Middlebury High School - Middiette Yearbook (Middlebury, IN)

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A Home Coming. It was twilight when Janet Gouldie crept to the white gates leading to her father's farm. On the ridge between her and the west she saw the two long shafts of a tilted roller standing dark and gaunt. The sight made her sud- denly afraid. She thought of her father. Had he been working with the roller-had he left it there an hour since? She paused with beating heart. After a little pause she opened the gate and slipped through, holding it carefully in her hand as she turned to fasten it. She remembered how it al- ways swung to the post with a clap, and, though, she was far from. the house, she shrank from making a noise. Then she turned and walked up the long, hilly lane. At last she stood within the long shadow that was cast toward her by the house. So dark and silent were the buildings that her heart nearly stop ped beating with a sudden dread. But presently a familiar sound fell on her ear, and she breathed again with sud- den relief. Although her father had threatened that if she ever came back he would hound the dog at her, she knew that it was no new dog that howled and that Baldy would not harm her. She remembered every fea- ture of the place as if it was yesterday when she went away. Everything at home seemed the same-it was she who was different,-so different. Janet shivered and drew her poor shawl about her shoulders. At last she ven- tured closer, creeping trembling on her tip-toes. VVhen she reached the step of the back door, she stood and listen- ed for a sound from within. The house was as silent as death. Twice she raised her hand to knock, and twice she let it fall in cowardice. But finally she did knock faintly. As she craned forward to listen she heard the oldfashioned clock tick with a dreary loudness. She knocked again, and the sound of a chair being pushed backward on the stone floor made the blood prick her veins suddenly. A silence followed, and then a sound of slippered feet, coming slowly. Would it be her father? Woiild he curse her? A bolt clanked to the wall, the door creaked on its hinges and someone peered at her. 'cOh, it's you,'l said her mother at last. The woman stared at her daughter for a while and then turned away with no more words, leaving the door open behind her. Janet followed with timor- ous feet that were willing to turn back at the least provocation. But she soon saw that her father was not in the kit- chen. There was a strange stillness in the house. Janet sat down on the edge of a chair close to the door. Her mother stood with her hand on the back of a chair nearby and her eyes fell upon Janet with a wild look of proud anger and her mouth was hard. The glow from the open fire fell upon her withered face and revealed its dark and stern nobility. She seemed to be musing but did not speak. Still appalling silence. The clock seemed to be tickingmore,and more loud- ly. As Janet listened to its slow and meas- ured beat her heart sank lower and lower in her breast. Wliere could her father be? During all this time her mother had given no signs of pity or of resentment. ' At last Janet passively arose and her mother turned and opened the room door to the right. Janet followed her mother into the room and immediately began to tremble violently. At first sight she could see nothing owing to the darkness. But, after standing still for an instant, she turned and there lay her father in the full glow of the invading fire-light. t'Father , she whispered. f'Now that's what you brought your father to, said her mother. '4Speak to me, fatheru, whispered Janet. But he lay there, still and cold, in the weird and Hickering light. HELEN SMITH 'l6. 5696? An Essay on Silence. Respectfully, WILBUR MILLER ,17.

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Happy Memories. Our happy days in old Are ended,-and ended for aye, I guess, But hope in our hearts and our minds is strong And our lives will float on as one merry song, But with spaces between that are full of gloom, Wliei'e cheering thoughts will hardly have room To creep in. Then the thoughts of the days in old M.H.S. Will come to gladden our hearts, I guess, And we will be thankful for ever and aye That the great bond of sympathy given us here Will remain forever, our hearts to cheer. A memory so sweet, so sacred, so dear, Where cheering thought will at last have room To creep in. LEOTA LUKE 716. The Snowstorm. Long ago there lived a little girl in the country with her parents, about ten miles from their nearest town. Of course they did not go frequently to town, as we do today, but went per- haps only once every two or three weeks. One day lllrs. A1'mstro1ig said that some one must soon go to tow11, for they were nearly out of provisions. Oh mother, said little twelve year old Aliee, may l go tomoi-row?'l I am afraid you are rather a small girl to go so far alone, are you not? said her mother. Yes, but l know the way real well, pleaded Alice. Well see what father says about it oneef' replied mother as she resumed her household duties. As soon as father eame in, Aliee ran to him with an eager upturned face and asked it' she eould go to town on the morrow. Mr. Armstrong studied for a moment, then seeing the eager, up- turned face turned pleadingly to him, he said: 'tWell I guess you can take gentle old Bob and go tomorrow. Alice went to bed early feeling very proud that her parents should trust her to go so far alone. She thought she could get up and start early so she could get back before night. The next morning when she awoke she looked out of her window and everything was white with snow and the sky was cloudy and indicated an-- other storm. Alice was a little doubt- ful whether her parents would let her go, but nevertheless, she quickly ran down stairs to see what they would say, thinking all the while how nice it would be to go in the sleigh. t Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong felt a little uneasy about letting her go since it had snowed and was threatening more, thought it best not to disappoint her. After breakfast Mr. Armstrong hitched Bob to the sleigh, and after wrapping Alice in several large robes, they bade her good-bye and warned her about staying in town too long. Alice was perfectly delighted with the prospects of her trip over the snow covered ground and was in such a happy mood that the time seemed to Hy and brought her to the town before she was hardly aware of it. At noon it be- gan snowing again but, as she had thought it might be. she had hurried her shopping and was ready to start for home by two o'clock. She noted, with some anxiety, that the wind was ris- ing and snow banks were gathering along the fences. The time, too, did not seem to pass as fast as when she had come to town. The snow banks were slowly forming farther out in the road but she continued on her way. She urged her horse on, faster and faster, but he was getting tired and the drifts were getting deeper. lt was growing dark and she could hardly see her way. Moreover, there was 110 house near at which she could stop and old liob was nearly exhausted. At last when she was about two miles from home, old Bob stopped, he wanted to go no farther and no amount of persuasion on her part could induce