The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-05-29
GRADUATING EXERCISES
Continued from Page Ten.)


long ago. Just then on my tour
through the building came to the cell
where the shrieking patient was con-
fined. There was little thin woman
tearing her golden hair and scream
ing, "Stop it, | say quit" The keeper
remarked: "They say when she was al
girl she was cruelty tantaliZed by her
friends who were more fortunate in
size, so she had continual struggle
to defend herself. Later in life she lost
her mind on the subject of woman's
rights and is now in serious condl-
ton" This remark of the keepers
made me sure that the patient was
really Nellie Beckham, so begged to
be admitted. Rushing in / took the
pathetic little figure in my arms.
Nellie" | said, don't you remember
me-" She at once recognized me and
grew quiet. Then we discussed those
good old school days. She seemed per-
fectly happy as l recalled to her mind
Miss Abernathy's scheme of putting
one student on bench so that no one
might hear his neighbor think aloud
I'm Latin; Miss SCOTS order, Every
one who is chewing gum go to the
window and throw it out" Miss
Deans byword, Rise quietly in your
seats" and then last, but not least
your own expression, students you
have these parts balled up in your
head just like scrambled eggs" All
these things she remembered we'll,
and then / told her the fortune of
each of her class. Carlton, said, is
the same old Carlton. At that, she at
once began shrieking again and the
keeper sent me away, feeling quite
blue over the fate of my once gay
little school chum.
reached home today and made
visit to the o. H. s. Not the splendid
building which the Ocala students
attend today, but our dear old wooden
building where our class spent its
happiest hours together. Although the
present structure of brick may con-
tain many brave hearts, with all of
its size and grandeur it will never pro-
duce a greater number who struggled
more bravely to do their duty and to
reach their goal, for on the roll of
fame there are the names of many of
those, who received their first inspira-
ton for nobler things in the walls of
that old building. AS I passed out of
the gate looked down at my feet, ex-
pecting to see deep sink in the lime
stone walk. That sink which in rainy
weather had once formed impossible
pond was there no longer but it its
place was an evenly built up cement
walk. / fingered to view that once
lively girl campus. No spot over all
the world seems so beautiful to my
eyes. Those trees under which we
once in picnic fashion enjoyed our
midday lunch, have spread their shad-
ing branches above the now over
grown basketball grounds. The bas-
ket- ball post are lying on the ground,
and the benches on which we once
gathered to translate Virgil are there
no more. / then turned my eyes to
the boys campus. That ground which
was once deep dust, caused by many
boyish feet attempting to the loved
football. is now overgrown with grass,
and the fence, the cause of many boys
punishment for jumping it, is now
falling to peices.
turned away from the deserted
scene with feeling of sadness as |
realized, as l stood there the sole
representatives of the class of 1914,
that never again would those walls
resound with our noisy tramp, nor
the campus with our merry shrieks.
Now let me tell you the plan for
next summer. When / was in England
Annie Pope told me that she intends
to have a house party next May at
her castle to celebrate the fifteenth
anniversary of the commencement of
the class of 1914. am writing to beg
you to accept the invitation, and to
take with you your red back Mont
gomerys English History and there
amid the historical surroundings we
viii tell you once again why kings
have their heads cut off and together
we will make pilgrimages to their
graves.
Yours sincerely,
GLADYS WALLIS.