Cochran Junior High School - Yearbook (Johnstown, PA)

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HARMONICA BAND JUNE 1927

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I I LITER RY I I WHO ISAIT? In the morning she is always the first one up, and I know she is often more tired than any of us. She first sees that everything is right before calling us from bed. We always come down stairs to a hot breakfast and then start off to school. She always sees that we have everything for our school work, and sometimes when we are half Way out the door, she calls us back to get a handkerchief or something else we may have forgotten. After everybody is gone she starts with the cleaning. ln the hottest days of the year every- thing must be cleaned, and thoroughly. She Works the whole day long, running from the room she is cleaning to the kitchen to see how the dinner is cooking, and then back again. At noon she al- ways listens to our troubles and good news as we call it. She always has some consoling answer that somehow makes us feel good. At noon there is a steaming hot dinner waiting for us. Then we must have something Warm to drink before going back to school. We never wash any breakfast or dinner dishes but sometimes help with the supper ones. No wonder her hands are not as beautiful as they would otherwise be. After we go she does perhaps the ironing or darning and sometimes sewing. When someone comes to tell her his troubles she is always a sympathetic listener. She works hard, I know, but she always greets us with a smile, when we re- turn from school. I hardly remember the day that We came home and didn't find her waiting for us. Supper was overseen just like dinner and after everything is cleaned up again she would help us with our nightwork, first giving Amy spelling words for her test the next day, then hearing Carolyn recite her eight-time tables, and listening to a poem I have to learn for the next day. At-nine o'clock Amy and Carolyn must go to bed, and she al- ways sees to it that they are tucked in properly. After that she comes down to darn some stockings, sew a few buttons on or do some other task that could not be done during the day. After everyone is asleep she is often awake, trying, trying to make things better for us. This is my mother. THE RUNAWAYS I As he walked out of the house, Jim wiped his tear-stained face and mumbled, I don't careg they don't treat me fair. I won't

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COCHRAN AERIAL 63 stand for it. There was Jack just coming from the sand lot with his bat. Well, what's eatin' you? he asked. ' ' Ah, just because I left the baby and went out to play ball, I had to get licked. I know what Iyll do, I'1l run awayf, Where'll you go P I'll join the circus, or the movies-or-or, I know. Lets you and me run away together. You're not treated right either. Don't you remember the time you got it for playing on the roof of the old barn? Letls run away to my grandma's farm. - Gee, I'm afraid. Jack slid his hand along the bat, and looked doubtful. My grandma won't care. We can work on the farm. Will you? Ah,,come on!', Jack promised at last to meet him next evening at the corner of Main and Market. Jack was to tell his mother that he was sleeping at Jimls. At eight-thirty the next evening they met. HWhich Way do we go ? asked Jack. I don't know. Let's just keep on walking and when We get to Exville, I know the way from theref, With this view in mind the boys bravely trudged on. Their strong twelve-year-old legs did not give out easily. They had been walking along slowly, chat- ting of the good times they would have on the farm when Jim's voice quivered, Do you think there are any bears in these woods, Jack? It's gettin' dark. I don't knowf' was the shaky answer. Don't you think we had better go ba-. Oh, look, Jim, there's a cottage. Maybe we can spend the night there. Finding that no one answered to their knocking, the boys walked in. They looked around and finding a candle, they lighted it. There were a table, two chairs, and two badly Worn hunks. In no time the boys were fast asleep. With the rising of the sun, ,Tack was up and had examined the surroundings. He found, not far away, a wild crab apple tree and a few wild berries. Stuffing their pockets until they bulged, the boys tramped on. At last they came upon the highway. During the remainder of the day they got lifts. Sometimes the occupants of the cars shared their lunches with them. Finally they reached Exville and from there they easily found the farm. jim's grandmother was surprised, but she said nothing until they had their fill of warm milk with bread and jam. 'fVVhy didn't you let me know that you were coming? she asked