Manchester High School - Somanhis Yearbook (Manchester, CT)

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30 SOMANHIS EVENTS of calling this one well behaved. After a time, Father, at the end of his pa- tience, wigwagged to Howard by the umbrella rack, “For the love of Mike, put something under that confounded chair!” Howard deciphered the code mes- sage and placed a cane, an umbrella, and a handy volume of the encyclopedia under the rockers. Grandma rocked calmly over these obstacles for several minutes before she finally discovered that something was wrong with her chair, She thought that the things had been carelessly dropped there and picked them up with the greatest care. While she was busy replaciag them in their proper places, | diplomatically placed a non-squeak chair for her to sit in and removed the one that caused all the trouble so far away from the radio room that it has never again strayed there. That is just one example of our perfect agreement! Jloward takes vio- lin lessons and Carrie, piano. Those two can never agree as to who is going to practice when! As they both are away all day, the only time for practice is in the evening. We finally settled it that Carrie should practice in the music room, while Hloward should go to his den on the third floor. Thus harmony was restored to its former order (it was not close enough to jar anyone's sen- sitive nerves) and peace reigned once more. ‘That was not any of my ideas, but Mother’s. She thought that perhaps it would be less painful to the acoustic organs if the proximity of the two instruments of torture (agonizing enough in themselves) was decreased. She was right, as Mother always is. Another typical controversy arises whenever we want to take an auto ride. Almost everyone will agree without much persuasion that an auto ride would be just a fine way to spend a nice warm evening like this. Father and Howard go out to tune up the engine while Mother, Grandma, Carrie, and I gather together the various wraps. By the time we are ready, the car rolls up to the door and Father says, “Hop in! Where'll we go?” The usual thing happens. There are as many suggestions as to where to go as there are peo- ple in the car. One by one the suggestions for our destination are climinated as too far or not far enough and it remains to choose between a run out to Coventry Lake or over Farmington way. As the time is flying, we decide to draw lots. Two slips are put into Howard’s cap and I draw one. It says “Farmington”, whither we go in perfect peace, our little discord settled again. Each of us has his own particular likes and dislikes when it comes to food. For instance: Father, Carrie, and Howard have three distinctive lunch- es to take to work. Carrie likes sandwiches filled with cream cheese and dates; Father, with persuasion will eat cream cheese and olives but balks ab- solutely when it comes to dates ; Howard, however, looks with scorn on cream cheese and will be satisfied with nothing short of ham or real cheese. Poor mother surely has a task to put up lunches for those three. At meals at home it’s the same way. Grandma has a particular aversion to prunes for break- fast. Ordinarily none of us cares especially for them but since we have learned of Grandma’s dislike of them we have taken a sudden longing for prunes. We pine for them, in fact nothing but prunes will satisfy us. How- ever, for the sake of peace Mother has suggested that, whereas our slogan has been “Prunes will win the war’, we dispense with the prunes and the war and have peace. Please don’t get the impression that our life is all chaos and disagree- ments, for it isn’t. After all you will find that these are only the “Love's Minor Frictions” about which Frances Lester Warner writes and that they only serve to bring us into closer and better understanding with each other. Unless a family has its slight disagreements its members can never really know each other. So I would not exchange my family, discords and all, for any other in the world. , Katherine Purinton ’24.

