Holbrook High School - Echo Yearbook (Holbrook, MA)

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THE ECHO 9 Hiteratur? If Silence Wont; Love Will A Drama in Three Acts. By THELMA A. PETERSON, ’25. CHARACTERS NINA BATES, a girl of today, quite high spirited. MRS. MARY BATES, widow, Nina’s mother, an invalid. MARTHA, spinster, sister to Mary. RUSSELL COLBEY, in love with Nina. ACT I. TIME: Present. A morning in spring. SCENE : Living room in the Bates’ new country home. (As curtain rises, Mrs. Bates is sitting in easy chair with feet on a foot-stool, by an open window. En- ter Martha, carrying a book, starts to dust). Mary: Isn’t it a lovely morning, Martha? I just love the country in the spring. The air is so wholesome, I am sure nothing will benefit me more than coming out here. Martha: Mary, for Mercy Sakes! What do you mean by sitting there by that open window? (Takes book from under arm). Why, it distinct- ly says in my book that an unwell person should never, never, sit in a draft. Mary: Oh, but my dear sister, fresh air is what I need, and it is a shame to leave all this outside. Martha: I tell you, Mary, you’ll catch your death, there. I must close it and get a blanket for you. I dis- tinctly remember reading that inval- ids should always be kept warm. (Closes window and exit to get a blanket) . Mary: Well, I suppose Martha is right, at least I shall have to do as she says when I am under her care. I wonder where Nina is this morn- ing; she hasn’t been down for break- fast yet. I hope she’s not ill. (Nina enters, carrying her hat. Seems in high spirits.) Nina: Good morning, mother. Isn’t it a w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-1 morning? Mary: Yes, lovely. Are you going out so soon, Nina? Nina: Going? I’ve just come in. I got up early and went down to the post office to see if I had a letter. (Whispers). Where’s Aunt Martha? Mary: It must be important if you couldn’t wait until the post-man came. Did you get one? Nina: Important? Well, I should say it was. Oh, mother (goes over and puts her arms about her neck), guess who the letter is from, and he’s (stops as Martha enters with blanket). Good morning, Aunt Martha. Doesn’t this spring air just put “pep” into you? Martha: From all I’ve heard, it surely must be a wonderful morn- ing; but how do you know when you’re asleep? Does the spring come into your bed? Nina: I have a spring in my bed all the time. (Mary turns and smiles.) Martha (stamping her foot) : Outrageous, such foolish talk. Now, you know I meant the weather. Nina: Yes, yes, I know you did. Aunt Martha. I didn’t mean to make you cross, but I haven’t been in bed

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8 THE ECHO would spend to go further in school? 4. Why couldn’t I be earning money now and having a good time instead of earning nothing for four years ? All these thoughts and many more enter a scholar’s mind before his grammar school graduation. Although the teachers always try to encourage the pupil and urge him to attend a higher institution than the Junior High School they are not always successful. If anyone should ask me the above questions, here is how I should ans- wer them. The answer to the first question is, yes, you should attend high school, for without a higher education, what use will you be in this world, and what will your future years bring to you? Perhaps you may get a position as street cleaner in some city or perhaps you might be a janitor in one of the “sky-scrap- ers” of New York. But what is that compared with being a business man or woman and having others under your command instead of vice versa. The second answer would be: take the College of Technical course by all means. These courses will not only prepare you to enter college, but will give you a knowledge of French and Latin and a few other languag- es that you can use in solving cross word-puzzles if nowhere else. In answering the third question, I would say that it certainly is worth the time you will spend in school. The fourth answer is that the four years are not drudgery and hard work, but, for the short time spent in school each day, in the end you are duly rewarded with a knowledge that no one can take from you. In finishing this essay I hope that, if it is read by pupils in the gram- mar school, they will consider and heed the questions and answers, at- tend at least a high school, and go further in school if possible. Mildred Tibbetts, ’27. Acknowledgements Punctuate This The Echo wishes to acknowledge the receipt of papers from the schools listed below. They have been read by many and it can be truthful- ly said, thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you for the pleasure received. Chimes Southern Bell Tauntonian Red and Black Scituate High Somerville Taunton High Whitman High Abington High Abhis Menotomy Beacon Arlington Jr. High Canton High Echo Partridge Students’ Pen Hermiad Unquity Echo The Courier Item Stetson Oracle Duxbury High E. Bridgewater Hingham Milton High Hyde Park High Dorchester High Randolph High He said that that that that that man used should have been which. Teacher: “Who signed the Magna Charta?” Youngster: “Please, ma’am, ’twasn’t me.” Skeptical Member of School Board : “Here, call that boy back ; I don’t like his manner. I believe he did do it.” of % iErl|0 tfi respertfullg lebtratefc GHa00 of GIunmtif-iFtite

