Arlington High School - Indian Yearbook (Arlington, MA)

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6 THE ARLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL CLARION IIIS FIRST HALLOWE’EN. The Meiboms lived in a great, spa- cions old country house on the outskirts of a small California town. The gar- dens about the place were beautiful, and at one end of the lawn, which was dotted with great beds of magnificent flowers, was a little maze, laid ont years before by Great-Great-Great-Grandfa- ther Mel born. There were live of the Melborns, fa flier, mother and three young Melborns. Jack, Audrey and Peter, aged nineteen, fourteen, and twelve, respectively. They were a jolly family. It was getting on toward the last of October, when a long expected cousin from Germany arrived to pay them a visit. His name was Karl Tigerstedt, and he was just a little older than Peter. Of course, he seemed odd to the alert young Americans, so he was sub- jected to a great amount of “joshing and good-humored teasing. When Audrey and Peter discovered that Karl didn't know what Hallowe’en meant, with Jack’s big-brotherly help, they planned a surprise for the jolly little German. Hallowe’en arrived, and about seven o’clock in the evening Audrey and Peter sweetly invited their cousin to accompany them for a stroll about the grounds, to which proposal Karl readily agreed. It was very dark, so Audrey politely guided the German on one side, while Peter helped on the other. Karl thought that Audrey embraced bis arm rather lovingly, but she was a pretty girl and an affectionate cousin, so he didn’t mind. Indeed, Karl felt very cheerful and light-hearted this evening, and once, when Peter started at the sharp crackle of a branch, Karl laugh inglv promised to protect him from the “bogie man.” They strolled about, chatting, until it was so dark that nothing could be seen around them. Then Audrey quickened their pace a little, and led her companions into the maze. Karl didn't know in the least where he was, so when Peter proposed a run down the path lie started at once, leaving his cousins be hind him, choking with laughter. Of course, in a moment he stumbled against the end of the path, and when he picked himself up he took the wrong turning. In a moment terrified shrieks rent the air, and wild scutflings and kickings were heard. Peter climbed a tree, from which he could look into the maze; and there he beheld the stout little German in the light of the jack-o’-lanterns, mad ly tearing up and down, his eyes stream- ing with tears, calling upon Dander nnd Blitzen to rid him of the terrific- sights before him. When Peter had laughed himself quite silly, he went to the rescue, bravely faced the ghostly pumpkins, with their great eyes and teeth and swaying white sheets, and brought Karl out. Of course, at first, the boy felt rather angry at the joke on him ; but when they reached the house, and he saw the lovely, funny old jack-o’-lanterns hung on the piazza, he felt better, and when his eye caught the Hallowe’en spread laid out for them his smiles returned, even while he warned Peter to be on his guard, fin- in time he would surely re turn that joke, with interest. G. H. Morgan, ’15. KING FROST. King Frost has come again. To change the season’s hue ; And with his ghostly, icy cane. He paints the leaves anew. He pictures things upon the pane, Of figures we don’t know; But maybe they are messages Of the coming of the snow. Kenneth Reed, '16. STRAINS FROM PHOEBUS’ LUTE Have you ever stopped to think of the wonderfully beautiful songs the

