Fitchburg High School - Boulder Yearbook (Fitchburg, MA)

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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

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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 classmates took the prize. For intermission partners, candy in little May-baskets had to be matched, and ni} elassmates were making fine progress in the art of acquaintanceship, when, like a flash, the hall turned to an electric car, where candy and jollity seemed to reign. The next was a sehool scene. My classmates were marching into the assembly hall. The boys wore white tags upon their backs. These tags bore the black figures, 6 to 1. Their faces were exultant with smiles. Away in the baek of the room did I see the sad-faeed juniors? Another schoolroom scene appeared. In the large room in which seniors are given the honor of sitting, nearly all of my classmates were assembled, but they did not all seem to try to speak at once. They were quite polite; none of them spoke at onee, in fact, they didn’t any of them speak at all, for school was keeping and they were busy doing nothing, whieh is the law of seniors. It was so still it seemed as if all must be lost in thought. I imagined what my class- mates were thinking about. Were they thinking of spilled ink, or broken pencils, or hard lessons? Not at all. Were they thinking of hasty words or brok- en friendships ? Not at all. Shall I tell you what so gloomily held their thoughts ? Yes, that my words may in some way help the future classes and save them some of the pain which all seniors have experieneed. Underelassmen ! When you feel a sad and irresistible gloom eoming over you, when you are choking with a strange feeling, you know not what, throw it off. Do not allow yourself to think. Run, jump, dance, do anything, or grief will over- eome you and you will not be able to help it. You will think of the long 3 ears of work you have had 19