Clifton Springs High School - Cliftonian Yearbook (Clifton Springs, NY)

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22 THE CLIFTONIAN STARS An uneven road led up the steep mountain, winding its way among the trees, outlining itself against bare cliffs, and at last, curving out of sight, seemingly behind the clouds, on the mountain top. Its path through the shadows was dimly lit by a faint gleam from the stars. Half-way up the road, a small car climbed laboriously toward the summit. Oftentimes, it was outlined clearly against the mountain, oftentimes it was plunged into shadows. The driver, his deep voice full of emotion, spoke, “Don’t you remember this mountain, John? This clump of trees looks familiar to you, doesn’t it?” No answer came from the lips of the motionless figure. “Think, John, think! You left two years ago for France. Your mother, our mother, John, gave up you, her youngest son; how she prayed for your safe return. You are her best beloved. You must remember for her sake!” The vague, expressionless eyes searched the face of the speaker and theu turned and fixed themselves again on the winding road. There was no light of reason behind them; the words of his brother could not pierce through the mists of his brain. The speaker continued, “You were hit on the head by a splinter and when all treatment failed, they sent you home.” The eyes were still fixed on space, seeing nothing, apparently lost in a world of his own in which silken threads held his listless senses in a mesh from which there was no escape “Oh God,” whispered the driver, “help me to bring him back. He doesn’t remember her or love her now. Help me!” Closer and closer they drew to the little white house on the mountain's summit, where a beautiful, old, white-haired lady, with a joyful heart, awaited the return of her baby boy. The driver turned in desperation to the youth beside him, uttering his words with sudden frenzied hope. “Look up, look up, John. There are the stars. The stars, John under which you and I have slept. They were your hope, your refuge, your dreams. We loved them together, John . . . .” Suddenly, the stars grew luminous, glittering, increasing in size until, at last they broke into a thousand dazzling diamonds. Red stars, blue stars, yellow stars, falling stars, shooting stars, fire stars, quivering in the air over them until at last they withdrew and faded back slowly into their places in the sky. John sat up, slowly, in the midst of the wreckage and looked wonderingly around. Remembrance flooded his brain—remembrance of his mother, his brother, and home. At his side lay his brother, crushed under the wheels, with a smile of triumph on his face as though he realized that the answer to his prayer had come in the shower of stars. C. WALTERS, ’31 DRIVEWAYS OF WATER I come down from a mountainous glen Drop by drop, and run to the sea; The ocean contains the stories of men, So what could you want of me? I have a power, that none can fence, And I force myself on my way; I am strong, beautiful, sparkling, immense, And I have a rainbow spray. As I come down to the ocean, dark With ages of time, I have a beauty, distinguishing mark, That wonderful rhythm of mine. W. DeVALL She — That’s a bum-looking watch you've got. What kind is it? He—It’s an “Orphan” watch. She—What kind is that? He—It runs “orf-an-on.” Miss Golden—If the National Gallery were on fire which five pictures would you attempt to rescue? Roderick—The five nearest the door.

