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

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24 THE HERMIAD ued to play with the children until their bedtime came. A short while after the children had made their reluctant exits I chanced to glance toward Bill. He was sitting very quietly, staring, apparently at the arm of his chair. I asked him what troubled him. He started, and then he looked queerly at me. I am confident that he did not see meg his mind was occupied with so rlething far away. After a minute he said: Em, I have a matter to tell you which no one else knows about. I want you to help me . I laid my newspaper aside, wandering what it was all abcut. Years age, when I was a young fellow, no one thought that I would ever be any good. I left home and drifted from one place to another. I heard from home only once in a ling, long time. I knew that my brother had a good position. At times I wanted ta go back home, but I was ashamed. Finally no more news came from home. I had cut my last anchor. For years I wandered over the face 'cf this cld earth, fighting, playing, working, wast- ing. Only just now, when you spoke, I was thinking of past Christmas eves and the places where I had spent them. Ncw, Ern, I want to find my mother. I am not asharred any more for I have settled down and people respect me and look to me for help. Ncw that I am somebody I want mother to know about it, if she is still living . I felt just a bit uncorrfortable. The Bill I had known was such a self- sufficient, dependable fellow that I could scarcely reconcile him with the character he had sketched for me. All right, old man , I said: a praise worthy aim, but where do I come in? Locking straight at me he asserted more than asked: You will help me find mother? Surprised, I managed to reply: Of courseg you can ccunt on me . The next forenoon Bill spent at his work bench in the cellar. The children called noisily down to him that they were going to get their guest. He made them a reply that sent them laughing on their way. Time passed quicklyg the ycungsters were soon back, almost dragging in their 'happiness an erect little gray-haired woman who- faced the world with a brave smile and a questioning look in her eyes. Just then Bill opened the cellar door. He had in his arms a huge stick of fireplace wood. William! said a soft old voice. The wood drcppd unnoticed to the floor.

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THE HERMIAD 23 in North America we 'have been able to find out just what the old system of teaching was, and how the schcols were laid out. As one entered a broad dzorway, one came into a hall. On the left hand was a room that was evidently used as a library and reference room. On the right hand was the chief overseer's office. These two rooms were equipped with good sizedidesks and niany seats, all made of wocd. Also were found in these rooms various colJred pieces made of a material called paper. These show that the students in the school were not always of the best demeanor. A broad hall ran the entire length of the building, with rooms branching off from it. One of these was larger than the cthers and was, from all appearances, an assembly room. In the rear of this asserbly room was a good sized open space which was probably used as a physical torture chamber. The building contained three stories, but other buildings of a similar kind that have been discovered prave that some of then were of a great height. This is just a brief description of an ancient school. A more detailed one may be found in the history written by Eva March Tappan IV . C-331 A PRICELESS PRESENT fErnest Cooney, 19315 I HEN I came to work in a small store in the town of Paradise, the first person that I met was Bill Reynolds. We liked each other at first sight and I did not find it hard to persuade Bill to take me into his home to beard. His wife was a very pleasant woman, and his two little children were always with their father while he was at home. Bill was a jolly sort of fellow who, never wanted to go anywhere when he was not w:rking. He never told me anything of his past lifeg naturally I never inquired of him about it. Even his wife knew little that had happened before she met him. t One frigid Christmas eve Bill and I walked home from the store. Bill usually talked and joked whenever we were tcgether, but that night I noticed that he was very quiet. He seemed to be in deep thought. After eating supper Bill and I went to the sitting raom to rest and smoke. I picked up a paper and began to read. The youngsters came and climbed upsn Bill's knees. They were full of some mysterious secret which, after a bit of ieiened indifference on his part, was soon let out. It seems that they had' invited an old lady who lived all alone in a small cottage near them to have dinner with tliem the next day. They called their new-found friend granny , a name which comes readily to little lips. Bill said nothing though he contin-

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