Girls Latin School - Liber Annalis Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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Miss Lundel1's management and the enthu- siastic cooperation of the girls! The King's attention had wandered hopefully to his lady, for these tales of another world had him a bit confused, and so, when Alice continued, she addressed her remarks to Two, Five, and Seven. These three were peering over the edge of the fiowerpot where they had sought shelter from the Queen's wrath. We took walks through the Fenway where the red roses really grow red. The three eavesdroppers hurriedly ducked below the pot rim again as a missile flew by their ears. We had only about three more weeks of school, and the weather was heavenly, said Alice obligingly turning again to the King. At last Mrs. Fennessey recorded the last 'F' and said good-bye to her kindergarten children. Vacation was on! Alice's face took on a sweet ecstatic look unmarred by memories of conditions and admonition. It was a look recalling days spent in trapping goldfish in one of the Arnold Arboretum ponds, in playing tincan relievo at the foot of the street, in climbing the quarry shaft with the exhila- rating sense of nothingness below. But, remembered Alice, we enjoyed the first day of school again in September, dressed smartly in our polished mocs and new plaid suits. Weren't we fifth class- men? The glow lasted for two weeks. School had by then settled down to the normal routine characterized by a full green bag and a haggard expression. We were only too eager to find the neck pres- sure points of anyone who should even think an unflattering thought about our chosen school, but, oh, what we said among ourselves! Homelessons drove us to dis- traction, and only club activities kept us in tune with the motto 'Sana mens sano in corpore.' By the way, contrary to a general belief among the girls, the floors of the Tech Roller Skating Rink are not built with inner springs and cushioned with rubber. Take my word for it! But despite the grueling life we led, we felt experienced as we climbed the stairs to our homerooms and looked with superior disdain at the childish sixth classmen. The performance of 'Imaginary In- valid' in Collins Hall revealed our forebod- ings even then of future association with that 'intriguing' C?l language, French. The groans that accompanied the Invalid's dis- paraging remarks about Latin! We cer- tainly agreed! lib fi'- i-' ll-! K U pl, , Q ' 'FY Q , f' fl' v l Q A . 6-fzf dr 'I Q y Q' f !L -2 5 5 fa I PJ?- Spring and open windows brought a new delight - the strains of Helen For- rest's 'The Man I Love' with that James man on the trumpet, or, a long, low whistle with a background of radio school howls. And those boys had the strongest toes! We'd see them at any hour of the day hanging out the windows by their feet alone. Boys? interrupted the King, who had returned after a withering scolding, I thought G. L. S. was a girls' school. Oh that, sighed Alice - A high, bolted fence kept any wondering souls from wandering too far. Not until we were graduated to 4A did we fully appreciate the rewards of suffering two extra years for our diploma. That blessed first music period! We stared at the new unsure 4B's, giggled inelegantly, and then prepared them for the worst. School was wickedg we had seven hours of homework a night: the teachers had long willow switches they ap- plied at appropriate moments! Gloatingly we revealed the Nero-ish qualities of our facultyg the 4B's were weak and trembling! But, mirabile visu, they staggered through the first two months with not a lash mark to be found on their fair bodiesg and, by the first of January, we were dashing side by side, elbow C4A'J against rib C4BD to the Taffy Apple and 'Snowball' man, slam- ming Johnson's doors in each other's re- spective noses, and performing other well- known acts of endearment. Who can forget Nancy Vahey treating some poor soul whose glazed eyes and famished look betrayed a l31l

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lass f?Hstor Alice giggled Cone never laughs on the Queen's Croquet Groundl. The poor king would never make first string on anyone's croquet team! She swooped up the paint- smeared flamingo from his favorite spot on the rosebush tree, and, with the grace of a modern dancing pupil, leaped over the furrows to tap her hedgehog into a ball. Watch me now, King. There's a defi- nite technique to hitting Hedgie. Crook- ing her right elbow, and taking a firm grip at the base of Mingo's long neck, she exe- cuted a beautiful swing centered on Hedgie himself. But the swing never completed its arc, for Mingo, bending his neck to look up at Alice, winked! Hedgie unrolled himself to find Alice laughing helplessly, and, wiggling his whiskers, he ambled off to a friend two furrows down. Oh! moaned Alice, maybe Hedgie would have preferred beat ball! Beat ball? queried the King in his best befogged manner Cconfidentially he didn't do too well in his scholastic aptitude? . Why, yes, replied Alice, tickling the fiamingo. From the first day We trudged under the motto 'Let thy life be sincere,' with our pretty report cards clutched proudly in one fist, our Mother's hand in the other for assurance we were saved from mental exhaustion only by the intricacies of beat ball. The pigeons vacated the raft- ers that year, and even the windows quavered when Ann Hennessey, she of the 'powerful shoulders,' stepped to the plate. The sixth class was wonderfully hectic -, Alice stopped for a moment to view the chaotic condition of the garden, and reconsidered her choice of adjective. Well, it passed in a faster tempo than any previous year of our lives, and we loved every minute of it in a begrudging sort of way. How many trips we made to the matron for pencils, half boxes of Cheez-its, pens, handkerchiefs, and lunch boxes all left at various points in our daily trek through the building. And how many times we elbowed, pushed, and shoved to get a table in the primp room for lunch! We had green settees then, the color of the March Hare's hat, and they invariably lost a leg or a back rest when Lindsay threw I 30 her daily orange at Barbara above the heads of the vociferous mob. We had grand science periods, too, King dear, ' continued Alice, in which Miss Bradley would list