Glenville High School - Olympiad Yearbook (Cleveland, OH)

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THE REFLECTOR When the Kaines arrived, a little boy of about five years of age was saying a little piece in honor of the day. He suddenly, however, came to a difficult passage which he forgot and began to look about the church in an embarrassed manner. He suddenly caught sight of the mannish-looking Georgia, from whom he could not look away, but was forced to stare at question-ingly. He was studying her and something perplexed him. Finally he pointed his tiny finger at her and exclaimed aloud, I didn't think boys dressed up like girls but look at that one! He’s even got girl’s hair!” Georgia blushed. She felt the eyes of everyone in that church upon her. She quickly grasped her mother’s hand. “Come Mother, let’s go home. I guess what you said about that young lady stuff is true. —Dorothy Hosi.hr. THE TALE OF A SCHOOL BOOK 1AM a school book. Between the pieces of cardboard that go to make up my • cover arc lodged sundry facts and hypotheses. It is generally supposed that the information which I contain is to be assimilated and digested by my owner. It frequently happens, however, that he has severe mental dyspepsia, in which case my nutritional value is left untouched and the gray matter of my possessor undergoes various depreciative changes. One who has a disorder of this type is commonly said to have nothing between the cars. In some cases vestiges of former gray matter remain but these rapidly deteriorate into a substance resembling bone. I first made the acquaintance of my present owner on a bright, sunny autumn day. Previous to this I had been deposited upon a shelf with the many other brother and sister books and life had been uneventful. But my career began when I was taken from the shelf and deposited in the pocket of my new friend. From the very first I must confess he was not overjoyed with my presence. He did not take an active interest in me as I supposed he would. I had expected him to peruse my pages in ecstacy and wonderment. But no such thing and I gathered that he looked upon me as a necessary evil, something to be obliged to have but not to get too familiar with. As time went on. however, his attitude toward me gradually changed. I do not know whether it was voluntary or whether pressure was exerted upon him from some other source, but, nevertheless, instead of being thrown into corners and forgotten. I was gradually pressed into service. Sometimes he wrinkled his brow and glared at me in the street car. sometimes at home, sometimes it was just before school. But there was one particular part of every day that he condescended to notice me. This was at lunch time. I often wondered why he devoted five minutes to me at this time. It was such a short time and I could not see how it was possible to learn much with a mouth full of pie and an ear full of someone's chatter. Probably it was to find out how much he did not know. But I suppose those five minutes meant a lot to him because the next hour was mine and together we would go to class and he would say some things that were in me, and a good many that were not and stand a poor show of ever being in any other book. One thing that always made me angry was the way he used to make faces at me when he studied. If I had only been a camera instead of a book this would be a “movie” instead of a case of mispelled words and unbalanced sentences. First he would assume an expression of deep thought: his evebrows would come together and his forehead would wrinkle. This would be followed by an expression half disgust, half anxietv. During this second stage he would emit sighs that would stir the soul of a Shylock to compassion. After this, followed the period of complete disgust, 31

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THE REFLECTOR GEORGIA’S CURE r HAT a pity that she wasn't a boy! exclaimed Mrs. Kainc as she looked through the large living-room window at the vacant lot across the road where her tom-boy daughter. Georgia, was playing leap-frog with a crowd of the village boys. “She certainly is strong and healthy but she has become altogether too old to indulge in such rough games.” And this was only too true. Georgia was a tall, red-cheeked girl of sixteen, very boyish in appearance, but with a happy good natured-looking face. She was the idol of the village boys, in fact their leader, but the modest young ladies of her age shunned her somewhat. As Georgia tripped gayly into the house after she had grown tired of playing, she noticed that her mother appeared to be sad and thoughtful. “What’s the matter, Ma?” Mrs. Kaine looked at the overheated girl steadily and began, “Georgia, my dear, I have something important to sav to you, I----“ “For heaven’s sake, Ma, why on earth do you call me Georgia? I’m not really a girl and I sure ain't a state. From now on my name’s George, do you understand?” “Georgia,” continued her mother quietly, “do you realize that you’re sixteen now and that it’s high time that you turned over a new leaf and acted as a young lady of that age should? Aren’t you ashamed of yourself when you see other girls of your age grouped together on porches, sewing, chatting, having a wonderful time together and ----and-----sort of ignoring you ?’’ “I should worry about the girls, the dear sweet niolly-ccKkPes,” said Georeia in a sarcastic tone. “The boys are full of life and they all like me. Me for the fun whi’e I’m young , and with this she threw off her cap and sprawled herself on the living room floor to read the paper. “It’s impossible,” thought her mother, “nothing under the sun can chanee her . Rally day at the village church was approaching and that was the time when everyone attended in his best clothes. As Georgia’s outfit was becoming shabby her mother proposed that they drive to the nearest town in order to buy a fine new one for the occasion. Georgia thought that her clothes were all right but she finally consented to her mother’s suggestion. On reaching the store mother and daughter first visited the shoe department. “I want a pair of tan shoes with low heels,” answered the young lady after the clerk had asked what she could do for her. “The plainest and most boyish-looking pair you’ve got. I want ’em good an’ big, too . When the clerk, rather astonished, brought out a very ugly pair of high tan ones with extremely low heels, “Oh, those are just great,” exclaimed Georgia, “exactly what I wanted!’’ “Georgia ”, said Mrs. Kainc quietly, “you really don’t like those? “Don’t like ’em, well, why shouldn’t I ? I’ll take them, they're the very kind I wanted”, replied the girl in a good natured manner. They next visited the suit, blouse and millinery departments. Georgia chose an extremely tailored navy serge suit, a linen waist with a high collar, a boy’s tie and a very mannish-looking black hat. She ended her shopping by purchasing a swagger stick. As they were driving home, Georgia commented on her fine taste, thoroughly disgusting her mother. At last the great day came! From all over the village, people were flocking to the little church in their Sunday best. All the young ladies wore fine silk dresses, beautiful hats and shoes with wonderfully high heels. Georgia can be imagined in her outfit of which she was very, very proud. As Mrs. Kaine had been unusually busy that morning, she and her daughter did not arrive at church until after the program had begun, and as it was Rally Day, the little church was crowded and they were obliged to stand. The children of the Sunday school had an important part in the program. 30

