Glasgow High School - Hootman Yearbook (Glasgow, MT)

Page 67 text:

horse for an only pet. To be able to leave all this busy world of hurrying people, noises, and hustling and bustling and fretting and worrying and hoping and studying this very day would indeed make me happy. Just think, eternal sunshine with no one to bother or nothing to think about — surely, then, I could be near my God ! — H. H. ' 30. LOST, FOUND, WANTED AND FOR SALE Lost: An opportunity to get better grades. — All of us. Found: A fine set of officers. — Juniors. For Sale: A lot of Greenness. — Freshmen. Wanted: To exchange, an inch of height for an inch of breadth.- Robert Spears. For Sale: Our pretty hair. — Harriet Christophersen. Wanted: Some Senior Dignity. — Juniors. THE FLAPPER OF TOMORROW Some months ago, 1 heard, upon good authority, that there had been unearthed in Europe, the bones of many pre-historic Europeans of the smooth stone age. While such an occurrence is not unusual, this one in particular was exceptional in that trinkets buried with the bones revealed much of the life of the owners. Probably the most interesting part of the discovery was a bone vanity case, found with the skeleton of a woman. This vanity case was much like those on the market today, and contained a red powder resembling rouge. Geologists have long known from similar discoveries that the men of that day decorated their faces with war-paint, but that flappers existed then is a new discovery. Ancient Egypt also had its flapper, along with many other things con- sidered modern. Of course, the flappers of the neolithic age and of ancient Egypt did not drive limousines or violate the eighteenth amendment, but they ■were as much in advance of their times as our flappers are in advance of ours. It is only human nature for the conservative element of society to be shocked and outraged at the actions of the progressive element, so that flap- pers must have existed as long as humans have. Throughout the middle ages, and, indeed, throughout much of modern times, women have been kept in oppression and have not been allowed the liberties now given them, but even in earlier days a progressive element must have existed or these changes would — 45 —

Page 66 text:

P4 WHAT I NEED TO MAKE ME HAPPY How many times haven ' t I heard that popular jazz song, so characteristic of this pleasure maddened age, — I want to go where you go. Do what you do. Love when you love, Then I ' ll be happy! Indeed 1 have heard it from young and old alike, large and small. Prob- ably not all mean it, 1 hope not, but 1 v rill admit that I ' ve heard it sung in such an ardent manner and with so much fervor that I feel as if 1 ought almost to believe it. Yes, I know, some really do believe it. Do 1? Maybe I have sung it, but it just comes from hearing it repeated so many times. But as for the feelings behind it, — they ' re far, far away. What then, my friends may ask, would it take to make you real happy, utterly contented and completely satisfied? Is there anything in this wide old world that would be capable of such an orgy? Indeed — and very little, too. Riches, piles and piles of money — money to buy gorgeous clothes, fine limousines, mansions for homes and parties and cocktails and wonderful jewels! Some may pause here, aye, even stop and not want to go any farther, but as for me, what would I do with riches? True, 1 could satisfy all worldly desires, but do they really count? No! Fame? Fame by which my name would ring from, sea to sea and from shore to shore, whereby 1 would be praised and glorified and worshipped? No! That would be too unreal, too unlike living. It would be merely existing. Power? Force through which 1 could humble people, indeed, — nations, and make them kneel at my feet and say, Master, our lives are yours! No! Such force is brutal and far below what God intended. In such a state, 1 could never be happy. Knowledge? Would all the learning in the world, knowledge of all things, crammed into that very small brain of mine make me happy? No, No, never, 1 would surely be miserable then! What good could that do after I have left this earth, taking it with me? No, my desire can never be compared to any of these. You may be sur- prised, were 1 to tell you out of a clear sky that all in this world that could ever make me purely happy through and through, would be an everlasting Montana springtime with its warm, sunny, golden days, its soft green grass and exquisite sunsets, a vast Montana rangeland, swept by a warm breeze, dotted with tiny prairie roses and with gently rolling hills which appear like velvet folds as far as the eye can reach; a fiery, beautiful Montana mustang that could feel my mood, know my voice and be a real companion, and a peace and quiet that can only be found where Nature is as God created her. That, all that, to me, would be needed for sheer joy. A strange desire? Maybe for some one else but not for me, when one considers that 1 was born and raised on the open prairies of Montana with a — 44 —

Page 68 text:

not have come about. While true history does not record the differences between the progressive and conservative people, stories written by both ele- ments reveal that some differences existed, and imagination need not be stretched to imagine the feelings of the older people toward the wildness of the younger. If, in the early part of the twentieth century, a woman wore a dress so short as to show her ankle, or if her face were highly decorated with cosmetics, she was disgraced or perhaps outcast from society. Today, if a lady wears a dress so short as to show her knees, or makes her face unrecognizable — she is merely a flapper, and flappers run society, or at least their own society, as they will. Twenty years ago, smoking or drinking would have killed a young lady and her mother would have followed her from the shock. Today, smoking cigarettes and drinking liquor, while looked harshly on by the clergy and the conservative element of society, is accepted by a majority and if a mother does not like it, she is at least not killed by it and she may even take up such pastimes herself. The race of today does not seem to havs suffered greatly from the wildness of the flapper of yesterday, and who can say but the race of tomorrow may be benefitted by the progress of today? What, if this progress continues at the compound interest rate at which it has been growing, will the flapper of thirty years from now resemble? A car- toon by a popular artist recently depicted a life cycle wherein clothing con- tinued to decrease until woman again wore fur coats and carried the club of the neolithic age. Will this come true — if not literally, at least figuratively, in that woman ' s clothing will grow less and less, and woman ' s modesty in direct pro- portion to it? if it does, what will be the effect? Twenty years ago, woman would have been ostracized from society for wearing the clothing of 1927. Who can say then that an apron and a string of beads, with perhaps a bracelet, earrings and finger rings, will not constitute the street dress of the woman of 1957? And who can say that the majority (clergymen and older people, who must, in humanity, be conservative, excluded) will not take as kindly toward the outrageous dress and behavior of that day as the modern vs orld does to- ward the flapper of today? — R. D. H. ' 29. ROCKING CHAIR PHILOSOPHY Thank goodness! Now that the family has all gone out to dinner, 1 can rest a little while. It certainly seems nice to have a little time to sit in peace and think. My periods of rest and quiet are very few and far between since I came to this house. When I was new, and I ' m not old now, I stood very proudly in the win- dow of a furniture store for many days until 1 became very lonely. Many people came by, but they scarcely noticed me until one day a car stopped in front of the building, and a middle aged couple got out and came to the win- — 46 —