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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 20, 1938)
MYSTERY HISTORY ntiiiimmmmRiniiiiiiimiimmmiimiifmmnrmniumimiiimnniTTiiimmi By GLENN HASSELROOTH SBy GLENN HASSELROOTH “My Son, My Son!” by How ard Spring. William Essex, son of a Man chester washwoman, when only 12 made up his mind when the town bullies pushed him in the mud, that he would some day rise above them, that when he married he would not let his children grow up lacking the things he needed and wanted in his impoverished childhood. He married Nellie Moscrop, whom he did not love, out of kindness to her father, for whom he had worked as baker’s delivery boy. William and Nellie had only one child, Oliver, physically as beau tiful as any living being. Thus, with William Essex as narrator, we see his career as he goes from bakery to ddddd ddd goes from bakery to toy factory to the writing of novels and plays. Through 40 years we fol low his friendship with Dermot O’Riordan, his two daughters, and a son born the same evening as Oliver. Together William and Dermot mapped out the futures of their boys, for each believed that “in our children we live again.” But these wishes never saw fulfillment, partly because their intense desires for the boys’ welfare got out of con trol, partly because the ways of the English middle class could Hot condone their actions. Dermot s boy, Rory, grew up in the overpowering love of Ire land which his father had pres sed into him since the day he could walk, and with curses against England upon his lips. Oliver, coddled by his doting fa ther, lived a worthless existence, smug and unconcerned. The two boys eveloped a fondness for one another, but gradually grew * apart from their fathers. Rory went off to support the Irish rebellion, and Oliver was turned into a killer by the war. But there are more than these four who have importance in Mr. Spring’s novel. There Ssi Dermot’s elder daughter, Maeve, one of the most appealing char acters in the story, who set her heart on becoming an actress, and who starred in W’illiam’s plays when she grew: up. Nor could you forget Maggie Don nelly, daughter of an Irish Fen, who married Kory and pledged herself to the cause. And there is Livia Vaynol, the sophisticat ed and wanton beauty who was shared by father and son, and whose weakness tore them apart all but for good. On each of these the selfish ways of Oliver took some toll, as he killed, de stroyed, and broke their hearts. The title, in which the end ing and essence of the plot are contained, is taken from the words of King David, who upon the death of Absalom “was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!’’ The novel is long, old-fash ioned, charmingly and drama tically told, and sad. But the tragedies found therein have forewarning, so that the shocks that come in reading, unlike those of real life, will not be too hard to understand and recon cile oneself to. Oliver’s father, in telling the story, generally On Behalf of Socrates, and Associates... gEVERAL clays ago Dr. H. G. Townsend, professor of philosophy at the University, submitted a question to his classes. It was his purpose, he said, to discover if lie could what they thought the place of philosophy in a uni versity was. The question was not wholly academic. It is possible with the retirement of Dr. Rebec that the philosophy department of the University—already skeletonized—will be reduced still further. There are many reasons why people feel that such subjects as philosophy are unneces sary frills on the curriculum of a university. For one thing a tendency among colleges to day is to give students what they want. And most students seek, above all else, to prepare themselves for a job when they go to college. At graduation they want not only a diploma but the certainty that their four years of work have made their worries over economic security immeasurably lighter than their com paratively uneducated fellows. If a school in a university or college has a reputation for placing its products, that school immediately bulges with entrants. The forestry depart ment at the state college, the journalism school at the University are cases in point. # .=:* # gUT a university is not a trade school. It must make concsesions to practicality, to be sure. The young men and young women who are its products must be able to find employment when they graduate. Unless this is possible a state university cannot long con tinue. It must be remembered, however, that life does not consist solely of labor that the sto mach may be filled. It has other sides—and unless it did it would not be worth the living. Part of the enjoyment of a university educa tion comes from the increased capacity for being happy that the individual acquires. He learns to hear and understand good music; lie can find satisfaction among authors whose works bored him earlier. In short, he becomes a better companion to himself. * * =» J>HILOSOPHY teaches no trade, offers no skill. About all of a practical nature that a graduate in philosophy o a if do is to become a philosophy teacher. But, abstract and im practical as it is, it offers definite advantages. The student of philosophy gets the thrill of exploring the minds of dead giants; he learns the backgrounds of religion, of the various social movements and Yorces which have changed history. He learns to think clearly and logically through complex situa tions. Even difficult philosophers like Hegel —who perversely and stubbornly wrote as obscurely as he could—can be enjoyed. All of this is but a part of the things philosophy offers to even a half-interested student. If the University of Oregon is to continue to call itself a university, philosophy is a part of its curriculum which cannot be spared.