Verona High School - Shadows Yearbook (Verona, NJ)

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SHADOWS, June, 1934 29 Cliffs Holiday Ghosts have been known ever since the dawn of history. In An- cient Egypt it was believed that the spirits of the departed revisit- ed the earth. All through the in- tervening centuries people have believed in things of the sort, and even today some credulous souls still credit the wild tales of the superstitious. But in the rural districts of England during the early years of the last century superstition was exceptionally widespread. The not over-brilliant tillers of the soil had, as do most ignorant people, very vivid imagi- nations, and ever since childhood their minds had been saturated with stories of ghosts and ghostly happenings. Raveloe, a small village inhab- ited by such folk and nestling in a well-wooded hollow somewhere in the central plain of England had of late been visited by the spirit of a certain Mr. Cliff. It seems that this Mr. Cliff had been a half- crazed tailor who had got rich bet- ting on horse races, and before he died had bought a stableful of the authors of his fortune and had built stables for them on a patch of ground called the Warrens lo- cated on the outskirts of Raveloe. He had always been pretty much of a mystery to the inhabitants of the village, and soon after his death strange tales grew up about the stables. The stamping of hoofs. the cracking of a whip, and strange howling had been heard by certain reputable citizens, and many had reported that they had seen weird lights also. This was believed by maniy to be the holiday that the Devil had given Cliff from roast- ing. Everyone in Raveloe believed in Cliff's holiday except Mr. Dowlas, the farrier, who had vehemently declared whenever the subject was mentioned, that this belief ,in ghosts was absurd, and had often dared anyone to produce a ghost, but heretofore no one had taken him at his word: so Dowlas re- mained obstinately worshipping at the shrine of common sense. This was the state of affairs on the wintry night with which we are most concerned. It was bitter- ly cold with a hint of snow in the air and a stiff wind blowing. Oc- casionally the moon would be blot- ted out by a swiftly scudding cloud, leaving' the world in inky black- ness, except where the ruddy, twinkling lights of the village feebly attempted to dispel the gloom. On such a night any sen- sible person thought himself lucky to be at home before a crackling fire or warming his insides with a bit of Mr. Snell's excellent ale in the congenial atmosphere of the Rainbow, the town's only tavern. At the latter the conversation had proceeded by gradual stages from a rather half-hearted dis- cussion of the weather to an ani- mated argument as to the relative importance in town affairs of the Casses and the Lammeters, when the door was flung violently open, and Tookey, Mr. Macey's assist- ant, with a face as white as Mrs. Winthrop's wash on Monday, tered. ell' No one spoke. All eyes were turned toward this unexpected ap- parition. Suddenly Tookey him- self broke the silence by saying, in a voice overcome by fear: He's come back agin! I just saw him up to the stables on the Warrens. Who's come back? What're you talking about? Here, set down and take a mite 0' brandy. You look as though you'd seen a ghost! said Mr. Snell solicitously. I hev seen a ghost. I saw Mr. Cliff as owned the Lammeter Dlaffe awalking around the stables as blg as life not moreln ten minutes ago. An' the stamping o' the hosses an' the howling was something ter- rible. I was walking acrost the pasture when I saw him, just as plain as I see you now. I never stopped running 'till I reached here-an' that's gospel. What did I allays -say? eX- claimed Mr. Macey, 'triumphahtly glancing around, his happ1neSS complete if only Dowlas could have been there to see his triumph. As a matter of fact, Dowlas had gone to Batherly early that morning to see about getting a supply of char- coal, and had not yet returned. John Hoagland has made himself quite distinguished this year through his literary en- deavors. He was assistant editor on the White Hornet staff and has proved himself an able English scholar. The accompanying story was written by him in connection with