Girls High School of Brooklyn - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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New England Wife MARION PRATT, Grade Eight HE nexl' name on my long lisl was Arfhur Thompson and I groaned al' l'he sighf of if, allhough I did nol' know fhe man eilher in person or by sighl. The groan was for myself because fhe only lhing more unhappy l'han some- one's collecling money lo build a library in a New England lown is fwo people collecling money lo build a library in a New England fown. My experiences of lhe aflernoon had been highly unpleasanl and now, al four o'clock my feel' felf as lhough some experl' forfurer were slicking hol' needles info fhem. My mosl' fervenl' desires were a hol' shower and a nap, bul wilh my lisl' of names as long as fhe mouse's lail in Alice in Wonderland and a Iisl of conlribulions like a bulldog's lail shorl' and curly wil'h evasions. I approached Mr. Thompson's porch. His house was refreshingly clean wil'h brighl new while painl which sparkled in lhe hof summer sun. If should have been a comforfing house lo view: bul' some- how, if had a lense, formal appearance, wilh ils neaf, severe, green awnings and ils inhospilable porch on which lhe chairs sfood in allifudes which rebuked fhe caller for wishing 'ro sif on lhem. I summoned my much-balliered courage and knocked on lhe panelled door. 'While wailing, I speculaled as lo whaf excuse Mr. Thompson would have for nol' wishing lo supporl a library. Many of fhe people on my Iisl had infonmed me l'hal' reading novels would corrupf l'heir morals and lhal lhose who soliciled for such l'hings as libraries were headed slraighl for lhe infernal regions. My feel' were hol' enough lo approximale lhe feeling, and I waifed mosf impalienlly on Mr. Thompson's porch, slanding firsl on one fool lhen on lhe olher. Presenlly. fhe door swung open revealing a lillrle old man in carpel slippers who beamed af me over a pair of glasses perched precariously on lhe end of his nose and said in a high voice Come in, Come in. I've been expeclin' you. You'ne solicifing for fhe new library, aren'f you? Come righl' info l'he parlor- o.n perhaps you'd ralher slay on lhe porch l'his hol' day? I-le moved a chair lo a more hospifable angle and conlinued lo lalk al' a break-neck speed as lhough he expecfed fo be inlerrupfed any minufe. Excuse my slippers. My wife's away an' I was iusl fakin' if a bil' easy while she's nol around. He drew up a chair for himself, saf down in il' and seemed fo be swallowed up enlirely in il's imm-ense proporfions. Seeing me smile. he explained This here's my wife's chain. She's whal you'd call a milie large. lhough she don'l like I should say so. She likes lhis chair here 'cause il fil's her an' she hal'es anyone fo sel in if when she's here. I'm kinda parfial fo if myself, bul I lefs her have her way. ll's easier. This lasl' was said somewhal l'o himself bul his bird-like voice carried far and I could nol help hearing if. My mind, however. was confused by lhis flow, of conversafion and, while I was endeavoring lo gafher my losl' lhoughls from lhe depfhs of a conver- safional woodpile, Mr. Thompson had already succeeded in saying l'wo whole sen- fences, lhe end of lhe second being be glad l'o give you fhree hundred dollars. 5

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dines and Russian caviar daled I896. This meanl nolhing lo Sally, bul il does lo you and me. Here on lhis island, living like Robinson Crusoe, Sally slayed for exaclly seven monlhs and one week. Wilh lwo more weeks of supplies and no relief in sighl, he believed he would slarve almosl immedialely afler il was gone, bul ol course a ship sailed in one day and look him back lo his room on Third Avenue and Forly-sixlh Slneel where, of course, he longed lo be. An unknown columnisl wrole of his advenlure so well lhal lhree weeks afler he gol back, Sally was handed a len-lhousand-dollar check. Oh-yes, Sally's dream did come lruel Sally's lasle in dress was nol so bad as we'd expecl il lo be. When he slapped inlo lhe fashionable French Grill, no one noliced anylhing queer aboul lhis newly-rich genlleman. A very sedale wailer pased al Sally's lable liusl as Sally had once donel and muflered Yes, sir? Sally pondered: he'd do lhis lhing righl. Read off lhe menu and l'll lelll you. Very well, replied lhe waifer. Cocklail Fricasse Pheasanl Soupe Chicken a la King Fruil loes. Sally