did the general coffers fill. ( irl: ( riioughlfully ) 1 gathered from Shakespeare that you were conceited. — Well, I really hmikI be going! Cai ' nar: (Pulling himself logellier) Wail! — Are those rubberbools new? Girt: They are! — the latest slylc, loo. Cai-sar: CANADA is trying lo conserve rubber! Ou were wrong to buy them! |24