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THE CLIFTONIAN 21 GRADE SIX The following pupils of the sixth grade have been on the honor roll the entire year: Anna Johannisson, William Manley. Ruth Lang has had perfect attendance throughout the year. Some activities other than the regular routine enjoyed by the pupils were making geography posters, painting boxes and jars, as well as preparing a history exhibit. At Christmas the class had a party with a tree and exchange of gifts. Valentine’s day was observed and correlated with the study of post office duties. The Valentines were duly mailed, stamped, sorted and delivered within our own class post office. A PUPIL GRADE SEVEN During the year we had twenty-four pupils in our grade of whom nineteen were girls. We enjoyed our “Morning News Club” since it brought to us many of the news items of the world, jokes and stories. We had the Health and Attendance Banners several times during the year. To observe National Book Week, posters were made and book reports given. We also presented a program for the P. T. A. consisting of talks on the care and value of good books and the portrayal of the book characters, “Huckleberry Finn,” “Peter Pan,” “The Old Fashioned Girl” and “Robin Hood.” For our part in the assembly programs, we presented a play “The Mended Day.” Our penmanship work proved to be very successful. Sixty-five sets of papers were submitted to the A. N. Palmer Company for their approval. All were accepted and awards were received by each pupil. During the spring months we enjoyed studying the birds as they arrived. Our chart indicated that we had seen sixty birds. These and many other activities made our year an enjoyable and profitable one. EIGHTH GRADE On September 2, 1930, twenty-one pupils entered the Eighth Grade. We had never had a man teacher and we were anxious to see what he looked like. When we found out we were well pleased. A few days later two more pupils came, making a total enrollment of twenty-three. After a few weeks we were allowed to use the gymnasium. This gave us a chance to rest our minds from studies for a half-hour. Once a week the girls go down to cooking class while the boys have a class in general science. We did not lose out for the want of entertainment. For the Christmas program Barbara Jewett, Lee Knapp, Jack O’Neil, Gordon Taylor, Rosalie Van Kerhove, and Victor Youngs gave recitations. In January we took Spelling Regents. In the same month the enrollment was reduced to twenty-two as one of our pupils entered high school. Then we put on a short play “The Absent Minded Professor,” which we had much fun practicing for. At the P. T. A. Founder’s Day meeting several of our pupils helped with the exercises. We have enjoyed very much taking part in the assembly programs. PUPILS THE SEASONS OF THE YEAR When the snow is very deep, And the trees are bent in line, That’s the time one likes to sleep, In the winter time. When the grass is growing green And ice cream costs a dime We all want to sit and dream, In the spring time. When the birds commence to sing, And the woodchucks start to dine. Every child wants to swing, In the summer time. When the leaves begin to fall, And school bells to chime, Every boy plays football In the autumn time. JACK CURRAN, Eng. I

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THE CLIFTONIAN 23 HOMEMAKING CLASSES This year saw the opening of the new Homemaking Department. When we started there were twenty-four in the high school classes; since, the number reduced to twenty. The seventh grade had classes once a week in sewing. The eighth grade had classes once a week in cooking. During the first term there were two sewing classes and one cooking class. The sewing classes worked on materials of cotton and linen. The cooking class covered everything in the high spots of cookery. In January we had those dreaded final examinations, but they passed over quickly. The second term started with two cooking classes and one sewing class. During the second term both classes went on a sleigh ride party. We went to Newark to a movie and had a very good time. On May twenty-fifth the cooking class gave a supper to the Board of Education. We have all enjoyed the good times we have had in these classes, and hope there are more to come. HELEN OSTRANDER THE SENIORS C. W.—Charming, Witty. R. R.—Radiant, Ravishing. E. B.—Enlightening, Blushing. E. H.—Enhancing, Heartbreaker. D. B.—Daring, Balmy. B. S.—Beautiful, Subtle. C. G.—Courageous. Gallant. F. B.—Frivolous, Blithesome. R. G.—Raptuous, Glamorous. L. N.—Loony, Nonchalant. A. L.—Adorable, Lovely. Miss Howard—When was Rome built? Lawrence Wheat—At night. Miss Howard—Who told you that? Lawrence Wheat—You did. You said Rome wasn’t built in a day. Representatives of Great People Cicero—Miss Judd. Catherine the Great—Miss Howard. Einstein—Mr. Spencer. Beethoven—Miss Golden. THE WORLD WAS FLAT The people of the olden tifnes declared the world was flat That if you kept on walking straight you’d learn the truth of that. They could give you many reasons that would make you stop and think; They could tell you how the ocean kept from falling o’er the brink. Even had an explanation to explain the setting sun, They could answer all your inquiries everyone. Now in those olden days they had none of our pleasure cars, They hadn’t anticipated an airplane trip to Mars They didn’t have the wireless and they had no telephones Even the Edison Electric light was to them unknown. Golf had not yet been discovered, so they had no golfing craze. You can name no pleasures that they had in olden days. They do not know what they have missed, in choosing to live then For they declared the world was flat, And say, it must have been. FRAN BURGESS THE SHOWER The flowers are all drooping, The ground is all dry, The sun’s at its Zenith Not a cloud in the sky. The birds are all chirping— Calling for rain— No food without raindrops, And hunger means pain. At last the sun darkens, Rumblings are heard; A gentle breeze rises— Hear the song of that bird! Raindrops then patter And gently come showers: God has heard the prayer of the birds, And has seen the plight of the flowers. R. BUCHAN