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THE REFLECTOR which finally ended by his throwing me into a corner and walking off mumbling something about the value of an “x”. Once he sat up with me half the night. He sat there pondering over me hour after hour. He passed his hand through his hair repeatedly, and the groans and sighs were worse than ever. This session was finally brought to an end by his writing a lot of equations in minute figures on a card and depositing it safely in his vest pocket. For the life of me I couldn’t understand why this procedure was necessary, since all the needed equations were contained within my substance. Hut that is a matter too intricate for books to know. After this his interest in me waned. I suppose he had gleaned enough knowledge from me to satisfy his requirements. His last act toward me was to place me again on a shelf with numerous other books. There I am today and no one turns my torn pages. Xo one seems to care about the value of “x’ My old master has other books and other studies, so 1 am left alone and forgotten. Possibly I may never again be opened but there will come a time as there does in everyone’s life when my former friend will look back again to the days when he carried me to and from school. Then he will appreciate and understand the pleasure and happiness that 1 brought and will recollect the joys of his school days. I. S. PANTS 'C'W T HEN Jimmy opened his eyes the bright morning sunshine was streaming thru the windows. He rubbed his eyes and looked sleepily about him. Then as the realization slowly dawned upon him, he grinned a proud self-satisfied grin. Yes, it had come at last. He was six! Quickly he hopped out of bed and raced into the den where they hung. The most treasured of all possessions, the one thing in all the world that he had longed for for weeks—yes, even months—whose wearing he had anticipated—his new wool trousers ! Xo more silly girlish wash suits for him, he was now “an almost man” privileged to wear wool suits and shirts! Of course, the trousers weren’t long but then ----- Jimmy’s eyes popped. What would the fellows say? What would Betty Lou, the pride of his heart, say when he marched boldly into the first grade room under the fire of many envious eyes? What would Miss McLane, his teacher, say when she saw him? It seemed that it took Mother much longer than usual to finish the much hated job of scrubbing his face, neck and ears, but Jimmy bore all bravely as a six-year-old “almost man’’ should. The clock fairly crept around to the time for starting, but at last he was off, proudly wearing the treasured suit. It was a very self conscious little boy who entered Miss McLane’s first reader class a few minutes later. Twenty-four pairs of eyes were turned upon him, twenty-four “ohs” greeted him as Jimmy marched proudly to his scat and sat down with manly dignity. Things went wrong, however, in the spelling class, he spelled cat, “d-o-g , and persisted in getting the feline and canine so mixed up that at last Miss McLane, who knew only too well what was the matter, remarked “Evidently, Jimmy, you’re a trifle puzzled today’’. Oh! it was all so wonderful. The boys eyed him so enviously, while the girls looked at him with admiring glances and giggled. Noon came only too quickly for Jimmy, who was enjoying this unusual popularity very much. As the children lined up to march out, Betty Lou edged over nearer to him and whispered, “Jimmy, you look awful nice and you can be my pardner if you wish.’’ Jimmy beamed. The height of his ambition was reached. 32 Helen Fye.