Houtzdale High School - Jack O Lantern Yearbook (Houtzdale, PA)

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THE JACK Ol LANTERN F UTILITY For the spark of inspiration, I have searched my weary brain. But the spirit still evades me And my efforts are in vain. On the altar of the Muses, Sacrifices I have laid. But the Gods are deaf to prayers And in vain I seek their aid. All the themes of ancient poets, Love of ladies, deeds of knights. Have been many years exhausted And my pen just nonsense Writes. High school poets write of lessons, Write of Latin and of trots, Of the cruelty of teachers, And their constant you must nots. Words, ideas, both evade me And the things just Won't get said. So I think I'll just quit trying, Give it up and go to bed. Dorothy Pidgeon '26 --H.-H.-S.-- i EQUUS BONUS Ruthie had a little trot, She kept it out of sight. She always made good marks because She used her pony every night. She took her trot to schol one day Which Wasn't very wise, She really might have lost it, 'cause Prof. Silliman has such good eyes. But such was not to be her fate. The pony's still intact But now it always stays at home And acts as good trots act. Dorothy Pidgeon '26

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f THE JAC? O' LANTERN see why Mr. Frost wants this place. Why it is merely a shack along side of h1s mansion. U Yes, began the old man, You are right, but he knows that by taking It from us, we are ruined, and I simply can't find the deed. He paused as though talking was too great a strain for him and then con- tinued,- My father once hurt Mr. Frost when he was a child and not being able to get revenge on him, he is getting it on me now. The child merely said that there was a power greater than Mr. Frosts .and leaving her guardian, she retired, knowing that Grandpa was fatigued over the walk and needed a rest. On Sunday she was to church as usual, having during the previous days looked in every nook and corner where a piece of paper might bo found, but the search was fruitless. The old man had already found a place to rent but in a short time his little money would be gone and then he would be forced to beg for a living. ' All Monday morning Jean was gathering up little trinkets which were once owned by her mother and therefore she prized them very highly. All of these she put into one box that she might be able to carry them with her. Running through a book, she came across a sheet of paper which was loose and after closer examination she beamed with surprise over the long lost title to their property. Something tempted her to go quickly and tell her grandfather but still another motive caused her to stay. At the noon meal Mr. White was surprised to see her in such gay spirits, but then he changed his thoughts for she was only a child and didn't know better. About an hour later two men came walking into the gates, snugly clothed for protection against the biting frost. At a rap the doimr was opened and they were invited to sit down by the fire. l f'Well, said Mr. Frost, You must be ready by this time to leave, noticmg that the necessary articles were packed. 2 Mr. White gave a positive nod of his white head but Jean inter- rupted by saying. The furniture might be but ,indeed I'm not. The two men looked at each other in amazement at the bravery of the child, but now the attorney spoke,- You, indeed are a brave lass, but you can't turn against the law, and producing a paper from his pocket Which was a false deed, he showed it to Jean and her guardian. I think my eyesight is good and my Grandpa taught me how to' read long ago, said Jean, and at the same time she placed a paper before the two gentlemen. They looked with discolored faces at each other, and taking their caps, left, the attorney adding the fact that they could remain in their house. i Jean enclosed two loving arms about her grandfather's neck, say- ing,- I knew that their power was not the greatest. Emma Tuch '27

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MZ! n M THE JACK U' LANTERN Y A PARODY ON LINCOLN'S GETTYSBURG ADDRESS I sat in the house last night alone, And wished that I could go out and buy an ice cream cone But by father's advice I sat there so nice, and passed the night alone, I couldn't read nor I couldn't smokeg So I sat at the table and this is what I wrote :- Fourscore and seven days ago our teachers brought forth into this school a new system, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposi- tion that all pupils are ruled equally. Now we are engaged in a great civil strife, testing whether that system, or any system so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We have come to argue a portion of that law, so that it will be fair and square for those who are making the sacrifice that it might live. It is altogether iitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense we cannot rebel, we cannot revise. we cannot dismiss this system. The intelligent teachers here have con structed it far above our poor power to add or detract. The pupils wil' little note or respect it, but they will never forget the result of it. It is for us, the present seniors, rather to be engaged in the unfinished work which the teachers have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us, that from these honored teachers, we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave their last full measure of devotiong that we here highly resolve that these teachers shall not have tried in vain: that this school under.Silliman shall have a new birth of freedomg and that the government of the pupils, by the pupils, and for the pupils shall not perish from this school. . F. J. R. '25 H. H. S. AN INCIDENT It was a cold, dreary, cheerless night. The wind whistled in thc trees with eerie mutterings and died away in the distance with fearful groans. Not a star could be seen and the moon shed but a faint light. Only one man trudging along on the path through the woods gave evidence of life. The small animals of the woods gave no sign of their prese-nce and he felt unexpressibly lonely. Suddenly an owl hooted in a tree near him and he felt an icy shiver run down his spine. He could see the eyes of the owl gleaming in the black darkness. The farther he walked the more lonely he become. Presently he came to an open space and with the aid of the moon, which had become a little brighter, could discern the outlines of a high wall. VVhen he came nearer he saw that it was a huge stone wall with great iron gates. He almost turned to stone. This was the famous cemetery in which departed spirits were supposed to walk about midnight. He looked at his watch and was dismayed to find that it was five minutes of twelve. ,,,g43,,,