grinned. l-le lipped his chair back and lhrusl his lhumbs inlo lhe arm holes of his vesl. Then in an amazingly rough voice he answered. Say, buddy, give me a plale of ham n' eggs, vegelables on lhe side, coffee and cake, n' make il snappy. Impressions The snowy fluff of creamed polaloes: lhe icy coldness of a breaker on a hol summer's day: lhe nausealing sea-like odor of fish al Sheepshead Bay: lhe shiny glossiness of shimmering salin: lhe sighl of millions of lillle lwinkling slars seen on a counlry road: lhe clean coolness fell when bedding is changed: lhe sofl downi-ness of an easy chair: lhe picluresque sighl of cows feeding in lhe green paslure: lhe sofl flimsiness of silk and lace undies: lhe sweel fragrance of fresh- cul roses: lhe sofl smoolhness of a baby's skin: lhe penelraling sound of a lrain whislle. PHYLLIS ROUCHWAGER, Grade Six ll-

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Absolutely unable 'fo believe my earrs. l goggled ai' him like a surprised bull-frog so Thai he chuckled Haven'1' had many coniribufions have you? he said. People around here ain'+ wha+ you'd call real generous. Seems like mos+ people kinda 'ihink chari1'y begins and ends ai' home. Now l'm lhe o'rher way. l say if you don'+ give +o o'rhers. you'll never ge'r norhin' our of life yourself. Like cas+ your bread upon rhe wafers, you know. Yep, you can pui' me down for lhree hundred dollars, bu+ l wish 'slead of usin' my name. you'cl kind of lei on if came from Tillie. Tha'r's my wife, you know. Tillie's nor real generous herself, rhough mind you she's a line woman. She's pre++y busy 'round +h'e house, whai' wifh cleanin' and such. There ain'1' a cleaner house in ihis 'rown 'rhan Tillie's. He leaned over +o pick up a ihread fnom fhe floor wi1'h an air of guil+ 'ihai' was somewhai paiheiic. To cover my embarrassment I wrofe down +he arnounul' of his confribufion and fhen saying. Thank you very much, Mr. Thompson: you have been mosi' generous l rose ro go, bul' he jumped up saying quickly, Don r go yei. Lei' me give you some iea and iam. l'm qui1'e a hand al' maki-n' fea and i+'s my wife's home-made iam. l'm sorry she's noi' here lo see you. She'd be .neal glad, 'specially since we don'+ have many 'folks comin' fo see us. Tillie's a liiile nervous an' someiimes she bolhers folks. She's visifin' her sisler now. Won'1' be back 'Till 'lonighl' an' would have sfayed longer only she woni' miss her church. Real religious woman, she is. Now fake me Fr insfance. Somefimes of a Sunday. l like io sei on +he porch an' lislen ro fhe binds an' 1'hink ihings out buf no+ Tillie. She goes +o church regular, rain or shine. Bu+ now fha? iam. You iusi sei' here an' l'll go gel if. He disap- peared inside and l obedienrly set A'f+er a while my curiosiry overcame me and l impolifely peeked fhrough +he window info +he parlor. H was a dark room because heavy velve'r hangings covered +he windows shuHing oui' all buf 'rhe cenler panel of light ln +his economical 'I'wiligh1'. l could dislinguish l'he heavy walnul' furnilure, hideously ornamenfed. A whal-noi lilled wi'rh marble cherubim and bisque ladies s1'ood in one corner nex? +o an old melodeon. Hearing approaching foolsfeps, l dared look no longer, bul' Turned io greef my hos'r who appeared carrying a 'fray wi'rh ieapol, cups and slrawberry iam on if. l-le sei il' on lhe Table and asked me if l would pour The +ea. Over our cups. I +o my surprise, 'Found myself, college graduaie and ieacher of English in a counfry-grammar school because of +he depression, discussing books wilh ihe old counlry man. Our conversaiion ranged 'From David Grayson, of whom my friend seemed very fond. 'ro Edilh Wha.n+on. Concerning The lai'+er, l inquired whe1'her Mr. Thompson had read Elhan' Frome and ihen bil' my 'rongue and wished wiih all my hear? 1'ha+ l had noi, for my hosi s face 1'wi+ched wilh a kind of agony allhough he answered quielly enough 'rhal he had. A slrange silence 'Fol- lowed 'rhis remark and finally l rose, ihanked my hosi' and deparrled wiih some- +hing of +he bleakness of Elhan Frome's unhappy marriage reilecred for me in my hos+'s eyes. Many monfhs passed and my pupils confinued 'ro asfonish me wirh +heir abilify +o express lhemselves in English which l, who had had a lhorough course in all brands of English, could neilher read nor undersiand. The library for which l had worked so vigorously had prospered and my pupils pafronized il freely, espe- 6