Winchester School - Oui Dire Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

Page 24 text:

22 OUI- DIR E honest taxicabs are the regular means of trans- portation on the last stage of your journey. flow hospitable are his ways! IIow cordial his sniilel llow welcoming his wordsl I'li5 pleasant goninients on the scenery, his inter- esting bits of information, his air of owner- ship and pride in the surrounding country all tend to amuse and rest you after your day on the cars, U .Xdoniran, how wily are your ways! You lead us into your trap as easily as a hungry mouse is brought to his doom by the enticing cheese left inithe pantry which, while it is being eaten, makes him forget all else, but which, finished, opens his eyes to the bars im- prisoning him, You take us gaily up the hills on high. You go over the bumps so cheer- fully that we forget to groan as we hit the hard seat on the rebound. Drawing up at the front door with a flourish, we get out, friends with all the world. Tlhen your perfidy is made manifest. You, too, have contracted that most prevalent of human ills, the greed for gain. As you demand six dollars for a trip of a little over a mile our eyes are opened to your treachery. How grasping, how avarieious you have suddenly become! All your funny speeches, your quaint New England man- nerisms have vanished. You are only a covet- older than your Our belief in mankind is de- that human na- our way hence- eus old Yankee, looking much years, and trying to cheat us. you is shattered, our faith in stroyed. lYe have discovered ture is all alike, and we go on forth sadder, but wiser, and ever wary of your tribe. T. it iz., '15, THE CAMP FIRE GIRLS. I. 'Neath the cool shade of the pine trees, To the fragrant, verdant hollow, Came the Camp Ifire Girls so gaily, Came the lYissahickon Camp Girls, lllith their baskets and their bundles, In the glorious moon of roses. There, with glee and happy laughter, Mingled with the outdoor voices They their feast did hold with pleasure, Till the evening twilight called them , To their ceremonial meeting. Then when shadows dusk were playing From the blazing campfire burning, S Painting pictures odd and gruesome, Painting pictures weird and awesome, Rose their walking song so gaily, Calling to the distant echoes. In the red glow of the campfire Sat these youthful Indian maidens, Listening -to the words of wisdom Of their guardian Towayam, And the stranger at their nreside. Thus, with talking, dancing, singing, Passed the evening far too quickly Till the moon had reached the heavens And was time to leave the embers Of the campfire, slowly dying. 1 II. Then these maidens, ever busy Gave a bake sale forthe wee ones, For the little ones so needy, NYho were sutfering in the city. Then they went out in the country, In the pretty, curving country, NYith the little creek beside it, XYhere they swam and sailed with pleasure, Tramped and cooked with equal fervor Till they once more homeward journeyed To the dear ones fondly waiting I'or their little Indian maidens. III. After many weeks of working, After weeks of planning, thinking, Clave these maidens two small playlets lfor the little crippled children, And the soldiers who were dying Un the battlefields so distant. And so good were these small playlets That the money poured in torrents, To the money box so tiny, That it overflowed its borders And brought aid to many needy. J IV. Ilnt the breeze had blown the tidings Uf their deeds to manv corners, So that they, as model camp girls, Gave two exhibition meetings In the Christian house of maidens. There there gathered from all places Many maidens now desiring To know how to be true Camp.gi1-15 Iflioyv to follow where the Ere leads, And they went away enlighte11CCl. Raising, singing, highest praises.

Page 23 text:

OUT- l JIRE 21 muscular hands, determination to conquer showing in every line of her tense, upright body. She has won! She has returned, hav- ing flown across the continent and back in less than two hours, ascended to a height hith- erto unreached, and from a comparatively low position of some ten thousand feet, swooped down to the depths of the sea and remained there for about half an hour. The machine is a very wonderful apparatus, invented by Miss ,lane Sheppard, which will travel in air, on the ground, on the water, and be- neath the waves. NVE: offer our congratula- tions to Miss Sheppard, whose invention will un- doubtedly revolutionize travel, and to Miss XYolfe for her cool nerve and daring in driving so successfully a machine to which both Miss Sheppard and she have sacrificed their lives. Miss Sheppard has lined her fair forehead with care by delving deep into mathematics, going even beyond the fourth dimension in order that she might solve the great problem of in- venting an apparatus which will conquer the elements-a question which has been confronting the world to a great degree since the creationf Cn the same page another column informed the reader that Miss Anna McCandless has done the deed which her European cousins have attempted for past ages. that of swim- ming from Calais to Dover across the English Channel. It is a distance of some twenty-one miles and Anna, refusing even the suggestion of assistance from the accompanying lifeboat, except occasionally a pickle and a chicken sandwich which was munched as she went along, in an incredibly short time water as fresh as a lily, swam the distance and arose from the the most interesting news- years, so I perused its pages for further bits of information, and was re- warded by the sight of an extra large photo- graph with the name of Miss Iva Thomas. be- neath it. The substance of the succeeding article was that Miss Thomas, during her years abroad had proved to all Europe that nowhere in its entire land could there be produced a voice to excel that of this little American. After completing her studies, she had made her debut as an operatic star and was everywhere greeted with enthusiasm and applause by the greatest critics of the age, by the people, and by royalty. She was to make her First formal tour of America and the -whole country was keyed up to the highest pitch to receive her. This was quite paper I had had in The Xwinchester School again held my at- tention, and in the gymnasium, presiding in Miss Van Normans place was Dorothy Chal- lener. She was a splendid gymnasium teacher, well developed, erect, and kept the children up to the standard, with knees back and chins and chests up. 'Now Mary,' she was saying, 'put your knees back and straighten up. .Xnd can't you see, child, stand as I do. There, that is splendidf Wishing to seek a little mental relaxation I entered a noted bookstore and saw adver- tised on large posters the most widely dis- cussed and scholarly book of the day, namely, 'The Lives and Works of the Ancient Egyp- tian l'hilosophers Compared XYith Those of the Greek Mathematicians,' by Dolly Eliza- beth Braun. Dolly's old love of history had taken root, and she was buried deep in this study of the ancients. After purchasing one of l,Jolly's books I was walking down the street and, not think- ing particularly where I was going, l turned to the right and found myself in a very pover- ty-stricken slumming section of Pittsburgh. Is it possible? Could this be so? Yes. the young lady surrounded by a dozen or more adoring. but dirty, urchins, holding to her skirts and even in her arms, was indeed Mary Crabtree. This was just the work she had formerly told you she should like to do, and you merely laughed at her. She had been among them for some time and had been teaching them all how to live right, how to keep neat and tidy homes, and how to cook their food in a clean. healthful way. It did not take me long to find out that Mary was the idol of everyone in the district. As a fitting ending to a somewhat arduous and exciting trance, I entered a vast cathedral, and, sitting in a dim dusky corner with the rays of the setting sun pouring its light in rainbow tints through the stained glass Win- dow, I was borne above the petty trials, tribu- lations and cares, of this work-a-day world on the high fairy notes of the organ to other holier worlds. I heard the message of the organ as l'larriet's fingers wandered hither and von over the keyboard. I S. V, ADONIRAM. In a small New England town, as you leave that means of torture, the 'dusty train of a one-horse railroad, a thin, wiry little man comes up and offers to take you to vour desti- nation in his Ford. But be not deceived, oh for- tunate readers, you who come from a city where

