Milford High School - Oak Lily and Ivy Yearbook (Milford, MA)

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Yol. T. IVIILFOIJI), xMASS., JANUARY, 1886. No. 3. The Gazetteer’s Dream. Standing before the familiar l)ook- case, 1 was startled from my reverie by a conversation among some of tlie larger books. The Gazetteer began by saying : “ I dreamed last night of my youth. I saw myself ])rinted and bound, then put on exhibition in a city book-store. After remaining there some time I was sent to a small town in Massachusetts. “On my way I fell in with my friend Dictionary and a company of Encyclo- paulias. NYith the latter I made some sad blunders, as I could never tell A from X, till I had turned them around, for they all looked alike to me at first. Ye formed a very pleasant com))any, but Dick, as I soon learned to call my friend Dictionary,and myself were the most congenial. “ On the way, Dick and I explained our separate functions. Dick began ])om))ously: ‘T teach ])eo))le howto spell, ])ronounee and accent every word in the English language. I also—’ “AYait one moment, my friend. Don’t tell everything at once.’ Then I beaaii ; ‘ I tell the situation of everv cit} , town, island, river, cape, bay and mountain. Resides T—’ “Dick broke in: ‘Indeed! Why, 1 tell the classical derivation of words, give their definitions and examples to illustrate their use. I can tell you still more.’ “‘O well! i Ir. Dick, you didn’t let me finish my story. I tell what the different countries jiroduce, the chief manufactures and ]»laces of interest, besides many other things.’ “Then Dick said coolly: ‘You do very well in your way, but 1 I ' eally think tha t I shall be used before you, for ])eojile must learn to s])ell and ])ro- nounce before they can nse you. How¬ ever, I would not discourage you, for you are doing a good work, and I sug¬ gest that we unite our forces and work together as man and wife, hen we reach our new field of labor, if agreea¬ ble to you.’ “ Though I was surjirised at the turn the conversation had taken and felt my pride shaken a little, I quite willingly resigned the ])lace of greater honor to Dick, and consented to be his helj)- meet. “When we reached our destination, we obtained the services of a clerical iirother and were made one. The cer¬ emony was witnessed liy our travelling companions, the Encyclojaedias, who, although I knew they envied me my good fortune, congratulated me hearti¬ ly on my jirospect for a useful life. “b’romthat d:iv to this we have done faithful work in the school room, and though not regular text-books, I think we are used as much as any two books in the librai-y, and I always feel a thrill of jiride, when I hear a teacher ask a scholar if his jironunciation of a certain word is coi-rect, for I know the next thing will lie ‘ Consult the Dic¬ tionary,’ and my Dick tells them every time. “I was roused from my dream by being hit outlie back and hearing some one ask if I was the Gaze-a-teer ? This filled me with righteous indignation, and T said : ‘ You’d better consult my husband before you address me again.’” a.a. ii.,’84. Britain’s Child. Boston, IMass., February, 1883. Dear Mother Britain, It is nearly one hundred and nine long years since uncle Sam and I set u]) for ourselves, and I thought ])erha])s you’d like to hear some of our strangi ' experiences since then. One of the great events of my life happened about half a century ago. when uncle and I took a ride in what they called steam-cars; nothing like the lumbering old coaches we used before, but a perfect parlor on wheels, with steam harnessed forahorse. Not a jump nor jerk, but the houses glided by as smoothly and swiftly as birds and we arrived in the city in as many minutes as it took hours before. Well, he thought we’d better take home something entirely new, so he bought a bunch of little sticks with what I called sealing wax oii the end. I hadn’t tlie slightest idea what they were good for, but now use them all the time for lighting my fire. Only a little while before that, uncle Sam brought home a basket of black stones to burn, he said. And, if you’ll believe it, they burned as well as wood and a great deal longer. Some years later one of my Christmas ] resents was a machine that would sew as AV ' ell as I could myself. I couldn’t believe my eyes at first. And then, stranger yet, they began to stretch little wires across the city and state and I can talk to uncle Sam down in his office. AYhy, everything is strange. They tunnel mountains, talk across cities, cable the ocean, and use jiajier for money. Well, we’ve grown rapidly in the last hundred years. There are noAV thirty-eight of us fully m-oAvn and ten more to come of age. ' We are Avell and happy and have bright ]»ros})ects for the future. With regards to all old friends and love for A ' ourself, ' Yours lovingly, Coluaibia. P. S. Write soon and tell me all the neAvs. P. S. Had a letter from little Rhoda a while ago, Avhich she really Avrote with a ])en instead of a (piill, done up in a little jiicce of pa])er they call envelope, I believe. Goodbye. C. L. n. c-L., ’83.