Fitchburg High School - Boulder Yearbook (Fitchburg, MA)

Page 17 text:

REFLECTIONS as if weeping in sympathy with the ehildren. Then the heart disappeared and all was as before. Soon I felt another fieree stab in my heart and another drop of blood oozed out. This time the sur- face was longer in clearing and when I could see within I could not clearly understand. What I saw was a large room in which were many little girls and many large boys. The little girls, whom I soon recognized as my classmates, were busily writing. But who were the large boys? Moreover, why did the little girls repeatedly tear up what the 3 had written and write more ? Some of their faces were sad and others noticeably cheerful. Finally the clouds of sadness which had rested on their faces appeared to clear away and each little girl carefully folded what she had written and put it near her heart. My mind began to clear. Certain recollections came over me. Recollections of former impassioned efforts. The picture faded. A street scene appeared. Bands were playing, flags waving and people marching. Clearly and sweetly above all the rest of the music, above all the noise, came the strains from a flute. As it approached I saw that it was played by one of my classmates, who, accompanied by many oth- ers, was marching in the magnificent parade. Boys from the freshman, junior and senior classes were marching also, but they passed almost unnoticed, for all eyes were directed toward the boys of the class of 1903. Their dignified and graceful bearing was the feature of the parade. I had reason to be proud of our boys. The scene changed again. This time the romantic second floor of our noble school appeared. It was being guarded by my classmates. Each wore the senior colors. It seemed that the seniors were busy 15

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REFLECTIONS The scene faded away and another aj peared. In this my honored classmates appeared active. They seemed to be sj ending their time with inanimate objects. A tall boy was joyfully embracing a broom. A short bo3 was tenderU picking paper from the floor. Another whom I easily recognized by his gen- ial smile was triumphantly scrubbing the sink. Oth- ers were eagerly vicing with each other in their attempts to dust the room, and still others were happily engaged in collecting tacks, gleaming, hun- gry-looking tacks, from the chair seats. Already, in their early youth, their irrepressible love of work was appearing. As this scene faded another took its place. A large hall was in view, some stairs leading down at the right. Scattered around on the floor were some pieces of white substance — here a nose, there an ear, yonder a piece of an eye. It seemed to me that the pieces collected and put together would remarkably resemble the features of Daniel Webster. A tall, stern, 3 et kind-looking man appeared to be tacking a notice up on the wall. It read : FRESHMEN BANISHED FROM THIRD FLOOR. A crowd of children were pushing their way down the stairs. Some were indignant, others were crying. Not one was laughing. One little fellow with hazel eyes and dark hair gave the sign a vicious kick as he departed. I looked at the children and my heart felt heavy with sorrow for them, for they were my classmates in their first year of trouble. Evidently their worth had not yet been discovered. Third floor to basement! What a drop! As the last little fellow disappeared the heart began to melt into tiny drops 14

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REFLECTIONS attending to their flag. And tlie juniors were l)usy also. They did not like to see the worthy sophs wearing upper elass eolors. No, the juniors were wrathy. Thew tried to snateh the eolors awa Of wliat avail were their feeble efforts ? S])artans of room 22 and room 23, unapproaehable, (also irre- proaehable,) held out against the juniors. Truly, in its sophomore year the elass was fast developing. Another fieree pain in m} heart told me that a third drop of blood had saerificed itself to duty. The red drop changed to white and a large white heart appeared. Astonished, I gazed. Surely we had not become white-hearted. A rim of gold slowly crept around the edge of the heart. Then I understood. I could scarceh ' repress a cheer for the gold and the white, the dearest eolors in the world. Then I turned my attention to the interior of the heart. I beheld the room of a well-known friend. In it were man bo 3 s and girls in whom I recognized my classmates as juniors. All were busily chatting, when a bell rang, and with many a sl 3 “See 3 ou after school” and numerous other phrases characteristic of child- hood, they seated themselves at their desks. As soon as the room was quiet, the owner of the green rib- bon announced that she had notes for several of the boys, calling their names. Each boy as he heard his name mentioned bashfull advanced to the desk to receive his note, not knowing from what rosy- cheeked maiden it might have come. But alas for dreams of a rosy-cheeked maiden ! Each note curtly read, “Will see you after school. W. Obear.” And strange to say, W. Obear’s “See you after school” did not have at all the same effect upon them as the other “See you after school.” The scholars had set- tled down to their studies — that is, to all appear- 16