—R. P. You're in the News Again, Barney Y^HENEVER we run short of news copy around the shack the word is always passed along to get hold of Barney Hall and have him work out a story for us. This time Ave didn’t have to talk to Bar ney, because he was the neA\rs himself. Last night at the final senior class meeting of the year, another honor A\*as conferred on Prexy Hall. His classmates decided that he was the individual “who has a record for faithful study and scholarship not beloAV the average, and A\iio during the school year, opportuni ties considered, has made the greatest pro gress toAvard the ideal in character, seiwice and Avholesome influence.” With this decision they awarded him the Albert cup. ^ND their judgment was good. Barney has completed four years in one of the most difficult courses the University offers with well above 3.00. Barney's early pace as a topnotch student resulted in Ins being award ed a junior certificate with honors. He lias served on the debate team, as a member of several honoraries, as presidnet of his hall, and as head of the ASTJO. This service lias not been spectacular. It has rather been calm, steady, and thorough— the type of service that one cannot describe exactly when it is present, but which is no ticed greatly when it is lacking. Congratulations, Barney—and thanks for another news story. keeps his emotions well under control; perhaps he is at times a little too well in mastery of himself. If he had not been so, his story might have been un bearable to read. As it stands, “My Son, My Son!” is a heart-touching chron icle of a man’s love for his son. William’s plans for Oliver’s fu ture, his frequent inabilities to see through his love into the hate in the son’s nature, the bit by bit realization that there is little left that is good in the boy, the final meeting before Oliver goes to the gallows, and the numb sorrow that follows make up a novel that one may got quietly sad about and be quite unashamed to praise. Pollock's Folly (Continued from page six) cover and then opened the prize to see if the title was what he thought it was . . . Alas and alack, our Boy Scout had been taken in , . . the title was “Dix-Huit Propositions Amor eaux” . . . The youthful pro fessor in his haste had over looked three letters in the word “Proposition” . . . You figure it cut . . . I’ve had my laugh. * He X OH, AND ONE on Stevie Smith to wind up the day on ... It concerns his Literature of the Renaissance which meets on Wednesday among other days . . . now next Wednesday, according to a stern and very official faculty bulletin, has been declared a holiday in or der that the University may adjourn to the fairgrounds and watch the ROTC go into its song and dance . . . But this bothers hard-hearted Stevie not at all . . . His Literature of the Renaissance will meet as usual . . . Most of its members are women anyway and Professor Smith is a confirmed disbeliev er in the old saw, “there’s something about a soldier—” Well, I had to finish it witn something . . . Side Show (Continued front page six) East ..averaged ..$309,000,000 from 1931 to 1935. Imports were $417,000,000. Total in vestments are $770,000,000. Imports from the Far East are economic necessities for the United States: rubber, silk, tin, tea, and spices. Exports relieve America of burdensome sur pluses. Nevertheless, America’s stake is small. Capital investments in the Far East total only 5 or 6 per cent of American foreign investments. * * * America’s position, then, is not to sink a cool billion in a navy pointed toward the Far East. The investment there is less than the cost of the navy. There may be a time in the future when trade will be big enough to warrant such pro tection. The logical step is to let Ja pan step in. Let her develop China in her way. Perhaps we would profit more from trade with the new nation than we do now from the trade with a dor mant China? Her Beauty Won . . . . . , : . . <■ J «-•. .. .•;v;v.v:v.v..v.w.^. The blonde beauty of Lillian Nel son, 17, of Hemet, Calif., won her the title of “Golden Hair Girl,” at a contest staged in Long Beach. Elizabethan Era Comes to Life at Two Gentlemen’ bmaii out Approving Audience Sees VLT, University Players Bv ELIZABETH A. JONES An audience of approximate ly 300 people last night saw the open ing of William Shakespeare’:* "Two Gentlemen of Verona” In the garden theater to the accom paniment of chirping crickets and the drone of a passing mail plane at the initial production in the playhouse among the trees behind the music building. The delightful comedy was fully appreciated by the modern audi ence, who saw it. presented very much as it must have been done in the time of the great playwright, in Elizabethan England. Rich cos tumes of brilliant colors, a-glitter with gems, were effectively set against the green shrubs of the* wings. Gayle Buchanan Scores Gayle Buchanan as Julia, very capably handled a part which called for a delicately done, "u.n self-conscious” treatment. Probably second to Miss Bu chanan were the comic characters Launce and Speed, played by Ed die Hearn and Wilfred Roadman of the VLT group—not to omit Crab, Launce’s dog, whose misad ventures were quite as much ap preciated by the University audi ence as they must have been by frequenters of the pit of the old Globe theater in London. Valentine, hero-gentleman of 16th century England, was con vincingly played by Gerry Smith, while the weather-vane lover, Proteus, was done by Jack Lewis. Alice Sieling was a charming Sil via, VLT Contributes The Eugene Very Little Theater group also contributed Thurio (Gene Edwards) as the dandy-ri val of Valentine, and Antonio and Panthino, played by Bill Tugman and C. A. "Shy” Huntington. Professor Robert Horn was the Duke of Milan, irate father of Sil via. The wise little maid-in-wait ing, Lucetta, was played by Iris Franzen. The singer, John Devereaux, made outstanding the moonlit sere nade scene when he sang "Who Is Sylvia.” Few Rough Spots Difficult lines and unfamiliar style of language were well han dled during most of the produc tion, with a few obviously rough spots. Dialogue moved rapidly, leaving the audience with a keen appetite for the ensuing action. Others in the cast included: Hel ene Parsons, Lois Masters, Betty Fiksdal, Derwent Banta, Phil Ac kerman, Millard Pedigoe, Henry Camp, Archie Holman, Madeline Giustina, Gwendolyn Kremjnel, Donald Scott, and Robert Christ ner. t Dance Group Elect Heads, Plan Picnic Claude Sevier was elected presi dent of Master Dance at a meeting held! Wednesday night. Beverly Young and Lorraine Larson were elected to the secre tary and treasurer position for the coming year. Anne Waha and Ellen Torrence were elected as junior members to the group and Sadie Enos and Mu riel Beckman were made senior* members. Plans for a picnic to be held at the home of Mrs. Virginia Kerns next Wednesday were made. Mem bers are to meet in front of Ger linger hall at 5 o’clock Wednes day.