Central Junior High School - Reflector Yearbook (Saginaw, MI)

Page 17 text:

F iw S THE ANNUAL REFLECTOR -15 -'HQ 1+ saw that a woman had fainted as she was about to set foot on the first step. Her companion helped me carry her into the parlor. When she regained consciousness she asked for me by name. :Are you Captain John Walton? es. I am told that the figurehead over your door was found by you in the Indian Ocean? Yes, I answered wonderingly. The woman was a foreigner of great refinement and showed traces of having been beautiful. Tell me about it, she continued. I told her the little that I knew wonder- ing as I did so at the apparent emotion that shook her. When I concluded she asked if she might see the figurehead again. It was evident that she had been looking upon it when she fainted. As we walked to the door she smiled sadly at me and I knew without be- ing told that the Mystery Lady was no longer a mystery. 4 After she had gazed for some moments upon the iigurehead, the stranger accepted my invitation to come in to the garden, where, over a cup of tea, she told me this story. My husband was a merchant in Lisbon. His ships sailed the Seven Seas. Shortly after we were married, the keel was laid for the largest of all his fleet and in a year or so I christened her and was so happy. My husband, of course, named her Marga- rettan-my name-and I think he loved that great ship second only to me. He ordered the greatest wood carver in Lisbon to make a figurehead for which I was to be the model. It was considered good luck then for a ship to have a beautiful woman figurehead. Many voyages the sturdy ship made to the Orient and back, laden with spices, silkens, rare perfumes, etc. Then there came a voyage when much ill luck seemed to befall the ship and my husband blamed the captain, and announced his intention of accompanying the ship on her next voyage. I begged and pleaded with him not to do so but in vain. From a bal- cony, high on the great house which was my home, I watched with agony the proud ship as she left the harbor carrying the great treasure of my life with her. Each morning of the days that fol- lowed I would climb to the balcony to watch the ships that set out to sea in the purple morning, at noon to watch the wharves thronged with people, and again at eventide to gaze upon the city bathed in the rays of the setting sun, and there I would kneel and pray for the safety of my husband and all who, like him, were at the mercy of the cruel sea. Months passed and now the ship became long over- due and still no word came. Then one day I saw seven ragged, worn seamen making their Way slowly to my door. I scarcely heeded what they told me for I seemed to know it all before they spoke-how a great gale had struck them and all aboard had perished save these seven who had been picked up, after many days of torturing hunger and thirst. Then it seemed my life was finished, continued the old visitor. After many years a neighbor of mine who had been visiting in America returned home and told me that he was certain he had seen the figurehead of the Ma'rga'retta here in this village. So, you see, it was necessary that Icome and look upon her once more. Is that all? asked Margaret, as she had asked many a time. Yes, that is all, answered grand- father. I offered to give the Spanish lady the figurehead but she declined it saying she would like to think of her statue living on in youthful beauty in a youthful land. QJXOID To the 9A Class Our lives have just begun We're just beginning to see the sun. Once we were at loss to know what to do, But now we know-be fair, square, and true. We must be examples, you and I. Don't you see how important it is, we must try. The path of learning is our sun, And our path has only just begun It's a long, long road and a rough one, too But I am game and so are you, Let's all of us travel the road together Through thick and thin, and all kinds of weatherg Though you may leave our class some day You'll never, never be gone to stay, For if together we start, together we'l1 end Acquaintances at first, friends at the end. Just a speck of that sun is ours today But that speck of sun's in our heart to stay For it's the first few miles on our road to glory And a happy beginning to our long, long story. Laurabelle Minnis, 9A 636'

Page 16 text:

V 'K-L sages 14 THE ANNUAL REFLECTOR +I 1+ The Reflector Literary Contest mHE Reflector Literary Contest, the results of which are herewith printed,was conducted during March and April in order to stimulate activity along literary lines as well as to create interest in this, our Annual Redector. We are happy to present the following selections out ' of over 100 praiseworthy entries and you may rest assured the judges had ' a very difficult time making their decisions. Our congratulations to every single person who entered the contest for the excellence of the material submitted. We wish every single one of you could have received a prize! Let us express our appreciation to the teachers who so generously gave their time in the judging of these entries. ' The Mystery Lady First Prize, Story Contest, by BIRD-ELLEN M. GAGE N a quaint old New England city on the shore of the Atlantic there is preserved an interesting relic-a carved figure- head of a beautiful woman holding aloft a laurel wreath, as if waiting for some de- serving stranger to appear to claim the honor. In the old days of whaling ships, every ship had its figurehead, in fact, sailors refused to sign on a ship that did not carry one which was usually the figure of a woman, as they looked upon such a figure as a sort of guardian angel which would lead them safely home to their families. The iigurehead that gives its name to my story is one of unusual beauty. For many years it crowned a ship chandler's establishment but on the retirement ofthe merchant, he placed it on the roof over the verandah of his fine new home. Onefine May day two children wereplay- ing in the sunny garden of this house while its owner, their grandfather, sat nearby in an easy garden chair watching, as always, the sea. One of the children, the eldest and a boy, suddenly stopped in his playand ran to his grandfather, saying, Tell us again grandfather, the story of the Mystery Lady? Very well, John, replied the elderly man. With his words the child Margaret came running to take her favorite perch upon his knee. lt was in 1865, began the grandfather, that the ship the Juan?1tcz,, of which I was captain, was speeding homeward on the Indian Ocean when suddenly the lookout shouted woman afloat! A boat was lowered. The sailors were surprised to see a colossal Hgure, delicately featured and painted, cradled in the arms of the sea. She was amazingly lifelike with black flow- ing hair and white robe. The laurel wreath in her hands was green. Carefully we raised the figure and hoisted it to our decks. Then we found her too large to be placed in the hold so all we could do was to saw the 'figure in two below the Waist and stew it away in the hold. There was no way of knowing to what ship she belonged. There had been many severe gales. Only one thing We could say with certainty, she must have headed some great merchant clipper voyag- ing to the Indies for silks and sandalwood, for this was no common figurehead. A great artist must have designed her, for beauty is revealed in every feature. in the folds of her garments but especially in her lovely smile. We brought the figure, known now to the crew as the mystery lady home here where the town gave her a royal welcome. For many years she has been like a part of myown familyf' The old man's voicetrailed into silence and he seemed to have finished his tale. But he was not to be allowed to do so before the stirring conclusion on the story which the children knew as well. as he did. UGO on, grand-fatherf' urged Margaret, tell us of the lovely lady who fainted on your doorstep. 'iYes, it is not so many years ago, al- though some time before either of you were born, that one spring day, the door bell rang violently, and when I answered it I 6

Page 18 text:

F 1 1 L egg? x THE ANNUAL REFLECTCR MI 1 141+- , 8, 3. 9. Reflector Club , 7, Reilector Printers , Safety Patrol , Cast of A Peach ofa Family , Spanish Dancers, Oh, Doctor an 5 5' 9 eval-aw-a Q Qi M gsfiff Ng 1 10, French Club 11, Inside Traffic 12, Camera Club 13, Student Council 14, Seven Chances 15, Fred McMaster 16, Charles Brennan 19, Mabel Bauer . 17, Nancy Eastman and Helen Fallier 18, Jean Boquette and Jane Wienecke