Hunter College High School - Argus Yearbook (New York, NY)

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tendance that day, a hurried exclamation: Sorry, kiddies, but you'll have to walk from the stable, I have a funeral on at one o'clock, and it's now half-past twelve. Plainly we said that we didn't care for walking home, whereupon John agreed to take us home in a funeral coach. When mother, anxious because we had not yet arrived, looked out of the window, she beheld her two children proudly stepping out of a funeral coach, each with a balloon in one hand and a candy box in the other. Old John no longer drives the children, a large motor bus takes them to and from Sunday School. And what has become of the old friendly coachman, no one knows. CHAPTER IV SPORTS AND THIS AND THAT The rain was pouring down in sheets, splashing as it struck the ground. Two children, engulfed in heavy black raincoats, rubber boots and rain hats trudged slowly up Murray Hill, Flushing. Their short arms were filled with bundles, dripping wet where they were exposed to the rain. Half way up the hill, one of the paper bags in the younger child's arms went rolling into the mud, spilling a dozen breakfast rolls into all available puddles. Nevertheless, the children bent over, picked up the rolls, stuffed them into pockets, and proceeded slowly homeward. I was that younger child, aged four, and learning that minute what a disgusted expression on my brother's face could convey as to the uselessness of a girl- I also remember with great distinctness the day when brother decided to make a tennis court. Yards and yards of string he collected, and instead of white paint, used this to plan out the court. We tried it out. All went well until, chasing the ball, I tripped over the string and pulled the whole court apart. Then, from brother, a long and wordy speech about girls. But to get on to the sport of sports, horseback-riding. When a very small child, I was given my first merry-go-round trip on a gaily prancing horse. From that day I loved horses, until years later I was allowed to throw a leg over the saddle of a real horse. In that first riding-lesson went my aunt's shining black boots and jockey cap, my brother's shirt and tie, my sister's gloves, my own treasured breeches, and the help of all the family combined. I knew all about the correct way to mount, and was prepared to surprise all with this superior knowledge of horsemanship. Unfortunately, as the animal was very tall, I had to submit to standing on the kitchen chair while mother held the stirrup and my aunt the bridle. From this undignified perch I awkardly threw a leg over the restless, dancing horse. No sooner was I nicely settled than I discovered myself on backwards. The horse and I went for a ride in op- posite directions. As this would never do, and one of us would eventually give in, I wasted no time in argument, but quickly slid down to the kitchen chair. The next attempt was more successful, except that the horse, becom- ing bored, walked off and left me posed precariously with one leg in the air. Page S eventy-nine

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And thus my father came to America, was met at the dock by the Con- sul, and taken to his cousins' home. As he did not want to return to Vienna, he lived on with them as their son, for they had no children of their own. Tutored until he was sixteen, he was then ready for college. But Edward did not care to go, and when he found out that he was expected to, he decided to run away. Early in the summer of 1897, if yoir had been loitering near his cousins' home, you would have seen a boy quietly open the door, look to right and left, and scurry quickly down the street. And although he cor- responded with his cousins, he never saw them again. He now set out to do what he had always wanted to--travel. He worked at odd jobs for a year or so all over the United States. While in the South, he received a letter one day from his elder brother whose wife had a sister in New York. In the letter was a picture of the young lady, with whom Edward at once fell in love. Immediately he journeyed to New York, met my mother, and two years later they were married. CHAPTER III FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY I-School-mates. Hattie was her name. She sat in the same double seat with me, and she had braids. Small affairs, but tied with ribbons behind each earg and her little head was correctly bisected by the parting from nape to crown. After sitting with me one whole day, Hattie took me aside and whispered: Who's your most 'nintimate friend? I had no idea what kind of friend that was. Haven't you got one? queried Hattie. I shook my head. Let's us be 'nintimate friends! suggested Hattie, and I, though small in knowledge was large in faith, and willing to be anintimate friends of hers This meant we were to walk about the school yard at recess with arms tightly clasped, and to be everlasting confidantes and examples to each other. II-Old John the Coachman A slight figure, a furrowed face, kindly brown eyes twinkling, that was old John the Coachmanf, He drove the little children to and from Sunday School in a wagon drawn by two brown horses. Td some whom he fancied, he gave the privilege of sitting on top with him, all the way home. He liked my sister and me, and often let us ride there when the weather permitted. Sometimes he allowed us to hold the reins, fwhen almost all the other children had reached their respective doorsj. For even though he passed and repassed our home a dozen times, he always kept us till the very last. More often than not, old John had some small surprise for us,-a bar of chocolate, a book, a little box of candy. One Sunday it was some balloons, and at the end of the trip, longer than usual because of heavy at- Page Seventy-eight

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At last mounted, I had a chance to look around. At first sight the head of the beast appeared the longest part, but lol when I turned about, the tail apparently stretched many more miles to the rear than the head to the fore. My aunt, however, began at once to lead the horse around the field. Ah! thought I-this horseback riding is easy! The next day I rode alone, and my aunt on her horse beside me. My own mount could not have eaten for weeks, judging by the effect on his appetite made by the lovely green lawn on each side of the path. He made a bolt for the nearest front lawn, and proceeded to see how much he could consume before being, summoned to his work. My aunt was unable to get off her horse to come to my rescue, for the front lawn, if, she rode over to me, would be ill-treated by the hoofs of four additional feet. Calling out to me pull that bridle! she saw my horse career around in a circle and return to the favored business in hand. Vlfhen I pulled the opposite bridle, the animal set his trademark on all possible parts of the lawn, and even attempted to mount the front porch. At this I rebelled. It was too much! But before I did something desperate, my aunt persuaded a passer-by to hold her horse, and came over to manage mine herself. Before the day had ended, however, my beast had twirled on his hind legs like a ballet dancer, showing utter disregard for me nearly sliding off his tail, had dashed madly for a brook, suddenly dropping his head to drink, while I almost pitched over his nose, and as we approached the stable, had galloped all the way home. Deep in my heart, I did not blame the animal for his hurry to lose me. CHAPTER V HSCHOOLDAYS, SCHOOLDAYS- My sixth year of school I spent in Nevada, where we had the principal as teacher for both 6A and 6B, in the same room. She was a nice lady, except for certain f avoritisms. Her favorite boy, for instance, sat behind meg and when one day I wore a certain dress with buttons all down the back and sleeves, this lad slowly pulled every button off my dress. Though I was out and out mad, the teacher said kindly, Is that nice, Arthur? , and proceeded with the lesson. In all matters pertaining to the East, I became, in Nevada, an authority. One teacher, raving over the Palisades, described them as huge trees turned to stone. To me she turned to verify that. I rejoined Yes , because I couldn't think what else to say, and not because I agreed. One fact remains to be told, as to why grammar is to me among the mysteries of knowledge. In the year of our introduction to the subject, we had a teacher who was a Bermuda fan . She had been there the preceding summer, with the result that all we heard was Bermuda, Bermuda, Bermuda. Whenever Miss B. sat in the high chair, called for a glass of water, and settled herself to speak, we knew it would concern Bermuda. We, however, would take out storybooks, and read while she talked to the air, of Bermuda. And so when the fifth year had ended, we were acquainted but vaguely with three grammatical names: noun, verb, adjective. End of Volume I Page Eighty