Richmond Hill High School - Archway / Dome Yearbook (Richmond Hill, NY)

Page 8 text:

Page 6 THE DOME fence, never becoming exasperated when he found that it apparently had no end. The burden of feeding this colony fell on me, and every morning found me stalking grass- hoppers, capturing crickets, or mutilating the fly-swatter collecting flies. Cleopatra, as usual, was the hardest to please. She preferred the tender green grasshoppers to the brown ones, while she was fond of young crickets but would sooner starve than eat flies. The others did not discriminate. One red-letter day Giggles came upon some bread left on the grass for the birds. He examined it thoroughly, as became a scholar, and then cautiously tasted it. Finding it pal- atable, he ate it all. I was overjoyed. No longer would I have to sacrifice innocent grasshoppers, for which I had always had a secret fondness, to my proteges. However, I reckoned without Cleopatra. The others ate bread and thrived, she demanded her customary diet, and got it. Soon after this Lorelei sprang into prom- inence. She laid an egg. I had ecstatic visions of baby turtles, and placing the egg in a box of sand I put it in the sun. For a few days nothing happened. On the fourth day it had dried up, and during the morn it blew away. Lorelei was greatly upset by this unhappy incident, so, hop- ing a change of environment would do her good, I took her back to the cove and set her free. Whether by coincidence or otherwise, Caesar soon expired, and I buried him with all the pomp and circumstance due an old warrior. Cleopatra did not seem to be overwhelmed with grief, although she moped somewhat. I took to calling her Pat by virtue of our long acquaint- ance, and I think it broke her heart, accustomed as she was to a great deal of respect and admi- ration. Furthermore, I was becoming less in- clined to pamper her, and she missed my loving care. She pined away, and with her good at heart I decided that I would let her go. When I had set her free and she hurried away without even a backward glance, I could not restrain a few sniifles, for I had become much attached to her. Giggles did not appear to be aware of these drastic changes, and he followed the fence day after day with the same unHagging interest. Vlfhen the time came to return to the city for the winter, I brought him with me, but I was obliged to neglect him shamefully. Therefore, in return for two lizards, I gave him to a friend who had more time. Giggles missed me 'tremen- dously, I was told, and eventually ran away. As for the lizards,- well, lizards are so inane to a lover of intelligent beings like turtles. So, when they disappeared I was not too unhappy. But, ah, my sorely missed turtles! Mildred Mesurac. THE world is such a magic place, It changes with the weather: This afternoon 'twas grey chiffon, Tonight it's patent leather. NIGHT WHEN the beauty of day has faded away, And gone are the shafts of lightg WIICII the sun has fled from skies so blue, There steals o'er us the cloak of night. It comes with its web of mystic charm, And an awe that hushes allg Its spell it weaves o'er every heart That hearkens to its call. The twinkling stars are shining bright, And all things quiet lieg And so in raptured awe we view The lanterns in the sky. Helen Manthey. Robert C. McDermott. A LADY IRONING I LIKE to see a lady ironing,- To smell the clean smell Of freshly-starched goods. l like to watch her move the iron Over the starchy shirts, Smoothing out the creases And the furrows. Sometimes I think that death must he Cornforting and soothingf- Like a lady ironing,- Smoothing out the creases and the furrows ln our tired hearts,- leaving Placidity, smoothness, and-peace. Marguerite Crunachan.

