Guilford High School - Rostrum Yearbook (Guilford, ME)

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8 THE ROSTRUM WHAT IS TACT? Being only a high school student, I don't pretend to know all that there is to know about this very deep and complex subject. There are many angles and viewpoints to be consid- ered when one is writing on tact. It is impossible to say, truthfully, that tact is a good thing in every sense of the word: and it is as equally impos- sible to say that it is a poor thing. Where the exact truth of the matter lies, it is hard tzo say, but probably 'between the two extremes. One well-known fo-rm of tact is that which is employed in all politi- cal campaigns. Everyone is doubt- lessly familiar with the baby-kiss- ing politicians who go around all summer making rash promises. Most people usually believe that a large part of a politician's campaign sounds something like this: How-do-you-do, madam. My, what a lovely baby you have there! He is the living image off you. What's his name? Percival, you say? Why, what a coincidence! My own little son at home is named Percival. Dear little Percy! How I do long to see him. fAt this point he sniffs and wipes his eyes.J Do you mind if I madam? Csmack, smackl kiss him, Good-day, madam. I'm glad to have met you,-er, by the way, here is my card. Yes, I am running for Con- gress this year. If I am elected, Ii intend to see that all mothers are compensated for their trials and trib- ulations. I stand for the women's rights. And so he goes on down the street, muttering, Co-ntemptible brat! He drooled all over my necktie. Madam will proceed on her way homeward and will convince all the members of the 'household and of her fbridge club to vote for that nice Mr. So-and-So, whom she meets on the street. Then Mr. So-and-So stops his 16- cylinder car at a farm house and has a little chat with Paw Perkins. Of icourse, as Paw is the only one around there who knows anyt'hing about politics, Maw and Elmer, who has just passed 21, and the hired man and his wife will all vote for that city guy that was so interested in the crops, and who is standing for the rights off the farmers . Of course, when the gentleman is elected, it never occurs to him to keep the promises he made all summer. That form of tact is decidedly a poor thing. The person who employs that form o-f tact wherein he makes promises that he never intends to keep, is getting himself into deep wa- ter, because some day there will come a day of reckoning. Consequently, some people believe that tact is merely another form of lying, but it isn't and should not be classed as such. Tact, in the true sense of the Word, is an art. It is the ability of some people to persuade others to their way of thinking with- out arousing antagonism. They have that delicate sense of discrimi- nation that allows them to make their words and actions invariably agreeable to their associates. Tact in this sense, is a characteristic very rarely found in the common person. A person so gifted should consider himself indeed fortunate, for it is a trait that tends to make one success- ful in life, regardless of occupation. iThus, the conclusion might be drawn that tact is a desirable thingy but that the word is misrepresented, in that it is used to define graft and corruption that could more properly be called prevarication. Cleo Bishop '35

