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

Page 16 text:

P l he and HOssie would stage marathon races, although he knew full well he had no chance of winning. Perhaps it was the exercise that killed him, perhaps my late neglect of him, who knows? At any rate, he is gone, and Ossie is now living alone, but enjoying his more spacious quarters immensely, never once giving thought to his poor deceased friend. But after all, what could you expect of a turtle? A Store Window by lean Libman IT was a small inconspicuous store facing a wide brightly illu- minated thoroughfare. Gay laughing crowds filled with the joy and good spirits of the festive season hurried through the streets. Some looked at the many beautifully decorated store windows while others hastened on. But none cast a second glance at the tiny florist's shop on the corner. This little store did not attempt to compete with the large one featuring orchids, rare blooms and fancy prices, that the gay crowd patronized. There were no glaring lights or crashing colors in this window. Instead, it was a little section of nature's own fields transferred to the cold city street. There were no modernistic, flame-colored elephants bearing cactus plants on their backs, or silly dogs with purple striped leaves for tailsg but in the foreground of the window was a tiny field of daffoa dils demurely bowing their yellow heads. Behind them was a pot of iris, a splash of royal purple contrasting with the golden glow of the daffodils. The ground was carpeted with a velvety grass, while here and there a for-get-me-not shyly peeped out. To one side was a small rose-bush turning itself about a miniature trellis, while a tiny humming-bird buried its head in one of the fragrant pink blossoms. The arrangement of the whole window was so realistic that l was almost led into believing that the merry couples and the noisy traffic on the street were a dream, that only the garf den existed. l came again and again during the next few days, never tiring of watching the little window. for l Uhad found at last where the summer goes, fourteen

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I 1 In Memoriam by Alice Berge many ways but perhaps the deepest impres sion has been made by the late demise of my beloved friend Napoleon Neptune He a quiet retiring little creature had been my pet for many years-or at least for three. With soft, limpid brown eyes, and a singuarly smooth skin, he was, to me, the - epitome of beauty and affection. His ears were invisible, but this did not seem to pre- vent him from hearing me call him to dinner. He died, I am sorry to say, of an unknown affliction, most probably starvation or old age. HIS past winter has been memorable for me in I say starvation, because Nap , as I affectionately called him, did not live alone. He had, as a companion, a strong, husky old fellow, who, since he was much bigger than the late Nap, walked all over him, ate all his food, and usurped the little one's place in the sun. To all of this brutality 'ANap could only answer by hiding in his house till H0ssie -short for Qsmosis-had passed. Understanding now-when, alas, it is too late-the meek, resigned, and somewhat starved appearance of the deceased, I marvel that I had not noticed it before. We lived a gay and happy life together, we two, Each morning, on awaking, I would call--or should have-softly: 'ANa- ap! and always I would see him jerk his head. And too, when I went to feed him, he would move sluggishly over to me and then eat slowly what UOssie consented to leave him. During the winter months, he usually hibernated. This suited me since I could not be with him because of school. But during the summer. our intimacy grew by leaps and bounds. Then he and Ossie would show off in the sun, imitating a leaning tower-fwith Nap usually the basel. And if he had been exceptionally good, I would set him on the floor and let him stretch his legs, taking care, how- ever, that visiting dogs and cats were safely out of the way. Then thirteen

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The Son Of Wong Sing by Edith Tannenbaum 0 N a remote street in Chinatown, Wong Sings unpretentious antique shop was interesting only to those who studied Chinese antiques - and Wong Sing had discovered that few people do! Wong Sing had come to America to make his fortune. I-le was the seventh son in a noble Chinese family. Seventh sons do not receive much notice in China. A man's fortune must be of unbelievable size to warrant a noticeable heritage to a seventh son after all the more important sons have been properly looked after. Thus after his father's death Wong Sing found himself practically destitute. His only conceivable method of revenge was to go to America with his motherless infant, make his fortune, and finally return to China in royal state. I-le was determined to make good! On his arrival in America Wong Sing was befriended by another Chinese merchant who craftily induced him to invest the little money he had in a small antique shop. After a year of this. innocent Wong Sing realized that his friend was becoming a rich man through some of his enterprises which were unknown to Wong Sing, while Wong Sing was scarcely earning his bread. Wong Sings son, Wong Som, was now getting older and with his advancement in years VVong Sings desire to be able to support him also advanced. The father and son, entirely alone in a strange world, had developed the sort of companionship coveted by every father. To Wong Som his father was perfection personified and Wong Sing would rather have lost anything than the devotion of his son. Although, for a time. their every day life was serenely happy poverty and hunger gradually threatened them. This induced Wong Sings friend to introduce him to his own unlawful but money making occupation. Wong Sing had been reluctant to accept this life because of his son. Although it would afford Wong Som an opportunity for a better education, his father feared that as the boy grew older he would understand and lose faith in his father. Also, connection with illegal occupation was frightening. Wong Sing feared he could never bear the separation from his son which would be the inevitable result of discovery. fifteen