Winchester School - Oui Dire Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

Page 21 text:

OUI- DIRE IQ ing future actors and actresses there assem- bled. Xhiith no little ditiiculty, but by the aid of powerul opera glasses, I made out the person of the words and actions to be Edna. Then came a comfortable wainscoted li- brary, softly and artistically lighted by a few tall lamps. Covering the walls from floor to ceiling were book-cases filled with a large and miscellaneous collection of books falling to pieces with hard usage, books nearly all in the La-tin tongue, evidently belonging to one who might study deeply into the foundation of that language. In a winged chair under one of the lamps, before a cracking tire, sat Flora, and as I glanced over her shoulder I saw that she was reading in the original Latin, a volume of D 6 Catullus. I found myself wafted over the threshold of a large brilliantly lighted house. I had evi- dently come upon a musical, for on entering I saw a young lady seated at the piano and listened to one of the sweetest, most delightful selections it has ever been my fortune to hear. streams, of green meadows, of the lark and of verdant It told of gurgling of the sweet song forests. The audience was enraptured and called for other selections. For the life of me I could not tell who she was until she began to play that enchanting piece, 'Beautiful Ladyf and I recognized Mary Caroline Hogg. At length to the far and fortune-giving west I was borne, where I discovered Kather- ine Reed, alone and unaided, managing a cat- tle ranch. The meat from her animals was renowned the world over: indeed, it had nearly replaced the entire importation of beef from South America. She owed her success to the cultivation of the cactus plant of whose nu- tritious value you were apprised in her paper of not so long ago. Over miles and miles of desert, which she had redeemed, her cattle ranged far and wide. growing fat and yielding abundant revenues on cultivated cactus. Back again to Broadway, and lo, blazing in front of me in high electrical letters was 'Elinor Johnston' .in Iiernard Shawls latest play! I was too late to obtain a seat, but for Five dollars was permitted to stand at the back. The house was packed and well it might be, for your fair 'Ophelia' was interpreting her favorite dramatist in such an altogether new and charming manner that she was quite the hit of the season on the 'Great VVhite VVay.' I entered the lecture hall of the Carnegie Museum rand heard the most convincing lec- ture to which I have ever listenedg the subject was 'The Futility of the Study of Latin be- yond Yirgil, and Mathematics beyond Algebra for Girls' Although the heads of all the greatest girls' colleges were prcsent-includ- ing those of Vassar, lliellesley and Smith- hlosephine soon convinced these august person- ages of these facts. From that day forth girls need waste their time no longer on such men as llorace, I,ivy, and on that terrible bugbear, l,atin Prose. Xo longer need they stumble through Geometry, attempting to prove by a dozen theorems or more that a straight line is a straight line when they knew from the beginning it was so. Girls the world over re- gard Professor Josephine Ifleckel with grati- tude untold and will adore and worship her to their dying day for the way in which she has made life more bearable to youth. A new study had just been added to the curriculum of the XYinchester School, name- ly, 'Saving Secondsf It was a very wonderful subject dealing with the value of time. How many precious minutes did you girls thought- lessly lose gazing with vacant stare out of the window or keeping up a continual buzz of con- versation with your neighbor? Now, the girls begin their studies without a niinute's delay, continuing them uninterruptedly. Each girl with intent and hastening footsteps seeks to 'till the unforgiving minute with sixty sec- onds worth of distance run,' and the programs run like clockwork. Truth Dinns, who was renowned for her valuation of time even in the days of 1915, proves a very eHicient person to instruct the young minds in so important Zi theme. The capitol of l'ennsylvania appeared be- fore ine. As we all know, that was one of the last to obtain equal franchisement. and so, the present year was the first in which a woman had been elected to the governorship. Desir- ing very much to behold the lady in all her glory, I sought the Hall of State and found seated in the executive chair none other than Mary Tener. lVell might the former Governor of your prosperous state look with pride upon his niece and say, 'She is more than competent- ly carrying out the precept established by her forbearsf and the 'omnipotens et amans ex ex- ecutive ardet.' You might well have known that your 'En- fant I'henomenon' would indeed live up to her appellation. I happened upon her surrounded by girls of all ages and sizes seated beside the campfire. From various remarks made and from the title 'Toway-am,' which she was

Page 20 text:

