December 1927 School Magazine

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Brisba·ne Girls' Graillunal' School Uagaa:iue.

Brisb.'Hlt> Gil'ls' Granuuar School· lolag·azine.

THE STO.RY OF AN HEROIC DEED. I t was during the war.-time in France that a young French :nursing sister had charge of a hospital in a wrecked, French vil- lage. Every day the wounded and dying soldiers were brought to ·the hospital , and this brave litt.le sister and he1: five nurses tenclt>d :them carefully. The hospital was established in a brol;:en-down disused f~rm .house, and the sister ' s bedroom was in a little attie at the top of :the house. One night , on returning .very late to hei· room after an excep- :tionally strenuou~ day's work, she noticed a tiny speck of light iu ·a fiel<'t about half a mile away. She stood watching for a time cl nd .canie to the conclusion that some one was in trouble and trying :t o flash an S.O.S. signal. Hastily she dressed, and wisely slipped a ~ mall automatic ·revolver into her pocl;:et. On reaching the basement uf the house , she was informed that :an enemy 'plane was somewhere in the vicinity. Her one thou:;;ht was tor the person who had given the signal for help. and. without .considering ·her own safet.y, she gathered together some bandages .and ointment, and let herself out of the door . . The moon was not yet ·up and, keeping in the shadow of a h·ed o-e she was safe for a. portion' of the way. This however , can:'~ :to a 0 n 'abrupt end , and she had to dodge from one clump of bu.shes ·1:-o the next, so as not to be seen. Suddenly a search light lit up the field in which she was , and hardly daring to breathe. she lay as flat on the ground as sb·e could . As nothing happened, she prepared to make another attP.mpt · to reach her goal and this time was .successful. On nearing the· place she heard somebody moaning and roun_d ·,a Belgfan soldier lying on the ground. As she bound up Ius wounds she became conscio.us of a rustling behind her . Facing in that direction , she saw two German soldiel's coming stealthily ·towards her. She quickly whipped out her automatic, and confronted the two men, prepared. She stood so as to act as a protection t o the ·wounded man behind her, and fired at one of the men. It. h-ad ·the required effect, but almost instantaneously she felt a burning pain in her shoulder. She fired again, and the other man fell to the -ground. The wounded soldier was tal;:en to the hospital where he soon :recovered under the skilful care of the nurses. For her bravce deed, the sister received the Croix de Guerre. W. STORY, L III E.

excitement of all when the Governor, visiting· the town to inspect'- the gaol , stayed at the inn; · or when perhaps some convict< escaped.. But this belongs to the past.. It is only a relic of those former· clays of our Australia. P .K. ,V. ----0•---- REVERIE. I n my land of idle dreaming, with· the golden sunbeams streaming, Fairy forms of light and shadow , dancing on the oaken f!oOl' , Dee1.1 into the mystic peering , 'twixt the realm of fact and fearing . All my dreaming vanished swiftly with the softly op 'ning ·aoor. And there stood a host before me mighty shades of days of yore .. Foremost Caesar with his legions. in the distant British regions , Conquest eye u-nerring bent, and imperial sway h·is joy, Next were Romulus and Remus. tar before them, "filius Julus.·• And Aeneas "semper pius" fleeing from the flames of Troy, Never turning, thro· his wandering from his love-encircled boy. And great' Homer with his learning, and Petrarch the ever- yearning,' He , tlio ' Greek unknowing, did Humanitas adore Next were Hamlet vengeance-dreaming, and Macbeth on murder scheming. V\Tarriors, poets , Christian Kings, . queens and ma.ny more , Famous spirits of past ages from the distant Stygian shore. Brain of Solon Jaw-enforcing, and King John the deed endorsing. Britons ' right and power to govern "pro bono publico"; There was Drake, the great undaunted, and Galileo , th' enchanted,. Mighty bands of famous heroes, passing ever to and fro , While entranced , I sat unmoving , as I watched them come and go. There was Dido, lover failing, with her maids around her wailing,. Queenly mind , now set on Lethe, c.almly scales the fun'ral height ,. vVit.h Napoleon on his grey horse , never doubting in his great conr~e .. 'l'llat ' twas his , the mighty glory, France ' s cruel wrongs to right, Glorious victories ever coming, general emperor, King, by might.. Then encouraged, I seemed stronger, hesitating now no longer, "Are ye doomed to ever wander? Tell me , truly, I implore! " But tlie silence· was unbroken, save· my words so gently spol;:en, And in silent gaze . I wond·ered at the softly closing door. For the migh·ty shades had vanished to the distant Stygian shore. HELEN MUNRO, V..

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