Then by and by Miss Meredith gave a signal to the orchestra, and big
girls and little, Old and New, formed a great triple hand-clasped circle
and sang together as was the custom, "Should Auld Acquaintance be
Forgot?" And if some of the Old Girls found they couldn't sing at all
because their voices grew hoarse and husky, as they thought of what old
acquaintance in York Hill had meant to them and was going to mean to
their young sisters and daughters, what wonder!
It was over. The guests were moving slowly down to the drawing-rooms for
refreshments, and the School and the Old Girls crossed the quadrangle
and had their lemonade and cake in Big Hall. In twos and threes the
girls stood making plans for next year, or talking over the events of
the day.
Some one at the piano began to play "Forty Years On," the last song
always at York Hill on Prize Day.
Judith didn't want to sing--she slipped out through the open door. It
was a glorious sight, the moon was nearly full, and the quadrangle was
flooded with silvery light.
In front of her was the great main School building, its windows blazing
with light, the silhouette of the bell-tower etched against the sky. She
could hear the Old Girls behind her singing in the Gymnasium--
"Forty years on, when afar and asunder
Parted are those who are singing to-day,
When you look back and forgetfully wonder
What you were like in your work and your play."
Memories of the past year crowded into Judith's mind. The first days,
and this splendid last week; she could not put into words even to
herself what it had all meant to her, but deep within herself she
realized that Aunt Nell's wish had come true--York Hill was helping her
to be true to the best she knew.
The insistent rhythm of the chorus caught her and held her:
"Follow up! Follow up!
Till the field ring again and again
With the tramp of twenty-two men--
Follow up! Follow up!"
Judith had sung "Forty Years On" many times. It was a favourite for the
Saturday-night sing-songs, but never before had it gripped her like
this. Out into the night floated the golden notes of Kathryn Fleming's
glorious voice--
"Oh, the great days in the distance enchanted,
Days of fresh air in the rain and the sun
How we rejoiced as we struggled and panted,
Hardly believable forty years on.
. . . . . . .
"God give us bases to guard and beleaguer;
Games to play out whether earnest or fun;
Fights for the fearless and goals for the eager:
Twenty, and thirty, and forty years on."
"Follow up" sang the beautiful voice--and then came the answering
refrain from hundreds of York Hill daughters--"Follow up! Follow up!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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