Barre High School - Barretone Yearbook (Barre, MA)

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6 THE BARRETONE LITERARY THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT Is it the turkey, pudding, sauce, and pie That stirs the Christmas spirit o’er the earth? ’ith gorgeous gifts must we forever try To celelmate the little Christ Child ' s birth? Is it the tree so tow ' ring and so tall. Decked out with ornaments of every hue? Or do the dainty parcels at its foot Breathe forth our Christmas message true? Ah, no, ’tis none of these mere earthly things. Which please us only for a little while. It ' s bringing cheer and greetings glad to all •And sharing festal joys, however small. It’s spreading Christmas tidings far and near That makes this day the best of all the year, Gladys Abbott, ' dO. AT MARKET THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS Oh, the excitement and bustle of marketing the day Iiefore Christmas, hat intense mystery is in the air, and what a busy sense of preparation the hurried shoppers convey as they rush frantically from one store to another! All one needs to join their ranks is a huge mar- ket basket, a long list of toothsome articles for the Christmas dinner, an ample purse, and an over- developed sense of ambition. Then he may draw his warmest coat tightly about him, pull his cap firmly over his ears, grasp his market basket fer- vently. and stej) briskly out into a cold, raw De- cember day, probably characterized by thin, sting- ing flakes of falling snow. However uninviting the weather, one finds the Christmas spirit of his fellow-shoppers unchanged. All are rea:ly with friendly smiles or cheery Christmas greetings as they hurry along the crowded streets, their arms piled high with bun- dles and their market baskets filled to the brim with all the delicious luxuries of Christmas. Even the little wreaths that are hung in the windows cjiie passes emit a friendly. Christmas ghiw. and the jollv, rubicund face of the rotund .Santa Claus on the ' corner reflects all the joyful anticipations one had when he leaned without doubt upon the miraculous generosities of that kindly Christmas saint. When one reaches the crowded and active mar- ket. it seems the goal of all his hungry longings. There he sees wonderful fat turkeys, luscious red cranberries, graceful, white celery, wholesome jiumpkins. turnips and squashes, and ai)petizing foods of all descriptions. He tries to elbow his way through the anxiously waiting throng, and. if successful, he may soon be shouting the contents of his lengthy list into the attentive ears of the tired clerk who hurries to serve him. Later he hurries homeward through the cling- ing snow, his basket filled and his mind at ])eace with the world. Upon his brain is stamped a hap- ])v, jumbled impression of persons. Traces, and things, which, however ordinary they may actually be. certainly contribute to that indefinite thing we call the Christmas “feeling.” Mary Louisa Taylor. ’.C PURCHASING A NECKTIE It was the morning of December twenty-fourth that Mrs. Brownell took her flour-begrimed hands out of the dough that she was mi.xing. A thought that had been troubling her for weeks again came to h.er. What would she buy for her brother’s Christmas present? Again the only answer that came to her mind was. “Get him a necktie.” When her holiday baking was finished, she went downtown, keeping in mind the fact that she •.addn’t siiend too much money. She walked down Main street, glancing into the shoj) windows for ideas, yet all things were either ])riced toi high or would not be a suitable present for her brother. She gave uj) all hope of finding any- thing different when she saw a display of gaily- colored neckties in a small shop window.

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THE BARRETONE Vol. I Published !: ' the Pupils of Barre High School, Barre, Mass., December, 1929 No. 1 EDITORIAL STAFF h ' ACULTY Editor-in-Chief, Gladys Abbott, ’30 Leroy L. Dawsi n, Princi])al Asst. Editor-in-Chief, B essie Montgomery, ’31 Errol L. Buker, Sub-Master Literary Editors, Elza Dahart, ’30 Selab Richmond, English Lois Harrington, ’32 Marv E. Neal, French Schcjol Activities Editor, Mary Taylor, ’33 Lucile B. Bovd, History Alumni Editor, Edward Hancock, ’32 Marv lb Butler, Latin Sports Editor, Richard Riley, ’31 Marion E. Estey, Helen E. Chase, Commercial Jokes lulitor. Miatti Wiitala, ’31 Music BUSINESS STAFF Lucv D. H. Rice, Drawing Business Manager. Adele Dunbar, ‘30 School Nurse . dvertising Manager. F rancis AlcQueston, ’30 Daisv Al. Ilanscom, .Asst. Advertising Manager, llenrv Puchalskv, ' 31 James V. Skelly. Manual Training Circulation Manager. Clara Carter. ’. 0 Mildred P. Heilman. Domestic Science Dear Readers : As this is my first appearance Before the ])ubhc view, I wish to beg your forbearance — Pm young, inexi)erienced, new. I ' ve tackled my work with zest, nd you can readily see I’ve tried to do my best To j)ortray school activity. And then as 1 grow older And all mj ' faults I see, 1 hope with me you’ll rejoice In the fruits of victory. The Barretone.