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SOMANHIS EVENTS 29 puts her best into everything she does. I think Anna Carson Lewis had the ideal stenographer in mind when she wrote: She bends above the flashing keys With thoughtful brow and look intent. Sometimes perchance her fancy sees The wondrous thing her work has meant ; That daily ceaseless round she keeps Of duties done so faithfully, As “neath her flying fingers leaps The very pulse of industry. No senseless cog within the whole, But at the heart of toil she stands And feels its throbbing mind and soul Quicken at impulse of her hands; ‘Vhrough distant climes her touch may guide Forces and lives she cannot know, A restless, formless, human tide, Bearing its treasures to and fro. Brave hands upon the swift machine, What mighty future fates the move! Faithful in little have they been And faithful in the great shall prove, For in her country’s vital hour, When nations bleed and heroes die, With heart to dare and hands of power, The woman answers, “Flere am [!” Elsie Lewis '24 KEEPING PEACE IN THE FAMILY T don’t know, but maybe our family is out of the ordinary. It seems so to me, for in every other home [ visit there always seems to me such perfect har- mony between all of the members. ‘There never seems to be any need of a peace-maker in any home but ours, and, you may believe me it’s mighty hard when you happen to be it! — Father and Mother always agree without outside persuasion, thanks be! And the family is all pretty well united when its grand- ma that’s the offender but at other times it’s just as easy to go on without an opinion as to find two who will agree on the same thing. Everyone did agree very readily to the idea of purchasing a radio, but there the unity ceased. Lloward wanted lectures on mechanics; Carrie want- ed vocal concerts; Father and Mother compromised on the stock reports and organ recitals (it was on a fifty-fifty basis); while [ for the sake of peace re- frained from expressing an opinion. The confusion continued for about a month, then [ happened to think of a wonderful idea. Now each night at a certain time we have one of cach of the desired numbers. Those interested are present and those disinterested wander off into secluded corners with their books until time for their particular preference to come on. Tf post the sched- ules. All went well until one day someone placed a wicker rocking chair in the radio room. Then things began to happen. Grandma, hard of hearing and slightly nervous, after wandering about the room for a lengthy period, seat- ed herself in the chair and began to rock. Now, even the best behaved wick- er rockers will squeak and one could never in the wide world make the mistake

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SOMANHIS EVENTS 31 A VINDICATION OF MODERN YOUTH Does the youth of today need vindication? Each generation sees the birth of new ideas which distinguish it from the preceding one, and the habits and customs of modern times seem little more radical to the parents of to day than did theirs to the preceeding generation. Che mothers and fathers of today could tell how their parents regarded their youthful impulses and de sires with disapproval and horror similar to that which they in turn pass on to their children, There are, however, events that occur which perhaps influence or direct the course ba change more than other contemporary occurrences. ‘The great- est of these affecting our modern life is undoubtedly the Great War. Although no one enjoys the recollection of this, its influence on modern customs can- not be denied. The young people of today are living under its shadow with- out recognizing it as such. In their happy carefree lives, they have thoughts as remote from the horrors of war as possible, even while they enjoy the lax- ity resulting, unfortunately, from the lack of convention which the war has brought about. The young people are, for the most part, unconscious of this. They only recognize that they are enjoying a wonderful freedom that permits them to indulge their impulses without a sense of impropriety. OF course they are cer insured, but most impulses or actions, whether virtuous or not, meet with opposition, Thus these last few years have seen a great change in the attitude of men and women, and incidentally boys and girls, toward one another. ‘There is an obvious lack of restraint and the presence of a familiarity that is being de- plored. Perhaps this sense of intimacy which does not in any way include the embarrassment and self-consciousness that young people used to feel when in the presence of both sexes, is not so deplorable as one may be led to believe. The young people do not show the fear, distrust, or suspicion that for- merly characterized them; rather are they reckless and self-confident. © Of course this may be carried too far but in the majority of cases the developing of self-confidence is guiding people, even towards success in life, more than any other characteristic, in that it removes timidity and doubt which are the greatest obstacles to progress in life. The home influence on the life of the young people cannot be overesti- mated. Home training has been subject to modification or change and it has been said that the youth of today has revolutionized the home. Has the home ceased to be as essentially valuable as in former times? If it has, there is something wrong. — If young people have left their homes or seem to be drifting into channels which lead away from the home, it is because they have failed to find there the sympathy, understanding, or r reasoning that should es- sentially comprise the home, In the search for sympathetic companionship, young people will stray out into the world mistaking for sympathy, a similari- ty of tastes in a companion. Failing to find understanding in their friends, they become resigned to the idea that understanding has ceased to exist, and they submit to this resignation that often occasions recklessness or despair. Such circumstances are more pitiable than censurable. We hear a great deal about the modern mother; but considering how many old-fashioned mothers have new-fashioned daughters, we cannot lay the blame, universally, on the modern ideas that have robbed many girls of a mother’s care and thoughtfulness. More than ever is there need for compan- ionship between mother and daughter, and father and son. Do not condemn young people because they converse unblushingly and rather naturally on sub- jects which would have horrified and diszusted your parents, had you acted similarly in your youth, It is better to listen and endeavor to interpret them, as they truly represent the age, remembering that young people are now more self-conscious before their own parents than before a crowd of strangers of both sexes. ‘They are not so unreasonable, not so headstrong as parents take for granted. A little investigation would prove this. Young people would