Lawrenceville High School - Sentinel Yearbook (Lawrenceville, VA)

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The Four Leaf Clover by no means easy, and French was begun with much trouble, especially in accent. Geometry, also, was commenced with trouble in proving the orig¬ inal propositions. The English and other studies were similar to those of the preceding year—only much more difficult and nerve-racking. While we had a hard time with our studies, the session was a pleasant one, otherwise. There were some disputes, of course, but on the whole, peace and harmony prevailed, and we came to understand each other bet¬ ter, being bound firmly by the ties of friendship. Thanksgiving Day, Christmas and Easter, each brought their pleasure. The public meeting of the Literary Society just before Christmas was a very pleasant occasion. The Society, also, entertained the Emporia base ball team and visitors, during the spring at a most enjoyable evening, culminating in refreshments. Other little meetings from time to time helped to relieve the strain. The examinations too, were survived more easily than we had anticipated, some of us being excused from taking nearly all of them. ( But the final reckoning was yet to come when five of the class met with hard luck.) The first Commencement exercises were eagerly and intensely watched by our Class, because next year we knew that some of us would have to go through the same performance. The Commencement was a joyous occa¬ sion and vacation was pleasant—entirely so to six of us. Thus endeth the second chapter. September sixteenth saw six Seniors sitting solemnly sighing. School had begun and the home stretch was before us. Seniors! How great sound¬ ed that name in our ears ! How strange and unfamiliar! Six Seniors, five sweet and pretty girls and one ugly boy assembled to be the models for the whole school as our teachers often informed us. Time once more had wrought its changes. Five teachers of the faculty including the Principal were gone and new ones were in their places. Our friends, especially the boys were thinned in number and the ranks filled by new faces. Our Class too, seemed bare of the cheering voices of our five comrades of last session. The Literary Society was reorganized and the whole High School enroll¬ ment admitted as members. The class work was very hard this last time. The marvellous tales of Virgil were mysteries to our ignorant minds, and as for scanning—it was an impossibility within a mystery. French was not much less complicated. Solid Geometry was a hard proposition and Trigonometry could only be worked by a lunatic—certainly not by us. Chemistry was not the worst, but it was in no wise like unto our conception of Heaven. Bitter was His¬ tory, anythingbut Paradise, unless Paradise consists of dates and outlines. Civil Government was as dry as a law document and about as interesting. Last and worst of all came our English which was one continuous stream of II

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Tlie Four Leaf Clover (11300 Mi 0 tor? n O me has been assigned the task of writing the Class history. This is at once useless and difficult. It is useless because the good work of this Class speaks for itself. It is difficult to rightly picture the deeds of this Class. However, it may be that I can record a few facts of its already well known history. Let us look back three years, at the beginning of the session 1907-08. The Class assembled for the first time in September 1907, with an enroll¬ ment of seventeen. ( How proud we felt, that we were in our second High School year, or the ninth grade.) Seventeen! Almost three times the number left now! We thought we knew it all then, as we were in the ninth grade. But nine months grind in Mathematics and Latin removed all such pride from our swollen heads. The English was very hard, the hours we spent over it are innumerable. Zoology was not easy, but Bot¬ any—that was the worst of all—such names that tied our tongues in hard knots trying to pronounce them. During the session two of our number dropped out, leaving fifteen to struggle on with our work. The year as a whole, was uneventful, few important events occurring. The intermediate and final examinations though, were the cause of much worry and not a little extra studying. Never-the-less, we made very good progress during the session, twelve out of the fifteen being promoted to the next grade. Thus endeth the first chapter. On the third of September 1908, the tenth grade (or the Juniors, as we wished to be called ) came together at the High School for the session of 1908-09. Some changes had occurred. Many of the old familiar faces of the preceding year were gone, and their places taken by strangers. A new teacher. Miss Smithey, of the Mathematic department, was added to our efficient and accomplished corps of teachers. The standard too had been raised from 75 to 85 per cent while examinations were not required if an average of ninety per cent was made in the subject. The raising of the standard meant harder work, but we went to work with a determination to win success. At the beginning of the session the Euzelian Literary was organized with the eleventh and tenth grades and as many of the ninth grade as wished to join, for members—twenty in all. The society was something new and rather awkward at first, but was enjoyed very much after we became accustomed to it. The debates were very pleasing, so exciting, while all of every program was enjoyed. Our class work was more difficult than the year before, on account of the standard having been raised—so difficult that one of the Class was returned to the ninth grade. Physics was exceedingly difficult, Latin was 10

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The Four Leaf Clover composition from our weary pens. Thus, on a whole, our studies were harder because of the nervous strain brought on by the struggle for our graduation in sight and then to fail—Never! Thus the work and strain. On January 19th Miss Bettie Short was elected President of the Class and Miss Indie Griffin, Secretary and Treasurer. Then began our real Class spirit, the realization that the long hoped for day was near at hand. The struggle was renewed with greater vigor and all strife and contention laid aside. But for the pleasures that came to lighten our minds, the bur¬ dens would have been too heavy to bear. Fortunately the social part of the session was the most enjoyable one ever experienced. The faculty was each and every one pleasant and agreeable, doing much to add to our pleas¬ ure. The pleasures of each other’s company did much to relieve our heav¬ ily-burdened minds, We fully understand each other and our faults and failures were known along with our good qualities. Some differences have occurred, but Peace and Harmony prevailed and the troubles are forgotten. Our different social functions have done much to please us. Hallowe’en, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, April Fools Day. The Junior Recep¬ tion, the public meetings of the Literary Society and the play given by the Dramatic Club, have been enjoyed and are preserved in our memories. Thus endeth the lesson with the exception of a few words not relating directly to the History. Here we stand to-night as Seniors and Graduates of the L. H. S. Our History has been simple and unpretentious; not marked by any great event but by a continuous and honest struggle against the difficulties of the High School Course. To use Prof. Parrish’s pet expression “We have risen upon the stepping stones of our dead selves to higher and better tilings.” All that we are has been accomplished by hard work and in this History I have endeavored to impress the fact that work is required for success. The campaign is ended and the contest gained. The Saratoga of our education has been won, let us press on for Yorktown. Jack Shell