Page 7 text:

THE DOME Page 5 Turtles I Have Owned LLOW me to say that I con- sider myself quite a connois- seur of turtles. The general belief is that they are all stolid, slow-moving creatures 'I IA vi f ---. tm Q -da as N ,- M V Igil ' W-.-4 ,Q ,ge sszmwawgaa teristics. I was deeply pained to hear my best friend say once that she could not tell one from with no distinguishing charac- another, and did not see how anyone else could. This is an unfortunate state of mind. I do not see how anyone could mistake my precocious Giggles for old battle-scarred Caesar, nor the stunning Cleopatra for the ordinary but none the less dear Jake, nor any or all of these for that distinct personage Lorelei. I found Lorelei on the sunny bank of a placid cove. She had had her eyes closed and her mouth open, and was no doubt singing. My matter-of-fact friend observed, in that irritating manner such people have, that she was doing nothing of the sort, but was Very obviously sleeping. I spurned such an unkind thought, and in defiance named her Lorelei. She was a lovely animal, with beautiful geometric mark- ings on her back and with dark dreamy eyes. She seemed happy in her tub of water, and be- haved altogether as a well-bred 'turtle should. Giggles I found browsing in the woods. This gave me the suspicion, later confirmed, that he was a scholar. His intelligence was remarkable. However, because of or in spite of this, he had a naturally sad face, which moved me to call him Giggles in a vain attempt to cheer him up. Vlfhen I 'transplanted him to my yard he did not seem to care particularly, but pursued his placid philosophizing. Cleopatra was my difhcult one. She seemed to be such a woman of the world. She was al- ways so Well groomed, and took great pride in the chic diamond markings on her back. Cleo- patra was extremely fastidious as to her appear- ance. One day I put a small tub of water in her box to see if she could swim. She was very angry at Hrst when I suddenly plunged her into the cold water, but when she became used to it she paddled around quite contentedly. After that she never felt quite right in the morning until she had had her bath. It is altogether meet and fitting that I mention Caesar in the paragraph following Cleopatra. He was old and battered looking, and his shell carried many scars. The two red stripes on the sides of his eyes proved him the hot-tempered Qld warhorse he was. I-Ie was the not-so-ardent lover of Cleopatra, but could be very chivalrous when the occasion arose. ,Iake was a tramp, and made no bones about it. He had wandered into my yard as uncon- cernedly as he eventually wandered out. Never- theless he had his place in my heart, for he un- doubtedly meant well in his uncouth Way. When a temperamental creature like Cleopa- tra was forced to live intimately with the allur- ing Lorelei, complications were bound to ensue. And ensue they did. Every time I allowed Caesar to take a stroll with Lorelei, my prima donna would fly into a rage, upset her water-dish, and refuse to eat. Lorelei took a malicious delight in teasing Cleopatra, and Caesar seemed to have no qualms. Luckily for Cleopatra's nerves, Jake began to make eyes at her, and Caesar immedi- ately reformed. With Cwsar to heel, Cleopatra ignored Jake. So, as Caesar obviously loathed and despised him, and Lorelei would have noth- ing to do with him, Jake, feeling out of place in the rarified atmosphere of refinement, mi- grated. In the meantime, Giggles was oblivious of everything save the pleasure and profit de- rived from his daily rambles under my super- vision. He would walk for hours, following the

Page 9 text:

THE DOME I Page 7 TRACK TEAM Hoops and Whoops ND then there's the story about ' ' ' ' Hank and Hack, two students of St. ,lohn the Divine Military Academy. These two Fifth- year birds stuck together like ham 'n aigs, cornbiff ln cab- in Andy. No one in the acad- t or A 59. bage, and Amos emy was ever quite sure of just what stunt they would pull next, and as a result everyone in the school watched expectantly, a grin ready, and hope in every heart that the individual hoper would not find himself suddenly Hooded in the limelight. Hank and Hack never played favor- ites, anything and anyone was their fair game, and, if they suffered occasionally, it only made them the keener to come back with some more hilarious outrage. It had been Hank who had greased the foot- ball prior to the game between the Fifth and Sixth platoonsg it had been Hack who had anointed the hands of his fellows on the Fifth's eleven with wax and emery. Hack had achieved fame- and a dishonorable discharge from the dramatic club-by suddenly terpretation of Lady Teazle lesqueg Hank had evened the half a barrel of liquid soap tank, whereupon the crew was switching his in- into broad bur- score by pouring into the rowing- nearly smothered