Farmington High School - Laurel Yearbook (Farmington, ME)

Page 19 text:

THE LAUREL 17 My First Day in High School THE spring after I graduated from grammar school, there was just one thing that filled my mind. I was to enter high school that fall. Everything went tlhrough my mind. I was scared and pleased both at the same time. When September came I equipped myself with new pencils, paper, pens and note books as all Freshmen do. Then that awful day arrived,-my first day in high school. Tfhe night before I could hardly sleep a wink, and in the morn- ing I could not sit still long enough to eat my breakfast. I thought this was the big- gest day in my life. I went to school about seven-thirty, I thinkg anyway, I guess I was the first one there. I waited and waited for ages it seemed. When the up- per classmen began to arrive CI don't want you to think I was self-consciousj, it seemed as if their eyes were centered on me all the time. Probably they didn't even see me. All I could see was staring eyes. I thought I must be some kind of a freak. VV'hen the door opened I went in but where I was going I didn't know. You know how green Freshmen are, and I was one of the greenest. Well everyone had gone some place and I finally perambulatccl around until I came to this immense room. It seemed to be the largest I had ever seen. I found out afterwards that it was the Assembly Hall. Of course everyone turned to look at me for I had come in late. First I felt as large as a giant then as small as a dwarf. I couldn't see a seat for the life of me. I started down the aisle. It seemed as if I were arms and legs. Suddenly a great voice said, 'A Well, hurry up and sit somewhere. I almost sat on the floor, for in my rush I stubbed my toe and somelhow got into a seat. That was over, and I was some glad but the worst was yet to come. We then made out our study plans. I got all mixed up as usual, and was spoken to about forty times in one minute for whispering. Finally we were told to pass to our first class. I didnit have the least idea where to go, and after wandering around the schoolhouse for about an hour fit seemed that long anywayj, I decided to go into the room where Uhe most intelligent looking people were, for I knew they would be Fresh- men. I opened a door and walked in, but I couldn't rememlber of ever seeing one face, but I stuck bravely and sat down. Every- one was smiling and laughing. Here I was the joke again. Gee! but I must be funny. So to help matters out I began to laugh. VVe all had a swell time laughing, the teacher included. Then she said very kindly, and I know now t1hat she was sorry for me, f' You two belong down in Room Fourg this is the Senior Latin Class. I looked around and found I was not alone in my madness, for there sat a red-haired boy, looking just as miserable as I felt. We left that room pretty quick. I wasn't alone now. I had a companion who was also in distress, to navigate around with me. That teacher had said Room Four, and I was just as much at sea as ever, but we got there just as the bell was ringing. I told the teacher that I had been delayed and she smiled and said that I would know where to go the next day After that I got into the right place somehow. Pure luck, I guess. One thing was bothering me very much. Someone had told me that we were going to get it when school let out. Of course I wasn't scared, just a little bit afraid of what those horrid Sophomores were going to do to us. When it came time to go home I filled my arms high with all tlhe books I had been given. For I had that high ambition all Freshmen have for the Iirst week. It 's too bad how we slump. Vwhen we were dismissed the principal told the Sophomores to stay, and maybe that wasn't some relief to us. That noon I couldn't eat dinner I was so eager to study those books I had brought home with me. That was the first and last time I ever had that desire. I studied all Uhe afternoon and

Page 18 text:

