| Show A Dream Which Was Not All a Dream Everything around me seemed so Where I What had strange was happened happened hap hap- Could such a thin thing be that a person living in this the latter pa part of the twentieth century would so lose control control control con con- of his mind as to have the molecules- molecules go on a a run-away run trip through the old familiar paths in his brain similar to to those trodden by their heir ancestor I-ce I or molecules molecules moe- moe mole mole- moler v r cu cules es in s some me former r representative es alive Jj oi of th the race race tt However ov Y it might H. H t be p e here I j t 1 c i i was was in an unfamiliar city of the past Everything looks just like the pictures we have of f scenes Genes in the last century There There gods goes a woman a bicycle working working working work work- ing away for dear life just as we would do were it not for our more convenient motor electric-motor cycles What a a- a strange l costume she wears Most of the material material mater mater- ial seems to be confined to the upper part of the body How on earth can she travel against the wind with those immense immovable sails set What notions she must have to be sure Ie I have wandered about until I am tired and as I must have a rest rest I think I L shall follow the crowd of pf people who are all going to the same building Why this is one of the old theatres we read so sq and how and how fortunate fortunate- much about very that queer old custom they used to celebrate cele cele- brate bate once a year in yin the last century is b being ing enacted Commencement exercises they called it I have read that the people in those days had excellent laws and nd that they were mindful of each others other's pl pleasure asure but that must be a mistake else why is isit isit isit it that every woman here carries carries those immense sails similar to the ones I saw on the street And those great bunches of feathers f and ribbons on their heads heads- what on earth are they for Oh Ch yes t they ey must be to collect t the e mic microbes obes a and d. d prevent them from settling in the hair I 0 O dear what a lon long program But here comes the valedictorian I think that is what he is called the office was long since ince abolished by us Why how frightened he is and how uncomfortable he looks in that full-dress full suit the man man sitting next to me whispers to his neighbor neighbor neighbor neigh neigh- bor that it was bought on tick whatever whatever whatever what what- ever that may mean While he is talking talking talking talk talk- ing a mist seems to come before my eyes but that same person is con continually before me The time seems some months before re I see him hini as s a student of the University he expects s. s to graduate and is getting the best information obtainable obtainable obtainable obtain obtain- able upon subjects in iI- which he is inter inter- ested But the way he is now living c cannot last long H He takes very little time for meals and only a few hours o of restless sleep He has no time for t these ese things He is carrying two twenty hours and must be credited with them all in order to graduate One day he is notified that he has been chosen to represent represent represent re re- present his class on Commencement d day y Then his trouble begins He writes erases tears up writes again po polishes over clips verses and bits of sentiment calc calculated to win applause then he e submits the result to his professor professor pro pro- fessor for criticism The paper is ret returned returned re re- t turned marked throughout with suggest suggest- ions The writing and erasing is re He works with feverish haste hast but time seems to fly and his recitations ms' ms show the result of f neglect At t last his his paper is finished N Now he walks up and down the roo room muttering to himself He is committing it to memory Th The f great grea t day arrives arrives at last last last- this last th this is day I am now witnessing The mist clears awa away and I am again in the theatre The valedictorian is just closing his address addres and has reached the part in the play where he bids his professors professors professors pro pro- graduates fellow and students an affectionate far farewell weil This ending is an anold anold II old custom custara and and introduced just for effect It is not really a farewell because the speaker does not expect to go away he seriously contemplates coming back the following year and doing post post-gra post graduate work but the audience does not know that and so they sympathize with him uk and say Poor fe fellow ow and now he will have to go out into the cold world and earn his living It is indeed a sad thought I awake with a start I had been wondering when the name of the luckless luckless luckless luck luck- less candidate for 96 would be oe ann announced announced an an- n ced and had fallen faIlen asleep ep jJ |
