Plainfield High School - Hermiad Yearbook (Central Village, CT)

Page 14 text:

8 THE HERMIAD The next day the teacher returned the corrected papers, saying as she did so: I was very much disappointed in these papers, for I find that there are only three one-hundreds in the whole class of more than thirty. The three who find a one-hundred mark on their papers may come to the front of the room. . The two girls and Eddie made their way to the front of the room, the former laughing, and the latter self-conscious and ashamed. I find, continued the teacher, that there is a similarity beween these three papers that is not only evident but very conspicuous, and in view of the fact that Mr. Chapman overheard a little conversation between you three, I have entered two zeroes and only one one-hundred in my rank book. Eddie, I have not altered your mark but remember, you are too good a student to bother with girls who are low enough to cheat. Girls, I am ashamed of you ! she said. The three slowly made their way back to their seats, this time, two with their heads bowed in shame, and one who bore the look of a person who has learned a great lesson. The little girl received a mark of 98, and was exceedingly proud, for the work was her own. Eddie was obliged to stand in front of the room with the little girl, and receive congratulations-they were the smartest pupils in the class! Let me add, also, that Eddie did not lack dances at the reception for he had suddenly become a great hero in the eyes of one little girl who danced fully as well, if not better, than the two cheats. iff? A LAMENT 1Edward Bellavanee-1 9305 Why are you sad, my little man? Why do you feel so blue? I had a test, the young man said And I flunked the same as you. That is too bad, my little man, What will your father say? I do not know, the young man said, But, I'm sure l'll rue the day.

Page 13 text:

was HEBMIAD 1 DOES IT PAY? flda M. Tracy--19291 S this is a theme for the Hermiad and since most of the readers of this magazine are high school children, I have decided to write a story with a moral attached to it. This decision was based upon a systematic study of the different classes of children around me. The time is around the last of any month and the scene is any class room in which a monthly exam is being giveng the characters, a group of children sitting expectantly at their desks, papers before them, pencils poised, and their whole attitude that of dejected martyrs. The signal is given to turn over the papers and all start to write simultaneously. A half hour previously, a small, timid youngster had witnessed a solemn compact between two of the smartest girls of the class and the smartest boy. One of the girls, whispering excitedly, neglecting to lower her voice to the medium usually obtained when discussing private and important affairs of any kind, uttered the following words which the youngster, who, by the way, had no intentions of eavesdropping, overheard. Eddie, will you manage to sit in front of us during the test, and turn your paper so that we may see it if we get stuck? Well, said Eddie, you know it would seem funny if I should sit way over there by you girls, and anyway all the fellows would laugh at me. Then you do not think it would be worth doing, even for the sake of two dances at the Senior reception ? pleaded the second girl, W-e-l-1, two dances each with two pretty girls are not to be sneezed at, he decided, and added abruptly, All right, I'll do itg but be careful or we'll get caught. With these words he hurried away to join the rest of the gang. There. laughed one of the girls, didn't I tell you it would be easy? Yes, the other replied, you're a wizard all right. At this moment the bell rang and the two hurried to the class-room. The timid youngster, making her way more slowly, muttered between set teeth, So that is the way they do itg no wonder they always get on the honor roll. Eddie is such a nice boy too: they have no right to bother him. I'll bet they won't give him the dances at the reception either. Thus a very indignant young girl found herself one seat in back of the two schemers and two seats in back of the adored Eddie. One hour passed, during which time the exams were completed and collected.

Page 15 text:

THE HERMIAD 9 FROM IMMIGRANT TO INVENTOR Uames Fanning--1 9291 T has been said that a biography is the best thing in literature. This is especially true of an autobiography because the writer can portray his own thoughts and ideas as no one else can. Michael Pupin's autobiog- raphy, From Immigrant to Inventor, is an excellent autobiography. It gives us a good idea of the thoughts of a man who set out to solve the prob- lems of natural phenomena, and succeeded. As a boy in a tiny Serbian village, Michael Pupin began to wonder at the things around him. What is light? he asked himself. This was one of his first problems and one which he has not answered to his own satisfaction even yet. The boys of the village, while watching the cows at night, signalled to each other by tapping the handles of knives stuck in the ground. Hard ground carried the sound better than soft groundg why? He found the answer many years later during his experiments with electricity. Michael soon outlearned the village school and went to a high school in a neighboring town.. There he learned what lightning was and upon his return home announced that lightning was an electrical spark and nothing else. His father arose in great indignation and denounced the heretic who daredto say that lightning was not sparks struck by the hoofs of the horses as the phophet Elias drove across the sky. The old man was pacified by his wife but Michael's thirst for knowledge was not at all lessened. He soon left high school and went to study in Budapest. He had heard of that wonderful land called America and of Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln who had lived there. Having become involved in political squabbles he decided to go to America where there was no tyranny by cruel nobles. Serbia was at that time ruled by Austria and Pupin hated all Germans and Austrians for many years after that. After nearly freezing on the journey across the Atlantic Michael finally arrived at New York with one American nickle as his entire fortune. He spent this on a piece of prune pie which he says contained more stones than prunes. If I had had five hundred dollars, he says, I should have been duped out of it in the same way because I was 'green'. He was hired the next day by a farmer and went to work with a somewhat unsatisfactory idea of America. At the farm he began to learn to speak English and at the end of a few months was able to speak it quite well. He soon left the farm and returned to the city where he met a Dutch boy of about his own age. Michael offered to paint the cart of a miserly baker for five dollars and board while doing the job. The baker was glad to get such cheap labor and quickly agreed. He did the job and left the baker's house with his five dollars and a pie for good measure. The paint washed off the Hrst time the cart was out in the rain because the painter had includedno drier. He did the job