Maynard High School - Screech Owl Yearbook (Maynard, MA)

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small home at the edge of town surrounded by beautiful pine trees and with trailing rose climbing up the white cottage. It had, indeed, been a dream cottage built for two. They lived a quiet simple life and after a few years moved into a larger home to make room for their children. Such wonderful children they had had two stalwart sons like their father. One became a doctor, and the other became a lawyer. They also had one fine daughter, but had lost her when she was but a child. She had died of diphtheria, a pale, sweet faced little girl with golden curls framing her delicate face. Her death was one of the saddest events in Mrs. Reaves’ happy life. Grandma,” spoke a voice at her elbow, bring- ing her thoughts back to the present time. Grandma, you weren’t sleeping were you?” asked the childish voice ot her little grandson, Norman. No darling, I was just thinking, I guess, she answered. My, it is still snowing hard. There’ll be a lot of snow for you to play in tomorrow, won’t there?” Yep, I’m goin to use the new sled I got for Christmas,” and he ran back to the window to watch the falling snow. My, he’s so like his grandfather,” she mur- mured to herself, and a tear trickled down her cheek as before her rose the vision of her husband who had passed away so long ago. It wasn’t long after the death of her daughter that Bryant had been in an automobile accident and crippled for life. Although he remained as cheerful and happy as ever, he passed away one quiet day no! long after his accident. Grandma’s eyes grew misty and she could see him standing straight, tall, grinning at her , with his eyes dancing gaily. To look at her sitting peacefully in the old rock- ing chair by the fire one would think she was asleep, but it went farther than that. She had quietly passed on to join Bryant and the past that they had shared so happily together many years ago. A little later, her daughter-in-law found her thus, a sweet white-haired old lady, with a smile on her lips, and a tear on her cheek. Mars McCarthy. ’47 To Be or Not To Be A Senior As for fun and studying — no one has had more fun and done less studying than I have.” Doris Dionne How true! In the shop class we Seniors always give the under-classmen the toughest cleanup assignments and wc take the simple jobs.” fames I (owe Now, do you think that’s nice? Ah yes, it’s a Seniors’ world, but I wish they wouldn’t make it such a tough one.” C harlottc I.ehto ' ’ou haven’t seen anything yet ! My I ' reshman year I had a swell time dancing with the Senior girls 1 fell down only occa- sionally” Raymond ' Van Vorsc How many dances could you gel with per- formances like that? Years ago. Seniors commanded respect and got it, but today the I ' rcshmen neither tear nor are daunted by anything. Constance Wdiilney Sad state of affairs! If 1 were a I’reshman again, I would be drain- ing this .school of all I could to develop my mind more clearly — on all subjects.” Richard Higgins Please tell us just what that ’’all ” inc ludes. 1 would like to he a Sophomore again when school meant a day ot a little work and a lot of play. lid i til Nilges How did you ever get to be a Junior? ’’I ' rom the standpoint of having a good lime, 1 liked being a Preshman the most.” Vic tor (iolombo Ah! Those carefree Freshmen ' But you seem to do all right now, ' Vic. In the pre.sence of a stranger The Freshman doesn’t dare to look at him; the Sophomore looks once then bounces away giggling and tittering; the Junior tries to strike up an acquaintance; and the Senior won’t even take a second glance at him.” Lena Messier That last remark depends on the Senior. Wc can think of many a Senior who acts like a |unior.

