Needham High School - Advocate Yearbook (Needham, MA)

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V L l :- IIZJ THE ADVOCATE a stern glance as the sneezes continued. Jane leaned over Aunt Hannah and solemnly offered the sufferer a handkerchief. Judy nodded gratefully and the sneezes subsided. Ten minutes later, during the morning prayer, Jane began to hic-cough with a rhythmic gulp which seemed to Aunt Hannahis imagination to extend in all directions. MHold your breath and count to seven,', she whispered guiltily. Imagine Aunt Han- nah whispering in church! Judy looked shocked. So did Aunt Hannah! The hic-coughs continued and then poor Judy felt another spell coming on. Glancing quickly at Aunt Hannah, she raised Jane's handkerchief to her nose and began to sneeze. The minister talked on, Jane coughed on, and Judy continued to sneeze convulsively. In an effort to stop, she dropped her hymn book with a clatter, and Aunt Hannalfs cheeks became redder and redder, although the at- mosphere in the church was becoming frigid. Finally, the benediction was pronounced and Aunt Hannah propelled the choking girls home without even bowing to the minister. Judy collapsed on the sofa, as Aunt Hannah went upstairs, and giggled hysteri- cally. u0h! Judy,', shrieked Jane, '4didn't that pepper in our handkcrchiefs work marvel- ously?'7 'Sweet Revenge! sighed Judy, wiping her streamin' eyes. A. funny expression crossed her face as her nose twitched convulsively. '4Oh-Oh-Oh! Jane, the pep-pep-pep-perl Katchoolw SN OWFALL Phyllis Brown, '33 The earth needs a new dress. Her last week's white one is tattered and torn, Splashed with mud and trampled. Tomorrow morning she will awake Clothed anew in glittering white. RAIN Virginia Sanborn, '35 W'hat is rain? lVIr. Webster would have us believe that it is water in drops dis- charged from the clouds. Wfell, I donit blame the clouds for discharging it! Of all the miserable, disgusting, useless elements, I consider rain to be the worst! And it always comes just when you don't want it to. When you are all ready for a picnic, or some other outing, some observing individual is certain to inform you that clouds are gathering in the west, and that he just felt a drop of rain. Mother thinks you had better stay home, al- though father says it will be all right to take a chance. So you stay home. There are some people, however, who actu- ally enjoy rain. I happened to meet one of these lunatics the other day. HDO you knowfi he said, HI get thc biggest thrill out of walking in the rain?'7 Well, if anyone finds anything thrilling about getting all bundled up in a raincoat, hat, galoshes, and umbrella, only to be soaked to the bone, heas welcome to it. But personally, I think such people should be consigned to an institution 'for the feeble- minded. Then, there are those who will say that rain is a necessity, they are right, it prob- ably is. But as soon as the depression is over, and I'm rich again, I'm going to buy a huge mansion in the Sahara Desert, and for- get there ever was such a thing as rain. JIGSAW PUZZLES Hilda Lane, '35 Lunatics, madmen Set loose from a pen. The world has come to A pretty state, when They cut up pictures In small pieces, then They try to put them Together again.

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THE ADVOCATE flll SWEET REVENGE Betty Griffin, 735 Judy Brown led her 'ggangv into all kinds of mischief, and was the impertinent spoiled darling of her doting father's heart. Then Aunt Hannah Brown arrived, bag and bag- gage, and Judy became the object of her persecutions. Aunt Hannah was Mr. Brown's only sister, a typical New England spinster with a very stern conscience. Why, the child was going from bad to worse since her mother died, and since Aunt Hannah was the only near relative she considered it her duty to take charge. A few mornings later Judy was cozily curled up in bed, for she considered vacation the time to be lazy. A sharp knock sounded on her door at about nine oiclock and, not receiving an answer Aunt Hannah stalked in with her usual firm tread. Judy frowned in annoyance, but quickly smoothed her fore- head and remained sweetly sleeping. MJudith, wake up. I say-wake upiw commanded Aunt Hannah, enunciating each word crisply and decisively. A mild snore came from the bed, then a dead silence. '6Judith, I will count to ten before I act. Make up your mind quickly. One, twof, fanother snorel, three, four, fivefi fa groan as the figure on the bed turned over,J Hsix, seven, eight, nine,', fa louder snorej uten. Well?', Aunt Hannah silently walked from the room, her back ram-rod straight and bristling with indignation. Judy stretched like a sleepy kitten, winked wickedly at a spot of sunlight dancing on the ceiling and prepared to snooze until noon. Aunt Hannah returned almost immediately and grimly gazed at the innocent, apparently sleeping face on the pillow. uJudith Brown, every morning for five days I have called you for breakfast and you have continued to sleep. Will you or will you not get up?,, As the only reply was a pathetic snore, Aunt Hannah deliberately doused the icy contents of a tumbler of water into her niece's face. The result was quite effective. Judy started up with a yell and peered angrily through the little streams of water dripping from her tousled hair. Then in sullen silence she arose and sailed from the room with her head held high. That afternoon Judy snuggled in the porch hammock and busily wrote for a few minutes on a large piece of paper with 4'Bevenge', in bold letters at the top. Finally, she ceased writing and stamped around the porch, gesticulating wildly, and mumbling fiercely to herself. MAhal Miss Hannah Brown, you would treat your loving niece so wickedly, would you! I, Sir Rowland, the fair ladyis suitor and obedient servant, do challenge you-li' uWell for pity sakes! Whatis the matterfw cried a young girl's surprised voice. Er-Oh! Hello, Jane, come on up. I've been thinking. Don't strain yourselfli' flippantly cried Jane Walsh, Judyis best friend and 'gpartner in crimefa MNOW listen, Janef' said Judy, Myou've got to help me get revenge on Hannah. This is my plan. Jane listened delightedly to Judy's scheme, for Aunt Hannah had interrupted many choice bits of mischief. Finally, she said, What fun! I just canlt wait until Sunday! She is so strict about our behavior in Church. Letis call up now and see if I can spend the week-end with you. On Sunday morning two carefully subdued girls prepared to go to church with Aunt Hannah. When the church bell rang Aunt Hannah, with the sedate two girls, seated herself in the Brown pew. In the hush of the silent congregation, Judy suddenly began to sneeze violently. Aunt Hannah gave her