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10 THE ECHO all the time. I’ve been out. Martha: Out? Mary, — why, — will you allow that? What will the neighbors think — going out before nine o’clock? (Opens book.) And it distinctly says, somewhere, — here, that slang expressions as “pep” are not in good form. Nina (aside) : Now I’ve started something. Aunt Martha could change a spring morning to a thun- derstorm. (Curtain) . ACT II. Scene : Same. Time: Afternoon of same day. (Mary sitting in the chair. Nina enters, high spirited as usual, carry- ing the letter. She sits on the arm of the chair) . Nina: Is Aunt Martha around now? Mary: No, dear. And now you can tell me all about the letter dear. Martha has just gone out. (Nina starts to open letter when Martha unexpectedly comes in. She pushes the letter down, appearing to be frightened) . Mary: Haven’t you gone yet, Martha? Martha (excitedly) : Yes, no, — have you seen my book? I most for- got it. Oh, here it is; well, I’m off again. Good-bye. (Exit.) Nina : Land sakes ! Her book ; she couldn’t live without it. Where’d I put the letter? Mary: Now go on, dear, who is the letter from? Russel? Nina: Yes, and just think he’s coming ” Mary: Coming ? Why, Nina, dear, how dared you? Nina: But I thought you wanted to meet him. Mary: Yes, dear, I do, and I cer- tainly would have met him long ago if it had been possible for me to get out. As it is, you see — well — and besides, it’s Martha. Nina : Bother, yes ! Aunt Mar- tha, of course. I suppose I couldn’t die without first asking Martha if I might. Mary : It is a bit trying, but we’ll have to take life as it comes. Nina: In my opinion Aunt Mar- tha is making it go instead of come. Mary: Let’s say nothing more of Martha. It is hard, I’ll admit; but her life has been a trial. Now, about Russel. When did you say he was coming? Did you write to him? Nina: Of course I wrote to him. Goodness, been here two weeks now, and he’d surely want to know where I was. He doesn’t state when he’s coming. He just says soon. Mary: But Nina, never, never, can you let him come when Martha is around; she would never allow it. You know you never could mention any boy’s name when she was nigh. Nina: Mother, what, — oh! What can I do? It would be rude to tell him not to come now. Mary: I don’t know; we’ll just trust to fate. He won’t come any- way until you write him, will he? Nina: No, I suppose not. But I do want to see him and I was so hap- py this morning . Say, mother, what is the trouble with Martha any- way? Was she disappointed in love or something? Mary: Martha in love? She might have been, but there never was any serious infatuation on her part. It’s a strange and sad tale about poor Martha. She always was and always will be, an elder sister to me. Years ago, Martha was a nurse for a little boy, and how she did love that child ! She cared for it as her own. The child’s father was a wealthy and honest banker. Martha took the place of mother when his young mother died. She never told us much about it afterwards. We have never even been able to find out the name. From what we have been able to gather, the boy’s father was falsely accused of being connected with a bank rob- bery. It hurt Martha much ; she