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THE BARRETONE 7 As she entered the store, a clerk came forward. “What can I do for yon, Madam?” he asked with a smile on his face. “I am looking for a present for my brother. I saw the disjday in the window and I thought a necktie would he the thing.” The clerk took several boxes from a shelf be- hind him. “Here is a nice bright, cheery one, suitable for a young man,” said the clerk, holding up a tie of red and silver stripes, a most gaudy affair. “That is rather pretty and he is a young man but I don’t want to take the first thing I see.” said Mrs. Brownell. ' Pile clerk showed her many other ties of gay. drab and medium shades. To most of them Mrs. Brownell shook her head. Gradually the smile wore off the clerk ' s face. A look of disgust ap- peared in its plaice as Mrs. Brownell suddenly exclaimed. “I guess I will take the first one you showed me.” Ruth Mann, ' , 2. A DAY AT BARRE FAIR I ' he first impression one gets as he enters Barre Fair is a confusing medley of sounds. He can hear the lowing of cattle, the buzz of the police- man ' s motorcycle, the cry of the balloon man and fruit vender, the whirr of machinery from the ex- hibition hall, and the excited voices of the throng which j)resses eagerly forward to see the sights. If he goes the first morning he will hear much noise from the direction of the grandstand. It is made by the loyal high school students, who have come to cheer their athletic teams on to victory and ])o.ssession of the athletic cu]). Incidentally they are com])eting for the cheering cup and their rival costumes make a bright splash of color on the fairgrounds. Most ])eo])le like to go to the e.xhibition hall first. There they see products of agriculture and machinery, wonders in sewing, cooking, and art. It is a most interesting sight and offers a s])lendid variety of entcrtiainment. After looking at the exhibits, one usualh ' trav- els through the midway or main thoroughfare. Here he finds “chance” booths, lunch tents, ex- ])erts ( .• ' ) in palmistry, novelty booths, amusement tents, a sideshow, merry-go-round, ferris-wheel. and chair-swing. It is really intensely exciting to watch them all ! Many people come to see the horse shows and races. There is much entertainment in this as well as ])rofit for the winners of the competitions. There is always a vaudeville at the fair, and one can enjoy the mischief of the clowns and the breath-taking stunts of the trapeze performers to his heart ' s content. .■ t night there is a grand dis])lay of fireworks. I ' hey make a noise as loud as a cannon’s and light up the sky with the hues of a rainbow. . s the visitor leaves the fair-grounds, tirei. sleej)} ' and sunburned from tbe day’s exertions, the last things he sees are the fairy-like lights of the ferris-wheel and merry-go-round. However, he is (juite willing to leave them all for the com- forts of a warm bed and joyful anticipation of the glorious time next year’s fair will bring. M. L. T.. ’.kb SPEAKING A PIECE Public si caking has started in your school and you are among the first to speak. You spend many hours memorizing } our piece. Your ]:)rinci- jial announces the order of the si)eakers for Fri- day and you find that you are last on the list. I ' riday morning comes and you try very hard to apjiear at ease, but your nervousness is over- powering. The auditorium is filled with nearly two hundred students and you begin to feel verv queer, as soon as you enter the hall. ' ou and your classmates, who are also to speak sit in the front row always reserved for the speakers and cheer leaders. During the opening exercises, you fumble with your pa])er and try very hard to regain your ease. It is all in vain, ’ou grow more and more ner- vous as the others declaim. Finally, after what seems months of waiting, you hear the principal call your name. ; s you mount the steps to the platform, you stumble, and a strange feeling comes over you. Everything is blurred and misty. You nod to the lirincijial and faculty, who are seated on the ])lat- form. I ' hen, with a feeling of dread in your heart, you face the student body. .A heavy mist gathers be- fore your eyes. ' Ani hesitate, trying to think of the first line. ' ou start to speak, but your voice seems small and faint. Finally, the mist clears and you sjieak the rest of your jiiece with the vi or of a small boy catching his first large fish. Then, the last words are .s])oken and you leave the platform, amid a burst of applause from the