Wake Forest University - Howler Yearbook (Winston Salem, NC)

Page 13 text:

I t»tf ill0]LW The man in tlie moon looked down on the earth, and wagged his head at what he saw. A funeral party made its way down a street toward a cemetery, hearing a great man to his tomb. Beliind the hearse there rode the sons of Thomas Alva Edison, mournhig their illus trious sire. The whole world, or as much as the man in the moon could ning the loss of the man who had given thern and to whom thev had given so little in return. The man in the moon saw them turn out their lights— HIS lights — in honor and memory of the man who had let them Iiave light. But the man in the moon knew that with the passage of time they would forget — for had they not always forgotten their benefactors? And sure enough, he saw them go back to their stocks and bonds and washing machines and crying babies, while tlie frail body of the man who had died lay alone with its glory in the great white tomb, and an oblivious world passed l»y on its way and laughed and sang and forgot. Is this the end? the man in the moon asked himself. Indeed, it seemed to be the end. Wliat business man thought of Edison when he talked into his dictaphone? thought of Edison as he used the in his work? What housewife re- vhite-haired man who had invented or I cleaner, her electric lights, her radio? iibered Edison? To the man in the moon it seemed that no one remem- bered him. But then one night he chanced to look down upon a small college. There, under the glare of one of Edison ' s incandescent globes, was working a group of students. They were making a book, the college annual. Dedicated to science— it was to make special commemora- tion of the life and works of Thomas Alva Edison. Night after night the man in the moon watched them, sweating in the autunm heat, siiivt-ring in tlie wintt-r cold, and sweat- ing again in the prei working, toiling, strugiiiinp m itb tht details of the perfect!, of the book. And wbJh finally it ws finished, they leant liack in their chairs aid stretolied flieir weary fingers ar eased their wearv backs. Theirs wis the satisfaction of j .b well done, of a ditfinilt ta k well acliieved. They h.- Hnislied their task and their vow to Kdison. They had n forgotten. And when the book u as at last issued to the studeid and the man in the moon had seen their faces as they reij linded once more of the great Edison, a te; trickled down over the pitted face of the man in the mo( and splashed upon the great white tomb witii its preeioi ntent. And the earth turned on aiul on. IK GeNTLEMAX ox THE WaLL. h