Ashland High School - Echoes Yearbook (Ashland, ME)

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THOUGHTS ON GRADUATION I. Graduation day is drawing near Soon my friends and I shall part. I'll bid each one a sad farewell With precious memories in my heart. II. Four years we spent together Years that are now in the past. All the happy and cheerful days In my heart will forever last. III. SL-me days, the way was rough and hard At times, there seemed no end. We turned not back but struggled on And reached smooth road again. IV. And though I shall hate to say good- bye To my friends at A. C. H. S. I must go out into the world To make use of the knowledge I possess. V. So good-bye to happy days in the past And teachers and friends I love dear. Ne're again shall we all be together After graduation time, this year. POLLY MCNAMARA '51 THE AMERICAN DRAMA A beautiful, artificial rose glow hovered about the stage, reflected from the rose shaded foot-lights. An enormous grand piano was in the upper right hand corner of the plat- form, and at the opposite side there was a heavy, black velveteen curtain, covering the exit. The American flag fluttered over its rich surface, while the flag's shimmering stars reflected the glow of the lights into the dark background. I walked softly down the quiet hall and seated myself in the front row. I waited for what seemed an eternity and then I heard a slight rustling and the light tread of foot steps, coming from behind me. I turned and ob- served that the seats around me were rapidly filling. I looked at the people for a long time but I recognized no one. They seemed like creatures of a dream, absolutely without facial features and I thought surely I was losing my mind. I turned again towards the stage, resigned to my fate. Just then a group of actors came on the stage to portray a scene in the early coloni- zation of America. While the players enacted their parts, the pianist ac- companied them with patriotic music which swelled encouragingly through- out the silent hall, but the audience never stirred. The colonists were followed by im- portant characters who helped make our Democracy. As each of these played his role, the pianist tirelessly played music, obviously inspired by the acting. Suddenly the appearance of the stage changed. The rose lights turned a darker shade and the stage was bathed in a blood-red aura. The flag quivered mysteriously then remained still. The stars slowly faded from it and the stripes bilended together as one leaving a solid square of red material with no design. The pianist began to beat madly upon the keys and a moan arose from the faceless audience.

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Front row. left to right: J. Chambers, C. Millard, P. Tilley, S. Carney, R. Carter, T. Rand, B. Sawyer, L. Tilley, F. Sutherland, B. Levesque. Second row: N. Carney, S. Bell, G. Bolstridge, B. Weaver, J. Brewer, J. Brewer, W. Gardiner, M. Colbath, C. Flint, J. Sutherland, M. O'Clair. Third row: A. Nadeau, E. Ouelette, D. Sylvester, J. Flint, P. Sawyer, D. Stevens, G. Bolstridge, T. Chasse, G. Wilson, P. Wakefield, D. Lewin. Foztrtlz. row: P. Casey, B. Wright, R. Garrity, H. Reed, A. Beaulier, T. Colbath. Absent when picture was taken: C. Anderson, M. Boucher, P. B1'agdon, G. Chorette, J. Coflin, N. Cloukey, D. Grass, A. Hews, G. King, A. Lafland, N. MacLean, R. Mountain, N. Therriault, D. Tibbetts. FRESHMAN CLASS The class officers were: Preshient .........,..................,.......... Ted Rand Vice President .....,..,......,...,.... Althea Hews Secretary-Treasurer ...... Betsy Sawyer Freshman Reception was held on October 20th. All that day the Fresh- men were dressed in odd costumes. The girls wore bathing suits over pajamas, a rubber on one foot and a slipper on the other. The boys wore nightgowns with green and white crepe-paper bonnets and bibs. The Reception was at 7:30 with a dance afterwards. The music was by Raf- ford's Orchestra. The Student Council members elected were: Jean Sutherland and Bert Wright. In the Magazine Contest held this year, the Freshmen sold more sub- scriptions than any other class. The Freshman One-act Play a comedy, Red Flannels had in its cast: Winnifred Gardner, Theresa Chasse, Ted Rand, Duane Lewin, Florence Sutherland, Reginald Moun- tain and Terrence Colbath.

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A feeling of inexpressible terror filled me and my heart felt anguished and heavy. I knew in that instant what I had witnessed, the probable fall of our Democracy. Then I remem- bered the actors back-stage. I tried to push aside the curtain to reach them. I wanted to cry out against what I had seen-but the curtain would not move. It was as if some unseen evil force was working against me. As I tugged upon the curtains my finger- tips felt wet, as if bloodied by the contact. As I strove to pull aside the curtains, the faded cloth which once was our flag, became loosened and I pulled it from the draperies, and falling to my knees, I held it clutched tightly to me as I asked God for His help in preserving our Freedom and for the protection of America against tyranny. Then, as my prayer was being brokenly uttered, the draperies fiut- tered aside and around me, all the actors knelt in silent prayer. Slowly, softly, the harsh music died away, the stage resumed its original ap- pearance, the faded cloth once again displayed its gallant colors in the chosen emb-lem of our Free Nation, The United States of America. I turned towards the audience. and their radiant, smiling faces displayed their courage and loyalty to their country-you see, these were the American People. INIARILYN BERRY '52 MY DOG, LADDY One day when I came home from school there was a great surprise waiting for me in a little box in the kitchen. It was a three-weeks-old German shepherd pup. I squealed with delight when I saw him. The pup was very small so I de- cided I would bring him up to be a very fine dog. I named him Laddy. I fed him his meals from a bottle and he soon became very fat. When he was about three months old I started teaching him tricks. He learned to go after a stick, shake hands, and roll over on his belly for a bone. I bought him a rubber ball that he liked to play with. By the time he was a year old he was a big healthy dog. In the morning he would go out to the barn to watch my father milk. When I came home at night he would be at the gate to meet me. He always helped bring in the cows. I like to fish in the little brook in back of the h-ouse Cwhich you can also swim in! and he always ac- companied me. He was great com- pany. He went for long walks with me through the pastures and woods on our land. We had so much fun together, Laddy and I, that I never once thought about losing him. But one day I came home from school and there was no Laddy to meet me. My mother broke the news to me. Laddy had been killed when he had suddenly gone blind while in the road. We have another dog now but he will never take the place of Laddy. SHARON R. BELL '54 GETTING HOME AFTER MIDNIGHT Did you ever have the experience of getting home around one o'clock when you should have been in before 11:30'? Oh! So many things run through your mind! Now, where have you been? What are my parents go- ing to say? But the greatest question is, how am I going to get in. Well, you decide to make the best of things, so you are off for home. You try to ease your mind with the thoughts that maybe Mom and Dad are sleeping soundly enough not to waken, but could there be such luck! As the car slowly arrives in your yard, your dog starts barking for a period of ten minutes. All hopes are lost now. But you again regain cour- age and start to enter the house. VVhat makes the door stick?