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THE ROSTRUM 7 to laugh at the little old couple falter- ing down the aisle. They don't seem to realize that someday they will be old, too, and they wouldn't want to be laughed at. The man is so- gallant and polite, and the lady is so sweet and old-fashioned. They have candy, too and the little lady is wearing flowers on her shabby coat. Prob- ably this is a celebration of their an- niversary o-r a birthday. Anyway they are very happy. The lady in black looks sad. She must have lost someone, and by the way she looks at the tiny old couple, it must be 'her husband. How everyone likes Mickey Mouse! Even those who think it childish sometimes forget themselves and laugh as loudly as the pest over there with the hearty horse-laugh. One of the ladies in front of me has read the book , and it's really very annoying. Shels the bore who was telling that story before the movies. She must be very tiresome to know. And ho-w all the ladies gasp and sigh at the hero, from the little girls with the dolls to- the mighty social leaders. ' And how different and rested ev- eryone looks when he comes out of the theatre. After all, there are many kinds off people, but they are all a part of the same play. Betty Moulton '37 HAPPINESS This is something that many people wish for but only a few attain. It seems to me that happiness is the greatest thing in life. There are many different kinds of happiness. You can find happiness in a palace and you can also find it in the lowest Shovel you ever saw. Happiness can be found in the very simple things of life. The birds are happy in the summer time when there is plenty for them to eat, and their little ba- bies are fast growing up. The cows are happy when they are turned out to pasture and they can roam about exactly as they please. These are all examples of pure happiness. Of course when a person seems to be getting a whole lot M so called hard knocks , then it isn't quite as easy to be happy. My motto- is, however, face it with a smile . Let me show you some more exam- ples of this thing called happiness. It is about 7 o'clock in the evening. The scene is a very rich mansion in New York City. Let us look in for a minute upon Miss Helen Astor, who is in her dressing room with her maid preparing for her debut. She seems very happy as she powders her nose and sings, then laughs and 'talks to herself. This is happiness. The scene changes, we find our- selves way down in the suburbs of New York. Here is ia broken-down apartment house. There are chil- dren playing around outside the door, dirty and ragged. It is one of the worst slum sections of New York. We go up the long flights of stairs and finally knock on one of the doors. A nice motherly lady opens the door and asks me in. I look around the room and see that although it is very bare, it is clean. The children all seem happy and although rather poorly dressed are neat and clean. Finally she says, I am so happy , and all the time her face was beam- ing as she said it. Then she went on. Johnnie is better , and with he1' hands clasped together she said, Fred has got his old job back . Even in those surroundings happi- ness could be found. So you see it matters not where you are or who you are, happiness can be found. Marguerite Herring '35

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4' ......m..-..,.......,.-..,.-....-....-.i..-.M.-...4.1..,,..................,........-...-.......,...1 ............,......................- .,.. ..,.,.........-...........,......... 'Q' I 1 I LITERARY , AUNT PRISCILiLA'S SIPREE Aunt Priscilla had decided to go on a spree! This was the awful truth laid bare. She trembled with a wick- ed delight when she thought of it. For years she had yielded to her daughter's will, but now, before her son and his wife came, she would have one riotous good time! Prob'ly Jim and Caroline'll order me 'round, so I'll just do as I please 'fore they come! she mused. The next morning at ten o'clock she was standing in her dining room surrounded by pails of paste and un- cut rolls of paper. Her white hair was in a state of wild disorder, and on her nose was a dab off flour. There! I reckon this will do for a start, as she unrolled the paper, disclosing a vivid length of black and white stripes dotted with large crim- son roses. How Martha did carry on when I wanted this paper! I al- ways did like something bright. At two o'clo-ck she surveyed her work and chuckled. The walls were cer- tainly dazzling. My! Won't the neighbors stare! Let me see,-what'll I do next? . Oh -the circus I The townspeople watched with open mouths that afternoon the sight of Aunt Priscilla seated upon the board bench bravely eating peanuts and pop corn. However, Aunt Pris- cilla was not worrying. No indeed! She was enjoying herself. She watched breathlessly the hair-raising stunts of the acrobats, laughed at the antics of the clowns, and said with motherly concern, on seeing an actor tie himself into a double-triple kifot, Poor fellow! He must find it hard when he untwists himself to tell which is his head and which is his feet. She even squandered twenty cents on a song book, and cared not when it turned out to have only advertise- ments of songs inside. At last it was over, and she was tripping along ho-me, quite uncon- scious that her hat was on one side and her skirt torn. Later in the evening she stood by her window looking at the stars. The moon smiled back at her and a shoot- ing star flashed across the sky, mark- ing the end of Aunt Priscilla's spree. Linwood Flanders '40 - D0 UNTO oTHERs Driven out of Bostcn and delfeated at Charleston. the British determined to strike at New York. 'Their plan was to get possession of the city and of the Hudson river. They could then prevent the New England colo- nists and those south of New York from helping each other, for Amer- ica's force on land was small and it had no proper war ships with which to attack the British by sea. General George Washington fore-