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They scour each secret from your soul, As you vow you’ll play a different role, For in this light you are revealed. And the good and bad from you is peeled. As the stars come out. Every human can make an error. And hide himself in realms of terror. He fools his friends, he fools the world. But out ’neath the skies, the truth is hurled. When the stars come out. |m II ' D ' Amk o, ’47 The Past Comes Back The snow floated down and the fire crackled noisily, as the children amused themselves watch- ing the white snowflakes fluttering to the earth. As Grandma Reaves watched the children laugh- ing gaily, she knitted slowly, for her old fingers weren’t as nimble as they had been before her ill- ness. She smiled at her daughter-in-law who passed the door on her way to the kitchen. Watch- ing the children who looked so carefree made her heart fill with warmth for them and she thought of her own childhood. Karen Dulmont was her name then when she attended the town’s only school that stood be- tween the church and the town house. Nothing exciting ever seemed to happen in little Pelington so she had thought, until one day a new boy moved into town. His family came from the East and seemed to be more wealthy than the rest of the townspeople. She remembered how en- vious all the girls were as the new boy was as- signed to an empty seat beside her. She learned that he was Bryant jonathan Reaves, a tall, refined looking boy with brilliant blue eyes that danced with laughter. After school was over she had shyly asked him it he would like to go with the others to the old skating pond. One ot the boys, who had to stay after school, loaned him his skates and otf they had run to enjoy a pleasant hour. The next day they went skating again but something happened to spoil the tun of the day. Having finished tying on her skates first, she had ventured out farther on the ice than usual. Sud- denly she heard the ice cracking all around her and before she could think to get to safety, she plunged sc reaming through the ice into the freez- ing cold water. She had never forgotten the sen- sation that she had felt when the dark, cold grip of the water .seemed to pull her down-down-and down until she thought she would never rise. Luckily she had risen to the top again and emerged where she had gone through. When the others had seen her disappear, they started to scream for help but Bryant, darting sw ' iftly, risking all odds, had dashed to the edge of the hole regardless of his own safety, and had pulled her up as she emerged for the second time. From that day on they became fast friends. When Bryant came dowm with the measles, it w ' asn ' t long before she had caught them and was as sick as he w ' as. It was Bryant who helped her w ' ith her arithmetic problems, who carried her books home for her, w ' ho tied her skates on for her, who pulled her sled up the hill for her, and who became her best beau. As the years passed he w ' as always there to lend a helping hand, sometimes teasing her, other times feeling sorry for her, or laughing at some funny incident that had occurred. Just then her thoughts were interrupted by the childish voice of her granddaughter, Mary Ellen. Nana, tie this ribbon for me, please. Billy pulled it out.” There you arc. It’s all fixed,” said Grandma Reaves. Smiling her thanks, Mary Ellen hurried back to her perch on the chair by the window. W ' hen the May Party preparations began she was asked to go with Bryant. Never had she waited and planned so for an event as she planned for that. Of course, she had a new white formal gown for the occasion. She felt so proud as she waltzed gaily around the floor of the ballroom. She had been chosen May Queen that night. At last the long awaited day of graduation ar- rived. It had made many an eye water to see the young men and women receive their diplomas from the principal of the school, old Mr. Whimplestooker. It was after the ceremony w ' as over when Bryant had presented her with his old signet ring won in a game of aggies, as a token of their friendship. He had planned to become a lawyer, and so in the following month he had gone to study law. When Bryant had become a full-fledged law ' yer he asked her to marry him, and in the following year they had been quietly married by the same village parson who had christened her. Their parents had given them a ( 26 )

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When 1 was a Freshman, my getting out of school every day at one o’clock w ' as a delightful and unexpected happening.’’ Joseph Carew Don’t tell us your opinion has changed! In my Freshman year I never lost any sleep because I was perfectly satisfied to go to bed at nine o’clock every night.” George Fuker What’s the story now? After eleven years of waiting to be a Senior, I have succeeded.” Alfons Krysieniel Three cheers for Alfons! He From Fear To Fame She wasn’t what one w ' ould call beautiful, yet she had that sort of foreign beauty which would attract the eye at a moment’s glance. Her hair was a soft yellow gold, and her skin was the fairest I had ever seen. It was not, how ' ever, her hair or her skin which attracted my attention, but her eyes which had a soft radiant glow about them reminding me of the stars twinkling in the grey twilight. They had in them something which made me stare, for they had a look of fear. She was tall and slender and she carried herself with all the poi.se and dignity of Cle opatra or Queen Elizabeth. 1 knew the moment 1 saw her she was the girl my associates and I had been searching for during the past seven months. If she had been anyone but Marie ' Froskowicz my plans would have gone off perfectly. Any other person would have jumped at the chance to get into the leading role in The Garden of Eden,” my latest produc- tion which was to be filmed as soon as possible. But Miss Troskowicz did not want to a( t before the camera. Less than three years ago the Nazis had entered a little town in the heart of Poland In this town Marie and her family led a very happy life. Her mother was a very great and renowned former stage actress, who had been acting in films ridicul- ing the Nazis. When the Nazis entered this town, they brutally shot Marie’s mother and father. They did not, however, shoot Marie. They knew it would hurt her a great deal more if they let her live with the memory of her parents’ untimely death. Some people said she was one of tho.se fortunate few” who were spared their lives by the Nazis. Marie did not consider herself lucky or fortunate; she was forlorn and frightened. The thought of acting before a camera had taken hold and was getting the best of her. I tried my best to help her overcome this fear, but to no avail. She was afraid of every bright light that ever had shone. The only way I could think of a plan that might possibly help her to overcome this fear of the camera was to remind her of her mother’s wish that she become a star. One day when I was sitting in the living room of her apartment, I noticed something on the book elf which I had not seen bfore. Marie did not mention the matter, so I did not inquire about it. Three weeks later she called me and asked me to come over to her hotel at once. When I ar- rived she was sitting in the chair holding in her hand the mysterious album. She looked different somehow, but I could not quite put my finger on what it was. She handed me the album, opened to a picture of her mother. Then I knew the rea- son for her anxiety. Below’ the picture was writ- ten, To my only daughter, who 1 hope someday will take my place on the stage in America as well as in Poland.” Now 1 knew what was different about her. The fear had gone from her eyes. She was once again happy and contented. In her eyes the stars twinkled brightly because she knew now that she was going to follow her mother along the road (o fame and stardom Ann Hinds, ’49 (28)