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

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s THE QUILL and fancy candy for the Christmas feast. Alf though many friends and families did not feel the security of warm homes and nice things to eat, they were happy because they were allowed to celebrate Christmas in a land of freedom. We did not have to strain our ears for the sirens warning us of an approaching air raid, to crowd into bombfproof cellars like sardines in a can in order to stay alive a little longer, nor to try to think where our next meal was coming from. We were safe. Many Americans went out and sang Christmas carols to their friends, while in Europe bombs were raining down on innocent people, people that had never done anything wrong in their lives. Why should they be made to suffer for other people's greed for power? They were not allowed to celebrate Christ' mas as they had in the past. Most of them had to stay in bombfproof cellars. They were separated from their families by oceans. Many of them did not even have a place to stay. We complain because we have to follow a few simple rules, the people in Europe have their lives based on strict rules. We live and act as we please, they can not do what they like. They are prisoners of a selfish ruler who considers his word law, we do not have to live according to some one else's rules. Of course, we have to abide by the laws, but that is not like Europe's way of living. We believe we were created free and equal. We are allowed to have our fun, and we do not have to ask a ruler's consent for that privilege. People in Europe dream of coming to America because of our way of living. They consider our land a heaven on earth. We should consider ourselves lucky if we were just with our families at Christmas and be thankful for what we have and not want more. Let us all hope that Christmas next year will be different from what it was in 1940 for the people in Europe, and that it will have its real meaning: Peace on earth, good will toward all men. -Marguerite Morang, '42 RESULT????? Time-March 20, 1941 Place-Room 2-Senior English Class Characters-The Unfortunate English Stuf dents. Mrs. Smith- The Eortuf nate English Teacher The door opens-enter, Mrs. Smith. Everyf body sits-too quiet. It's too late now! No time to ask questions or sharpen a pencil. We're trapped!! Mrs. Smith, peering over the top of her glasses, looks at each of us in turn, then demands, What have you for the Quill? We stare at her and then stare back at each other-'iBut, what do you want? What shall we write? Anything-that's sensible , says she. Sensible? we all echo back at her. Yes, my children-sensible. I am asking you, the master minds in our midst, to have something ready by tomorrow. fElattery, she believes, is the only method of persuasionj. We gaze blankly out of the window and chew on our pencils, while she stands there, drum' ming her pencil. As no one utters a sound, Mrs. Smith pref pares to leave us to our meditation. Before she leaves, she says, Now remember, children, I shall come around tomorrow and gather up your information. If she only knew that none of us QI par' ticularlyl is very clever. She turns on her heel and leaves us to our luckless fate. Result????7 This! ! ! !! -Rita Buckley, '41 A PICTURES IN THE FIRE It's fun to sit before an open fireplace and see the pictures flash and disappear. All one needs is the crackling log fire and a touch of imagination. Once I saw the thousand ships of Troy launched. They were flaming red and laden with soldiers. For a moment they rocked and then vanished from sight.

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THE QUILL 7 First, we attended a lecture, which I might have found yery interesting if I had not been so anxious to see the main part of the show. At last the lecture was over and my excitement was growing greater and greater every minute. The first thing that caught my eve was a large network of iron bars at the hack of the room. In a short time, a man approached and stand' ing directly in front of the bars. he proceeded to give a short talk on three probable ways in which the world might end. The lights were dimmed and finally darkness fell over the room and stars slowly twinkled out, giving the appearance of an illuminated heaven. Then suddenly a voice boomed, 'LWatch that moon! As the moon gradually grew nearer and nearer. I sat tense on the edge of my seat. expecting almost anything. There was a loud crash. The moon had struck the earth! I had never seen such realistic effects in my life: thunder, lightning, and everything that is part of a violent storm. I had hardly had time to recover from that, when I saw a comet slowly heading for the earth. Closer and closer it came and then Hnally the inevitable collision. which caused a deafening roar. The earth had been blown up. What a tingling sensation raced through mel Then the lecturer began to tell us of an' other way in which the world might come to an end. A slow rumbling sound could be heard, gradually growing louder and louder and resulting in the explosion of the sun. The earth had burned into a great flaming ball. The lecturer said that this was, inevitably, the way in which the world will come to an end. I left the Planetarium much soberer and more thoughtful than I was when I entered. !fean Greenlaw, ,41 AN EMBARRASSING DAY Foa H. E. JoNEs At the soft chiming of a quiet alarm clock, a perfectly manicured hand slowly reached out from between two lavender silk sheets to silence it. ' H. E. Jones got out of bed and stood before an open window, slowly counting from one to ten and alternating with deep breaths. He then got back into bed and rang for his servant. In bachelor luxury he ate a big breakfast and dressed for the office. Taking a last look in the full length mirror, he beheld a plump figure with a shining pink and white face and nicely groomed mustache. He shrugged his shoulders and muttered to himself UH. E., you're all right. Nothing cluttered the polished top of H. Efs desk. A few papers and a few of the most expensive cigars were the only things to be found there. just before lunchtime a commotion was heard in the outer office. I don't care if he is busy. I'm an old friend of his, I want to see him, a loud, hoarse voice was exclaiming. Into H. Efs sanctum strode a red-faced, stubbilyfbearded farmer, who slapped the business man on his flabby shoulf ders and exclaimed, 'lWell, am I glad to see you, Hiram Elmer. How'dye like to be back on the old farm? H. E.'s face got redder and redder, to think that at last one of his schoolmates had caught up with him. Oh, if he could only forget that name of his. Hiram was bad enough, but to have Elmer tacked on to that! H. E. thought, I must get Herb out of here. Even my secretary doesn't know what my initials stand for. What can I do? Finally he said, Here, Herb, have a cigar. You say youlre here only for the day. Too bad. Sorry, but I can't talk to you now. Have a business meeting to attend. 'Tm sorry, said Herb. I kinda counted on seein' you. Ain't seen you for a long time. Nice place you got here, Hiram. I'll have to bring the folks up here so they can-- But Herb was interrupted by a loud slam, and before he knew it he was on his way out of the building. Behind his large polished desk H. E. sank down in relief. He'd forgotten that he had seen his secretary go our for lunch as Herb came in. He was saved. No one yet knew what HH. E. stood for. -Martha Hamlin, ,42 WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANT THIS YEAR I This year in cities and towns all over America everyone was getting ready for the Christmas holidays. People were planning to buy gifts to give to their friends. Stores were filled with people buying fruits, vegetables,

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THE QUILL 9 Then I saw Aeneas. He was dressed all in scarlet and his hair was long and streamed down his back. Over his clothes were gold ornaments that glittered. He seemed to bow before me and as he disappeared, it seemed I heard him say, L'Dido . Only that. Next I saw a pine, straight and lonely. It seemed to he weeping. Tiny drops dripped from the limhs, That, I thought, must he the Lonesome Pinc. Finally the tree disappeared, and a heautif ful dancer followed. I saw her move grace' fully into a dance, her scarlet draperies floating around her. Soon I found myself looking at a Held of slender corn, Tiny black and red hirds flutf tered overhead. Then it wasn't corn hut a mass of men moving on light feet. I could see their spears and shiny swords. Gradually they marched from sight. Then I saw joan of Arc. She was lashed to a streak of light and the hot flames were leaping upward. Suddenly, a crash. I sat up with a jump. The fire had hurncd low. My pictures had called the curtain. This is a very amusing pastime. Try it sometime and see how many fire pictures are in your fireplace. glsouise Oliver, '41