ARISTON Q!nnttuts Pa1c Frontispiece 2 The Guudian Angel (Poem) 3 A Neglected Little Classic 4 Miracles (Poem) 5 A Letter from St. Catherine's (Poem) 6 Le Veuve du Loup 7 Autumn Gold (Poem) 10 A Royal Wedding II Homer's Women 12 Vineta (Poem) 14 Our Angel Friends IS A Political Game 16 A Legend of the Rhine '7 Return to School t8 St. Joseph's Academy 1 8 A Song Recital 19 Violin Recital 19 Palestine 20 A Memorable Visit 21 Notable Visitors 21 Our Alumnae 22 Academic Notes 23 College News 24 ·' -- -- ---- ·······-····-'- THE ANGEL 1 FFI.FR ~--~~---- -~-~· ~~--~~~~~----------------~----~-------- - ------------- - -------- - · ----- ---------- ----------........... -~ -~~-- ~-. -~ --------~ -·----------- - -----. .. .. A RISTON • ~uis ut D eus? Entered as second-class matter Nov. 15, 1906, at tht: Pos t Office at St. Paul , Minn., under the A ct of Congress of M arch 3, 1879 VOL. VII. Coll ege of St. Catherine, St. Paul, Minn. N o. r t:be Guardian Rngel ~J)€N€ ' €R I see a mother clasp her child, 1::t;l Rs )VIary must have held her Infant Son, I fed the very air itself grow mild; Che light that folds them 'round outshines the sun. Rnd in the softened radiance I can f ed Che presence of a spirit pure as light; Che Guardian Rngd scarcely can conceal J)imsdf, at such a time, from human sight. Chen J)eaven itself draws very near to earth; Surrounding angels guard the two from harm, Rnd murmur of the Christ, J)is human birth, Che )VIother-maid who held J)im on her arm. for e'en the heavenly spirits pay, we lmow, Cheir meed of homage to the gl~am divine. Chat brightens earth with never failing glow­ Che love-light that a mother's eyes enshrine. Cathel'ine €tliott r.• f.: f: i"· .• •. •. .. [4] ARISTON A Neglected Little Class ic T IS strange that in the age of cheap re­ faces, peeping between the arms of the grown prints this little classic should have re­ people at some royal procession_ in The Four I mained comparatiYely unnoticed. It has Gcoro·cs, here he can mdulge ht preferences indeed, been included in the dainty "Red Let­ and gossip about them to hi_s ~1eart's content. ter Libran·," but from all the more popular .\nd so. an old gentleman sttttng alone after ~eries-"Eyeryman' Library," "The \Vorld's dinner Cla. sics," etc.-it has, o far, been omitted. "Dipping his nose in the Gascon wine," Yet the charm of the book is undeniable, and he ]oyes to play the good genie in retrospect, is sure to make a general appeal. It is a de­ ancl in the role of the kind bachelor uncle lightful miscellany, a causerie on the most treats his nephews to sweetmeats and pocket­ casual subjects which reveals Thackeray most mone\· ad libitum, or takes them to the theatre, intimately. \\'ith a com·er. ational ease and em·yi;1o· the whil e their high spirits and keen informalhy of style he here go. s_ips on ~11 that cle li-;.,.h(' at what for him has become fade ancl interests him moo.t. \\'hether 1t be hts fav­ pas~;- Ilere, too, he can sympathize with the orite books. foreign traYel. hi per~onal tastes lazy. idle boy who plays truant oyer some en­ and aver ions, his past boyhood. which he chantincr romance of \\'alter . cott or Alex­ touch~s with so pensiYe a charm, he i equally ander Dumas. or catalogue the amazing pock­ engagmg. ets. and immense esuriency of this small-boy There is no mistaktng hts pet subject, how­ who is so fearfully and wonderfully made. eyer and it is to youth and its concerns he Here is one such inYentory of random con­ turn~ most freque{1tly. From Omar Khay­ tents: "Consider the pos.ition of a pencil­ yam to R. L. Steyenson all \niter have case in a hoy's pocket. You had hard-bake clealt with its fleeting, vivid joys,_ but few in it; marbles. kept in your purse when the with the half-humorous. wholly pOignant re­ monev was all o·one: );our mother's purse ~ret of Thackeray. IIis thoughts are e\·er knitted so fond!