Fitchburg High School - Boulder Yearbook (Fitchburg, MA)

Page 29 text:

LITTLE JOURNEYS the immense hall in whieh we found ourselves. Then, while waiting for the theatricals to begin, we amused ourselves by writing our autographs on each other’s programs. (It is well to add just here, that of all the methods for losing one’s pencils, I consider the autograph game about the limit.) After the play — which, by the way, was very well rendered — there was a long and tedious wait before the dancing was to begin, enlivened only with a little tumbling exhibition by Misses Jennison and Munn. We had, in fact, al most given up hope of having any dancing at all, when we were delighted by the arrival of an orchestra composed of three whole pieces, and it was announced that the first dance was to be a grand march. After this came a waltz, and we began choosing our partners and looking forward in anticipation of more to come, when we were paralyzed by the announcement that there could be no more dancing. No more dancing! Confusion! Why, what did we go down there for? But the prin- cipal was inexorable ; we might go through a prom- enade or two if we so desired, but never a dance could we have. While we were deciding whether or not to boycott the grand march, however, the or- chestra packed up and left us in the lurch, thus forci- bly reminding us of the lateness of the hour. After another scramble in the dressing-room and a general leave-taking all around we all piled into the car and started on the home trip to Fitchburg and civilization. To Gardner Again. Our Reception. Did we have a good time ? Well, say, from the time we left Fitchburg, till we again reached our 27

Page 28 text:

LITTLE JOURNEYS thntcar; wc sang and 3 clled and danced and shouted ourselves hoarse to tlie manifest enjoyment of our fellow-occupants. But all good things must end, and so did that day, yet its remembrance will linger long in many minds. To Lunenburg. One da along in December Miss Stockwell issued a general invitation to the class to go down to “Lunenham” and attend an amateur play and gen- eral good time to be given b} the senior class of the Lunenburg high school. That evening about fifteen or twenty of us, chaperoned by Miss Spaulding, boarded the car for Lunenburg and started off in high spirits. On the way down, we were given a little entertainment not on the program. Poor Guy, blindfolded and utterly squelched, was compelled, as part of his initiation, to sing songs and do various other stunts for the amusement of the occupants of the car. And what made it all the worse, was that Ellstrom was losing no time in making the very best of the situation. (For the benefit of the unenlightened, we will add that Ruth was on board.) Finally, however, the conductor shouted “Lunen- burg” and we all tumbled off as best we could. At first we were utterly dazed and bewildered b the multitudinous sounds and brilliantly glaring lights of the great metropolis, but at last, under the guiding hand of our chaperon, we were all safely landed at our haven in the to wn hall, where for a very bad quarter of an hour we were squeezed and jammed and pushed about and stepped upon in a cloak room “ builtfor two.” After a while we managed to find our wa3 upstairs and took seats together in the front of 26

Page 30 text:

LITTLE JOURNEYS respective paternal domiciles, all was one continual round of enjoyment. That fudge — sure, it was the best that ever was. But when we reached Gardner, certainly this was fairyland. Myriads of Chinese lanterns lighted our pathway ' , and when once inside we literally walked on flowers. It was May Day and that hall was a veritable bower of the “Queen of the May.” Flowers underfoot, flowers in our hands, flowers overhead, and CA ' erywhere our beloved gold and white. Who could wish more? Yet there was more; for there was Gardner beauty itself everywhere manifest and mak- ing us feel thoroughly at home. Then the grand march and then the flower hunt, and every bit of ice was broken, all constraint was at an end. To say we hugel3 enjoyed ourselves, would be putting it mildly ; in fact, we cannot find words in which to adequately express ourselves, and so will conclude by proposing “Nine ’Rahs for Gardner.” 28