Lafayette Junior High School - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

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A STORM AT SEA One morning Dorothy and I thought we would take a trip. But how shall we travel ? said I. There are so many ways of traveling from one place to another. There is the train, auto- mobile, bus, the giant of the air, and the big ocean steamer. Oh! I have it, said Dorothy, let us go on the big ocean steamer. That's a good idea. VVe haven't ever been on a ship either. That will be a good experience for us as well as a thrill. After necessary preparations, we are ready to board the ship, with many other passengers. VVe are now on the ship looking from one place to another, and asking hundreds of questions which no one could answer. For instance, Sailor, where do the waves come from and where do they go ?!' Wfe would stand for hours looking at the sea gulls and the rushing waves crashing against the ship. Soon night comes. Everyone is asleep in his cozy bed. The thunder begins to make a loud noise, and lightning flashes in every crack of the cabin, even through the key hole. The wind begins to blow harder and harder. The rain beats upon the roof of the ship like drops of stone. In a few minutes we hear someone yell, A storm! Later there are many such cries. The storm has turned the ship out of its course. It is dark, wet, and the cold breeze chills you through and through. Everyone begins to get out of bed, putting on rain coats and scrambling for the life savers. The waves are so high and rough they are coming into the ship. VVhat shall we do? everyone screams. VVe are lost. XV e are lost! The shouts come from every direction. But see far into a distance, what is that? A light! A light! All the time our ship is slowly sinking. The lights we see in the distance are growing closer and closer. The water is now up to our knees. What shall we do? VVe are all still watching the light. It is growing closer and closer. Hurrah! Hurrah! It is a giant ship stronger than ours. We are saved! VVe are saved, everyone cries. Everyone begins piling on the other ship. just as Dorothy and I, always last but not least, step from the lost ship, it sinks deep, deep into the sea. -Irene lViIson, A9.

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Traddles could be a lawyer and out of financial difficulties. Their motto was, Whit a11d hope. Traddles bought a table witl1 a marble top and a flower pot and St2l.11Cl as tl1e first step toward furniture for l1is house and treasured them greatly. After about five years l1e was able to marry the dearest girl ill tl1e worldf' As he was a kind 1112111 l1e took some of Sophie's sisters under l1is roof. Their home was a happy one a11d Sophie was a11 ideal wife. As you look i11 tl1e house you will find tl1e table with tl1e marble top and tl1e iiower pot and stand i11 a prominent place. About the fireside at night you will find Sophie's sisters and the kind Traddles beaming 011 l1is dearest girl in tl1e world. -Victor N-ickerson, A9. JUGGLING JERRY This poem, written by George Meredith, tells of two old peo- ple who traveled arou11d following fairs, circuses a11d -attending the royal occasions. They traveled i11 a wago11 p11lled by tl1eir old gray l1orse. This old 111an Jerry made l1is living juggling at tl1ese fairs. In this story jerry loves to tell l1is wife of his you11ger days, how he could jump and 11111 like a deer. VVhe11 he was strong, life was a sweet tiddle, but now l1e was old, l1is young days appear to him as a drean1. Through tl1e story jerryicompares himself to birds. He men- tio11s tl1e lark, may bird. and tl1e seagull. While atthe fair jerry often was s111iled at by the quee11. As time passed, he could feel death, or tl1e great juggler, com- i11g to him, and tells his wife l1Ot to worry. She had been a real wife to jerry and stuck with him through all tl1eir hardships. She could have ruled the palace and could have bee11 rich, but sl1e loved Jerry a11d stayed with him. In return jerry saved his 111o11ey so that when he passes away she would not wa11t for any- thing. The time ca111e Whe11 he had to face tl1e Great Juggler. He could see two Seagulls flying over a pond and o11e was shot a11d fell. Tl1e other we11t on. He wanted his wife to be tl1e same as tl1e seagulls, not tostop but go right on and enjoy life, because everyone n1ust face' tl1e Great Juggler. -Lewis fones, A9.

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MRS. GUMMIDGE , Mrs. Gummidge was a character in Dickens' story of David Copperfield. She was a widow and thought that she was the worst off person in the world. She was continually saying, Oh, I am a lone lorn creature, and everything goes contrary with me. She thought no one cared for her and that she was in every- one's way. If she was cooking potatoes and they burned, al- though the whole family had to eat them, Mrs. Gummidge would sigh, shake her head, and whine, But I feel it more than anyone else. No matter how much bad luck someone else had Mrs. Gummidge would always say that her troubles were worst. She often made herself more unpleasant than was necessary by such fretting and expressions and often she made others uncomfortable with her whining, which was some- times very disagreeable. Mrs. Gummidge lived with Mr. Peggotty, his adopted daughter, little Emily, and his adopted son, Ham, in a boat house by the sea in Yarmouth. The boat from which the house was made was turned up- side town and it had little rooms and a place to cook. Mrs. Gummidge had a very nice little room for herself. It was not until a real tragedy happened to little Emily that Mrs. Gummidge first realized that she was not the worst off in the world. Emily met a rich handsome young man called Steerforth. He had all the opportunities he needed to become a successful person in life but he would not use these opportunities and by being selfish and no account he not only made himself suffer but also the innocent little Emily who ran away with him. There was a terrible shipwreck on the shores of Yar- mouth. Many were drowned and the dear little boat house was wrecked and scattered in the sand. Steerforth's body was washed ashore among the ruins of the home he had wronged. Mrs. Gummidge became a changed woman because she found out that her troubles were not the hardest to bear. She was also very happy indeed because Mr. Peggotty said she could go to Australia with he and little Emily. -Aszerlea Pipkin, A9.