Freedom Academy - Echo Yearbook (Freedom, ME)

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pen. There my first assignment was a visitation to a distant school in said district. Here a rash had brok- en out among the children which no one was able to controll, so I looked into the matter. I at once diagnosed it, the itch , but later discovered it was the measles. So I was discharged. At once the authorities urged me to seek a new job, but not until the whole town was quarantined. I left that town, then I found another Nursing job. But strangely, I soon was discharged from that. I never could understand why, but I guess it was on account of my good looks. You see, I was five foot one, I only weighed 162, had coal black hair, which I had cut in the latest fashion -a boyish bob with bangs. This was in the days of short skirts, and I really did justice to all the latest fashions. I wore glasses to help straighten my cross eyes. You see, I knew I was quite a beauty even without considering the added at- traction of my Roman nose. Well, now my nursing career is almost at an end, except for this my last case. I am now nursing a sick dog. I must look at him at once. Oh, well, the dog is dead so I guess my career is at an end. Delta Fowler '55 TRUTH'S GREAT REWARD In the slums of a large city there lived a young girl. Her most impor- tant job was taking care of her younger brothers and sisters. She had been left in care of them since she was 12. Her mother and father had been killed on their way to a big party. Since then Mary knew her job would be to do her best for the ones she so dearly loved. There were four sisters and two brothers. Bob, the oldest brother who was 15,, tried his best to sup- port them. The smaller brothers and sisters all looked to Mary for faith and comfort to live on. She taught them as well as possible the things which would help them most in their life. They could not go to school because of their poor clothes. One night when Mary was very tired and forlorn from her long day of work, she decided to take a walk. She left her brother, Bob, in charge of the children. While she was walking she saw something lying in the street. She picked it up quickly and found it was a brown wallet! She opened it and there before her eyes were Oh so many bills! She had never seen so many in her life before! Her fingers smoothed the bills as she stared at the money. She turned and went quickly home. When her brother Bob discovered what she had found, they wondered what they should do with it. They sat up long that night and discussed the matter. Poor Bob was so dis- couraged that he said, Why not keep it? No one needs it worse than we!

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winners were announced. Suddenly it came--the shock that nearly caused me to faint! I had won! I had sort of figured if I did win, it could be no higher than 3rd prize. And now, best of all, I seemed to be one of the gang, for the kids all crowded around and loudly and lovingly con- gratulated me. I stepped forward happily and ac- cepted the 3100. Soon after we left to go home, but iirst, Mother and I went downtown to get some candy, popcorn, and a few little things for the children to play with out of my EB12. As mother and I walked home hand in hand, we both noticed how much more the North Star seemed to twinkle-as if it too was smiling for Tommy. Nancy McKenney '54 MISSING IN ACTION A little old lady sat contentedly rocking in her small chair, knitting, and looking out the window period- ically, as though expecting someone. The mailman appeared and she jumped out of her chair with a leap, belying her age. She was expecting a letter from her Baby who, though twenty-one years of age, was still a child to herg and was now far away fighting 011 the battle front in Korea. The mailman was slowly walking up the path as though a depressing thought was weighing down his mind. The old lady, not noticing this, yelled a cheery good afternoon. Not looking up he said, Afternoon, Mam, and hesitatingly handed her a letter. She looked carefully at the postmark and saw it was from Wash- ington. Though not from her son, she opened it immediately. Suddenly she saw the words Missing In Action, leap up--then blur. She gasped, swayed, and the letter, released by her nerveless fingers, fiuttered away in the breeze. As she sank to the floor, the last words she gasped were My Baby! Missing In Action! Carolyn Cates '55 THE NIGGLING NURSE In the fall of 48 , I went to Mex- ico to go to Nursing School. The name of the school was The Noc- turnal Nursing School for Noddy Nuts. There were seventy-Iive en- rolled in my class. At the beginning of the first se- mester, I was considered the head of my class, but by the end of the year I was considered the heel of it. My teacher's name was fand would you believe itll Mrs. Mattie Mopp, whom we nicknamed, Ringlets. And WAS she a tartar!! Finally I graduated from The Nocturnal Nursing School for Noddy Nuts. On my diploma was printed in bold type ON CONDITION. Soon after finishing I received a job as the Public Health Nurse in Ningpo, China. I was assigned to twelve schools in the district of Jih-

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Of course, Mary had no intention of keeping it. The very next morn- ing Mary took the money to the policeman, who to her, always seemed to stand on the corner. He was the first person she thought of to Whom to give the money. He took it and promised to find the rightful owner. As Mary returned to her home, tears blinded her eyes as she watched the bright-eyed Tony who needed shoes so badly, and little Linda who needed new clothes. Why couldn't they have been rich chil- dren! She quickly brushed away her tears before the children saw her crying. This they seldom did. She fondly washed and kissed each one playfully as she sat them down to a breakfast of leftover po- tatoes and crackers. Even with so little, they ate like little bears upon finding a tree of honey. About 3 o'clock that afternoon she heard someone knock at the door. She quickly opened it and there stood an elderly lady, very nicely dressed. Are you Mary Saunders? she asked pleasantly. Yes Mary said shyly for she was not used to strangers. Won't you come in? The lady came in and sat down. She did not appear nosey or any- thing as lVIary had expected her to. Are you the young lady who found this wallet?', she asked as she took the familiar brown wallet from her pocket. Yes, answered Mary, with a satisfied look on her face. They sat and talked over the in- cident, and finally the lady asked Mary if she had folks. After hear- ing the story she told Mary that she would like to have her come to live with her. Just then in came the children from their play. But you see, I have to take care of my brothers and sisters, and sure- ly I could not leave them. Oh, 1 see and with a final smile the lady left. After Mary had told the children about the lady's visit, nearly all of them soon forgot it, although in Mary's heart, she kept a place for this motherly person. A week later a car stopped and again Mrs. Blanchard appeared. She told Mary that she had come for her and her brothers and sisters. After Mary's consent to leave, to- gether they collected the children's most prized possessions. Mary soon learned that Mrs.Blan- chard's husband had died two years before and that she lived alone in a large gray house. She had always been lonely for children whom she loved so much. So, after thinking it over very care- fully, she had decided to take these motherless children. Each one slept the best that night that they ever hadg but Mary, before going to bed, thanked God for His kindness, kissed her new mother, and vowed always to be truthful. Nancy McKenney.'54