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THE ADVOCATE f13l LOST MANUSCRIPT Elinor Bowker, '35 The well-known novelist, Varney, climbed the long Hight of stairs to his attic room with a broad smile on his red face. The froth of an early mug of beer hung on his drooping mustache. He pounded himself briskly on the chest when he thought of his fifteenth novel lying completed on his desk. Best ever, he muttered, alluding to his novel. c'Couldn't be a better hero in a book than Dickey, sheik though he is. Ladies like him pretty wellf, Varney climbed on, chuckling as he went. He sprang heavily up the stairs to his door, and, pushing the sacred portal open, he peeped inside. He liked to see his beloved manuscript lying neatly on the desk lid. Suddenly Varney leaped into his room with an angry shout, for there-there were the pages of his precious manuscript scat- tered over the desk and fioor. Crimly Varney picked up the papers and arranged them. At a slight sneeze behind him Varney wheeled about, astonished. There on the old couch, barely discernible in the gray light of the dying day, Varney saw-Dickey, the sheik. HK - k - k - ker -- choo li' sneezed Dickey. MClimbed out of the old book. Whoever heard of a hero with a cold? Oh-h-bl My head aches, by nose tickles, my throat's sore, and my eyes water. I'm burning all over but my feet are cold. Bring me another blanket quicklv Wildly Varney obeyed and he brought other things toofa hot water bag, broth, pil- lows, and medicine. He replaced the silk handkerchief with two substantial cotton squares, and he removed from Dickey's but- tonhole the ever-fresh Carnation, which seemed to make Dickey sneeze the more. All night through Varney sat by the couch and soothed the miserable man. Between his fitful dozings Dickey upbraided himself for having such an unromantic sickness as a cold. He coughed, sneezed, sniffied, and groaned, but disturbed not Varney, who was as patient with Dickey as a mother with an erring child. After a long noisy sleep, at dawn Dickey woke and hailed Varney with a weak smile on his pale face. 'Think I'll get well?,' Dickey inquired with such hope in his high-pitched voice that Varney took the child of his brain to his heart. 4'Surc, you will get well. We'll carry you through it, he replied in his gruff voice. He went to the other side of the room to hide his face for he knew that Dickey had pneu- monia. Varney lifted l1is head and prayed to Cod that he would get well. For a week Varney slaved for Dickey, who only grew paler and thinner every hour. Sometimes he was delirious, and he always raved of the same thingfthe absurdity of a magnificent hero having a common yet ter- rible cold like this. One foggy morning Varney sat beside Dickey and watched his only child die. Dickey clung to his hand to the end and tried to tell himself that he was not dying, that a hero could not die, that a hero lives forever. Varney watched him with tear-filled eyes, and when Dickey's eyes had closed, and the carnation had wilted, 'Varney slumped in his chair and went to sleep with tears trickling down his nose. At midnight Varney gathered the crumpled form of Dickey up in his arms and carried him far out into the country. There, beside an apple tree, he buried him and erected this marker over the grave. Here Lies Dickey Hero of My Fifteenth Novel Varney Varney went home and burned his novel. He said as he watched the leaves curl up