Freedom Academy - Echo Yearbook (Freedom, ME)

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really didn't need it. Whenever she came, she had to come through the back door and go out the same way. Of course, Mrs. Vandergould wouldn't want any of her friends to see this poor old fisherman's wife leaving or entering her fine house! Her name was Martha. In re- ality she was a very dear person! The Vandergould children loved her, but could only see her when mama was gone. If their mother ever caught them being friendly, they would get a sound spanking for it. Working for the Vandergoulds was Martha's only way of earning extra money, so she took these unwarranted insults and snide treat- ment, and kept on working. Some- times, when she came, she would bring a few home-made donuts because all of their food was store bought. They enjoyed these very much but, unfortunately, took them and ate them in secret. One morning the Vandergoulds decided to go on a little vacation trip to the village across the big lake. It would be a three days journey in their small, slow-going boat. Martha was to go along to keep everything clean and in order, but was to remain on the boat while they went about having fun. They felt they could not take her with them into the village. It might spoil their reputation as Mrs. Vandergould said. So they started on their journey. The second day a sudden sharp wind arose, the sky darkened hur- ridly. As the wind rose and blew harder, the small boat tossed upon the rough, choppy, foam-crested waves. The heavens seemed to open and great blinding sheets of solid silver rain covered them. Mrs. Vandergould grew suddenly white, some subtle sense suddenly made her realize they could not last long under these conditions. For once, I believe she really prayed, but she didn't get upon her knees. After all those were costly nylons!! All of a sudden there was a crash! The boat was flung forward by a huge Wave, and when it fell sharply into the trough of the waves, one of the heavy irons of the boat broke loose, was hurled about, until it suddenly made an ugly hole about the size of a per- son's arm in the side of the boat. No one saw this but Martha. She hurredly fought toward the spot, bent over gasping, battling wind and the incoming water, thrust her arm into the hole. The water came in no more. After she had stayed in this posi- tion for seeming hours, her body grew weaker, she lost consciousness but still crouched there. The Vandergoulds, who were in the cabin below, did not even seem to miss her. As the storm grew calmer, finally, Mr. Vandergould went up on deck. There in the cold- ness and dark which the storm had

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In 1924 I planned a hunting trip to British East Africa with a few of my Wall Street friends. They were John D. Rockefeller, J. P. Morgan II, and a few others of my associates. We planned to leave, May 24, 1924. On May first I went to a sporting goods store to buy some guns and supplies. When I looked at the guns I was very embarrassed. When I looked down the barrel of the gun, the clerk started laughing for I was looking down the barrel all right, into the muzzel. We started out for Africa at 1:00 p. m., May 24, 1924 on the Prince James. We arrived in Africa on June 1, 1924. We started for the interior of Africa the next morning. On the way we took some pictures of animals like the white zebra, elk, and water buffalo. Q Funny where all these animals come from! J Once we were in the interior, I went to find an elephant. After a mile of walking, I found a bull elephant. He saw me about the same time I saw him. He charged meg I fired once, twice, three, four times before I discovered that I had only a double barrel shot gun. Anyway the elephant dropped dead. When I obtained a closer look at him, I noticed he had long shaggy hair, curved tusks, and was bigger than most animals. When the rest of the group came, they said that he was a mammouth which was supposed to be extinct. We followed a well-worn path that led through a long cave After we left the cave, we discovered a sight never before seen in this modern world. We saw before our excited eyes, mammouths, sabre-tooth tigers, three-toed horses, and all kinds of extinct animals. Well, this ends my story, for my time is ended in this world. Mae Peppard '55 A WASTE OF TIME, PERHAPS As I was taking care of my brothers and sisters the other even- ing, one of my sisters, Judy, asked me to tell a story. This is how I began. Once upon a time in the land of Nod there lived a very rich family. Because of their wealth, they felt superior to everyone else. Here Judy stopped me to ask what superior meant. I neglected to answer and went on. They lived along the shores of a very nice place to fish. The name of the large lake was Lilly Lake. Because it was excellent fishing, there were a lot of fisher- men living nearby. But of course, the rich family, who were known as the Vandergoulds , would have nothing to do with thepoor fisher- men. And knowing how the Vander- goulds felt, in return, none of the poorer fishermen bothered them. There was one elderly Woman who was the wife of one of the less Wealthy fishermen. She came each forenoon to help clean the Vand- ergould house, which, of course,

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left, he stumbled upon Martha, crouched on the deck, her arm still keeping the water from rushing in. He knelt and turned her body, but all too late! Martha was dead! I think, though, that she died happily for she had saved someone's life. And, today, on the shores of Lilly Lake, there is a grave with this epitaph engraved on the stone above it: Here lies our beloved Martha and each year the Vandergoulds replenish her grave with tears and beautiful flowers. You see, it took the life of a lovely woman to open the eyes of foolish people. I glanced at Judy to see if the story had left her sad, but she sat there amusing herself with a book. Well, didn't you like the story? I asked her. I didn't listen! she answered. You didn't tell me what 'superior' meant. THE FROG POND Up in the pasture and a little way beyond, There is a large rock by a small frog pond. I used to look forward every spring- A little pail I would bring- Walking up slowly beside the rock, So I could see the iiock, Of big frogs. But the big ones always seemed to disappearg But if everything was quiet, they would reappear. It wasn't them I really was looking for, It was the little polywogs, Sunning themselves beside the logs. I would scoop them up into my bucket, Homeward slowly I would lug it. Up everyday with the pail I would go, Swinging it high and swinging it low! Now comes summer's long hot weather. Then water in the clouds seems to gather. Then the sound of the croaking of the frogs That jumped in and out and over the logs, Would go away! They never came back to play Until the next year came around. Then again I would hear the sound Of the croaking of the little frogs, Jumping in and out and over the logs.