Hartland Academy - Ripple Yearbook (Hartland, ME)

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tfol:nu1nn:un:nn1nn1 1 1 111411-ny41nn1m,1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1nn1n1 LETERATURE l 1 1 -.ml-:nn1,m1u.11-qu1,1I.-1,n..un1-um-.,,-nu1..1ml THE WINTER SNOWS The world seems so different after the first snowfall. Snow covers the chilled grass with a new beauty. In the early morning when that first storm is over, you feel as if you were in dreamlan-d or in some far-off wonder- place. In January the snow weights the naked elms and the green firs, it makes funny white on rooftops and fence posts. The trees as if they were coated with a white caps look southern moss. When the sun rises slowly over their high tops, they begin to glisten like some evening! garment covered with silver. The distant hills and valleys look like a land of riches as they gleam with their diamond beauty. When one thinks of the steaming jungles, the muddv beaches, and the iighting Japsl, the snow is like a cold cloth for an aching head. To our boys in Italy and Africa where they toil in the blistering heat and live in muddy foxholes, this is a lanld of wealth. Over there one does not see his small rooftops heavy with long shining iciclesf that make one think of the candles at an altar. They miss the windows covered with a heavv frost that pictures designs as intricate as the tracery of antique glass. You cannot helu but drink in all of this lheautv that you behold. As I look at those far off hills, my eyes. cling there as if in turning away it would all be lost to eternity. Here worries and cares are forgotten tempor- arilv in the ecsftacy of a glistening world. It's pleasant, too, to go to bed at night and listen to the driving snow and howling wind. Here we know that there are still such things as freedom, security and lasting peace. -Joyce Thompson '44 GIL, OUR SOLDIER In France there ist a grave-one which is markeld hy a faded cross and serves as a re- minder that Sgt. Gil Randall died for us in World' War One. In Africa, a lone pilot circled albout. As far as he could see, there were only desert sands iuninuinninnqnn--nn--I -un1.mu1uu..nu1un1nn1n-.n....g1n!. stretched before him like a vast ocean. The sky was very dark with no moon at all, and the stars ,seemed to be hidden. Gil dared not attempt to larud because he did not know whether he was over friendly or enemy territory. Earlier in the evening, Gil had become separated' from the rest of his squadron when they had been attacked by German fighter planes. The ship had been badly damaged, but a skillful pilot kept it in the air. Communication by radio was impossible since the enemy would pick up the message and learn his position. Gil's only hope was to locate the American line and glide his plane to safety. With the plane in such a condition and the gas supply so low, Gil realized that only a miracle could save him. Uncertain as to the location of the enemy line, Gil circled' about trying to decide which way to turn. The compass had been smashed lby a German bullet which pierced the front of the plane, barely missing its pilot. Suddenly, there came a blinding Hash fol- lowed by a terrific explosion which seemed to rock the earth below. Cannons roared! Everything below sprang into action. There was so much confusion beneath that no one noticed the plane as it soared nearer the en- emy line, now clearly evident. Dimly outlined against the earth there was a clear cut line of tanks, guns, and other ma- chines of warfare. Directly in the middle of that line was a dark mass which extended for some distance. In fact, it must reach near- ly to the American line. This portion of the battlefield seemed to be rather quiet. Then Gil rememlbered that this was a line of shruab- bery. Neither foe had dared use this pathway for fear of a surprise attack. Why! there were lights moving along this pass! What was up? At once it came to Gil-the Germans were trying to break through the American line! If the Americans advanced, they would split and go on either side of the shrub line, thus giving the Germans a chance to plant machine gun nests in the center of the American line, and by careful planning even attack from the rear. 1I: 16 11

