Fryeburg Academy - Academy Bell Yearbook (Fryeburg, ME)

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THE ACADEMY BELL 31 His mother looked up astonished and said, My son, what on earth are you thinking of ? He went on half whispering, half murmuring, I don't get toys and all kinds of things at Christmas. I don't have any pleasures, just hard work all the time, while city boys have everything. His mother took him by the hand and led him to the cliff, beneath which the river silently flowed. There his mother sat down. Then she began, Jack, you said that the city boys have everything. I want to name some of the things you have which the city boy never even knows about. Then I hope you will change your ideas. There is the valley, the trees, the lake, and the moun- tains. Now you must tell me whether you had rather be a country or a city boy. When he chose the country boy, it seemed that never before had the river Iiowed so silently. Just then the sun sank and it seemed at that instant to light up the whole world. ARLENE BLAKE, '31, AN EX PERIENCE The ice was out of the pond in the town where we lived, and so my pal and I decided to go Smelting the following Saturday night. We got our equipment together and were ready to start when along came Pud Hawkins, who was the fattest man in two townships. He asked if we were going smelting and as we said Yes, he said that he would like to go along. We didn't really want him, but we were polite and invited him. It was nine o'clock when we got to the brook, after having had to cross a mile of swamp filled with alders. It was hard work to get nets through the bushes, but we let Putin go ahead to make a way for us. We arrived there and were having good luck. Pud and my pal were dipping and I was taking the fish from the nets to put in the pails. The bridge that we were standing

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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.

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32 THE ACADEMY BELL on was narrow and hard to work from. Suddenly We heard a great splash and looked to see Pud who was milling around and hooting at the top of his lungs. He looked like a hippopotamus taking his Sunday bath. After a few mo- ments had passed, while I was endeavoring to reach him with the pole, we noticed that our feet were soaked. Glanc- ing down we discovered that the water was up to our waists, caused by the displacement of Pud's body. We were in a bad fix now. We couldn't get him out of the Water, therefore we left him and both of us climbed a tree. We stayed there almost an hour while Pud yelled for us to help him. At the end of that time We heard a motorboat coming up-stream. We tied a rope to Pud and with the motorboat pulled him to a tree where he could stand on the bridge. The water immediately subsided and we went to catching smelts again. I think that was the last time Pud Hawkins ever went smelting. KENNETH SMALL, '28. STATION G-L-O-0-M SPEAKING I am going to tell the little boys and girls a bed-time story. Good evening, children. Once upon a time there was a little girl named Red- Riding Hood. One day she was going to see her grand, old, bent, crippled, and haggard mother-in-law. On her way she met 40,000 hungry, angry, blood- thirsty wolves, and they showed her their red fangs and their long, sharp, cruel looking teeth. Red-Riding Hood said, 'What do you use such ghastly, ugly looking teeth for, friend Wolves ?' The wolves said, 'To eat you with, my dear! And they immediately tore her from limb to limb, crushing her bones to powder, and then left her remains in a pool of clear red-hot blood. And she did not live happy ever after. Good night, children, and pleasant dreams. Station G-L-O-0-M signing off. KENNETH BONNEY, '29,