Albany High School - Prisms Yearbook (Albany, NY)

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THE GARNET AND GRAY 21 Therefore I would like to adopt your sister as our own daughter. There is a job open for you at the ofhce. You could make this house your home. John could not believe his ears, but with a nod of his head, Mr. Dick- son understood. That evening Grace was told the happy news. At first she could not utter a sound, but then she ran to Mrs. Dickson and called, Mother! She held her child closely to her bosom. Her own, all hers. That night when Grace said her prayers she thanked God for everything he did. . And especially, she said, my Christmas present from You, my new motherf' . ANNA SCHER A BEDTIME STORY Once upon a time, children dear, there was a school who almost always had championship teams in football, basketball, track and baseball. In fact, the school was too good to be true and so, children dear, the inevitable flaw was found. The team's Moral Support were everywhere but at the games and when they did come around to cheer, it sounded like a solo rendered by the cheer leader. Not even the cheer leader's white trousers that he borrowed from dad would make them cheer. They could beat the Sphinx to a fare-ye-well. And one day they were brought into chapel and fearfully scolded for the loss of their vocal chords. They then tried to make a come-back. Even then, the cheer leader's soprano was heard above the other 749 voices. Some of them looked like fish out of their H2O. Most of the girls and some of the boys seemed to have a bad case of lock- jaw. Some forgot the middle but tried to finish up strong. All things, children dear, must have a reason and therefore, the cheer leader who was slightly superstitious, went to a Crystal Gazer to find the reason for the death of the Moral Support. After telling his name to the Gazer who immediately guessed his dad's last name, he was told to keep his eyes peeled on the florists' silver ball. After looking at his image for a few minutes the cheer leader saw the answer to his puzzle. No, children dear, it wasn't his face that kept the moral support from cheering, there actually was a deeper reason. Not long afterward there was a consultation with the coach. Now, children dear, comes the best part. The gym was filled to capacity at the Big Game. The other team brought down the town to see them win. Most of the cheering came from the Other Town and made it sound like an amalgamation of the Navy and Marine bands with our Moral Support like a piccolo accompaniment. Then, children dear, the Other Town began to razz the Moral Support, the Team, the School, etc. Then the Best Team on Earth began to get cold feet. Yes, children dear, it certainly was strange, seeing as how they had been razzed before without losing their nerve.. The Moral Support kept getting madder and madder but they never let out a real organized

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20 THE GARNET AND GRAY Won't you come in? asked Grace. From another room a masculine voice called, Is that the landlord? No, it is a visitor, replied Grace. The door from the other room opened and in walked a tall lad, about twenty. He seemed quite a delicate boy and the lines about his face were marks of pain and worry. He walked in with a slow, limping step. Why-hello, he said. How did you get up here, did the landlord send you up? No, said Mrs. Dickson, he didn't. If you will listen I will tell you how I happen to be heref' She then told him about her meeting with his sister. john listened and soon something like pain marked his face. I-Ie looked at his sister, who was tidying up her room. I know, he said, how my sister wanted to make Christmas a happy day for me. Johnf' said Mrs. Dickson, may I please speak to you after she has gone to bed? There is something I want to say to you. Grace went to bed that night with a. happy feeling. After she was sound asleep Mrs. Dickson told john of her sorrow. It was last New Year's eve when my little Grace passed away. She was just the age of Grace. I filled the stockings of an angel on the eve before Christmas last year, and I will H11 the stockings of another to-night, she said, pointing to the empty stockings of Grace. You don't mean it, said John. Mrs. Dickson arose and said, I will be back in a half hour. It seemed like hours but at last she came, carrying an evergreen tree, with different size packages. They were soon busy fixing up things. When all was finished Mrs. Dickson left, saying she would call to-morrow and take them to a Christmas dinner. ' The next morning Grace arose. When she opened the door she stood amazed, to see the wonderful sight. Merry Christmas, Grace! called a voice behind the tree, and her brother stepped forth. Hurry, he said, Mrs. Dickson is coming to take us to a Christmas dinner. 'Grace swallowed her breakfast and could not wait until she would be dressed. It was twelve o'clock and John and Grace were riding to Mrs. Dick- son's. Mrs. Dickson and her husband met them at the door. Grace and john took a great liking to Mr. Dickson. The dinner was the best that Grace ever tasted. Sometime after dinner john was called into the drawing room, while Grace was playing with her new friends. john, said Mr. Dickson, last night my wife had told you about our sorrows. The presence of your sister in the house makes us more happy. If you took your sister away, we will go back to the sorrows of the past.

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22 THE GARNET AND GRAY cheer. The final score seemed like the Other Town's census against our lonesome 2. That 2 was the only unavoidable accident at the game, The Moral Support never said a word but went home as soon as the whistle had blown. At the three following games with no-account schools the Best Team on Earth got in a winning score but the Moral Support never opened their mouths. In fact, they were never asked to, for the cheer leader seemed to have business elsewhere. Then the Fates decided to give the School another chance, and so, children dear, by being a runner-up the Team was scheduled to play the Other Town again. And when the Moral Support said their prayers that night they added I' Give us strength for that gamef, When the day arrived and the doors opened, the crowds began to till up the gym until all the seating and standing room was taken up. The Moral Support were there to a man. The strange part was that all who had been at the first slaughter were there. Outside of the yells and boos from the Other Town, all was quiet. Then the Other Town's team ran in. The Other Town gave them their best. It certainly looked as if the Team and the Moral Support were in for a good time. The Moral Sup- port, by the way, seemed to be looking for someone. They finally found him with dad's white trousers and a megaphone sitting between the Time- keepers and the Reporter. He was thrown out on the floor. When the Best Team on Earth ran in there was the lull in the storm. The cheer leader feverishly asked for the Regular. And so, children dear, a splendid comeback was staged that -was to live long in athletic history. When the plaster had stopped falling from the ceiling and the windows had ceased rattling, the game began. Whenever the Moral Support cheered, the Umpire and Referee stopped the game to look at the ceiling. Even the Other Town stopped to hear them cheer. The final results were some- thing like Rockefeller's income tax and VIS. The Other Team didn't get the income tax numbers either. VVhen the Other Town went home they looked as if they had seasickness. Now, children dear, there was a reason for all this. And that reason was what the cheer leader saw in the silver ball. He saw something at first that made him want to quit cold and throw up his job. What he thought he saw was a boy with a tag, Socially Unrecognized pinned on his jersey. A boy who thought he had enough popularity to lead the Moral Support into cheering. The cheer leader, you see, was a real fellow who knew in his heart, that they couldn't be so snobbish and so he stared harder into the Crystal Gazer's ball. The scene faded and he was looking at championship teams Hit by with foot- ball, basketball and track suits. He couldn't help recognize them as the School's Own. And he saw a Moral Support watching them win. But what he saw in the ball he had failed to see in reality. It wasn't that the Moral Support were snobbish or even asleep. No, sir. Although they didn't cheer they kept their eyes fondly lingering on the teams. You see,