Trafalgar School - Echoes Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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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

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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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Girl: But if 1 alone didn ' t buy forbidden material — bow niucb would tbat bclp VIS win tbe war? Caesar: Wby not encourage your friends to sacrifice witb you? Girl: (Suddenly serious) Tliey ' d laugh. Caesar: (Impatiently) Never mind tbat! If you succeed in influencing tbem, in turn tbey ' d persuade otbers. Soon, your wbole community would be enthusiastic and the St. Lawrence would tremble underneath her banks to hear the replication of their response ! Girl: Ob, Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet! — Are you going now? Caesar: I am, but, before I do — Lend me your ears. You have a great responsi- bility, if you ' re stubbornly selfish enough to neglect it, you — not only your country ' s political leaders and military generals — but you and all your generation will be blamed for the downfall of democracy. Your future depends not upon your stars — but on yourselves. Farewell ! ( disappears ) . Girl: Live a thousand years. I shall never forget what ' s happened this afternoon! (pensively) He had rather a distinguished face and seemed intelligent — but, trans- migration — How funny! (She gathers up fishing paraphernalia and exits). Jane Hildebrand, Form IV b., Ross House. MY IMPRESSIONS OF THE MASTERPIECES OF THE ART GALLERY (Prize Essay) THOSE pictures which have been displayed at the Art Gallery for more than three weeks now are symbols of past life and history of many comitries; they express the actual life and customs which have been kept for us, and future generations, on these canvases. Montrealers are both lucky and honoured to have these paintings, even for a short while, because these priceless masterpieces have been collected from the four corners of the world, and brought here, to America — to the only comparatively safe spot left in the world. I found everyone of those paintings fascinating, partly because they are so famous, but mostly because of the characteristics and style of the separate painters which showed so clearly on canvas; for example the wonderful depth of Gainsborough ' s Harvest Waggon , I think no other painter could get quite the same look of reality as Gainsborough has in this painting, 1 almost expected to see the waggon moving along the road into the distance, and hear the dog barking up at the peasants in the waggon. Another of my favourites is Constable ' s Salisbury Cathedral . I know it is the favourite of many, and I think I know why; the colouring is so soft and realistic, I like the soft [25]