Plymouth High School - Pilgrim Yearbook (Plymouth, MA)

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30 THE PILGRIM efforts as the flames began to leap through the doorway. Johnnie had begun to cry, not because of fear, nor because of the pain that throbbed in his leg, but because of his father's frailty. Tom's Dad could have pulled that door shut, Dick's father could have done it with one hand. Something the speaker was saying brought Johnnie back to the present. Today the proud citizenry of Lansing, Michigan, was dedicating the new fire- proof school building. The stage was crowded with fathers, school board offic- ials, and honored guests, including the mayor, Mr. Jones, who was now saying: The late Harold Thomas was a frail man, but he possessed a courage which is a far greater possession than physical strength. With all the power in him, he pulled and tugged to close that tire door, but his strength was not enough. Thirty of his pupils, including his own son, were doomed to a terrible death if he didnlt succeed. Well, those children are alive today, living evidence of how courageous, yes, how heroic a man Harold Thomas was. When he discov- ered he could not pull the door shut, he bravely stepped into the adjacent room, and, unmindful of the flames, got behind the door and pushed it shut. John and his mother, who were sitting among the honored guests on the stage, lowered their heads to hide their tears, tears of sorrow and loneliness, but of pride, too. Sweet was their memory of the beloved husband and father, whose name was engraved on the face of the new Harold Thomas School. JOHN NUTTERVILLE '42 IF I WERE KING Four and twenty blaclcbirds Baked in a pie - When the pie was opened, The birds began to sing, Wasn't that a dainty dish To set before a King? In nursery rhyme days this blackbird pie was evidently considered a dish which was fit for a King. Times have changed and, if I were King, I should not want my chef to serve me a blackbird pie. A good meat pie with a filling of beef, potatoes, and carrots, the whole covered with a thick, flaky crust baked until brown, would be much more to my taste. On state occasions, when I invited my ministers to dine, I should regale them with thick slices of ham, baked in Southern style, surrounded with candied sweet and white potatoes. For my very special friends I would order a Porter- house steak, French fried potatoes, asparagus, olives, and sweet gherkins. N o baked, steamed or boiled puddings either hot or cold, no gelatine or jello would ever be served in my palace. My guests would have a choice of lemon pie, with three-inch thick meringue, or hot apple pie topped with two scoops of vanilla ice cream. If my servants ate these meals, they would need exercise and would get plenty putting away my shoes since I usually have three or four pairs strewn over my fioor. Also the bending exer- cises they would get picking up the papers littering the floor within a rad- ius of two feet from my wastebasket where I have thrown-and missed, would be very beneficial. A royal jeweler would be kept busy taking care of my clocks and watches as I am continually breaking the clocks and losing the watches. Which birthday are you celebrating? This is a question my family asks each year. My birthday is in June, but when I was very small, it was decided to have my birthday celebrated on February 14th, as my brother's was February 9th, and my sister's February 18th. For years I have had two sets of birthday presents, but the system isn't working so well as it used to. Being king would have its advan- tages. Sinces the King can do no wrong, I could have my birthday celebrated in proper style-as often within the year as I saw Ht. RONALD SMITH '40 YOUTH AND THE FUTURE IN recent years there has been an in- creased desire for a higher education by many graduates of our secondary schools. Special training for their own special job is what youth is seeking. Not all, but most of them, have some- thing definite in mind, a goal that they have set for themselves. They face the future with an earnestness that is some- times amazing. We wonder at this. Surely the jobless who walk the streets are no inspiration. Then again we wonder where all the jobs are to come from if those looking for work are to get one.

