Walkerville Collegiate Institute - Blue and White Yearbook (Windsor, Ontario Canada)

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BLUE AND WHITE I! I e- i it r» a a K It if it ot Ik li te¬ at k- ' P he ne © it, ot as d$ ad in- n? a- ‘nt nc tr- in ol- re¬ in- it ;ed :he iadj ac-‘ of 5a: Tragedy Lurks in The House of Usher. Thick, grey clouds were massed ag¬ ainst the heaven when I was riding on my horse. As dusk drew nigh, I was in sight of the stately House of Usher. The dreary sight of the mansion made me shiver. I was rather disappointed and almost dreaded the thought of en¬ tering. As I walked up the flagstone pathway, with a premonition of some future dread event, I felt as if I were leaving my freedom behind me. Only yesterday I had received a letter writ¬ ten by an unknown uncle who had in¬ vited me to live in his House of Usher. After the death of my father, a month ago, I had thought that my last relative had died. And then I was given a letter, written by an uncle whom I had never known to exist. However, I decided to accept his invitation and place my fut¬ ure hopes in his House of Usher. I lifted the thick iron knocker and brought it gently against the heavy, ponderous door, causing a muffled sound to reverberate with a low moaning tone. As this sound died away, the huge door opened, and what surprised me was not the sight of the Oriental who answered, but the thick, drowsy odour of incense which floated out. “Tell your master that his nephew is here”, I said, handing the boy my riding cane and hat in an attempt to assume nonchalance. “Yes, sir,” he replied as he left. ‘‘Mas¬ ter has been expecting you. I will inform him immediately.” I wandered into the front room, and instead of finding it furnished with El¬ izabethan furniture as I had expected, I found the room filled with antique Chinese furniture belonging, perhaps to the Ming Dynasty. “Hmm!” I mused, “Uncle must have felt homesick.” When I sat in one of the lavishly carv¬ ed chairs, which was a masterpiece in itself, I felt uncomfortable and out of place, for not only did my imported Per¬ sian angora sweater clash in contrast to my surroundings, but also the fine carv¬ ings on the chair stuck into my back. Nevertheless, I did not mind it so very much. I was too engrossed in this Orien¬ tal room. Richly embroidered hangings, worked with gold and silver thread, stretched to the thickly-carpeted, glossy floor. In one corner was the benevolent statue of worldly-wise Confucius, beside which lovely w ' hite lilies rose from the highly- polished mahogany table which sparkled and gleamed in the faint light. This room was really bewitching, not at all like the rooms Pearl Buck describes in her books. For fifteen minutes I w’aited patient¬ ly with a continual droning and mumbl¬ ing which seemed to come from an in¬ ner room. When I began to feel that the boy had failed to convey my message to his master, one of the doors creaked open, and an elderly man, dressed in a Mandarin robe, entered. He was middle- aged, with hair slightly greyed at the temples. His face w’as very kindly, but his eyes w ' ere cold as steel. When he half-closed his eyes, how’ever, he had the appearance of a true, loving, and sincere father. His nationality, I should say, was perhaps American. I rose and was about to ask him if he knew where my uncle was, w’hen he greeted me with, “Nephew, I am so hap¬ py to see you. Welcome to the House of Usher.” Nephew! He had called me nephew’! Was it that I was related to this - this - white man, this barbarian? It was al¬ most an insult. Why, I thought to my¬ self, I am a full-blooded Chinese. My fa¬ ther w f as a Chinese. My father’s father was a Chinese, and so w ' as my father’s father’s father. It was simply ridicul¬ ous ! Just before my father passed away, he had given me proof that I was a de¬ scendant of the blue blood of China. Think of it! My ancestors had once ruled the mighty territories of China. And this wfflite man was trying to have the honour of being related to me. But I locked up my fury and smiled cordially. 1 Page Thirty-five

