Arlington High School - Indian Yearbook (Arlington, MA)

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THE ARLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL CLARION 11 standing, existing between ns. We knew each other’s moods, and respected them and, if one of ns was tired, the other realized that the silence, broken only by the dull booming of the surf, was far more comforting to his companion than anything he could say. This massive, unyielding block is stern, hard, yes, and ugly, yet my friend forever, never complaining, never self-praising, my word his bond, and my presence bis consolation. John W. Devine, ’24. One of Ours By Willa Gather I received a most agreeable surprise a short time ago. 1 decided to read One of Onrs,” by Willa Gather, just because every one else was reading it and one likes to be able to say in a condescending tone: Oh yes, I’ve read that. Ages ago! How did you like it?” when some one mentions a new book. Well, as I said, I began One of Ours” more as a duty than anything else, and I expected to be bored to dis- traction. But the first word that caught my eyes was “circus” and I immediately knew I should like the book. That one word is about all there is of the circus, but once into the story Claude Wheeler, the hero, kept me in- terested. He is a Middle Western farmer’s son and seems to be the ugly duckling of the family. He dislikes his name; no one really understands him, and lie has to fight all his battles alone. He tries to make bis life count for some- thing real, but after each attempt he feels that la has failed. He lacks self- confidence. The scene ' shifts from the western farm to the battlefields of France and there Claude works out his problem. The story is so written that one must sympathize with Claude and love all who love him. The book is interesting and enjoyable and I’m very glad I read it. I can now face tbe world with a condescending glance when One of Ours” is mentioned and, besides, I now know Claude and that more than pays me for reading the book. Dorothy Howse, ’24. An Alaskan Night Not a breath, not a sound, nothing Disturbs the stillness of the night; Treeless, lifeless, windless, glistening, The country stands all clothed in white. Silence reigns. Great gaping cracks in the frozen stream Hold menace for all who venture near ; The stars seem cold and gleam Upon a night crisp and clear. An Alaskan night. And then, across the frozen land, A cracking, terrifying sound Snaps crisp like a command. That is all. Far above Hie frozen ground Pale stars gleam. Stars — cold, frosty, pale. There is no moon On such a night — an Alaskan night, A night of fear, of death, of gloom. Booms one lone sound from the glac- ier’s might, Breaking the frozen silence. Ever-changing, ever-awesome, ghostly, Holding death within its hands, The treacherous glacier calls con- stantly ; It fascinates, it compells, it com- mands. Silence reigns. Grace Ogilvie, ’24.

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10 THE ARLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL CLARION until we blush green with embarass- ment. The usher comes down with a flashlight; we stand up; and to our utter disgust and the neighbors’ en- joyment it is found that we had put our hat under the seat. After resuming our natural complex- ion, we sit back to enjoy the rest of the show. But not for long ; the per- sons in front of us go out. Two other people take their seats. The one in front of us is very wide and built close to the ground. She takes off her fur coat, folds it up carefully, and lifts herself on top of the coat. At this we are almost vanquished, but only for a short time. There is one indenta- tion in her anatomy which allows us a splendid view. Bah, she moves again. We try to keep pace with her shiftings in attempting to obtain a good view. At last she settles, allowing us one very uncomfortable angle from which to see the screen. A few seats down front are vacated. We attempt to gain one of them as a stronghold, but our last pests, much to our astonishment, are very nimble in procuring these seats. At last we are comfortable for all time. Nothing to bother us. — Not so. Our friend the news reel faces us again, and out we go much impressed by the varied program offered by human nature. Naturally, we are ver y good-natured after being so amused. As we pass out (the door), we snicker at the en- joyment given to us by some irrespon- sible people’s actions. But, alas, the snicker turns to a positive groan, and our heart sinks as we discover the inevitable hat has been left under the seat. A. E. Lane, ’26. The Great Black Rock Bock in general is not considered worth a second thought, much less capable of having the emotions attribu- ted to human beings. In fact, this par- ticular part of nature is usually looked upon by man as an impediment, and its usefulness is often disregarded. However, I know of a rock which to me means more than an obstruction, and more than an ugly, compact mass of matter. It is my friend. I have spent several summers at a beach not far from Boston; and, al- though it is overblessed with rocks of various shapes and sizes, they do not deter my family nor our neighbors from enjoying a daily dip in the ocean, and I do not think that we would trade our boulders for the finest sand. About a hundred yards out from our cottage stands a gigantic black rock, towering high above any of its comrades, and this rock I have singled out as my favorite and have spent many an hour on its great flat top, reading or watch- ing the tiny white sails slowly dis- appear over the horizon. Each day as the tide began to go out I would get into my bathing suit and wait until I saw the blunt, friendly top of the rock appear above the greenish white- capped waves, before swimming out to it to idle away an hour or two in its company. I felt that this rock was human, that it liked to have company and, perhaps egotistically, my own most of all. We would sit together for hours, our dreams never shattered by unwelcome conversation, a sort of complete under-

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THE ARLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL CLARION 12 Art in Your School The Art Classes of your school are turning out work that is a credit to the school. Those pupils who are in- terested in this branch of the school life may choose any subject that they desire. The girls are interested in Costume Designing, Interior Decoration, and Figure Drawing. The Costume Design- ing Classes are doing real professional work. However, they do no better than the Figure Drawing Class. In the class of Interior Decoration the pupils are planning the redecoration of the room to the left of the stage. This room, when finished, will serve as a lunch room for the teachers. Actually to see the visualized plan, the pupils work out scale models of cardboard. For those who intend to continue their education in colleges are three classes; College Drawing, Technical Drawing, and the M. N. A. 8. or Massa- chusetts Normal Art School Class. Be- cause many colleges are requiring a knowledge of freehand drawing the first two classes were formed. The M. N. A. S. Class explains itself. In that class one finds the pupils who intend to study some branch of art work after finishing High School. They are plan- ning to attend the Normal Art School or some other well known school of art. In this class they learn the prin- ciple of perspective, the principle of ellipses, and similar subjects which are “all Greek” to the ordinary citizen. That is not all — there are other classes in Pencil Sketching, Art Appre- ciation, Applied Design, and Commer- cial Advertising. Pencil Sketching is a training for patience. If you don’t think so, join that class and try your luck! Art Appreciation is the class that benefits the pupil most of all, re- gardless of the fact that the benefits derived are not visible. Translating this statement we find that in that class is studied the History of Art, giving the pupil a knowledge of the art world, past and present. In Applied Design are worked out designs for the decoration of boxes, candlesticks, and objects of their type. As the name im- plies, the design is transferred on to the object for which it was drawn and colored in a perfect color harmony. Last, but not least, is Commercial Ad- vertising. nere the pupil learns the fundamental principles of Advertising Art and learns to apply them in work- ing out assignments. The work is for the most part posters and good posters they are. If you are not interested enough in these classes to join one, won’t you at least visit Room 30, from time to time, and see the work exhibited there? C. A. Higgins, ’25. Library Notes New Year’s — new habits. Why not the reading habit? “In a cor- ner of my house I have books, — the miracle of all my possessions, more wonderful than the wishing-cap of the Arabian tales; for they transport me instantly, not only to all places, but to all times. Do you like to read? Do you make spare minutes count by going to the library and reading a chapter or two of that “corking” story you discovered there the other day?