Momence High School - Monesse Yearbook (Momence, IL)

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The Value of a Smile. English II—By EDITH BRADLEY. “Shmile und the vorld shmiles mit you; Laugh, und the vorld vill roar, Howl, und the vorld vill leaf you, Undt neffer come back any more. For all of us couldn’t been handsome, Nor all of us vear fine clothes; But a shmile vas not exbensive, Und covers a vorld of woes.” This little verse exactly expressed Nora Coburn’s ideas. She had found it in one of her father’s magazines several weeks before. Nora was ten years old, but much smaller than other children of her age, for she had been a cripple ever since the railway accident four years ago that had killed her father and mother. Her little body was so twisted that she had to sit all day long in a wheel-chair. She had to be lifted from her bed to the chair, then wheeled from room to room or out on the porch, which ever she preferred. But she caused her grandparents very little trouble, for she was always happy and content¬ ed, always smiling. She was seldom seen without some kind of work in her hands, making little gifts for her friends or helping her grandmother prepare vegetables for dinner. Everyone in the village knew Nora and near¬ ly every one loved her. She very faithfully lived up to her nickname, “Smiles.” When the little ones had toys to mend they took them to her, and even the older per¬ sons went to her to be cheered up. When I said that nearly everyone in the village loved little Nora, I was not thinking of one of the largest boys in school who seemed to hate the very sight of her because she was always happy, while he was always in some trouble. This boy’s name was Frank Dalas. He lived at the edge of town with his father and stepmother, who did not treat him as he thought he should be treated. Since he received little sympathy or encouragement at home in regard to his school work, which he did not understand, he shirked it and had, just lately, been expelled from school. When¬ ever Frank passed the Coburn Cottage and saw Nora smiling at him from the porch, it made him very cross to see her so happy and contented. He had heard from a good many people of late that if anyone wanted to learn to smile and forget his troubles, he went to Nora Coburn and asked her to teach him. One bright spring morning as Frank was passing Nora’s home, he first scowled at Nora’s smile, then turned in at the gate, stalked up the narrow path, and sat down de¬ jectedly on the bottom step of the porch. After her bright questions concerning his trouble, he told his story in a gloomy manner. She explained that a smile would help to drive away gloomy thoughts even if he did not feel like smiling at first; and she soon had him laughing about her little German dialect verse. She promised him that she would help him on the road to optimism if he would come every bright day and wheel her about the garden for half an hour after school, for her grandfather was not strong

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Sophomore Glass Prophecy. By JACK One nice summer day in the year 1925, as I was flying in my aeroplane, I discovered that I was completely out of gasoline, so I was forced to volplane to earth. I glanced down to see where I would light, and saw a large school campus on which there were many athletestraining. When I alighted they came from all sides to see my machine. Among them I saw a familiar face, but could not recall his name until I heard one of his classmates call him “Geno.” After a hearty hand-shake he told me he was now a student at Yale. Having eaten a lunch, he took me to his room where I met his roommate, “Si” Storrs. After another hand-shake we sat down, and I here learned the mysteries of the Class of ’17. I learned from them that Anna Johnson was a Latin in¬ structress of the same university, and I later learned from her that her sister, Ellen, was manicuring on State street, Chicago. Miss Johnson also told us of her friends, Lulu K. and Dorothy Durham, the former being cashier in the Momence Farmer’s bank, while the latter was running for mayor in the same city against Amy Mattocks. On resuming my conversation with John and “Si,” I learned that Victor Taylor had just defeated Joey Ray as the world’s champion mile runner. My friends not know¬ ing about any more of the class, told me that they would accompany me to Miss Condon’s residence, (she being coach of the girl’s athletic club of Yale,) where I might be able to learn more concerning my old classmates. CLEGG. John phoned McKee’s garage, which by the way was Harold McKee, from whence a Ford, driven by Vivian Edwards, came and took us to Miss Condon’s. Having spent the afternoon with Miss Condon, we learned about the following: Florence Pittman is running a millinery store in Mo¬ mence. Irene Lunt and Robert McKinstry are missionar¬ ies in the wilds of South America, while Alice Stone and Richard Smith are employed by the state as critics. Har¬ ry Payne has entered the ring and is the undisputed cham¬ pion of Momence. Ruth Johnson is the happy bride of a former M. H. S. Freshman. Harold Cromwell is running a gambling house in Whitaker. Lucy Hupp has recently won a grand prize in a beauty contest as being the pret¬ tiest lady in the U. S., while Alice Hardy is leading a large orchestra in New York. On leaving the house, I saw a parcel fall from the back of an electric car. I hailed the driver, picked up the par¬ cel and carried it to the machine, and to my surprise I saw Gladys Jackson seated in the car. She did not recognize nor thank me for what I had done, but merely said, “Home, James,” and the car sped on. I was certainly pleased with the success I had this day, and also for the successes of the Class of ’17.

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Ivl enough to lift the chair to the ground, and there was no money to hire someone else to do it. Frank half-prom¬ ised, and went away smiling for the first time in weeks, and repeating the little German verse to himself. When Frank entered the home kitchen that afternoon, he was still smiling. He was so good-natured and oblig¬ ing that his stepmother had only to ask him to do some chores for her and he did them willingly. His cheerful¬ ness so brightened the evening meal that his father prom¬ ised him that if he would go back to school, behave him¬ self, and try to prepare his lessons properly, he would buy the beautiful Indian pony for him that he had been wanting for more than a year. At first the boy did not like the idea of goingback to school, but on second thought he decided to accept his father’s bargain, and also Nora’s promise to help him. The following morning, Frank went to school, but did not get along very well, for he found that owing to his absence he was behind his class. When at last the long day was over, he remembered to smile as he walked along the street toward the Coburn Cottage. Nora was expect¬ ing him, and he lifted the tiny wicker chair down to the gravel walk and wheeled her out among the roses. After Frank’s first lesson in cheerfulness, he could be seen nearly every afternoon with his little crippled friend, she teaching him the art of being cheerful and explaining the habits and names of the plants and birds in the garden. So, the smile and bright words of one little girl helped this boy to begin again, and no one knows how many other people she had helped in the same way. The Year Book Banquet The Year Book contest opened January 23, 1915. The Rose side side led by Victor Taylor took an early lead and came out victorious over the Ivory, lead by Martina Condon. The banquet, which was given by the losing side, was held in the Philomathian Hall, February twelfth, the hall being very tastily decorated with High school colors and with pennants. A two-course supper was served in the early part of the evening, consisting of the following menu: Banana salad, pimento sandwiches, olives, pickles, coffee, ice cream, and cake. Between courses, toasts were given by the following persons: Miss Lora Simonds filling her place as toast mistress in a very creditable manner; Victor Taylor, Miss Martina Condon, Edgar Jensen, Gerald Manzer, Miss Dorothy Smith, Mr. E. E. Wheeler, Mr. Johnston and the Misses Slough and Stallings. After supper different games were played, but the most interesting one was “Hearts and Mittens’’ in which John Condon and Miss Stallings proved to be the greatest heart winners. After a late hour the crowd adjourned, well pleased with the success of the evening.