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BLUE AND WHITE south to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the north. Could this great expansion poss¬ ibly take place without a single idea of imperialism having entered the minds of the statesmen? Your answer would undoubtedly be “no” and here is the proof to back up your answer. With the influx of immigrants from Europe and the growing cotton and wheat industries requiring more and more land, expansion was bound to take place. The settlers pushed westward both in the north and in the south until they reached the Louisiana territory which belonged to France. In 1803 this land was purchased from France to add to the growing country of the United States. Not long after this the territory which was later to become the State of Florida and which belonged to Spain was added. In 1818 Andrew Jackson led troops into the country to put down the Indians who were troubling United States citizens. Not only were the Ind¬ ians quelled but in 1819 the territory was ceded to United States by Spain when pressure was applied. Still the settlers pushe d westward, taking their slaves with them, lured on in the south by the prospect of cotton¬ growing in the rich land belonging to Mexico which is now the State of Texas. The United States government attempt¬ ed to buy this territory but Mexico re¬ fused to sell. The break came in 1836 when Mexico abolished slavery in these territories, causing the revolt of the United States settlers and the declarat¬ ion of their independence. Thus was Texas belonging to Mexico annexed by the United States. But this was not all of the land taken from Mexico. From 1845-49 Polk the president continually spoke of the “manifest destiny” of the United States to expand to the Pacific coast. Mexico was therefore again asked to cede territory, the land which now ' extends to the northern boundary of California. As this demand was also re¬ fused, war resulted in 1847 by which the United States acquired the territory ncluding New Mexico, Utah and Calif¬ ornia. A sum of $15,000,000. was paid Page Thirty.four to Mexico, but it seemed a small amoum for such rich territory w’hen in 1849 gol,; was discovered in California. Now only the territory of Oregon re- mained, but this, too, was destined tc become part of the United States. Th; land had been explored by Britisher; and forts had been established by them but since it had been settled for the mo? part by United States citizens in 1841 the cry was raised “54»40 ' or fight’ However a peaceful settlement was reached and by the Oregon treaty the forty-ninth parallel was settled as the boundary. The United States was no» complete within itself but they did not stop there. Without any imperialistic ideas the growth of an empire outside the actua. boundaries of the United States was be- gun. Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867. In 1898, after a revolt had tak¬ en place in Cuba, the United States inter¬ vened and a settlement was reached by which Porto Rico, Guam, the Philipp¬ ines, after a struggle and against tht wishes of the natives, and the Ladrom Islands became part of the United States while Cuba w r as to remain independent, but a virtual protectorate. Expansion continued in the West Indies with Sac Domingo, Haiti and the Virgin Island- next being added. Hawaii, which hac been a naval station, had also been an¬ nexed. Perhaps the greatest addition during these years w ' as that of the territory a- round the Panama Canal. President Roosevelt attempted to buy enough lane from Colombia to complete the constr¬ uction of the canal which had been un¬ successfully started by the French. Col¬ ombia refused to sell this land but a re¬ volt was instituted and part of Colom¬ bia broke away to form the new Repub¬ lic of Panama, thus enabling the United States to buy the necessary land and the canal was completed. Thus by 1914 the United States had become an empire without having ac¬ quired any ideas upon the subject oi Imperialism. DOROTHY WYETH, 5A ai m si m ai u PJ fi le y t V a h k a u t f t l c t ( 1 1 1

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BLUE AND WHITE for after all, wasn’t he offering- me this lovely home in which to live? If I had looked astonished, he didn’t seem to not¬ ice it. “I am sorry I kept you waiting so long, but you see, I was speaking to your ancestors,” he continued. “Huh! I mean I beg your pardon, sir,” I said, quite bewildered. “I said I was conversing with your ancestors,” he repeated. “My ancestors! Why, I thought they were dead,” I uttered, puzzled. “Of course they are, silly, but perhaps you don’t understand. I was speaking with dead, your long-gone ancestors.” He led me to the room which he had just left and there I beheld an enorm¬ ous gilded figure of Buddha sitting cross-legged upon a lotus. A fabulous fortune of pearls, rubies and sapphires lay at his feet as an offering. “Just a few minutes ago,” my would- be uncle began, “I conversed here with your ancestors, the once mighty rulers of China, with the aid of divine Buddha. Perhaps you find it hard to believe. Your mind has become too practical and too westernized, but you must believe me when I say some of these old Oriental powers still exist.” I thought he was insane, and accord¬ ing to what little knowledge I had of psychology, I grinned to humour him. “I know you think I’m insane,” he said as though reading my thoughts again, “but in time you’ll understand what I am saying. Right now, I think it best that you retire. The journey must have been a fatiguing one. Your room is upstairs, the first one on the right.” I thanked him and slowly mounted the flight of stairs, when I heard Strauss’ “Tales of the Vienna Woods” burst forth and then the beautiful voice of a woman singing passionately. Never before had I heard a voice so full of warmth and quality. As the haunting, vibrating notes filled the house, the rich tones reverberated and I imagined my¬ self in the woods, listening to my fav¬ ourite waltz, sung as never sung before. When the last chords had faded maj- Page Thirty-six estically away, uncle broke the spell an p said, “Beautiful, wasn’t it? My secret- s ary sang it. Would you like to mee I her?” ' c “Yes, please,” I answered. a This time he led me to a wide, white- i walled room. A huge window filled the s whole of one side, thus spreading befor- I our feet a vast, never-ending view of the c countryside. In the corner, leaning or the grand piano, the slim form of a wo- t man shook in silent sobs. f “Mai Ling,” my uncle called a little j severely. t Immediately she regained her com¬ posure and as I looked into her eyes, 1 i thought I caught a glimpse of tragedy t To say that she was beautiful would be c unjust, for she was more than beauti- 1 ful. She was charming, ravishing, un- 1 ique. She was dressed exotically in a ( black velvet gown, which was form-fit- ting from the neck to the waist, sud¬ denly spreading to a full skirt which i folded richly about her delicate, sandal¬ led feet. j “I want you to meet my nephew, Mai i Ling,” uncle said. She politely acknow¬ ledged the introduction and in a low. t husky voice making an excuse of some » forgotten duty, left the room. During i those few fleeting moments, I believe! experienced the sweetest sensation in the world. I felt towards Mai Ling, a; Mark Anthony must have felt toward; i Cleopatra, as Alessandra towards Rom- i ona, and as Romeo towards Juliet. • Late that night I lay restlessly in bed. I was greatly disturbed by the day’s ev¬ ents, and there kept appearing forever before my eyes, the vision of the god¬ dess-like face of Mai Ling. I rose and decided to take a walk in the garden. The night air was so sweet and so inviting. Myriads of stars stud¬ ded the heavens around the almond moon, which beamed enchantingly. In the intangible sweetness of the night, under the thick shade tree in the mellow moonlight, I saw Mai Ling, wearing a billowy, white chiffon evening gown. She looked like a picture with her fine, silk-like hair brushed in a youthful