his English work. Was there any lights up i' the stables? inquired the butcher, who was of an inquisitive nature whenever anything supernatural was concerned. Well, now, I wouldn't say ay and I wouldn't say nay. I left i' such a hurry as I didn't notice, but there probably was some-there allays was, replied Tookey. Here comes some'un now as looks like Dowlas, exclaimed Mr. Macey, who had been gazing stead- ily out of the window. His words were immediately verified by the entrance of Dowlas, who, after completing his journey, had proceeded directly to the Rain- bow, where he might better enjoy himself in pleasant companionship with the village sages than alone before his fire-he was unmarried, having ofttimes declared that held never be bossed around by no womang he had liberty and he H meant to keep it . How did things go over to Bath- erly? inquired Mr. Snell. As well as might hev been ef- pected. What with prices as they is, it's a mercy as one keeps body and soul together, was the half- hearted reply. Mr, Macey had been controlling himself with an effort, and sud- denly he burst out with: Well, Dowlas. now 'maybe youlll admit that there's such a thing as ghos'es. Tookey, here. just come by the stables at the Warrens and he says as he saw things and heard noises as wasn't meant for mortal ears. Go ahead, Tookey, and tell him about it. H Tookey hastily repeated his story to the still skeptical Dowlas, who, after listening impatiently until he had finished, stated: I still says as therels no such thing as ghos'es, and I'm a-going to the Warrens right now, and prove it. You can all stay here and set around like sillv, ignorant. superstitious old women for all I care. Hereupon he stalked haughtily out, leaving the rest in a bewild- ered condition. They had known Dowlas for a long time but he had never acted like this before. Though it must be said in his de- fense that things had gone against him that day. He had had to pay more than usual for' his charcoal in the first place, and on top of that, his dinner had disagreed with himg so when he reached the Rain- bow, he was in a condition not ex- actly conducive to peaceful thoughts and brotherly love.

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28 SHADOWS, June, 1934 WASHINGTON fContinued from page 51 big-city superintendents to the teachers of one-room rural schools. Arlington Amphitheater: This classic amphitheater of marble, dedicated in 1920, seats 4,000 peo- ple. Its main entrance faces east and includes a military museum. In its basement is a small chapel. Washington Monument: Wash- ington Monument towers to a height of 555 7-16 feet. It was begun in 1848 but not completed until 1885. There is a line visible in the masonry which marks the place where construction was sus- pended for 23 years. At night from the chamber at the top of the Monument airplane signal lights warn night flyers of the towering shaft's whereabouts. New Commerce Building: One of the first projects completed un- der the enlarged Federal building program, the structure which is to house the manifold activities of the Department of Commerce cost 817,500,000 It is 320 feet wide by 1060 feet long and contains nearly five miles of corridors. fContinued in next columnj The strange noises emanating from that sound machine are Jesse Boyette's French translations. The machine turning out material op- posite that is shouting out Billy Butts's outrageous manhandling of that beautiful language. P. T. A. fContinued from page 31 On May 16th the year's program closed with Fathers' Night . Mr. E. C. Kautzmann was chairman. The program included a burlesque of a radio program given by our basketball squad. Mr. John A. Matthews gave an interesting ad- dress. Seventy-six active members were enrolled this year. Contributions were made to the Scholarship Fund and to Shadows from the proceeds of the card party held on May 25. The Parent-Teachers' Associa- tion extends to the Graduates of 1934 a friendly handclasp of con- gratulation, and hopes that through its efforts to bring about a closer cooperation between the school and home it may have had some small part in the guidance of their youthful footsteps into paths of future success. Lincoln Memorial Pool: Its pla- cid waters reflect both the