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THE PILGRIM 29 V I'4iT,v:'g,,.,,.. :Jar x .. i'1-'it-Q, I , 'A gif! lr- -J s Kg., it . B, i i..s.iu.ia CHANG THE news circulating through the neighborhood that Chang's death had been caused by an automobile would have made him indignant. For the bet- ter part of seven years he had dashed across busy thoroughfares, expertly weaving his way among the cars with never an accident. His death resulted from poisoning, and the end was quick and painless. He had led a carefree life, the pedi- greed pet of an adoring household. Ever since the first day he had been intro- duced into the family, just a soft muff of fur with large, brown eyes and every bit as wide as he was long, he had been loved by the family and neighborhood. Harsh words elicited by the sight of muddy prints on the clean spread or the necessity of a few sharp blows with the leash when a piece of meat was mysteri- ously missing brought remorse to the heart of the punisher as acutely as it did to the culprit. Everybody knew Chang, for he was no ordinary Chow dog. He possessed neither an uncertain temper, nor the will to fight for which this breed is known. He was patient to the extent of allowing little children to pull his Ucurlycue tail , and he made many pennies for his little mis- tress by obligingly opening his mouth to show the astonished youngsters his dark blue tongue and gumS. He even permitted the prodding of the fingers of the unbelievers who wanted to make sure he hadn't been eating blueberry pie or drinking ink. He was so happy that, in spite of be- ing handicapped by dumbness. he trans- mitted some of his joy to us, and the sight of the wagging tail and little bronze body surging with vitality always brought a smile to our lips no matter how great our troubles. Chang was possessed, naturally e-nough, with a dislike for felines, but he would bear the sly tricks of Turkey. the family cat, with patient amusement, only administering a light cuff with his shaggy paw when the cat became too lively. Everybody misses Chang, and. al- though other pets have come and gone, none can ever quite take the place he holds in our hearts. Domus BLISS '40 THE THIN MAN AS long as the school band played mil- ' ' itary marches, John Thomas listened attentivelyg but as soon as a speaker began extolling the achievements of the School Board, other thoughts began to creep into his mind, and his eyes strayed from the stage, over housetops, and past the water tower. Johnnie was thinking about fathers, all boys' fathers in gen- eral, and his own beloved father in particular-yes, about his own dear father, Harold Thomas, the kind, under- standing fifth-grade teacher, the upright, loyal citizen, and the gentle, loving parent. What a pity, though, that he should have been so very weak, so very delicate in constitution! Why couldn't God make all fathers big and strong with muscles like steel? Why had He chosen to make his father a frail man with thin, weak arms? A shudder swept over the boy. Per- haps something the speaker had said had penetrated his attention and made him again remember the awful horror of that day, some three years before, when the old school building had quaked on its foundation and had almost exploded in his face. The classroom floor was quiv- ering again! The walls were crashing all about him! The girls and boys were screaming in terror! His leg actually hurt, too, just as it had that day when a timber from the ceiling had snapped the bone just below his knee! Now, more vividly than when it happened, his mind's eye saw his father, straining frantically with what little strength there was in his thin arms, trying des- perately to pull shut the fire door that would keep the flames in the adjacent room from entering the fifth-grade classroom. By closing the door, Harold Thomas hoped to give his trapped pupils a stronger chance of being rescued. However, he lacked the strength to pull the door shut and became frantic in his

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THE PILGRIM 31 But there is at least one comforting thought, for we realize there is a greater variety of jobs than there was once, jobs that call for skill with hands as well as with brains. In fact, if we investigate, we are surprised how many new fields are today open to energetic youth. Civil service, farming, dairying, aviation, mechanics and engineering, social and health service offer a variety of oppor- tunities. And youth looks to a field that requires training because of this, and also because of good salaries which usually reward the workers. Even poor finances are not such a handicap. There are many approved trade schools that offer courses at a reasonable cost. Night courses are especially helpful to those who are obliged to work by day to gain an educa- tion. All this calls for work, and plenty of it, on the part of the student, but, as a rule, young people who are interested in a particular line are willing to work. They have a definite aim in life and look hopefully into the future. HARLEY MITCHELL '40 A TRUE SPORTSMAN IN one of the editions of The Saturday Evening Post we saw a very striking picture of a hunter paddling down a peaceful river in the heart of the Maine Woods. lt was sundown and he was returning to his camp from a day spent in the peaceful solitude of the woods. A man we know quite well, the owner of a grocery store, is a gunner in his spare time. He is a fairly stout man of about fifty years of age. This friend spends all his spare time in raising hunt- ing dogs and in enjoying his camp on the beach. He also raises many varieties of ducks for the camp. When the duck sea- son approaches, he takes his dogs, birds. guns, food supply, and other equipment to his camp on the beach and spends the whole season there. His interest in his camp has made it one of the most popular in this vicinity, for it offers all the things dear to a man who enjoys the out-of-doors. If we were to stroll past his camp in the evening, we should find him sitting in his old rocking chair in front of the stove, his dogs sleeping at his feet, and he would be reading the latest sporting magazine. Qr if we were to stroll past the camp in early morning, We should find him sit- ting behind his blind waiting for the approach of ducks on the wing. lf he didn't see one duck for four days, he would be satisfied with the simple ex- pectation of a better day tomorrow. He is never disgruntled at failure. The sun sets once more as he returns to the old rocking chair in his snug cabin, at peace with the world and with God. He is our idea of a really true sportsman. MARTIN MCAULEY '41 ACTIVE OR PASSIVE? WHO can truthfully say that clubs and activities are not an essential part of the school curriculum? We rather think that none of us could, provided we gave the question intelligent, careful thought, for without doubt our future social life depends a great deal upon the acquaint- ances and associations we make during our youth. This being the case, many of our school clubs should have much larger memberships, and more of us should be interested in extra-curricular activities. The fact is that some of us, too many of us, in fact, are inactive, passive, uninterested in fields outside the ordinary courses of study. Of course, the pupil who finds his ordinary work difficult and has no time for other interests may be an exception. lf he finds his work arduous, he should persevere until he masters it, avoiding too many activities which would divert his attention. The majority of pupils, however, have enough spare time but prefer not to spend it in an organized manner. These are the students who should join study groups. For those who enjoy nature and wood- craft there is the 4-H Club, for the scien- tifically or mechanically-minded, the Radio or Aviation Clubs, for the musi- cally inclined, glee clubs, orchestra, and band, for the physically active, football and basketball, and for all there are various periodic activities sponsored by the school itself. Although this extra-curricular work could have a slightly detrimental effect upon the marks of the pupil, its divi- dends in fun and experience far out- weigh the injuries it might inflict. Mem- bers of clubs have opportunities to show their skills, to meet and make new friends, to develop their natural abilities into useful and possibly profitable pas- times, and to gain self-confidence and poise when in public. WALTER CoRRow '41