West Rochester High School - W Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

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if L T. .ll- ff 'ix TER RY l,i XI, xg! NI! - - - , ' ' X?f li Xe 'f if' M 5 ... 'V fx Wl.1:gg'r'j, . f p g ,..g S l'll Think About lt UT, Dad, please be reasonable. This was something of the conver- sation which had been going on between Harold Farnum and his father. Of course they both knew they were right and as they both were stubborn, neither would give in. Harold had had a bad report card-one D and three E's. It had been a little worse each month but this was the climax. No more nights out, was what father had said when Harold had asked him to be reasonable. His bad report was not all. There had been twice during the month when he had been sent home-no one knew why. There had been staying after school for tardiness-certainlyr not mother's fault, she got him out early enough. No one but himself knew why he had skipped drill and almost been expelled. He had attempted, no one knows how many times, to hold a job and earn some spending money for himself, but never had succeeded. Of late he had been spending more money than usual and was going out a lot. Father objected and grumbled to poor mother. She took it all in without a word of argument ex- cept when Mr. Farnum became too hard on Harold, then she would defend him-a way of all mothers. Sometimes she would attempt to scold Harold but-oh! how could she? He was so fond of his mother and good to her. He always convinced her that he was right and told her everything. All about school, work and his Girls, just now it was Girl - The Girl. It happened this way. Harold, somehow, hadn't been doing his planning well. He hadn't planned on it being almost time for another upheavel from father. Harold had been taking Her out a great deal. He could see no one else. The rest of the girls in school and elsewhere were silly and frivolous, always trying to be pretty and at- tractive, but She, why, she was everything that was sweet and perfect in his mind. How angry and jealous he got when he saw some other fellow even say hello to Her, and when there were conversations, he became en- raged. l There was to be a dance on Friday-a frat dance, and this was Tuesday. He purchased two tickets fwith money which Mother had generously loanedj and was going to take Her. Harold knew that he would have to take Her out more than one night that week, for else some other fellow mightj so that night they went to the movies. The next morning She rushed up to him and said that Her girl friend had invited them to a little impromptu party of four couples she was having that evening. Of course he had to accept. She might ask someone else to go if he didn't. The reason he was rather doubtful about accepting was because he was thinking of what Father would say, going out so much after his bad report card and bad behavior at school. That evening when he started out, Father made a remark about going out too much but, as Harold was in a hurry, Mother told him to go along and she would explain. That passed all right but Father was beginning to get 7 ,,, , ,, A J

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r W' W XX I l 1 X, i sggcivsahf' 4 To Our New Students HE West High School, both faculty and student body, welcomes you as new members. This is also my personal word of greeting as your principal. We are glad to have you with usp indeed you are very necessary people if we are to go on doing business as a high school three or four years from now. Of course you have had that experience of climbing the stairs in the dark, putting your foot hard down on the top step only to find it not there. Something like that is the experience of coming from the grammar school or the junior high school where you have been the oldest-grade and the leaders in school life, only to find that in the senior school you must in a certain sense begin over again. Here you are the youngest of the family and quite apt to be reminded of the fact. Yet you may be sure that this body of older brothers and sisters in the school family have a real and a kindly interest in you. What are you in high school for and what are you hoping to get out of your years here? That depends upon what you are willing to put into your years here. The Law of Compensation says we must give equally for what we getg so really the first great question is rather what are you going to put into your school life. If you are looking for development of your intellect and so for the power to think things and say things and do things in the busy world of life, the thing you must give is independent and self-directed mental effort. To depend upon others to give this eiort for you will grow brains about as fast as you can get a strong body by having another eat your dinner. If you seek to develop ability of leadership among your fellow students and for later life, you must prove yourself able to follow and to dol thoroughly the lesser duties among your fellows that fall to your ot. If you are looking for friendliness and kindness from others, you must first show these qualities yourself. Your own spirit in these things will pretty largely determine the kind of atmosphere about you. If you hope for loyal and true friends, you must cultivate within you the quality of loyalty. And, finally, never forget that this is your schoolg you became a part of it when you came here. Its honor, its good name and its spirit are now in your keeping. It has had an honorable history for its eighteen years. It has many graduates who have gone out to do splendid work in the world and who are leaders among their fellow- men. You owe much to those who have formed and have kept the real inner spirit of your school. The Black and Orange banner is now in your keeping. Pass it on. with No Dishonor There. ' WILLIAM M. BENNETT. 4 .

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,X i I 1 X, but XQCIDEADX' 4 angry, not only at Harold, but at his wife be- cause she was for ever in favor of Harold. The next evening, as Harold started to put on his hat and coat, Father asked him where he was going. Oh, just out with the bunch. VVelre 'due at Bill's for a 'frat' meeting to- night. At that, Father protested. Young man, you've been going out too much lately, instead of studying a little. People will be beginning to think that you have no home. Any how, it wouldn't hurt you to stay here with your mother and me at least once during a week. You'd better stay in tonight and a few others and let us see something of you. 'kBut, Dad, can't I go just for a little while anyway ? Well, I'll think about it. But, Dad, itls twenty minutes to eight and I told the fellows I'd meet them at quarter to. I told you I'd think about it ! Here Mother came to Harold's rescue. She had been watching his downcast expression during Father's lectureg so she made a reply instead of her son. She said, Well, I think it would be all right if he promised to be in early, don't you, Harold ? Of course Harold agreed and so Father had to, also. Mother had those convincing ways that made you want to please her. Harold went out, happy, carefree, ready for a regular good old time, forgetting all about home, Father and the next night-everything except Her. It was Friday afternoon-The Day. There happened to be dancing at school which of course kept him later than usual. Then he walked home with Her, more of a stroll than a walk, even though the weather was cold enough to bite onefs fingers, toes and nose off. That brought him home about five minutes after Father. just his luck. Of course Father wanted to know the reasons for his tardiness and Harold explained. Father was in a bad mood from the night before and this bit of information only helped to make the mood worse. . L A Harold ate his dinner in a great hurry, jumped up before the others were through, without excusing himself, and flew upstairs. Mrs. F arnum, realizing that he would probably be late and have to hurry, had carefully laid all his things on the bed ready for him. I-Ie wasn't a bit particular where he threw the things he took off-never even thought of them-his mind was on Her. She lived so far away but he mustn't keep her waiting. Meanwhile, there was a hot discussion downstairs. Father declared that Harold could not go out tonight. He had been out as much as he would allow. Mother was try- ing to help Harold out without telling Father who the girl was that I-Iarold was to take. Father had never liked the idea of this girl more out of jealousy than anything else. It seems 'queer but it is true that a father hates to see some girl take his son away from him. At last Mother told the whole story-who the girl was-where they were going and ended that he would have to go because he could not disappoint the girl. Father would not even give in to this. I'll think about it, said he. Harold came down with a rush, ready to Hy out of the door but was suddenly detained by a gruff command from the living room. Meekly, Harold walked in ready for what he had been expecting. I-Ie stood before his father waiting for the worst calling down he- had ever received. All father said was, I'll think about your going out tonight, and. calmly walked into the study. Harold stared after him scarcely compre- hending his father's words. When he realized' the catastrophe that had befallen him, he' went into an angry tantrum such as all spoiled persons experience when their wishes are de- nied. What would he do? What would he say? Would she go with someone else or stay home? Mother did not say a word except to repeat slowly and in a whisper, I'll think about it. Harold raved on. Mother looked thought- fully at the study door and did not speak again until Harold paused for breath. Then sher X