Abington High School - Oracle Yearbook (Abington, PA)

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My First American Christmas I was on the list of Displaced Persons from Holland for a year and ten months. Finally on December 16, 1945, the chance was given to me to go to America. Several hundred of us sailed on the eighteenth for the United States. This was my first chance to go on a ship, and I was so thrilled with the prospect that I almost forgot my belongings, what few there were. We had just about the poorest ac- commodations that were available, but it seemed we were riding in luxury com- pared with what we Were used to. We sailed for five days and five nights, and on December 23 I crept up on deck to get my Hrst glimpse of the Statue of Liberty. When we docked at tive o'clock, I was met by four of the most wonderful people I have ever known. There were Mrs. Janson, Mr. Janson, 15-year old Eve, 17-year old Lawrence, and Sparky, the cocker spaniel. When we got to their home on Long Island, Mrs. Janson explained that the house wa.sn't very neat because they were getting ready for Christmas. They all were very helpful, and I was delighted ELLI RICKERT, '51 2 1 with the room I was given, a bright, sunny room with white ruiiied curtains on all three windows. The furniture consisted of a bed, chair, bureau, dressing table, and a bedside table. I changed for dinner and went down stairs. After dinner everyone was busy wrap- ping packages, baking cakes, and cooking desserts, and Mr. Janson was out looking for what he called a Christmas tree, some- thing I had never heard of. When he came back, I saw that it was a big six- 'foot pine tree. He told me that they hung balls and tinsel and a lot of other things on it. He also said that they put presents under it and on Christmas day they opened them. We went to bed about nine-thirty and got up at eight. I did more to get in the way than to help, but altogether we got everything done. After dinner Mr. Janson brought in the tree, and after Watching a few minutes to see how it was done, I helped in the decorating. That night we all went to bed early with pleasant dreams. Everyone was up at six the next morn- ing, and in an hour the place looked as if a cyclone had gone through it. We all had a very pleasant day looking at each other 's presents, and that night I thought to myself that this had been the most wonderful Christmas I had ever ex- perienced. I knew I WES a very lucky person to have such wonderful foster parents. FREDA SCHENKEL, '53

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the sea anenomes kept time with their ten- tacles, searching for food with their pul- sating motions. Myriads of tropical fish sailed slothfully by, completely ignoring their visitor from the outer world. The lazy opening and closing of their mouths and the drowsy fluttering of their fins fitted perfectly into Anything There is nothing more beautiful in the world than lovely bells, but there is also nothing more nerve-racking than wild, uncontrolled bells that never cease clang- mg. This particularly tormenting charac- teristic of bells is exactly what one en- counters at Zermatt, Switzerland. There were all sorts of bells-cat bells, goat bells, cow bells, and, especially, church bells. The cat bells are the ones you hear all night long, accompanied by' eerie screech- ings and wailings. The goat bells are heard only at 5:30 a. m. and at 7 p. m., when the small boys run through the one and only street of Zermatt and shout after the goats, which nibble on the red flowers in front of the largest hotel. The cow bells, however, can be heard constantly- that awful jangling Cthough some claim it's musicalb up and down the hillsides at the foot of the Matterhorn. When I Hrst heard those bells, I was humbly thankful not to have to live next to such a racket. But we were not spared, the worst was yet to come! There are church bells clanging all the time. One simply can not escape them. Thetownsfolk start off at 4 a. m. by ring- ing two bells of conliicting tones for fifteen. minutes without a stop. During the week only two bells are rung at a this scene of breathtaking beauty. I had at last discovered a spot left com- pletely untouched by the fast-moving world in which we live. Here was a scene virtual- ly the same now as it was a million years ago. WINI HARPER, '52 but Bells I ' A f ' .2I7.' ' . i 1-4 ' if 'V I ., l V V -1' ' Ivfff' ' Tk L V V. . FQ' ' - , . , 'V -- '59'l.'?.r . ' ' -' :I 'P' . - 'ff-ifv ill-. 'Tia . - I f . . i- . Q va-fl.e.ax,'.i,r,5,..'s'j', 4 gqgifse- . 1 . . , . ---2 . ' CAROL BOURNE, '51 time, whereas on Sundays ten of them clang together. CThere must be sixty, thoughlj All are of conflicting tones and completely inharmonious. These bells are neither musical nor rhythmical. They are simply fierce! The natives of Zermatt must certainly be immune to these bells. I think we were becoming immune to them, too, but not quickly enough. When someone mentions the name Zermatt , most people think immediate- ly of the Matterhorn. But I don't, I im- mediately think of bells. For me, these bells have really become an inseparable part of the character of Zermatt, and even though they nearly drove me crazy, I would, nevertheless, be terribly disap- pointed if I ever learned that these bells had stopped ringing. 4 ' MIGNON LINCK, '52

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Suddenly she found herself Flying Have you ever wondered what it would be like to fly through the clouds or to be suddenly and swiftly lifted from the ground, not to reach it again for almost two hours? Believe it or not, just such a thrilling experience occurred in my life this past summer. I was invited to spend two weeks with some friends in a small town near Rut- land, Vermont. You can well imagine my surprise and delight when Mother sug- gested that I travel 'there by airplane! My parents drove me to Lia Guardia Airport in New York, where I was to board the plane. As Dad was checking my baggage in the waiting room, an im- portant sounding voice, blasting over the loudspeaker, announced that flight num- ber twenty would land in about iifteen minutes. We rushed to the window and gazed breathlessly at a beautiful silver sky- cruiser circling above. It dropped sud- denly and rolled to a stop on the airstrip directly in fron-t of us. Along with the other excited passengers I lost no time in getting on board. No sooner was I seated than the stewardess told all the passengers to fasten' their safety belts. The plane lifted swiftly and soared for the blue sky above. We were off! Since everyone else seemed to become calm after such a smooth start, I settled down to enjoy myself, Magazines were available, but I was much more interested in surveying the interior of the plane. High Thick blue carpet lay on the iloorg a row of blue leather double seats lined one side, while a row of single seats lined the other 5 and tiny blue curtains hung at each window. The color scheme of blue and silver was very attractive and ap- propriate, too. I pushed a gadget on the wall, and im- mediately the curtains on my window closed and a small light above them flashed on. Another gadget controlled a small air-conditioning system on the floor near my feet. I Suddenly it occurred to me that I had not been aware that we were flying, for the plane motors could not be heard. I peered out of the window. The ground looked so far away! Cars on the high- ways seemed like tiny ants and the towns resembled confetti, strewn here and there over a large patchwork quilt of fields and woods. And when the plane approached mountainous country, the scenery became even more wonderfully unusual. The mountains reminded me that my journey was rapidly coming to an end. Soon I should be on the ground, where my friends would greet me. It seemed as though I had just set out. In fact, time had passed so quickly that I didn't have a minute to be scared. The trip was com- pletely enjoyable, and I would have much to tell my family at home. While I was thus blissfully musing, the stewardess called, Rutland, next stop! SHIRLEY JENSEN. '52