Newtown High School - Newtowner Yearbook (Elmhurst, NY)

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ADRIFT THE SMALL, battered raft floated on the torpid, green sea. A white bird flew over it, and the sun's rays were hot and blinding. A miserable, half-starved figure sat on the raft. I was that figure. At the time, I was thinking of a strawberry sundae. It was so hot. I tempted myself with the thought of eating the sundae, and of the ice cream sliding, cool and delicious, down my throat. Then I began to pray. I pleaded with, and made promises to God, if only He would deliver me from this horrible situation. I was hungry from the soles of my feet to the roots of my hair. I wondered how my shoelaces would taste. Stretching out on the raft, I began to think of my past life. What a life! I thought of my little sister, and wished that I hadn't pushed her off the roof in a fit of temper. I hoped, that when I was dead, she would forgive me for all the things that I had done to her. Especially the time I put her head in the rain barrel, and she almost drowned. I remembered the time that I went to my first date. It was with a gawky, red headed boy with too many teeth, a million freckles and an annoying way of stuttering. His name was Bertram. Poor Bertram. He took me to a dance and introduced me to his best friend, Tom-I went home with Tom. Then, after two weeks and three days of an ardent courtship from Tom CI was thirteen years oldj, I fell madly in love with his older brother, Jim. Jim was twenty-four and was going with a girl his own age, but I was daunt- less. I hounded him day and night, never letting his weary eyes rest from the sight of me. I didn't get any place, so I changed my tactics and avoided him entirely. fln wars they always change their tactics to confuse the enemy.j I guess he missed me, because a weary week later he came over to my house. He was really delivering my mother's groceries, but I never doubted that he had come just to see ,fx EE l me. He left in a hurry, but I - ' , 'fi felt that it was from bashful- If fif . W f il ffffwg, j ness. All boys in love are H ,HQI utuyh ff- bashful. 3Zi5i57i'i ...Rx x ...M After two months of ,,,.,..e, - M . worry and work, I finally wx tricked him into asking me out. ...ig , QF' - . We went to the movies. It was ' 7 -:I N iiirfw so romantic. I went steady Ik fo 4'wiQW fQXfX'4kfw 0 ' with him for twelve days and Q? 2 JAM 533, then tired of his company. P7 if Ah, fickle youth! 23

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a girl with long red braids, smiling up at him. And he was carrying her books, looking a. bit embarrassed. A slow smile crept across J anie's face. She stopped at the corner and called sweetly across the street, Hello-o-o Bobbie ! He stopped, recognizing the tone in his sister's voice, and his face turned a. slow, painful red, The boys on the team--if they ever found out! They were the town's acclaimed women-haters and he was the ringleader! The smile left J anie's face and she stared across the street into Bobbie's eyes. Neither of them said a word, but they knew that in that moment a silent pact had been made. Janie turned down the block. The swing in her skirts reappeared and a weight fell from her shoulders. A sisterly smile flitted across her face. He was sort of a cute little fellow . . . her brother. MARY STERLING Kn.sUs The Miracle THE BUS pulled out of New York, headed for Chicago. All the people aboard were laughing and chatting gaily with one another. At the first stop, a woman and a child got on and took their seats. Next a man got on, and because it was the only seat left, he sat down directly opposite the woman and child. The people in the bus were quiet now, for this man was not like the other men on the bus. His clothes were patched and he was badly in need of a shave. Sensing that something was wrong, the man became very uncomfortable. Then the child spoke, Do you think it will rain tomorrow, mister? she said. I hope it won't,,' replied the man, and before long both man and child were engrossed in conversation. Slowly the people began talking and laugh- ing again and once again the bus was full of laughing and joyous noise. In a suburb of Chicago the bus stopped and a woman and a child got off, but before she left the child turned to the man seated across from her and said, You know mister, I like you. No rags did the child see, but a human being with a heart like herself. , When the bus pulled into Chicago and a man left it, with head high, everybody on the bus knew it was because of a child's words-I like you-I like you- BERNARD J. MCSHANE 22

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After Jim, came Joe, Bob, Jack, Pete, Henry, Butch, and Frank. All in four weeks. Sitting on that raft I vowed that if I were saved, I would never break another heart again. Just at that moment, I saw a ship on the horizon. I waved frantically and after a while a boat was let down and rowed over to me. Forgotten was my chaste promise to God, out came my lipstick and mirror-an officer and the cutest sailor were my rescuers. By the time we had reached the harbor, I had given the sailor my name, address, and telephone number, and had extracted a promise from him to write me twice a week, and to come to see me if his boat ever docked near my house. I was fifteen theng now I am sixteen, and so much older and wiser. GLADYS E. DEFEO MOTHER NATURE'S PROGRAM When summer's gentle breeze Stops whisp'ring in my ear, And cool refreshing mornings Hint that fall will soon be here, The chipmunks and the squirrels Gather stores of nuts and food, For the cold and dreary winter days When shrubs and trees are nude. The streams stop their babbling song, The days grow short and the nights grow long. Then colder and ever colder The winds begin to blow, So southward go the robins To avoid the winter's snow. But soon when winteis over, And the sun shines warm again, Spring comes-and then the summer To inspire the author's pen. The cycle is perpetual, Its end is still unknown, But then again, to whom Has its beginning e'er been shown? OLIVE GATELY 24