Page 25 text:

our-mac 23, V. XVith the yuletide candles burning And the Christmas greens abounding, ln pure white came all these maidens To the glorious house of worshipg XX'here they offered up a service For the birthday of our Savior, For the little llabe, the Christ Child, For lflis birthday, then approaching. ln the dim light of the candles, Rose their giilish voices singing Hymns and songs by all beloved. So they carried to the people Once again the words of prophets XX'ho foretold of jesus' coming, And the hope that l-le was bringing, Till the people all were singing In the glad and happy moment Of the love of Christ the Savior, And of peace to men on earth. D. C., 'r5. 7,-,-iii LIFE'S VOYAGE. Life is like the dimly blended lights of a faraway ship, which comes into sight far off on the distant horizon. lt tioats on,-gently coming nearer and nearer until it can be seen in the clear, calm blue seal but presently it is tossed about in a sudden and almost over- whelming storm, which all but extinguishes the growing light. The storm passes and again it appears on a smooth serene water. sailing on, for a time, as though the calm were to last for ever. llut, as before, a storm closes all around, and for awhile the light is entirely gone: but no, not entirely, for a Mighty Hand lifts the dark, leaden clouds, and quiets the troubled waters. So, once more, the great ship, as it has now proved to be, with the many. many lights, that cast a gleam far out over the great blue sea, glides on undisturbed, until, as it nears the other horizon, slowly leaving be- hind the vast watery plain on which it has long been viewed. its lights, now feeble and dull, Hicker,-and flicker again,H-and are for- ever lost from sight. I l T 'I . 5. A BERNARDIAN ROMANCE. A tale t' unfold In manner bold, An' now my mission is unrolled And soon I'll have my story told. Last even, at the close of day, l stepped me out into my garden by-paths in the nick of time to see the faintly rainbowed-sky fade into the dull nothingness of early twilight. 'Twas spring. 'lfhe spring was playing havoc with my wearied mind. l sat me down to rest and watch the dainty-flowering morning-glories as they, modest creatures, hung their heads, too shy to looli upon the drear tragedies of night. Anon the pondering footsteps of l,ord l.eiees- ter, my would-be lover, stirred me from my mnrd'rous plans against mine Spanish friends across the sea. llow comes he here. l quer- ied of myself, at such an hour for boisterous revelry and gluttonous feeding. He spake, and thus his words were carried to mine ear, Ah, Queen, at last l find thee, after hours of weary wand'ring, I am sorely worn. l ery aloud against 'the powerful calling of the wanderlust-that ever-burning tire within my manly breast which must needs bring me to thy side, even were 't by pure coercion. l, somewhat indignant at this speech, thus voiced me my reply: .Xn' what sayest thou. thou proudful swain? .Xrt making love to me. th' noblest queen that e'er drew breath, th' mighty srvvereignglfmpress of England, th' daughter of llarry llighth? Call halt, good Leicester, thy queen is in no mood for childish sentiment. Moreover, have l heard tell of one, Amy Robsart, for whom thou hast re- markable friendliness? l want no more of such as thee. Xlethinks my country needeth not thy aid-and as for thy love!oh, well, l believe thee not and there's an end on 't. Fair lady, nay, fairest lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear, that tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops, by- O swear not by the moon, th' ineonstant moon, that monthly changes in her circled orb, lest that thy love prove likewise variable! XYhat shall l swear by? Do not swear at allg or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self, which is the god of my idolatry, and l'll bel--. Ul my lord, look quick! Didst hear the rustle by my foot? Uh! Uh! I fear me somewhat is concealed therein, the bushes hide one evil prowler of the night! .Xnd straightway did lllj' lord, into the shadowy cavern of the dark, betake himself, and l, gazing after him, soon heard the sound of him returning, and asked of him, still keep- ing mine eyes turned from him, thinking thus to pique him, was th' eavesdropper spying on our love-making? Hearing no answer, me- lurking thief or