West Side High School - Legenda Yearbook (Saginaw, MI)

Page 46 text:

PROPHECY OF THE CLASS OF 1900 —Continued, He walks the zig-zag pathway to the mine, Sinks to his diggings, tears away the slate, And brings the coal to view, in solid line. And, when noon conies, without a change of scenes, He takes his ineal, ’mid clouds of dust and gas; Eating in silence, piles of pork and beans, Garnished by pickles, pie, and “apple sass.” Contented mind ! who would not envy thee, From care of wealth and all ambition free! A void and barren office next we view, With rusty stove and battered desk and chair, And rows of printer’s cases far from new. Where Charlie’s setting type with sullen air. He had desired, in his simple heart. To be a senator; but the cam¬ paign Had let his printing business fall apart, Which rendered his defeat a double pain. And fierce invectives now he writes, to ease His wounded feelings, if indeed, he may; And his own hand sets up the a-b-c’s, For his assistant left for want of pay. And now he turns, and glancing at the clock, Begins to write the news about the town: 4 ‘ The Rev. Hammond wishes all his flock To meet on Friday night with Mrs. Brown.” 41 Ring every bell, let all turn out to hear Tonight, Miss Traber; she, of silver tongue, Giveth a lecture on mankind severe; ' Twill be of profit to both old and young. Reasons for suffrage, clinching ar¬ guments Which earn her fame through¬ out the Nation wide, Dealing conviction to both mind and sense, Shall pour from eager lips in burning tide.” “The Misses Utter and Romeike still Are doing first-class work at lowest rate; Dressmaking parlors, corner Court and Hill. All dresses cut and fitted while you wait. “Don’t fail next week the ‘ Bachelor Maid ’ to see, Given by the troupe of Arnold- son and Sears: The heroine’s part is played by Nellie T, Who wins applause wherever she appears. A better actress here is seldom seen, (Tickets, ten cents, and reserved seats fifteen.)” The curtain falls on Charlie, and we see A tidy cottage on a quiet street, Where Edith sits, with pussy on her knee, And holds with Polly conversa¬ tion sweet. With industry her knitting- needles click, Though now and then she stops to sip her tea, Or read her book on “Missions” huge and thick, ‘ ' In maiden meditation fancy free.” My friends, I crave your pardon and your grace, That Mattie’s future nowhere here appears; The Muse and I searched well in every place, We could not find her form in future years. And then we learned that she had joined the ranks

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PROPHECY OF THE CLASS OF 1900 Once more, O Muse of Song, just this once more, (Poor Muse, thy patience must be sorely tried;) I come to seek thy favor, and im¬ plore That thou wilt labor with me, side by side. Thou wast prophetic in the days of old, And told the fate of empires, told with truth; Change now thy theme; talk not of conquests bold; Play traveling Gipsy for these happy youth. Breathe thou thy spell upon me; let me see; Working life’s mathematics well or ill. With none to help, with all to disagree, These school companions, friends in memory still. Now thirty years have passed, and Time hath brought His flowing cup to all, and each hath quaffed His till of change; and active years have taught Life’s slow-learned lessons, Ah! forgot so oft. And first our fair-haired belle appears to view, A soldier’s wife in far-off Cavite; Her heart was his from girlhood, firm and true, Though to abSoRB ER many tried, they say. Our scholar, Jennie, treads the shores of Greece, Or wanders o’er the old Au- sonian land; Bringing to light old cities, piece by piece, And writing books thereon with master hand; And long the world has loved to read her words About the habits of the early Kurds. Miss Duffy teaches school in Podunk yet; Time has not changed her lovely hair and eyes; She’s taking music lessons from Jeannette, Who’s now a great musician learned and wise. And Lida in astronomy is wise; She teaches it in Vassar College now; She knows each star and planet in the skies, And where the Pleiad went, and why, and how. Helen, the doctor, next we see appear, Dealing out pellets with ex¬ perienced hand; Dispensing gladly liyposcentifeer. And speaking without thought of armercrand; She makes a specialty of pul- mones. And capita both great and small can treat; She ' s sought for fifty miles for heart disease, And in an amputation can’t be beat. Next her, as ever, William takes his stand. And brave, though somewhat bashful, makes his bow. At first he was a farmer, tall and grand; He ' s teaching his beloved Ger¬ man now. Elsie, our youngest, leads a happy life; Years have but added to her gentle grace; Though now a sober farmer’s thrifty wife, She still retains her pretty baby face. Her sister Edna fills the class with pride By famous pleas, and famous fees beside. Day has pulled back the curtains, and the sun Rises reluctant from his golden bed; Our Janitor’s “Fine Morning,” has begun, When Raymond raises first his drowsy head. With dinner-pail in hand, and listless gait,

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PROPHECY OF THE CLASS OF 1900 Continued Of scientists who say the’ve naught but mind; And thereupon we both declined, with thanks, To seek a thing so very hard to find. The Muse lias patience, as she plainly shows, And I don’t think I’ve lost quite all of mine; But when it comes to wandering ghosts like those, We both decide it’s time to draw the line. Jessie and Maude, in happy mar¬ ried life, Have quite forgotten all the French they knew; But each, I hear, has proved a charming wife. And fortune showers wealth upon them, too. And Pearl for Canton long ago set sail To break the idols of the poor Chinee. Edna is matron of the county jail; She has her time employed ’tis plain to see. But in the night she feels no great alarm. For Leo’s beat is past the prison door; And well she knows he will per¬ mit no harm To come to those whose lives he watches o’er. Thus each in life is acting well his part ; Sorrows may come to all; but gentle Peace With branch of pity soon de¬ stroys the smart, And bids the pain and trouble quickly cease. Life may be long, its labor may be great; But, soon or late must come the time for rest; And when we’ve entered Heaven ' s jewelled gate, We shall rejoice that here we did our best. Pearl Dean, 1900.