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V . ¥ - iLO THE ARLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL CLARION 5 THE AUTUMN LEAF. Dancing, prancing, tossing, twisting, whirling and swirling in the breeze! Rollicking, troll icking out of the gut- ter, along the sidewalk, through the fence, and over the grass! (.Jli minering, shimmering overhead in the misty twi- light! Crackling cheerfully underfoot in welcome to our every step ! Who but the Autumn Leaf? A vivid splotch of red on the green and yellow land scape merrily singing or rather shout- ing his gladsome message to all the world. And that message is: — (let thee hence, thou sordid care! Hie thee back to thine own lair. Know’st thou not that this is Fall. The gavest, happiest time of all?” B. L. IL, ;14. THE AUTUMN ELF. She came in the night, when all was still. From Dame Autumn's kingdom, o'er the hill : Her eyes were hazel, her hair was brown, She wore on her head an ivy crown ; Into the woodland with stealthy tread. Silently, swiftly, the maiden sped; She kissed the leaves and turned them gold. Bright colors flamed o’er mead and wold ; She waved her hand, and the tall oak trees Shivered and shook in the passing breeze ; Then one by one their leaves fell fast. And the maiden laughed and hurried past On toward the brook, whose waters gay, Gurgled and eddied and rushed away To join the river beyond the plain And hurry on toward the sea again; She shook the trees, and nuts rained ’round. Then picked them up from the dewey ground : With her pearly teeth, she cracked each shell. And her laugh was like a silvr'v bell ; Through all the orchards she hurried on , For she must away e’er break of dawn. She kissed the fruit, as swift she sped, And the apples blushed a rosy red ; But as she clothed the maples old With garments flaming red and gold. A shaft of light gleamed through the air. 'Till the dew-drops sparkled in her hair. - Morn is here, and break of dawn ! Night with its labors now is gone: Gazing around with a happy smile. At wonders worked in so short a while. With a laugh like a tinkling water fall. The maiden heeds Dame Autumn's call. Back to her home among the trees O’er the misty hills the maiden flees. Marion Evelyn Btsiiee, ’14.

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THE ARLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL CLARION birds possess? What exquisite com positions they would be, if the musician could only catch their strains on his in- struments? One evening, after a long, hot sum mer's day, I sat on the porch, just as the sun had set, and the rosy after-glow was still in the skies. The heat was slowly disappearing, and the cool of the night taking its place. I could see the mist settling on the lake, and, be yond, the black pines stood, tall and green, against the sunset sky. Every- thing was still, a hush seemed laid over everything by some unknown, unseen hand, when all of a sudden a bird-note broke the stillness. It rose clearer and higher until it seemed as though it must have come from Paradise. Then it stopped. In a moment a beautiful, rich song burst from the solitary singer. It rang in the damp evening air like the notes of a clarion. Now it was broken by a little trill, then a ripple, and at last the high, sweet call of the begin- ning. Then it died away into silence. Not many minutes afterward another song broke out, almost identical with the first, and it seemed to come from the throat of the same singer. Its bell like notes rang once more o ver the lake Again and again the bird repeated his call, until at last he stopped. The her mit-thrush had finished his evening song. Early, about four o’clock, one morn ing in June, I was wandering in the meadows, gathering some wild flowers, which had just opened. Dawn was breaking, but the world had not yet awakened from sleep. It was going to be a beautiful day, for the haze had lifted, and the sun, just risen, was flooding the world with its brightness. I was making no noise, as the ground was very soft. Soon from a tuft of grass not a stone’s throw away a little flutter seemed to come. I stood still where I was, and waited expectantly, almost knowing what was about to happen. Then a bird rose slowly from the tall grass, shaking off the dewdrops from his wings as he flew. Going straight up into the air for a short dis- tance, he instantly broke into song. A flood of music poured forth from his little throat — his glorious tribute to the morning sun ! I 'p and up he flew, until he was but a speck dotting the sky. Hut I could still hear his song, away up in the heavens. Fainter and fainter it grew, until I lost, together, sight of the skylark and the sounds of his song. One other morning 1 lay in bed I I was not such an early riser as before), just between sleep and consciousness. It was very early, as I could just see the light beginning to creep in behind the curtains, and could no longer feel the cool night breeze. All of a sudden I was startled into wakefulness by a whistle, clear and sweet, from another room. Soon came a twittering and crooning, then a low chirp, interrupted by a trill, and finally a whole melody broke out. It swelled clearer and higher, ike the notes of a (lute, until at last — the perfect song of my canary. And so if seems as though the birds were but strains of music from Phoebus’ lute, caught and held together by plumes; and as though the least breath of air would blow them away. Let us try always to love and be care- ful of the birds, and shield them as much as we can from harm ; because, who knows, some day the “wind may sweep them away from us and leave us disconsolate. M. E. A., ’16. THE VESPER SPARROW. When o’er the world the twilight shad- ows softly fall. Then is heard the vesper sparrow’s silv'ry call ; Almost Sabbath-stillness tills the fresh ’ning air, In the west are ling’ring rosy tints and fair ; Soon, where sank the golden sun, the stars will gleam : ’Tis God’s love over all, and ITeav’n on earth, ’twould seem. Dorothy Allen. ’16.