im- pressive temple to Lincoln and Washington's towering shaft. Al- though more than 2,000 feet long and 160 feet wide, the pool no- where attains a depth greater than three feet and affords a safe and popular place for the activities of Juvenile yachtsmen and for skat- ers in winter. All Souls' Church: Modeled af- ter the Church of St. Martin's-in- the-Fields, London, it ranks with the most beautiful places of wor- ship in the Capitol. Its bell was cast in Paul Revere's foundry and sent to John Quincy Adams in 1822 for use in the first Unitarian Church built in Washington. Arlington Memorial Bridge: Made of molybdenum steel and painted to resemble the granite in the rest of the bridge, the double- leaf bascules, operated by electri- city, rise 135 feet above the water, leaving a 140-foot passageway for ships. Balustrades on the bridge are hollow-cast aluminum, painted to resemble granite. Lincoln Triumphant: Set in the central hall of the Lincoln Memo- rial, this giant marble statue by Daniel Chester French, weighs 150 tons without its pedestal. On the wall over the head of Lincoln, these words appear: In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is en- shrined forever. Octagon House: Erected a cen- tury and a quarter ago by William Thornton, first architect of the Capitol, this building is now the headquarters of the American In- stitute of Architects. President Madison resided here after the burning of the White House in the War of 1812. Library of Congress: Numbered among the choicest of literary treasures, a copy of the Gutenberg Bible lin three volumesj came to the Library in 1930 as a part of the Vollbehr Collection at a cost of 'more than S300,000. It was printed some time between 1450 and 1455, and is one of three per- fect copies on vellum known to be in existence. The skins of 300 sheep were required to make it. Fort Washington: Though still a small post, the fort is no longer of military importance. Here, at the mouth of Piscataway Creek, John Smith found an Indian. set- tlementg later Governor Calvert conferred with Indians here, and about 1794, George Washington I urged that a fort be built on the spot. L'Enfant planned Fort Washington as well as the Capitol City and he lived at Warburton Manor, whose grounds are now in- cluded in the military reservation, for seven years as the guest of Thomas Digges, at whose nephew's home, Green Hill, he subsequently died and was buried. United States Soldiers' Home: Here battle-scarred veterans, who may range in age from 19 to 98 or more-veterans of the Civil War, Indian Wars, the Spanish-Ameri- can War, Philippine Insurrection, the China Boxer uprising, and the World War-all find comfort. The home has its own theater, band, library, gymnasium, and religious services. It has its own outstand- ing Holstein dairy herd and poul- try farms. The soldiers themselves, by small deductions from their pay, amassed the major portion of the funds to build and operate this institution without Federal appro- priations at any time. It has been used as a summer White House by four Presidents-Buchanan, Lincoln, Hayes, and Arthur. Remember The time Charles Dressel was Miles Standish? Charley was good in that, but he is at his best as a specialty dancer. Yeh, man! The first issue of the White H0rnet ? Here's wishing the White Hornet continued, good success and may it keep on devel- oping as it has since the first is- sue. Doc's assembly program? It sure was great. Crooner Di Bella ought to go far on the Radio. Good Luck. The remark in the 'White Hor- net about the girl who just bought a bottle of peroxide? Now every- body is talking about the girl who hasn't used peroxide. Jesse's cheerleading? Jesse has a future ahead of him as a cheer- leader. Jesse, at Sing Sing the student body is very permanent so you ought to be able to teach them some good cheers. The writer just can't remember whether we beat Caldwell this year. We did. And How! The big surprise we received when Mr. Brown said we could use the main hall? For a while it was thought that the main hall was a part of the lost continent. The color pageant we saw in as- sembly? Do you know that when you think of it, it had a moral to it. The moral, as interpreted by your humble servant, is never to marry an artist.