16 THE LAUREL carefully trained Laddy had put her. I-Iad we not reason to be proud? It was one beautiful September morning at daybreak as Laddy and I stood on the slope of a lhill watching the sunrise, for in those days we were 'up before the sun. As the mist from the valley crept up, a purple haze enveloped the hills and the dusky-red streaks in the sky perfected the appearance of a vast eternal fire consuming the earth. Then suddenly tlhe sun burst forth in all its glory. The beauty and picturesqueness of this scene thrilled me and all I could do was to stroke my pet and say, H This is our great day for it means victory or defeat. How well he understood those words was doubtful. We were entered for a race that after- noon at the Fair. The time passed swiftly that morning and the next eventful hap- pening was tlhat the ponies were under the wire ready to race. The crowd was clamoring and 'betting as usual, but as I looked around I saw that a new, strange pony had entered. But Laddy, with his head erect, neck arched, ears pointed, and his wavy mane flying in the wind, pranced, feeling himself monarch of all. The signal was given and the ponies were off, Laddy and Uhe new one head to head. I encouraged, spoke sternly, and even whipped my pony and yet we were even. Was this to cause the downfall, the ruin of my hopes? No, never! I cried, and yet we were even. Shame, terror, and sorrow entered my mind. I began to think that I was not so big, important, or mighty and that there were others besides myself. At last tlhe end came when all my pride, superiority, and self-importance fell to humble insecurity for-I lost first place. Sylvia MCLd'ltg11fl'f7Z. YT My Eighth Grade Graduation Miss O'BR1EN was one of that rare type of women, who could speak without shout- ing and at all times keep her voice under control. She was a slim, tall, brown-haired per- son of an' extremely fine idea of how classes should be conducted and children treated. For days beforehand, slhe minutely coached us as to how we should walk for- ward, how, and say H Thank you, when they gave us our diploma. On the eventful morning we assembled, dressed all in white and with shining faces -due either to the newly born desire for cleanliness or lack of powder, 'hair won- derfully and fearfully frizzed-and more or less conspicuous as a whole. However as long as I'll live, never shall I forget one dress. It was a white organdy with ruffles, and all the necessary trim- ming to produce the effect of a doll, and being worn hy a plump girl, increased the idea. Another girl had a crepe dress, with real flowers on the shoulder, a girl of extraor- dinary good looks and who since has failed to see the need of education and discon- tinued the practice of going to school. Special mention must be made of the present President of our class, who on trhat day, was exhibiting his now famous grin and taking in everything whiclh was going on around. After graduation, everyone shook hands with us, wishing us well and offering many hints as to what our future life would amount to, now that we had progressed so far along the sea of educa- tion. When we finally went down to Luce's to have our pictures taken, it was a self- important group. I wondered, feeling that my mind was so far superior toimy associates, what un- told heights might I not reach. My castles were complete. I possessed the self-confidence of youth, whiclh is a wonderful thing. , Since then, my would-be assuredness, has been sadly routed by stern authority. Thelma Meisner.

Page 20 text:

18 THE LAUREL long into the evening. The funny thing about it was, that the only lessons we had been given were to read the Introduction and look the book over. The introductions surely got some reading. I know every word, and the books got some going over. I had the best lesson the next day, I ever have had, or hope to have. Why, I would be a genius now if I had kept it up. Prob- ably I would be having Valedictory, and all the other class parts too. Clara Bell Russell. Peanut 4' PEANUT stayed with us two summers in all then lhe went to a boarding school. They were the summers the was nine and ten, just Sis's- age, and I was two years older. We had some fun those seasons and some of the awfullest fights too. But lights and all, there 's not a one of us, who, if we could spend a week of those summers within the next month, would throw up the chance. We were little ragmuHins and in the big shed chamber found a paradise. The Hoor was loose and uneven and there were big places in it where the planks were gone and we had to jump but we didn't mind. I've often thought since that those days must have been a trial indeed to my mother, rto see us up there hanging out over an abyss, of ten feet of more to the lower shed Hoof. We had a place fixed on Dad's old tool chest so we could get up there, there weren't any stairs and a lad- der we couldn't lift, but the arrangement we had 'was unique. A series of old boxes in diminishing sizes-one on top of the other made up the stairway to our celestial domain. Up there we held pow-wows, built bridges, and had Arabian Nights' Entertainments. Dad stored the sleds and sleighs up tlhere too, raising them by means of pulleys, and when we played Hide and Seek , that game eternal, we had the most precarious places lying on the rafters and the most invisible was under a sleigh seat. Poor Peanut ! He would run all over the barnyard and through the big barn while we were securely lhid in the shed attic. Sis had brains for devising means of escape and worked out a plan of a concealed exit where we went out through our old window and dropped to the ground about five feet from the goal. But 'K Peanut caught on to that one and we could only work it by intense coopera- tion and cleverness. Gnce I remember quite well Peanut tried to work that gag himself and got caught on a big spike. His clot'hes couldn't have been very good material be- cause they gave way with that funny tear- ing and squeaking sound and he went on his face in the grass. A little thing like clothes couldn't hinder his fall but then it never lhindered any of us. We 'wore any- thing that served the purpose of covering modesty. There 's an old black coat, it 's in my 'K play trunk now I think, that I used to wear. It was of coarse weave and big black and white check and when it be- gan to grow cold at dusk Mother would call to us to come and puft something on if we wanted to play out any more. We 'd all rush for that coat and the victor in the fray wore it as a trophy while the other two mourned in a brown ulster and old grey sweater. The beauty of the coat at- tracted us. We called it beauty then, now it would be K' striking appearance . That coat has been used for everything from carrying hay to makesfhift tents. Tents! Thereby we three wasted precious time draping tree limbs, rake handles and cart tongues. A precious car- pet of doubtful age and color, became in this sport, priceless. It was one day Arabian, the next Boy Scout, then perhaps Indian or Romany. Tent styles intrigued Sis then even more than 'hat styles now. And Peanut reveled in tents, too. An- other weakness of Peanut's was old bottles . fIf antiques are still the vogue ten years from now, Peanut will be one