Middlebury High School - Middiette Yearbook (Middlebury, IN)

Page 26 text:

of falling, then, he was fighting an unknown man, he was leading Kath- erine down the mountain side, he was trying to write poetry for the English class, and tinally he was trying to get out of a pool into which the Freshmen had tossed him and a black, thick mass was holding him down. He struggled harder and harder and again he felt the falling sensation. Then he saw Katherine going to a foot-ball game with his rival. He tried to speak out but a white-capped nurse motioned hini to be quiet. Suddenly some one pulled his ear and shouted ,'tVVake up, or ,you won't play foot-ball today. Why in the dickens are all the pillows under the bed ?'7 How's the mine? Did Kather- ine- UO come on, replied the other, late hours and mining lectures don't seem to agree with you. Been dream- ing about that Senior girl, haven't you '? Hurry up now' and get a little prac- tice before the game. EDlTH MILLER 717. tlstoywu A German or Hulgar spy, reconnoiter- ing in Serbia today ma,y, when he ap- proaches an opposing sentry, hear a sharp connnandatory shout of Stacy , It he knows the language he will halt. lf not he will enjoy the liberty of ad- vancing or retreating about two steps, when an old Serb veteran will have re- lieved him of any further misunder- standing as to the meaning of Stoy . The Serbian sentry shouts 'tStoy and then, the eonnnand passing unheeded, he shoots to kill. I ean see these old sentries on the alert through the rural districts of Serbia today. A little over a month ago one of them ehanced to be in the path ot' a long tramp l took and com- manded me to Stoy . l Hstoyedw without delay and t'elt myself fortunate a tew minutes later tor having done so. lle tonnd me harmless, ot eourse, and labeling me not a suspieious char- ac-ter granted me the permission to examine the Turkish musket he ear- ried. While l petted the old weapon l noticed it was not only loaded but cocked, ready for use. 'T '1 hat is the Serbian veteran. He has been born, raised and bred in an atmos- phere of war, so that the smell of powder is his joy. These veterans are from the classes of anywhere from be- tween 1865 and 1880. They are not reluctant to leave their farms to do patrol duty or sentry work near some garrison for they have confidence the women they leave behind them can well carry on the farm work during their absence. The women do most of this work when the men are at home so, industrially, perhaps they are not missed. Beyond this knowledge of handling a gun and the ability to shout HStoy'l the Serbian veteran knows lit- tle. A passport is as great a curiosity to him as a piece of chewing gum. If you otifer him a cigarette paper he will smile and 'tFaala t Thank you D and open a congenial conversation with you in the Serbian language, which you know nothing about. You may in turn prolong the interview with him by otiering a patriotic speech on the etficiency of the baseball team in your home town, or even on the splendid Serbian navy. He will listen content.. edly and then chance something about Bulgars, beans or 'tschlivovitzwg one never knows which. He is a most untidly being, the Ser- bian veteiaan. I have niet some speci- mens who have never had a bath, for as a race they are not keen to use water for other than drinking purposes, and they overdo connnon sense in this use of it to such an extent that their sys- tems have become water-logged. It is always brown homespun suits thatthey wear, braided at the edge with black cloth. The coat jackets are form fit- ting but the trousers contain enough surplus material to make two ordinary suits. The shoes. or rather young 'tgondolas , are long flat moccasin- like affairs, secured to the feet by two long buckskin laces. The ends of these laces are tied together in a triple knot. which once having been tied, the old veteran immediately forgets the combination for untying them. lint the Serbian must be so-un- kempt and obvious to dirt-or his pic- turesque quality would be destroyed. There he sits. beside a little brush

Page 25 text:

him to move. She saw at once that she was helpless, there was no one near enough to call and oh, how she wished that she had stayed at home. Then she thought she would have to stay there until some one would find her, as, she knew it was useless to think of walking home, for it was dark now and she would be sure to lose her way. Finding nothing to do, she took one robe and made a bed in the bottom of the sleigh and then, taking the other as a cover she lay down, and tired and sleepy fiom her tedious journey she fell asleep. Old Bob, now thinking it his turn to do something, loosened himself from the sleigh and made his way home. Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong were auxi- ously waiting the 1'eturn of their daughter and when they saw the horse coming without the sleigh they were tht-roughly frightened. Mr. Armstrong immediately hitched two of the other horses to the bob-sled and taking a lantern they both hastened on the search for Alice. Of course they didn't have' far to go till they found her, asleep and nearly covered with snow. They took her and the sleigh into the sled and before a great while she found herself safely at home, never more to venture out in such a snow-torm. LETA LEER '17, Hi? 295 995 A Sophomore 's Dream. Nearly exhausted, the two men reached the summit of the peak. They turned to look back over the path they had recently traveled. Taking a glass. the old guide pointed out to Smith, his companion, many points of inter- est. Hltls a little cloudy, today, to see Queenstown, he said, 'fbut on clear days you can see far beyond. After looking over the landscape for some time, they turned their attention to the huge rocks and deep crevices which made,up the mountain top. Wliile walking in and out among the rocks they came suddenly upon another party. One of the party Smith im- mediately recognized as an old college friend but the others were strangers to him. The two men, Smith and Gibson, his classmate, stood apart from the others and for a full thirty minutes kept up an interesting conversation. They talk- ed especially of their college days, of a summer they had spent together in an eastern mountain camp, and finally of their present situations. Smith was a miner, while Gibson who was a teach- er in an eastern institution, was spend- ing his vacation in the west. UI met another friend out here, one whom l suppose you will be glad to see, he said. Smith looked again at the party and then, wondering how he could have overlooked her, started forward with a cry to speak to one of the girls but she turned about and began talking to a guide . The few clouds grew larger and the guides ordered a return to the village at the foot of the mountains. Katherine started first, following the guide, and Smith quickly took his place behind her. As she could not flee, she was com- pelled to speak to him. Slowly he learned why she had not written iii answer to his letters. As the talk went on he began to think that she still cared for him, but for some unknown reason had not answered: Then he learned that there was another mang his old college rival. Meanwhile, driven by a furious wind out of the east, rose a mass of rainy, black clouds. The light of the sinking sun tinted their edges until the whole sky presented a spectacle of red, gray and black colors. The guides saw it and hastened the party on. The thun- der sounded nearer and nearer. Soon it was evident the they would be caught in the storm. There was yet one more precipice to descend. Be- yond it was a hut in which they hoped to find shelter. Then a deep rumb- ling sounded back along the mountain and they all became much frightened. However, the guides assured them it was only thunder. They finally reach- ed the precipice and were preparing tu descend when overhead there was a terrible sound. At first it was a snap- ping, then a cracking, and then a deep thundering roar. Soon it grew dark. For a time Smith felt a sensation as

Page 27 text:

house, the ever ready mus-ket on his shoulder. You 1nay be tramping through the secluded part of Serbia anytime and come across just such a house. Perhaps at first you will take it for the nest of a large bird, as it will have been too far from civiliza- tion for you to confuse it with a pig- sty. But that is the veteran's home and he is happy there. Wliat do these veterans do when they see a German officer for the first time? I am certain they do not stand with mouths open in awe, nor do they even know that the stranger is a German. All foreigners look alike to them. They shout Stoy , just as they have al- ways done, and then they let loose with their old Turkish muskets. That is their life and they enjoy it. MARLAND SHOUP 'l9. EQSQQEHZ-5855 A Parable of Four Wise Men. In a certain part of a certain state there lies a little town. In this town live the four great wise men of whom this story tells. ,This little town, beautiful and pros- perous, snuggles quietly in between three great brown, protecting hills. The country round the town is extremely productive, and the some 600 inhbait- ants of the town and the farmers in the vicinity are very prosperous. These people are progressive, too, for their homes and farms are stocked with the latest labor-saving machines and appli- ances. The town, like the people, is a progressive one. lt contains many fine buildings and dwellings and has any number of public improvements. ln a centrally located spot of this beautiful little town stands the school building surrounded by many luxuri- ant trees. Like the people and like the town it is stocked with nearly every- thing that a modern sqjgool should have. Nearly everythingl' I have said, for among all this prosperity there ran a thread of discord. Long had the stu- dents pleaded and coaxed and long had they suggested. But all for naught. The School Lacks a Gymnasium! And then one day it happened. Four tall and somber visitors stalked grim- lv through the door. Their tall silk plugs and long .swallow-tails gave them a mark of distinction. Taking seats at the back of the room they watched all the proceedings with the eyes of critics. But something decid- edly was wrong. lnstead of the ex- pected quietness and smoothness they found a noisy restlessness. Disgusted and yet inquisitive they bearded the Superintendent in his lair. Wl1at's wrong here, anywayf, they asked. Hltls the lack of necessary exer- cise, spoke up the Superintendent, and the means of entertainment dur- ing the winter months. Wliat we need is a gymnasium. And these men were the wisest of the wise . The day of the big basket-ball game of the following year was at hand, lo and behold, on this same day these four old gray-beards stepped into the assembly room. But the room, it was oh, such a different room. The old bustle iilltl hum were gone and in their place lingered a quiet, intelligent ex- pectancy. ln the class-rooms all an- swers and discussions were given in a quick, quiet, and intelligent manner. Now things were as they should be. Later, in the Superintendent 's office, these four wise old ginks, after re- moving their silk plugs and unbntton- ing their coats, looked at each other and grinned. 4'Yes, spoke up the Superintendent, Hit is the 11ew gymnasium. lt certain- ly has worked wonders with the de- portment of this schoolfl Again those wise guys looked at each other,--winked, and mentally handed themselves a pat on the back while the Superintendent looked on and con- gratulated himself in having such a competent school board. Moral: We, too, need a gymnasium. Boost for it. GRINER '16, 995 22? 9-2 SP5 A Sophomore boy with big feet had the Same out in the aisle Hlltl was busily chewing gum. Prof. Slabaugh on sec- ing him said, Take that gum out of your mouth and put your feet in.