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30 SHADOWS, June, 1934 As he left the Rainbow, Dowlas was bouyed up by his feeling of mental superiority and righteous anger. But soon the lights of the village were left behind, and as he gazed into the lonely stretch of darkness beyond, he began to re- gret his hasty action. Why hadn't he kept his mouth shut about ghosts? What if there actually were such things? And what if they should vent their anger on him for distrubing them? What was that ahead of him? He started. He had yet some distance to cover before reaching the War- rens, so it couldn't be one of those ghosts. It was coming closer! Why. it was only someone's cow that had strayed. Dowlas' nerves were getting worse and worse. He more than once contemplated returning, but he dared not face the company at the Rainbow. After all, didn't he know there were no ghosts? Suddenly the moon shone out brightly, revealing the stables only about fifty yards ahead. Some- where in their dark interior a door slammed with a report like a pistol shot. An owl hooted. The wind howling around the eaves found a fitting accompaniment in the thumping of Dowlas' heart. He stopped a minute to gather some of his departing courage. What should he do? His heart misgave him when he thought of entering those eerie buildings. But he must go on to prove his point. Surely he had nothing to fear. After thus encouraging himself for several minutes, 'Dowlas at last became bold enough to ap- proach the door timidly. He en- tered the building, and as he did so, the door swung to behind him, rattling all the boards in the whole stable, it seemed, by its very mass- iveness. What was that? Footsteps? Dowlas turned to flee. It seemed as if an icy hand clutched him. Yes, it was footsteps. They came nearer. Then he seemed to see a vague black shape looming over him. Fear lent wings to his heels, and Dowlas flew until he came within sight of the village. He stopped, breathless. Yes, he had been wrong and if there were no ghosts. at least, there was some- thing worse. But what should he do now? He eouldn't face the jeers of those at the Rainbow. Then, making up his mind, he turned on his heel, and swiftly returned home. Arriving there he immed- iately jumped into bed and pulled the blankets over his head. The sun shining in the window the next morning revealed a docile and crushed Dowlas. In time he re- gained his old argumentativeness, and his voice was once more heard above al' others in the discussions at the Rainbow. But ever after- ward, whenever he was asked about the existence of ghosts, he was always heard to reply, as it don't matter to me whether there are or aren't such creatures, but as far as I am concerned, I wouldn't bother with those as are above me, nor deny the existence of them as might not like me to. As to what Dowlas and the oth- ers saw, there is no definite record, for the stables were torn down a few years later with nothing un- usual being found, although even to the present day that neighbor- hood is held in awe by the natives. But in my opinion these super- natural beings were conjured up by the vivid imaginations of these folk, and never actually existed. And until someone suggests a bet- ter, this will have to remain the only solution for the mystery of CLIFF'S HOLIDAY. The Man and His Book Shaw George Bernard Shaw does not respect and adhere to principles that every well-bred dramatist is taught to honor. I think that Shaw is today's Walt Whitman, because, to me. he seems entirely individ- ualistic. Shaw disregards conven- tions and writes in his own style and to suit his own tastes regard- less of the storm of protest aroused by his stinging criticism and sarcasm. Shaw first began writing essays, but no one seemed to read them. He then turned to the novel, but no one would read the stuff that he chose to produce. He then tried his hand at the stage and there he almost failed. The following extract describes his career as a dramatist: Finally he attained a hearing, and now attempts at sup- pression merely serve to advertise thein victim. Shaw is a humorist-not the type of humorist that creates hu- mor to supply amusement, but the type of humorist that creates hu- mor by describing commonplace things as he sees them. Shaw does not want people to merely laugh- any fool can make the public laugh. He wants the type of laughter that is accompanied by tears. To sum Shaw's style of writing up briefly, we may say that he has no illusions about anything when he begins to write. Arms and the Man I had always thought of Shaw writing dry and unorthodox ma- terial. I place the responsibility for this opinion upon the news- papers as that was the impres- sion I had gathered about Shaw from the news items. Shaw, in Arms and the Man is quite humorous. He obtains his humorous effect by merely reveal- ing a situation as he sees it and as we would see it if we reflected. While he is very sarcastic and crit- ical, he does not do anything more than tell the truth. The foolish- ness of some political, military, and sentimental situations are shown quite clearly in this play. From a matter-of-fact point Of view, the story is too fanciful and impossible to be true. For example, Louka quickly noted the man in Raina's room, while just previous to her entrance a whole roomful of trained soldiers were unable to see him. One is not tempted to criticize too much about the real- ity of the story because it is so well written and contains so many facts that are worth studying. I would like to give, personally, a copy of this story tor people who like to say, Oh, I am one of the Vanderlipsf' or I am one of the Winslows of Boston. After read- ing this play they would soon enough see themselves in the way Shaw would see them, and Shaw has no illusions about inflated fam- ily traditions. Eugene Feracane, '35. So many things are queer to me. There's many a thing here I can't see- Why does it rain all day some- times?-then At night, clouds clear away be- times. K Why do We wish for summer-time in winter, And when summer comes, we pine and whimper? Why keep wishing to eleven- And then at twenty, back at seven? Won't someone please give me a clue to where, I can find these answers, true and square? be twenty at wish we're