Malden High School - Maldonian Yearbook (Malden, MA)

Page 43 text:

THE MALDONIAN they stumble forward, silent in their agony, brave to the last, when worn- out nature gives way and they sink down one by one, till none is left alive, and only the still figures, lying face downward on the frozen snow, bear mute witness of how they had neither wavered nor faltered in their duty but had died, sacrificing their lives to science and the world. Again we turn to the story of Adolphus Greely and his band to see how men of such calibre take their difficulties. One of their number has written a most vivid account of their trip, in which we read that they, too, had abandoned their ship and were struggling forward on foot. Their situation was desperate. Any moment the ice might crumble under their feet and the sea swallow up the whole company. Their provisions were dangerously low, yet they danced and sang. Adversity in any form, no matter how sharp, failed to dampen their spirits. Again, we read that towards the end of the journey, provisions were so low that each man was allotted only fourteen ounces of food a day. For over a month they had been slowly starving on an amount of food for a whole day that a normal man could easily eat at one meal. For four, seemingly never- ending, more months they must suffer constantly from the sharp pangs of starvation, almost entirely in the long cheerless dark of the arctic winter. Yet, they did not give up. We, read how they accepted the fearful conditions of their situation without a murmur, buoyed up by their indomitable spirits, sure in their calling, and striving towards their goal. And so through the ages, the world has been inspired by these men, knowing no such word as “failure,” who have gone on, fighting against fearful odds, heart-rending disappointments, horrifying sufferings, al¬ ways with a steady conviction, striving towards the glorious achievement of their dreams, urged on by that same whisper which sent forward the explorer in Kipling’s poem, by its constant calling, “Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges. Something lost behind the Ranges Lost and waiting for you. Go!” Page 39

Page 42 text:

THE MALDONIAN ©ration The Undaunted Spirit Ernestine Westcott In the fields of science and exploration, as perhaps in no others, we read of the lives of those men who, by their undaunted courage and explicit faith in their calling, inspire us who are living in an age teeming with opportunities to follow the examples which they set for us at a time when it was necessary to fight always against odds. Why did these men do this? Why did many of them actually give their lives to what they believed was a sacred charge? It was just that—they believed they had a sacred charge! The martyrs to science and exploration knew that they had been called by a divine power. They scorned the questions always hurled at them—“What have you to do with this?” “Why does this concern you?” Their convictions were so firm and strong that they knew within themselves the inevitable answers to such questions. They knew that to them these things were ever-present and ever-calling! If we could only believe as these men believed, when difficulties assail¬ ed them, that such set-backs sharpen the wits and strengthen the mind! If we could only realize when, in striving towards our goal, we are tempted to give up at the first disappointment, that difficulties fall to the lot of every man who essays to try his hand at something new. If we could only have the thought ever-present that man’s success depends on the Supreme Power of the Almighty Being together with his own efforts and courage—with how much more determination would we smile at disappointments, laugh at discouragement, and, with hope high in our hearts, set our footsteps firmly on the onward path. No better example of such spirit and courage is given in all the annals of history than that of Sir John Franklin—his trials, his sufferings, his disappointments, and then cruel death robbing him of his life at the very height of his glory. What a picture is presented when we read of his band struggling in the relentless grip of fate! At one time we see them hemmed in by ice¬ packs—unable to go after help, unable to receive help. At last, in des¬ peration, they abandon their ship and it seems that almost in the shadow of victory they will be forced to turn back. Instead, blindly, doggedly, Page 38

Page 44 text:

THE MALDONIAN (SUasa iftatarg Irene Hurwitz We have a past blit not a dark one. On the contrary, we have many highlights in our history, such as scholastic stars and athletic meteors. The moon, too, has aided many a Senior on occasion. So, you see, our History is a brilliant one with various il¬ luminations. The morning of February 3, 1922 was cold and rainy, but the new Freshmen of the school slept peacefully on in their trundle beds. Although even the Seniors had to arise at 7:00 o’clock, the Fresh¬ men had the wintry morning in which to sleep. WE were not required to be in school until the, afternoon. This state of affairs was due to the fact that the school committee had decided that we, the Class of 1926-A, had need of the entire building. Our class was the first to initiate the afternoon-school system. It was a new experience that the authorities were attempting and our class proved its merits beyond a shadow of a doubt. In spite of the fact that we were not due until one o’clock, by noon¬ time we had gathered in the Assembly Hall of the Malden High School as Freshmen of that awe-inspiring institution. We marched in, two by two, the little girls with their long hair and the little boys with their short trousers. Quietly, very quietly, we found seats in the auditorium and trembled violently when Mr. Jenkins stepped upon the platform to give us our first directions. He spoke slowly, repeating for us the, complicated instructions and assigned us to home rooms. From the first, the Class of 1926-A was high up in the life of the school. Our home rooms were all on the third floor. Our first day in Malden High School we spent in signing our names and writing the date countless numbers of times. The second day we wandered away from our haven, the third floor, and became entangled in the maze of rooms on the second floor. The third day we asked Mr. Jen¬ kins who the headmaster was, and the fourth day we were exhausted with over study. Little by little, however, our brilliancy began to gleam through the Freshmen exterior. We learned that 317 could be entered by a rear door, that Mr. Nash and Mr. Wilson were not one and the same person, and that football was played in the fall. We carried all our books home and listened eagerly to every word of the teachers. The last ranking period of the semester, Class I led the Honor Roll of the School. By June 1922 we were full-fledged members of M. H. S. Our first summer vacation while in High School, we spent telling everyone that we were going to school in the morning. Class II! In the morning! We felt ourselves all-important. We did not fear the Sophomores because during our apprenticeship in Class I, we had learned everything about the school. Again we were installed in third floor home rooms which we occupied with a special air of posses¬ sion leaving spit-balls and gum-wads in the desks to prove it. We carried home fewer books, report cards became a matter of course, teachers be¬ came less formidable, athletics became interesting, and we gained repre- Page 40