Fitchburg High School - Boulder Yearbook (Fitchburg, MA)

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REFLECTIONS ances they had, when suppressed little giggles from different parts of the room denoted that “something was doing.” The patient ruler of the room tried in vain to find out what the matter was, then appar- ently settled to her work ; but she eaught a glimpse of a paper being quickly whisked across an aisle, and being of an amiable disposition decided to make friends with that paper. Of course she succeeded, for smiles always make friends, and this paper was the ‘‘Junior Smile.” As this picture faded another appeared in which I recognized our first junior class party. Happy faces everywhere. Apparently every one was greatly enjoy- ing himself. This picture had faded away and I was wondering if any of our “scraps” with the seniors were going to be portrayed, when another picture appeared and I saw a large room crowded with my classmates. All seemed to be gazing intently at a piece of green and yellow cloth lying on the floor in the center of the room. They did not look as if green and gold were their favorite colors. A straight young man was saying, “Well, now, look here” — when the picture faded away and another came. It was a hall with a crowd of boys and girls dancing. The boys, as well as the girls, appeared in short sleeves. By looking through the open sides of the hall I could see the pale glimmer of water near by. It had a gentle suggestiveness. A cloud passed over the picture and then slowly both picture and heart disappeared. One more stab, one more heart of gold and white, and the scenes of the senior, the crowning year, were at hand. In the first picture I saw the halls and library of our dear old building beautifully decorated. In the library stood our principal, his wife and two 17

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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

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REFLECTIONS teachers. They were welcoming each jjupil and ]jar- ent as he or she advanced. After having been re- ceived all passed into the hall again, where good things were generally enjoyed, and parents and pupils and teachers all talked at once. As soon as my duti- ful classmates saw that their parents and teachers could safely be left to entertain each other, swiftly they departed to the darkened halls above, where, after having bribed the orchestra, which was pro- ducing sweet sounds in the assembly hall, to play a waltz or two, they proceeded to happily emplo} themselves. In the next picture a dance appeared. As I looked a waltz was in progress. Whose happy voice did I hear gasping “In the good old summer-time?” Big letters S. S. (senior success) appeared. Rightly named was that party, I thought. For the next picture was another dance. Laurel and red hearts of pasteboard appeared everywhere as decorations. Strange faces were mingled with those of my classmates, but every one s eemed to be happy. The fun was in full progress. All were hunt- ing for candy hearts. I wondered if candy hearts were the only kind found. I surely did not expect to find the next scene a dance, but it was. The decoration was extremely attractive. I guessed that the party was one given by a strange school, for unfamiliar faces were every- where. Things happened so rapidly that I can hardly remember them. In the first place, each boy had a red pink, each girl a white one, to which were at- tached parts of quotations. By matching these all found partners for the first promenade and dance. Then in quick succession dances occurred. After a while a violet hunt took place, in which one of my 18