Trafalgar School - Echoes Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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l)i (»wii o( llie trees and loliafjc, and llic clrfiHls Hcurry iiijj; l)cliin J llic hlc(-| le i i tli - elmreli; il is .siicli a well-balanced pic liirc, and llie main objeel Hlands out tso clearly in tlie night. Turner ' s The Slave Ship seems to bespeak torture in every corner; the blood red sky, the floundering ship, and the bodies of liumans and beasts seems a little over- powering, too dramatic, and too highly coloured. As to the religious paintings, I liked El Greco ' s St. Francis in Meditation . ' I here is such a look of pious quietude in his face as he kneels praying with the skull in big hands. Another one I liked was the picture of (Christ with the crown of thorns on his head. In that painting there was so much suff ering in his face that one wondered at the inhumanity of man. There were many of the portraits I liked; Fragonard ' s ( hild with (Cherries , Hals cynical looking Michiel de Wael , Hogarth ' s The Graham Children , and especially Devis ' Master Simpson . This I think, is my favourite, he looks such a lovable child with his bright colouring and handsome clothes and he looks so very human clutching the little dog in his arms. The Graham Children is, of course, very famous and no wonder; they must have been very beautiful children, their clothes are so dainty and rich and the picture shows the atmosphere in which they lived. The most realistic pictures are, I think, The Arsenal of Venice and The Linen Cupboard . The latter seems very domestic with the little girl apparently playing golf while her mother puts away the linen. On the whole I liked Poussin ' s St. Peter and St. John healing the lame man , it is the kind of picture that looks as if one could step into and not feel out of place. It seems a little too full of figures, but they all have such different expressions that one enjoys looking at it because there is so much to see. One cannot overlook the paintings of Canada. The Laurentian scenes are ones which no one wants to miss because they show scenes we all know of the beauty of Canada in such vivid colouring. These masterpieces will be gone soon, probably never to return in the same number, certainly not until the world is again settled in times of peace and harmony, because they belong in the great galleries of London and Europe where they originated. While they are liere they will continue to teacli us how common expressions of face and beauty of landscape can be preserved on canvas. ClIAHLOTTE SCUIMGER, Form YIa., Ross House.

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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]

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THE TELEPHONE There it goes again — Perhaps this time for me? — Someone calling Mother Asking her for tea. It looks so very innpcent Lying there so neat, You ' d never think it had the power To bring one any treat. This time sounds important I ' m sure it is for me — I ' ll sit here with fingers crossed, And then just wait and see. Yes — it was for me — but oh It ' s more than I can stand, Just some careless soul again. Some lessons to demand. Again the merry jingle — A most insistent ring — I ' m absolutely certain Excitement it will bring. Now I feel so happy, You can tell it at a glance. Because that special person, Has asked me to the dance. Frances Gyde, Form Va., Barclay House. PLACE D ' ARMES PLACE D ' ARMES is the historical centre of Montreal. Here stands a statue of the City ' s Founder with his flag outstretched to take possession of the soil. It was virgin forest in the time of Maisonneuve, when, on an evening in May, 1642, four little vessels cast anchor near the bank of the St. Lawrence. These ships contained the settlers who laid the foundations of the village of Ville Marie, later to become the commercial metropolis of Canada. Then the square became the site of the old parish church; next a public park with fine trees and lawns; and today it is an asphalt-paved square in the heart of Montreal. The square itself is named in commemoration of Maisonneuve ' s feat of arms in one of the raids of the hostile Indians. During a sortie made by the French the Indians came on in svich numbers that the retreat was given. Maisonneuve found himself svirrounded, but he faced his foes without flinching. The Iroquois chief sprang forward to bear Iiim down, but Maisonneuve grappled the man and managed to shoot him. The attacking Indians fled with the body of their chief — and the City was saved. [27]