Central Washington University - Hyakem / Kooltuo Yearbook (Ellensburg, WA)

Page 30 text:

a pile of logs. A fine drizzle had set in, and I was so afraid I would miss mv train I ran nearly all the way lack to the landing. This time I was fortunate enough to pick out the right rise! and in a short while was on the gravel road again. 1 shall never forget that lonely walk. The trees had grown together overhead and a death¬ like silence prevailed. 1 didn ' t dare look l ack for fear I would see a wild cat fol¬ lowing me. Every time a leaf fell or a twig broke. I was sure a wild cat was creeping on me, and when a flock of grouse went whirring through the air I knew I was taken. I reached the station about I o ' clock. 1 have called it a station hut it was only a rough shed which served for a Ixaggage room and a ticket office. There was no stove and I was damp and cold, hut 1 did not mind that for I would soon he home 1 waited until two, and inquired at the office and found that the train was half an hour late. The half hour dragged on to a whole hour, one whole hour lengthened out into two, hut no train came pulling along. I began tu realize what a small break¬ fast I had eaten. At the little grocery store I bought ten cents worth of dried up stick candy and tried to eat it, and this was Thanksgiving l ay. When it l egan to grow dark I thought how I would enjoy a fire. One of the party from town had carried something that resembled a violin case. He was probably stringing it up now, and how I loved to dance! Hut still 1 waited. Some time near five the train came. It took alwut an hour to travel to the next station At this junction I expected to take an intcrurlnn. which would take me home in about twenty minutes. I figured it all out and found that I would get home just in time for supper. 1 always did like cold turkey best, so I did not mind missing my dinner so much. When we got to the junction 1 found the car had just left, and they only run every hour. 1 gave up hojies of being in time for supper, but then they knew tile part of the turkey 1 liked best and it would lie ready for me. It was seven thirty when I reached home and was greeted with, “Why, it got so late wc thought you weren ' t coming, so we ate the last bite of turkey. (1. K„ ’09.

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%irniitm Shankaghmuj Qai| at inmtf T O me. Thanksgiving Day had always I wen associated with home and turkey. The first year 1 was away front home, the people I lived with planned to have a big partv on Thanksgiving. When asked to stay and share the work and pleasure of entertaining I said. “No. 1 can ' t. 1 have never been away from home in Thanksgiving, and this isn ' t going to be the first time.” This settlement was out in the country, where there were only a few girls hut any number of boys, and I knew 1 would greatly oblige the hostess by staying. Be¬ sides, 1 had taken quite a fancy to some of the young men and would Itave enjoyed the day. The more they urged me to stay, the more determined I was to go. The nearest railroad was eight miles away. The mail carrier, who was an obliging fellow, would take anyone who wished to ride with him. He started at seven. I was at the postoffice long hefore seven o’clock. The roads were very muddy this time of the year and. as lurk would have it. he took his one-seated rig. When he drove up I saw that he had already picked up one passenger, so my going with him was out of the question. There were smiles of satisfaction on everyone’s face when l went ! ack to the house. Now you may as well make up your mind to stay with us.” ”No, I ' ll go if 1 have to walk to the depot. No one offered to take me. so. 1 had a short walk before me. There was an old forsaken county road which made the distance to the railroad some two miles less, I decided to take this. If there is any one thing I am afraid of. it is that some day I will meet a wild cat. My friends knew this; and this morning, while I was waiting until time to start, it seemed as if they all wanted to air their experiences with wild cats. They told how one had l een seen crossing this old road the day before, how one had been shot the week before, and so on. ’The train left the station at two o ' clock. As I went out of the kitchen door about ten, I caught a glimpse of a turkey nicely brown¬ ing. As I went out uf the gate. I looked up the road and saw the party from town. They were laughing and singing—hut I was going home for Thanksgiving. The first part of the journey was up a long hill, called the Hill of Heaven. I never knew how the hill got its name, and this day 1 was quite out of patience with the name and the hill. A number of skid roads arc on top of this hill. The old county road had been used for a skid road for alniut half a mile. Any one acquainted with skid roads knows that they all look alike. 1 picked out the one I thought was the main one and followed it. After going about three-quarters of a mile it ended in (29)

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$mtlr Po you know what it means to be the leader of a society.” said Bess as she fell ill a heap on the couch. No, but 1 know what it is to have a room mate that is.” re]died Bess ' s roommate 1 know I ' m a burden and a bore to my friends, but I ' m down in the depths tonight.” continued Bess. You just must hear what I ' ve got to say. You may choke me when I’m through, or have my dessert tomorrow, but you ' ve got to listen. Fire away. called Fan from the alcove, “I ' m going to bed but I’m all eats, so liegin. You see. Mr. M. said in his talk yesterday that one essential of a successful teacher was cheerfulness, so I made up my mind to begin acquiring that happy faculty of smiling, whatever may betide. This morning I didn’t hear the breakfast hell, so 1 missed eggs—I never dreamed we would have eggs Thursday morning. if course I had to be cheerful about missing them, but I was not. Then when 1 got up to my first recitation I discovered I had lost my pencil and forgotten my note book. It was the first day in weeks that Miss V. had given us notes—I smiled and was cheerful and let the notes go. Then in assembly Mr. M. talked about ‘order.’ Cheerfulness simply over whelmed me and will you. who are a student of psychology, please explain why I should have an insane desire to laugh? No, you can ' t. Well, 1 did. Then lunch! The least 1 say alsiut lunch the better. “And now comes my Waterloo. The Society! I don ' t sec why they put me in as leader, anyway. Kveryone comes in late and talks in i airs like the animals in Noah’s ark. I’m sorrs that pillow didn ' t lut you, my aim is getting poorer each day. Mavlie the animals slid not talk hut history is emphatic on the pairs. “You know we are supposed to give a public—stupid things any way. You ' ve no idea what the confusion at the Bald tower must have been, unless you ' ve attended one of these meetings. Instead of each one speaking in a different language, each one has a different plan for the public. Of course I ' m leader and the whole thing ended by my having to take the whole responsibility. “At dinner the editor-in-chief asked me to hand in my material tunight. I was ready to tear my hair, but 1 smiled, and said I would. There was not a letter for me. Why doesn’t somebody write to me. 1 have not had a letter in two weeks. The girls wanted me to go to the show, but how could I, 1 am dead broke? (31)