the attributes of pudding stone and B. L. S. students with equal fluency. She's married now, you she will have as many have, she added, sur- ten frolicking children, she. The King puffed know, and I hope little ones as you veying the King's and all as nice as up considerably and was ready to speak on the joys of parenthood when Alice con- tinued. And that besmudged area on the ceil- ing near Miss Armstrong's office is due to the united efforts of the members of the sixth class tumbling act. We wrote our names in the dust of the ceiling during our first gym meet. Was Miss Armstrong en- raged! Roberta Navisky and I spent one wicked afternoon scrubbing that part of the ceiling -- it's been whiter than the rest ever since! I This suddenly reminded Alice of the red rosebush with its one white bud which the gardners had missed in their hurry, and she laughed outright, much to the consternation of the King, who looked hastily about for his solemn queen. But, she hastily continued, by May a few facts had sifted through the battered craniums of the courageous survivors: anti- penults were vaguely connected with long syllables and Latin stressg Northeast stair- ways were used by ascending students and descending faculty, the Northwest, vice versa, silent passing periods meant that Susie couldn't reveal the answer to the fifth example until out of Miss Murphy's. ear- shot 3 and warnings were little cards that prevented you from gazing soulfully at the back of Joe's head on the two-fifteen car. Lucy Manuelian and I gave a master- ful rendition of Chinkie Chinaman to 6D - you should have seen Lucy with her feet propped up on Miss L.undell's desk. The heelmarks never did come off. Then I continued my acting career by playing Midshipmate in the school operetta 'All At Sea' given at the B. L. S. Auditorium. The operetta was a financial success because of l

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lunch period spent copying her best friend's Latin paper? The gym about this time was a very 'hush-hush' place. The sophomores could not understand the mysterious gesticula- tions made by the juniors, the freshmen would immediately contact an Indian club, should they peep around the corner, and the seniors -well the seniors were their omnipotent selves, and one did not have to be reminded twice of the dire results, should one try to practise basketball some lunch period. Why all these weird precautions, King? The gym meet was approaching! With determined zeal and long suffering cooperation we marched obliquely, about faced, inter-marched, came down by sixes - our heads whirling with a thousand and one orders we had to remember. We strained the thirty odd muscles in our sto- machs on cheers, we stayed until five-o'clock decorating our fioat and basket, we prayed and wept and enjoyed it all immensely. But somehow seniority prevailed again. With bereaved hearts and scalding thoughts di- rected at Mr. Hapgood, who read the awards, we nursed our thwarted genius. Next year we'd show them, we thought. And then what happened? asked the King. Well, said Alice, and paused to adjust her flamingo more securely under her arm, in September, of 1943 that is, We entered the Sophomore year, and did we show the Queen a thing or two. What Queen? asked the King blankly. Why the Queen in Looking Glass Land, answered Alice. She asked me ever so many silly questions that I couldn't answer, until I asked if she could prove two triangles congruent. That is geometry, you know, said Alice patronizingly as she glimpsed the dazed look on the King's face. Then in November the first Junior Town Meeting was presented. The ques- tion was: 'Should the Government Sub- sidize College Education?' It was of great interest to us all, said she seriously. We also missed a whole week of school because of rationing. The King, to hide his ig- norance of these matters, kept silent. In April, continued Alice, pausing only long enough to hit Hedgie with her wiggling flamingo, the seniors, juniors, and some of my classmates, too, Went to Boston Garden for the big Gym Demon- stration. It was a great success. Jim who? asked the King. Ignoring the ques- tion, Alice went on to tell about her own school Gym Meet. The seniors won, of course, and we came in last as usual, sighed Alice. G. L. S. did succeed in iiy- ing the Minute Man Flag that month. J une and vacation. Alice's thoughts flew back to those glorious summer days. Is that all? asked the King return- ing from a futile chase after his hedgehog. Oh, no, replied Alice smiling indul- gently. In September I entered the junior year. How wonderful we felt as we ap- plauded the seniors, knowing that in one short year, we, too, should be seniors, es- pecially when we ordered our rings. Here Alice was interrupted by the Queen storm- ing at the King for his lack of attention to the game. A ring, my dear, said the King re- turning after a miserable attempt at hitting his hedgehog, let me see it. Alice proudly showed her ring. The King politely ad- mired it but secretly felt that his own were far handsomer. By October the school had settled down to the regular routine. The Athen- ian Club Halloween party was held on Octo- ber 27. The Dramatic Club play, 'Is my Face Red?' was highly entertaining. After the play everyone enjoyed the traditional cider and doughnuts. Cider and doughnuts? I like cider and doughnuts, said the King brightening. There was a short pause while the King and Alice vainly tried to separate their battling hedgehogsg then Alice resumed her absorbing tale of life at G. L. S. In December, ever so many interest- ing things happened. At the Christmas Assembly a religious pageant was pre- sented. It was very well acted, and we were proud of our classmates. O King, dear, asked Alice sweetly, were you ever in a play? Eh? er, no, mumbled the King, Pm afraid not. My memory, you know. Well, go on with your story. After vacation we began to study a very interesting period in history, the reign of Augustus Caesar. Don't you think the Romans are fascinating, King, dear? I never heard of them, muttered the King distractedly tugging at his crown. It's probably just as well, thought Alice to herself. In March the Glee Club presented its annual concert entitled 'Our Country in Song and Dance! The program included songs and dances from the Pilgrims to the E321