18 OUT-DIRE THE BLIND BOY. XX'hat are the visions of the sight? Uh, tell this poor blind boy! I cannot see the sun or light, Hr things which you enjoy. You think I am not satisned, llecause I cannot see: llut l've a sense of touching, Xkhich is so good to ine. 'l'hev say the trees are tall and green, 'llhe grass is soft and low? lint I ean't see a single tlnng, llecause trod made me so. Uh, bark! I hear the whippoorwill, Ile sings in meadows lowi I cannot reach his feathery breast, lint I love his notes you know. I hear the humming' of the bee Xkhieh buzzes round the roseg I smell the vining eglantine, Into whose depths it goes. I hear the flowing uf the brook, I feel the cooling tlrop. Xkhich to my heart brings a desire, 'l'hat I could my eyes unlock. Some day when I shall leave this land For that of Une above, My vision will return to me Iiecause uf llis great love. 12. it. s., wg. CLASS PROPHECY. Une day a few weeks after the commence- ment ol -lnne the ninth, nineteen hundred and fifteen, l was wandering lonelv as a cloud along a deserted countrv road, overhung by tall trees which nearly hid the skv from mv view. M - -- w Alo tht ltlt. velvety green meadows, trim with daisies pied, sloped to a 'Rliinpletl brook. lo the right a grove iinpassable for binsh s under ' . , , hellered many featherv creatures whose songs lloated out to 1110 gtg l 511-011k-I1 'It A ll te! tug. I, wondering what the next ten or tif- N I i year: tx iuld bring to mv classmates, sud- denly noticed a large, thick, black lt , 'ather-bound book lying on the road before me. 4 Jn engines it . - ' . ,S my cr ll 1 ' 'Vrsity was aroused to know what was in this volume and from whence it had come. So I picked it up and, opening at the Hy leaf, read these words, I, San Verite, a wizard and soothsayer, unknown to you, but nevertheless ix orld-famous and knowing you all intimately, dedicate this book to the Senior Class of 1915 of the XYinchester School. This was rather surprising, but undeniably interesting, so I sat down on the grass be- side the road and proceeded to read farther. 'IX few days ago, in the manner known only to the chosen members of the High Qccult, I beheld while in a trance, the members of your class within the next fourteen or sixteen years. .X great change had taken place. The Gods were not meagre when they dealt out the tal- ents to vou: for art, music, literature, politics, science, I and many other branches of the world's work, have been benefited by your con- tributions. You have occupied many high po- sitions and executed your duties very well, fully carrying out your school motto, 'Candide Xlodo, Ifortiter Ref Now, having compli- mented you enough to soothe any rufded feel- ings, let me proceed to relate the visions of my trance. I turned the page. First, an attractive dining room, Hooded by a bright wintry sun, passed before me, in the center of which was a table surrounded by seven or eight children whose faces rivaled the sun's in brightness and happiness. .-X wom- an, seated at the head of the table, was heard expostulating, 'Childrenl Children! Mary Anne, john, lflizabeth, George, I'Ienrv it i' s . D . nearly a quarter after eight. I'Iurry to get your wraps lon or you will surely be late. No, George, you cannot have another watiie, three are more than enough for any little boy. Now lly and run all the way or you will not keep up mother's reputation for being at school at least twenty-live minutes before it openedf .Xh, girls, you well remember Matilda, for this motlier was she, and none other, seated at her table in the Seniors corner busily pursuing the Goddess of Learning before some of you had yet even greeted Aurora. I passed to one of the busiest streets of busy New York. XYhat was that huge building on my left? At risk of life and limb I crossed and read over the door 'The Love School of Illocntionf Upon entering I found myself in a very large auditorium, at least eighty feet long by forty feet wide. I heard very distinct- ly some words spoken by a person at the farthest end of the hall. She was going through a very affecting scene of a new play for the benefit of a large company of young, but agpir-

Page 22 text:

.,, Hitt--Illltl' I nameil, and which uoiiiulcil very iiiipiv'-N-It'ff. I igttlu-it-tl that :the wan a vt-ry lI'J'IllI and in- lliieltligil lll'l'?tHlI. III IJlt'l ll Wil , Illil lullgj ttlllll I .ti-..-.ao-.i.i not iifii-oitw tfuuiiif iw the head ol the whole t'amp l ir1- tLi1'li-f ff14fH'iffff' tion, which munhcrs m its hands lItIl1fITC'l - ol thousands ol girls in this wlrlc coltlltry of Ullfi IClizahctli hlolmston, alter a very gay and tcstivc hle, tirme at Icneth ol men and thi: world in et-ncral, had returned tri a nnnncry in Switzerland, wht-rc she could devote her- sell to her hooks and contemplation, so now, with Nliltou you may say: iliulllt, pensive Nun, devout and pure, Sohcr, steatllast, and demure, .XII in a rohe ol darltest grain, lflowing with majestic train, .Xml sahle stole ol Cypress lawn tlvcr thy decent shoulders rlrawnf Fragrant, tlowcry California next caught my eye, that land of tournaments and tennis. .Xhout one ol those famous courts a dense crowd was eathered. Surely that was May Sutton serving, lor there was no one else who had such a serve. .Ns I approached, the fact was vcritiefl, it was Xliss Sutton serving. The hrecze carried the words of the referee to me as I stood watching, Itantage out,' then in a minute, 't2ame, set, cup, cltampionsliipf Bly eyes, the great Ilay Sutton heatenl This was too much! I turned my eyes to her opponent and my surprise was greatly diminished when I saw Iirlith Siefers, who was noted lor her ten- nis, even in days past. t l'lic Supreme Court then drew my atten- tion. Illho was that fair figure seated in the judicial chair dealing out justice with mercy to all who came her way, deciding so accurately with that lteen perception which you learned tu know and appreciate so well in years gone hy? .XII who meet this second l'ortia depart saying with Shyloclc, 'tI, wise and upright judge. Ilow much older art thou than thv loolc-sl' .Xh, yesl lfleanor Kelly has all thesie .ittiihutts and othtis, Iru she is hy far the tiucst executive on the whole stall' ol' the Su- preme t'ourt. I saw I.uciIe most happily married, hut she was a sligglltly rlitterent l.ucilc Irom the one you lcncw, ller hushanrl sc:-incd tu have thines very much his own way, and l,ut-ilt- never raised her voice again-.t him: she would mtitlx snnlt atntlx ind sux Yr dt it whit .-.I .,,. if f, .,x ,, .' I .' ',v 'i 1, 1' I-vcr you thnilc will ht- finite tht- In--t thin 'I , I I ' 1 I ' ' 5 am sure, Varinm ct mutahilt- 'nt-mpcr Ie- , I llllllft, St1dflenIy I found myself being carried with a great deal of speed over miles and mile- of land, then a sea. to be followed by more land. and finally. to be put down pre- eipitou-ly in the midst of a jungle. From the :fppearance of the tall rubber trees and dense tinflergrowth every-.vliere about me I judged my-elf to he in the Amazon district of South Xnierica. I was considering for what reason I had been thus transported hither, when I be- held coming towarfl me a strangely familiar tigure. In one hand she carried a large, loose- Ieaf hook. in the other a tine magnifying glass, and perched on her siii-ulder was a fat black crow to whom she spoke every now and then, and whose chief mission in life was to emit unearthly 'caws' at most inopportune mo- ments. At length Adelia, looking up. discov- ered me. and recognizing me. greeted me in a very cordial manner, We had a rather short hut, to me, very interesting. conversation, in which she informed me that she was in this jungle examining the tiora and fauna of the rtgion. She opened her book and let me gaze at a few of the rare specimens collected there. In about six months she said she would have enough material for six or seven volumes she intended writing on th: tiora and fauna of South .-Xmerica. Next I was whirled back to the heart of civilization and into the midst of that which symbolized our progress almost more than anything else, namely. 'The Dancef In a won- derful huildine' called the 'Hall of Dance-,' which was the only rival to 'Castles in the .'Xir,' .Xlice held sway. XYith her dancing part- rier, she was the chief attraction of the city. She taught classes morning, noon, and night, the '-leemi -lumpf a dance which they both had in- vented and which had proved more popular than the Une-Step, Syncopated II'alk, or Fox-Trot ol former dancing days. They came upon this dance quite by accident, .-Xlice assured me in a liriet conversation I had with her. Neverthe- lcss they were proving' a very important factor in the elevation of the dance and were 1TlZtl'lllC their fortune out of it, 'I'aper! Paper! All about the new record- hrealcine' mac'hine,' shouted a newsboy as 'I came out ol the 'llall of Dance' I purchased the daily and read in startling' large headlines. 'All records lor aircrafts broken,' and below, 'ftliss Iimily lVolfe in her new Sheppard Aero- X e- tcrra Aeciuaplane, has broken all records in dis- tance, height and depth beneath the sea. At the start she grasped the wheel in her firm N