Gardiner Area High School - Quill Yearbook (Gardiner, ME)

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I4 THE QUILL jOHNNY'S FIRST DAY IN SCHOOL It all happened when I was five, I can remember it just as plain. It was the day I began to think All teachers were insane. Oh, I got there so early, jus' so's not to be late, But the old bell was ringing jus' as I reached the gate. The teacher stood scowling on the steps, And said, No talking in the line. My opinion was that she thought That she was pretty fine. I stood there talking jus' the same To a bright red-headed boy. No teacher's telling me what to do, If she does look like Myrna Loy. At last we got inside the place And I began to look around, But I soon found out you had to take A seat and not make a sound. The teacher took a pencil and pad And went all around the room, Asking, What's your name? Where do you live? Funny she asked us that so soon. Pretty soon it was recess time, And we all went out to play. I was just aching for a iight, So quiet I'd had to stay. I marched around the school yard A-shoving here and there. If I saw anyone I 'didn't like, I'd stop to pull his hair. One fellah thought he was smart, And grabbed me around the leg. I turned and grabbed him back, and said, That will knock you down a peg. The teacher came along just then As mad as she could be, But, of course, as I was a big shot, That didn't bother me. She took me to the principal And she told him I was bad. I said, I don't care if you whip me, But please don't tell my dad. The teacher took me back downstairs And set me in my seat. She said, If you don't behave yourself, You're going to miss a treat. She then told us to fold our hands, And also shut our eyes, And after opening them we found Each one had a s'prise. Some had cars, some had trains, Mine was a little red ball. I decided right then and there Teachers aren't so bad after all. -Ellen Leighton, '40 MY FIRST EXPERIENCE ON HORSEBACK It was about four years ago at a riding camp in the Green Mountains of Vermont that I underwent the horrible experience of a first horseback ride. With the help of

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THE QUILL 13 they need but the slightest excuse, anything will do. Why do we let this imp get the best of us? Already, going around a corner Cin my mindj I bump into Worry who asks in an exasperating voice Ctry as I may to shush himjz Is this theme as good as you thought when you started to write it? Is the subject 'chosen appropriate for a theme? Is it better than your last? I'm defiantly writing my last lines just to show him, but I know that little haunting whisper I'll be hearing until I get my paper back. I haven't yet conquered him. -Ann Pomerleau, '38 IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE white road stretched ahead through the brown fields like a strip of sur- geon's tape across Nature's surprised face. highway sped one lone car. The long Along this john Davis, its driver, was not reckless, but he could not be blamed for speeding a little, for he had the road to himself. It was a cool, sunny day in October. The distant forests were turning all shades, as if many colors had been stirred into a blend- ing, harmonious whole. Everything fore- told a peaceful, uneventful drive. The last rays of the sun were still tinting the leaves when a large, red-lettered sign loomed up ahead of the speeding car. Davis saw that the red letters spelled SToP just in time to bring the car to a screeching halt beside the sign. He jumped from the car, looked about for some obstruction, then he looked at the sign. It read, SToP falling hair with Dr. Simonson's I-lair Tonic. After glancing about to see if anyone had observed him making a fool of himself, he got back into the car and drove off, with only loath- ing for Dr. Simonson and his hair tonic. Two hours later, however, he had for- gotten all about that sign. Suddenly the white cones of his headlights showed the word HWARNING.,, Again Davis brought the car to an abrupt stop. A few seconds after- ward, he drove away with a clashing of gears, feeling exasperated with sign-boards in general. That one.had read, UWARNINGI Winter is coming. Fill up with Non-Freeze and be safe. He surely wouldn't be taken in like that again! That is why an hour later he didn't stop when he saw a sign reading, Danger! He thought, Hmph! Danger from falling hair or frozen radiators? and kept speeding along. Then there was a great splash. If john Davis had stopped to read that sign, he would have read, UDANGER! Bridge Out! Use Detourf' -Perley Leighton, '39 A SHORT STCRY I walked up the rickety stairs, my heart in my mouth, and knocked at the door. No- body answered, so I walked in. Nobody was there, and I sat down. Then a mysteri- ous knocking started. I thought somebody was at the door, but I noticed that it was just my knees banging together. I heard a funny ticking, and after a while I realized that it was only my brain starting to work. just then somebody stuck a gun in the door and shot at my heart, but since my heart was in my mouth, the bullet did little dam- age. He shot again, but because I was so frightened, I jumped right out of my skin, and so the second bullet didn't hurt. He then stepped in the door and said, I'm going to skin you alive. But since I had already jumped out of my skin, I just handed it to him and told him not to go to all the bother. At this time I recognized him. Don't ask what happened next because I dropped dead. -Arthur Lasselle, '39

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THE QUILL 15 three men I finally succeeded in reaching the saddle. There I sat, my feet glued to the horse's stomach, looking longingly at my friends on terra firma, who looked like the Lilliputians in Gulliver's Travels. I felt as Humpty-Dumpty must have felt on the wall. Now for a pleasant hour in the ring. Following about five others, my horse be- gan to walk. We were coming along fine, when that dreaded command of trot rang in my ears. An instructor told me to kick the horse in the ribs as I observed the others doing. So I did, and the horse started up. The stirrups slipped away from my feet, and I was practically lying on the horse's back, which felt as if it were going to sink right down when it would suddenly spring up. That terrible feeling went on until that lifesaving command of walk and halt was given by the instructor. I more or less fell off the horse and limped back to my cabin where I belonged. A horse was certainly no place for me. -Natalie Goodspeed, '40 TODAY'S THE DAY Today is the day to begin. Stop wander- ing aimlessly through the days waiting for tomorrow to come. If you have an ambi- tion to fulfill, begin by working gradually and get some success behind you. For ex- ample, take any famous person. Those who could be sincerely considered as worth while all had to begin at the beginning- even as you and I. They had to climb the ladder of success, step by step. Some may have tottered halfway up, neverthe- less, they reached the top. In comparison, name a few who gained success, overnight, as it were. Tomorrow, they find themselves where they started because they had built no stable foundation to their mansion that towered into the sky. Then there is another class. These remind me of a small child, who, when just learning how to read, will repeat the first few, dirty, thumbed pages over and over, proud of the fact he has mas- tered these few words and lacking the desire to proceed into farther realms because he is unacquainted with them. I fully realize that I'm not capable of ex- pressing it as would a more experienced per- son. Irving said, when all the contempo- rary authors made contributions in honor of Shakespeare, that he wanted to add his share. Likewise, I have made a poor at- tempt, but for a different reason. One thing, at least, everyone can comprehend from my witches' cauldron of words, and that is: start today -tomorrow will be too late! -Ellen Pomerleau, '40 THE STORY OF A CCDMMON PIN First, I shall tell you a little of my history. My early ancestors came from England to America. My great-great grandfather was born in America in 1812. Not many of us were brought into the world until 1836, when the Howe Company was organized. Many superstitions prevail about us, the origin of which is unknown. See a pin and pick it upg all the day you'll have good luck. I-Ie that would steal a pin would steal a greater thing. See a pin and let it lie, then in want you'll come to die. You