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Mr. C. Preston Whitaker, B. S., Univensity of Maine Mr. Charles Heddericg, B. S., Colby College. I wish: That the students would live up to the school song. ' That the students Would learn to to be more cooperative. That the students would refrain from chewing gum. Miss Aileen M. Boutilier, B. S., Farmington Normal School Miss Evelyn M. Glazer, B. M., Boston Univer- sity B I WISH: That I didn't have to make three wishes. That I wasn't always being asked to write things to publish in the Ripple. That I was not general handyman and repairman for the whole school. I WISH: There could be unearthed in the I WISH: That the home-ec department had a furnace that didn't smoke. That I could be two poeple second period, so I coul-d teach a class in the gym and one in the annex, with- out neglecting either one. That all the boys and girls in the academy knew how much I enjoye- ed being with them for two years. -E151 boys' or girls' glee clubs, a couple of Lawrence Tibfbetts or Lily Pon- sesg I'di even settle for a Frank Sinatra. That Hartland Academy would copy the custom of the Mexicans and have a Siesta after lunch every day. That the conference room had a piano to save wear and tear on the academy's piano-movers every Fri- day morning.

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So that was the scheme! Life meant abso- lutely nothing to Gil. He was willing to die in order that others might live. If he could just get to the end of that line before his supply of gas was gone or the motor failed. Ah! there were no more moving lights. Gil turned the plane and. healded -straight for the invad- ers, giving them a shower of bullets as a warning. It fdid not take long to get a reply. The hand machine guns barkedg they had spotted him as he turned to face them. Some of the bul- lets missed, but others found their mark! Gil had carried out his plan-he had uncovered the trap of the enemy which would have like- ly meant defeat to his fellows. Now there is another cross in the battle- field-a new cross in a new battlefield. It reads: Lt. Gil Randall, Jr. who, as an Americanxsoldier went beyond the call of duty is greatly honored as a hero by his countrymen and will not be forgotten. -Achsah Farrell '46 Over There Monday Morning Dearly Beloved , No letter today g have you forgotten so soon? Remember me , Mary ? My heart tells me I love you trulyu. 'Til we meet again look for the silver lining , because when the cruel war is over your wandering lJoy's returning home . Keep the home fires burning always , Somebody's gotta slap the dirty little Jap 'fbeyond the blue horizon . There'll be some changes made right in their own back yard . It won't be long now! Good-bye now , I'll see you in my id-reams. Yours , KlJim97 P. S. I love you. -Joyce Plumer '44 All in a Day's Work OR By One Who Knows Have you ever been a telephone operator? Have you ever been in a telephone exchange office? If not, you certainly 1don't know what you've lbeen missing. Why don't you start right now to your nearest exchange? At the sight of the switchboard, do not be alarmed. It has not been known to bite, al- though it does give some pretty hot argu- ments occasionally. The first thing you will notice is the operator constantly repeating, Number please? Have they answered? Pm sorry, I'll ring again. She probably im- presses you as being very polite, but you should hear what the subscriber says to hier! For her politeness she may receive such re- sponses as this: H506 and don't take all day albout it! Then perhaps after four or five minutes of insistent ringing the subscrilber will say, If tired, will you ring again ? and no answer, you aren't too the blame for at a telephone exchange. If a person receives the wrong num- ber, it is automatically the operator's fault. It couldn't possibly be that the caller gave her the wrong number. The operator has to take everything that goes wrong Besides the haughty remarks, which, of course every operator must contend with, she must be a traveling encyclopedia for the sur- rounding country. Here are a few items which any operator should be familiar with. First of all, she should know the numbers of all the telephones in the state. Then she should iknow the prices of all the latest hair-dos, who was operated on at the hospital, who has just had a baby, whose father just died, who eloped last Saturday night, and all the rest of the local gossip and scandal. When the fire alarm rings, everyone within a radius of fifty miles has to know where the fire is. It makes no difference whether they can get to the fire or help in any way, they must call central just to be sure. Then, of course, the same alarm is usually sounded at seven A. M. as a no-school warning. The op- erator then goes frantic telling every child from five to twenty-one that there is no school. Naturally, they are so pleaseld that they say, Huh? , just to hear her repeat the good news. This is all highly entertaining to the busy operator. Of all the subscribers, the worst ones are those that never know the number. Really there is no excuse for this because every one has a directory or can easily obtain one. It's just too much for some people to use the di- rectory. Here is what often happens. The op- erator will say, Number please? The sub- -I 17 J-