Kendall High School - Troubadour Yearbook (Kendall, NY)

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1935 THE TROUBADOUR ' U -.RE SKIPPY lt has often been said that many animals experience no genuine affection for their offspring. To bring this out many point to the utter ruthlessness with which some kill their own young when something irks them. My experience with a cat has led me to believe differently. The problem which led to my experience was a surplus of cats at our home. As cats sometimes will, ours all had kittens. My task was to find a suitable means of disposing of them. So one evening just before dusk I took my shot- gun and went to the barn to get the kittens. Much to my relief, Skippy was absent. I placed the kittens in my arms, altogether there were three of them, and started down toward the orchard where I intended to shoot them. Their pitiful meows almost moved me to take them back, however, I resolved to finish the task. When I reached the orchard, I set the kittens down in order that I might dispatch them with one shot. Their own bewilderment kept them from mov- ing out of that position. I slowly backed away until I was about fifty paces away from them. In the dim silent dusk, the dull metallic click of the shell, as I pumped it into the gun chamber, seemed an eerie mockery of any senti- ment I might have had regarding the kittens. The crash of the shot had scarcely died away before my eyes fell on a pitiful sight. There stood Skippy just a few feet away from where her kittens were giving last convulsive twinges before their death. She made no out-cry but merely gazed at her little ones. If the kittens had been human, I do not believe I could have felt more like a murderer. Skippy slowly turned and walked away. It has been three weeks now and she has not returned yet. -Harold Jensen, English IV Page Twelve

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THE TROUBADOUR 1935 MYMOTHER Mother, where is my clean shirt? There are but few of us who haven't asked questions similar to this, hun- dreds of times. Whether I am in a hurry or not I hardly ever stop to look for things if they are not in plain sight but let out a yell and ask Mother where this or that is. Mother usually seems to know, if she doesn't she will answer in a pleasant voice, It's right where you left it. Mother is chief cook and bottle washer. She sees to it that we have three good square meals a day, nice soft clean bed in which to sleep, clean, well mended, neatly pressed clothes for sudden changes and always keeps a good warm fire in winter for us men folks to enjoy after a cold day trim- ming apple trees. Mother's work is never done. She arises each morning to prepare our breakfast shortly after we go to the barn. From that time on she is on the go until she goes to bed. There is dinner and supper to get ready, dishes to wash, baking to do, clothes to wash, ironing to do, floors to sweep and mop, furniture to polish, mending to do, beds to make, and she goes to bed, not re- laxed but thinking what she will do the next day. Besides being cook, scrub lady, laundress, tailor and chamber maid, she is doctor, nurse, personal adviser, and best friend. She takes care of us when we are sick and if we think we are in a little trouble, we run to mother to com- fort and advise us. If we go out for a little while in the evening and stay a little later than we expected, Mother most always leaves a faint light burning and she doesn't sleep well until she knows we are safely in bed. When Mother is sick, believe me, we all try to carry out her work in the house. My younger brother does the baking and part of the other cooking fDad does the restj while I sweep and dust the floors and polish the furniture. We all chip in when there are dishes to wash. An ordinary mother and housewife has the hardest job of any person in the world. She arises early. Her work starts long before seven in the sum- mer and lasts until she goes to bed. Besides all her housework she has her flower garden to look after. She takes great pride in it despite the fact that it is hard work. How can we make things easier for Mother? Let's all try to do something each and every day that will lighten her burden of everyday drudgery. It makes no diiference how small this something is as long as it saves steps for Mother and as long as she appreciates it. -Luther Armstrong, English IV 1. v., E E1 . .Q Jn f f i ggi X, J 1 Aff 'fl-life L Page Thirteen