Fryeburg Academy - Academy Bell Yearbook (Fryeburg, ME)

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22 The Academy Bell OF SUPERSTITIONS AND THINGS ARE you superstitious? Do you believe in lucky numbers, jinxes, or even ghosts? For if you do, it,s a sure sign that not all your instincts and emotions are as civilized as you may like to think. Of course you know some of the common, every-day beliefs that we hate to be aware of, but are so vital. There,s the black cat, unlucky I3 for 3, or whatever your favorite may bej, and don't forget-never walk under a ladder! If you Find it necessary to explain away that curious action to some laughing friend, tell him the ladder might have slipped and fallen on you. It's logical. One of the most beautiful of our ordinary superstitions is that of wishing on the evening star, I-Iaven,t you ever seen the first star shining at night in a dark, blue sky and said softly: Star light, star bright, First star I see tonight, VVish I may, wish I might Have the wish I wish tonight?,' Confess, now haven't you? Don't feel foolish, though, we all have some little hoodoo that makes a disturb- ing appearance now and then. You won't be ashamed of yours if you know just a few of the queer superstitions commonly believed in in other countries. Sea- faring nations especially have some of the most interesting. For instance, the Nor- wegians actually believe in the existence of a hex, or a merman-a sea animal half Hsh and half man. He is popularly supposed to wear a small red cap and is never seen more than once in seven years. Think how tame 'lthree on a match is to that! If you want a really eerie superstition, one on which you could easily base a good ghost story, consider this one of the Skipamal,,' or speaking ship. It is said that utterances come forth from the hulls of old vessels, although it naturally fol- lows that few understand the strange language. A few superstitions may actually be based on scientific facts. Take an old French belief that the position of a drowned body may be discovered by a Hoating loaf of bread. If you really want an explanation, the most logical seems to be that the loaf will possibly be carried the same way the body was. That probably isn't fool- proof: better not experiment. Don't give a sailor friend any cause to mention a four-footed animal while he's on board ship, at least if you still want him to be a friend, for it will certainly bring bad luck. That little gem of a jinx originated in Scotland, and is one of a series of like superstitions that are as numerous as Fish in the sea. Now that you know these few, cross your fingers and hope for the best. The only good way to get around them is to believe in predestination. They may inter- fere even there, who knows? But in all seriousness, some dark, stormy night when you're all out of mystery stories, get an authentic source and look up some

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The Academy Bell 21 Grover Bancroft sat before the fireplace reading a yellow and faded newspaper. Susan sat across from him knitting busily. Neither spoke, but both seemed happy and content. Yes, they had died some hundred years ago, but the life they had loved had never really gone. They had lost nothing but the troubles of their mortal years and had retained the peace and contentment in the hereafter. Pos- sibly the children of the town were unknowingly aware of the old Bancroft House in its true sense. Perhaps that accounted for the awe they held for it. Fantastic? J Perhaps, but who can tell. IANE BROWN, ,AB BASKETBALL BLUES WHERE is the team? Where is the coach? Where is the gym key? Where are the basketballs? These and a million other questions were running through the minds of the two lone representatives of the F ryeburg Academy Girls' Basketball Team one afternoon. A-ah, here comes Miss Moore with a few othersf' There was a great rush for the gym door, and Midge, in haste to get a basket- ball, was the first one on the Hoot. She spied a ball under the bleachers and ran or started to run to get it. The dance of the night before had been forgotten and she had the entire sideline in stitches from watching her antics on the waxed Hoor. First she rolled back on her heels, then a leg went up in the air, the other lower limb deciding to go to the side, and poor Midge was just a tangled heap. No scrimmage today, girls, declared Miss Moore after seeing Midge's fate. We settled down to a routine practice, but later decided that the Hoof wasn't too slippery to try a scrimmage. Teams were chosen and Miss Moore had an over- viciousn guard as her opponent. During one of the rougher moments of the game the guard made a grab for the ball Capparently with both eyes shutj, got Miss Moore's head instead and tried to bounce it. This may be somewhat enlarged upon, but as a result we found our coach spread out on the Hoof with a somewhat sickly expression. A ball rolled under the seats and Ianie went to get it, but of course she couldn't stop at the edge of the court. Oh, no, she had to see if she could dive through the space between the seats of the bleachers. Her elbow hit the lower seat, her head made a dent in the upper, and approximately half of lane was under the bleachers and the other half out. Everyone was really going places in that scrimmage. Someone would run for the ball, catch it, and slide five yards from the momentum. An involved discus- sion followed on the question: Is she traveling? There have been many other picturesque tumbles, accidents, and mistakes during practices. Once Miss Moore, in an attempt to get the forwards to shoot more, cried out, Shoot yourself, Mary! at which words Mary quickly passed the ball to someone else because she wanted to play in Friday's game, and how could she with her brains blown out? NANCY DINSMOREI ,46

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The Academy Bell of these hoodoos Theyill really surprise and interest you. You'll even find your hair standing on end if you're in the right mood, So goodnight, good reading and remember at twelve o'clock the ghosts walk! - PATRICIA ROBERTS 46 PROPHETICAL The rain came down, the day was drear, No sun's rays made the morning clear, And all was solemn, all forlorng The joys of yesterday were gone. The rain beat hard and harder stillg It made streams out of ev'ry rill. No people walked, yet in the street I heard the sound of marching feet. A streak of lightning pierced the sky, And still I heard the steps pass by, While thunder pealed with om'nous roar As if depicting trouble sore. And as I watched a stream How by Along the road, before my eye, No more its clearness washed the streetg Now it was blood-red at my feet. Still did those tramping footsteps tread, They seemed unheeding of the red Now flowing faster through that hell, While rolling thunder tolled a knell. As still I watched that gruesome sight, It seemed I saw a patch of light, With caution peering through a cloud, Which long had hung-a deadly shroud. Yes, then t'was certain that the sun Was coming through-the rain was done More slowly still the red stream Howedg The steps grew fainter on the road. A church bell rang, a Whistle blew, The sun's rays shone then bright and true. More bells pealed out along the way, And doors were opened to the day.