Fryeburg Academy - Academy Bell Yearbook (Fryeburg, ME)

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THE ACADEMY BELL 29 PA'S TRI IUBLE Pa Adams was an Atwood's Bitters' fiend. Every night at seven o'clock, Pa would be seen to go to the cupboard, take down his bottle of Atwood's Bitters and drink out of the bottle. For over thirty vears Pa had done this same thing. Whether he thought the medicine did him any good or not is doubtful. Nevertheless he still stuck to his bottle of At- wood's Bitters. Once in the spring when Ma was cleaning house, she bought a bottle of furniture polish, and as Pa was out of Atwcod's Bitters she bought his medicine too. She placed these two bottles side by side in the cupboard. That night when Pa went after his Atwood's Bitters he reached into the cupboard and without looking at the bottle he took out the stopper and began to drink. He took a couple of swallows, and then began to cough and spit. What in tarnation did you do to these Atwood's Bitters, Ma ? yelled Pa. Why nothing, replied Ma. What is the matter? Matter enough, can't you see? said Pa, still coughing. These Bitters are killing me. Which bottle did you get them out of? she asked. The Atwood's Bitters bottle, what do you s'pose! Ma never said a word but she had her doubts. From that day to this Pa never took any more Atwood's Hitters. PHYLLIS MARSTON, '28, AN UNSEEN SPEC'I'A'l'0R Nearly everybody called her sister. She was really a very pretty girl, with blue eyes and golden curly hair. One night she was in her bedroom in front of her dress- ing table making herself as beautiful as possible. I was there in a corner, but she did not notice me. She combed her hair and smoothed it all down, then she went to the closet and picked out a great many pretty dresses and said to herself, I wonder which color he likes best. I think the

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28 THE ACADEMY BELL But after all the hardships suffered and endured by these faithful pioneers, did they find a land of wealth and sunshine at the end of their journey? A few gained the rule they so eagerly sought, but the majority barely made a living tilling the soil, for the labor of getting this gold was worth three times as much as the gold itself. Was the sacrifice of our ancestors then in vain? No, for in the end it gave us a firm possession of the Pacific Coast, for this wilderness of California was settled by brave and energetic men and women. By increasing the amount of gold in circulation it brought trade and industry not only in California but throughout the United States. After the gold began to give out the men found the real gold of California: its vast farms of sheep and cattle, its vast vineyards, and its orange plantations of which California is proud today. So through the desire of the people from the East and Middle West to explore and build up this unknown land, through their desire for gold, and by their hardships, suffer- ings, patience, energy, and endurance, California has grown to be a state of the Union of which the people of the United States today speak with so much pride. HELEN EASTMAN, '28. GETTING EVEN WITH SISTER I Without correctzfonsj My sister she's 'awful fussy when it comes Saturday because her boe comes to see her. The other night I wanted to go skating so I told her I was going. She told me to stay at home and go to bed early so I Wouldn't spy on her and her boe. So I got good and mad and I went. She had been curling her hair and getting all slicked up for him. I went skating and got back before he come so I hid under the couch and pretty soon my sister KL and her boe came in and sat on the couch and began to talk. They turned the light low and I wondered why they done this because she had slicked up so. I thought she wanted everybody to see her. They laughed over every little thing and once my sister said something funny which made me laugh. I laughed right out loud. They heard me and asked each other what that noise was so of course they looked under the couch and he pulled me out and asked me what I was doing. I said I was asleep under the couch and somebody made a noise and woke me up. But I got even with her and I am glad I did. WILFORD NICKERSON, '31.

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30 THE ACADEMY BELL blue one is the most becoming, so I guess I will wear it. It really is pretty if it is my own dress. So she donned the blue dress which made her look sweeter than ever. Then she put just a touch of rouge on her checks, a little eye- brow pencil on her eyebrows, and a bit of lipstick on her lips. She then manicured her fingernails and after a few more littls pats on her hair she went downstairs to the living room. I knew she was going down there, and I went down a short way and beat her. I was not surprised to see a young good-looking man waiting there. He did not see me. I attended to that. I sat down in a corner and had just got nicely settled when sister entered. The young man arose and I heard him murmur, Oh, how sweet you look tonight, Muriel. Muriel smiled sweetly and they seated themselves on the davenport. Soon, I saw Harold's arm steal behind Muriel and I heard him talking to her in a very low tone. I could not understand what he said, but I think that it must have been something nice, for sister blushed shyly, and I heard her say one word, Yes, Then Harold seemed very happy and they sat there and talked in low tones for what seemed ages to me, and I guess that I must have fallen asleep, for when I next heard anything the clock was striking two, and Harold was just bidding sister goodnight, or rather, I should say, good morning. They both seemed very happy and I heard them saying something about asking father tomor- row. I don't know what they were going to ask, do you? Now, I suppose you think that I am sister's brother, and that I have been telling tales on sister, but to tell the truth I am only a wee little mouse. LILLIAN SMITH, '28. JACK MAR'l'IN'S IDEA It was back in the country among the hills and valleys that a poor boy by the name of Jack lived with his parents. The day before Christmas, Jack came into the kitchen where his mother was preparing supper. Mother, he whispered, I've a feeling that God doesn't want me here on this earth.