~ and supplied with a little 1m \' with the manner and ~emblance of a by­ bit of gold, long since-prodigal little son! o·on.e aae whose Aowered way he retraces so scattered among the wine-T mean among ~harmi~o-iy. "BodilY I may l)e in 1860, inert, brandy halls, open tarts. three-cornered puffs. silent, t~·pid. but it~ the spirit I am walking and si.milar abominatiom. You had a top and about in 1828, let us say ;-in a blue dres string; a knife; a piece of cobbler's wax: two coat and brass buttons, a sweet figured silk or three bullets; a little TT'arblcr"-where the waistcoat (which I button round a slim \\~aist li'it ends on a shrill note of pathos. For a with perfect ease), looking at beautiful thmgs knowlecJcre of boY-nature commend me to the with gigot leeves and tea-tray hats under paper 01~ "Tunb1;idgc Toys." IIow wistfully the cr~lclen chestnuts of the Tuileries ':' * Thackeray does look through the years at the ':' it is the old tale of Youth and Beauty \'Otmrrer ~self who had such zest in life, to and their coming together. Of this spring­ ~1'1101~ he returns in the yain hope of recap- time of life Thackeray is the special Eccles­ turing its charm! . iaste ; he best can recall In other lines of mterest he ts hardly less "How 'twas gladsome, but often delightful. His itinerary abroad is inimitable Foolish. forsooth: for conveying the Yery atmosphere of the But gladsome, gladsome 1" places he Yi~its: Calais, with its first strange .\ passionate ]oye of boys, whom he can­ quality and foreign viands. "the supper at not exclude from his more serious book, but Quillacqs and the flayo:· of_ the cutlets and he must needs stay his narrative to describe wine:" dead Bruges, w1th tts shaded canals the fight of Cuff and Dobbin in Vanity Fair, and haunting chimes; quaint Holland and the or show their rosy cheeks and fresh young pictures of Reubens and Jan Steen. ---- - -- - - ---- -- - - ------ --- -~--~----~-------c ARISTON [5] .\s a critic of letters he nenr fails to he pillories the lesser Yices quite ,-olubly, charm. The pages are filled with divine pointing now a finger of . corn at those who chit-chat on the characters of fiction. Though chronicle small-beer, now lecturing the guilt~­ the noye] of manners are mostly hi-; province. most knowing!~- "On being found out." In his real affinities are with the Romantics. ths connection it is characteristic that he ex­ h•anlzoc and 0 ucntin D 1/ll'i.l'O rd. T lzc T hrcc amples the scandal and hypocri y of . ociety Jfus!?ctccrs an~! J!ontc Clzristo-tales of stir­ in his clay from the forgotten proprieties of ring- life and deed-; of daring--he most affect­ childhood-the familiar Dlueheards, Ogres, eel. The famous tribute to Charlotte Dronte etc .. of long ago. and her work forms the most touching pages Tnciclentalh· we learn much of his own of the Papers. How faithfully in The Last foibles-his shrinking· from criticism, his dis­ S/;:ctclz she is featured for us: "I remember enchantment with the duties of the editor's the trembling little frame, the little hand, the chair. his emotional sensibility to any claim o-reat honest e\·es ':' ':' ':' * * on hi sympathies. Dut the 'cynicisn1 which ;:: ':' I fancied an au-,tere little Tnan of .\rc. with his character was charged is everywhere marching in upon us. and rebuki"ng our ea"y to seek; at most there is a chagrin which is li\'es, our easy morals. .\g-reat and hoi)- re\'­ hut the oll\·er~e of a pained g-ood-nature. enue of right and truth seemed to be with Rather. evervwhere are kindliness and tender­ her always." Though Thackeray did not ful­ ness which ~eem to \\'ell up from inexhausti­ fill his promi~e in the role of crll.Wr morlllll ble spring-s. These and a rare per. nnal qual­ 11 hich that earnest little lad\' had marked out ity almost rank the book with The Essays nf for him, nt from his pulj)it in the-,e pages F./ia of his favorite Saint Charles. Miracles ICK of myself and all that keeps the light S Of the wide heayens away from me and mine. I climb this ledge. and by -this 11ind-S11·cpt pine Lingering. watch the coming of the night: 'J'i, eYer a Ill'\\' wonder to my sight. ~[en look to God for some mysterious sign. For other stars than such as nightly shine. For ome unwonted S) mbol of II is might. \\'ouldst sec a miracle not less than tlwsc The ~Iaster 11rought of old in Galilee? Come watch with me the azure turn to !"Cl'l' In yonder \Vest, the changing pageantry. The fading alps and archipelagoes. And spectral cities of the sunset-sea. THO~IAS B.l\ILEY ALDRICli. "'--------~~~~~~~~~ '- -- -----------~ ------------------ . -- - - - - -- -- - - [6] ARISTON A Letter from St. Catherine's OU haye asked me of St. Catherine's­ my new home, Y I would write you of our College if I could ; I would picture you the beauty of it all­ Of the meado~y and the garden and the wood. I would write YOU of our ~un1w autumn claYS, Of our wall~s down ]}y the- rinr-all tliat fills - Our li,·es with fondest memnrie~-~\Yeet and pure, nut my pen would feign portray the glow- ing hills.