Fryeburg Academy - Academy Bell Yearbook (Fryeburg, ME)

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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.

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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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24 The Academy Bell i Then no more ghostly footsteps trod Across that wet and blood-soaked sod. Instead of martial tramp of feet, F ootfalls of freedom filled the street. Tho, happy people laughed and cried, From time to time one of them sighedg For still the garnet stained earth Was there reminding them of death. But soon they cast their gloom aside- The reason why the dead had died Was so the living might live on- Have freedom, license-sorrow gone. So twilight fell on world serene, For soon the sod ,gain would be clean.- Then I awoke in world war-torn-, Saw people suffiring and forlorn. Yet still my dream encouraged meg I saw this strife not long to be. The rains, the blood, the tramping feet, The battle-over and complete. Soon twilight on this troubled scene Will fall, the red earth will be clean By morning, when we'll start anew To build our world-a union true. IANE BROWN, '45 SHADE AND SHADOW DARKNEss is pervading all things. The long shadows of afternoon have now spread, covering all things in this silent march. The golden brown and tans of afternoon have faded into the grays and blacks of evening. Those bright clouds that hung silver during the day have now become beauti- ful shades of gray. Beginning with pitch black in the east, the hues run across the skies until they become a little lighter over there in the west where the sun was last. Now all the friendly buildings and trees have suddenly become menacing giants without form or shape. They tower high above us, all their former shape gone. The advancing wave of darkness robs them of their daytime dress and clothes them in shadows and darkness. This is a picture of shade and shadow-the world at twilight. RICHARD COFFIN, ,47