Potter Academy - Wreath Yearbook (Sebago Lake, ME)

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Literature Bashful Moses Bashful Moses lived in Gold Bucket, Nevada. He llved with his mother and father and two brothers ln a small ranch about five miles from town, Bashful Moses was just what his name says he was, only worse. He was so bashful he couldn't even look in the mirror without blushing. Not only was Moses bashful, but he was also afraid of guns. Now thls shamed Blg Jim Hawks, Moses's father, more than anything in the world ever could, for Blg Jim was the roughest, toughest, gun totlng man ln the state of Nevada, and to think that a son of his was afraid of guns, on top of being bashful, almost shamed hlm to tears. From the time, Bashful Moses was old enough to hold a gun, until he was twenty years old, Big Jim tried to break Bashful Moses of his fear of guns, but his efforts were in vain. Moses's fear did not break. It ls needless to say how much Bashful suffered all his llfe. Where- ever he went he was teased and laughed at. Whenever he rode lnto town, which wasn't very often, people would go out of their way to speak to him, just to see him blush, and stammer howdy and practically run down the street. Women would deliberately bump him, causlng hlm to become so frustrated that he couldn't even say pardon. And even at home, he had no peace. His older brothers, Bull and Jake, would care- lessly throw their guns around and sometimes even shoot his hat off, scaring Bashful Moses so badly that he would jump on his horse and ride out into the prairie to stay for several days at a time. And so Bashful Moses llved the life of a dog. lt was when he was twenty- two years old that a terrible thing happened to Moses, so terrible ln fact that it rulned his life. Bashful Moses fell ln love with pretty Sara Rose Bell. lt was bad enough that she was the prettiest and most popular gal ln town, but worse still, she was his brother, Bull's, girlfriend. When Bull used to bring Sara to his home for dinner, Bashful Moses used to sit and peek through a crack in the wall at her. He vowed to himself that someday he would speak to her and win one of her angelic smiles. But for the time being, he was content to look and dream. One day when Sara was visiting and Bashful was peeking, he decided that when she left that day, he would follow, and when they were both out of sight, he would ride up and speak to her. The ldea frightened him so badly that he started shaking, but he was very determined and when Sara Rose left, Bashful went GUI, got hls horse, and followed at safe distance, tak- lng a course that was hidden by trees, so she could not see him. When he came around the huge rock, he decided to go out and speak. When Bashful Moses came around that rock he beheld a very frlghtenlng and dangerous situation, for he saw three men with guns trained on Sara Rose. One man had a piece of rope with which he proceeded to rie Sara. Bashful Moses was so scared his toenalls were curled under, but he dldn't run. Instead he gathered all hls courage on the tip of his tongue and sald, 'D-D-Drop your g-g-guns, boys and get them horses moving mighty pront. My flnger's klnda itchy on this har trigger. Well, slr, you never in all your life saw men ride so fast as those three did. You couldn't see 'em for dust, and Bashful, with his face as red as the parson's nose, rode out from behind the rock to face Sara. This terrlfled him even more than the robbers with their guns. When Sara saw who lt was, she nearly collapsed with laughter, but 35

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Magazine Campaign The magazine campaign started a few days earller this year, so the students wonld be able to sell a few more subscriptions. It also gave them a falr chance to compete with the other schools. lt started as it does every year with Mr. Hovls coming early in the school day and telllng funny stories and trying to make us interested ln selllng his magazines. l-le dldn't have to try very hard, because we know from other years that the people of our town always back us ln the campaign, and the school will benefit from the drive. The school was separted into two teams. The Seniors and Freshmen were on one side and the Juniors and sophomores were on the other. The Seniors and Freshmen were ahead part way through the magazine drive, but the other team caught up and went right by: so the Juniors and the Sophomores were the winners. The loslng team gave the winning team a supper, which was held on December 19th. After the supper, everyone took part in a Chrlstmas party. This year, as we have tried to do other years, we went past the goal, and the school realized a larger profit than that of the year before. Carlene Wight '62 The SOPIIOMOIC M6SqU2l'6d2 The masquerade ball, sponsored by the Sophomore Class, was held on October 24, 1951. There was a good attendance and everyone en- joyed lt. very much. Three prizes were glven to the persons wearing the most original costumes. The first prize lof two dollarsj was glven to Lawrence Nason, who was dlsgulsed as a blind beggar. The second prize lone gallon of sweet ciderl was given to Mrs. Harry Mcltenney, who was dressed as an old woman. The third prize I a box of chocolatesj was given to llchard Irish, who disguised himself as a girl. Other very good costumes were that of a clown, a witch, and an Arabian. Cider and doughnuts were served, and music was provided by a local orchestra. The gymnasium was decorated with welrd streamers of orange and black, while black eats, corn stalks and pumpkins, gave the stage a typlcal Halloween appearance. The finishing touch was a 'corpse' fa mop, a coat hanger, a mash, and a sheetj suspending from the ceiling in one corner of the room. Everyone had a very good time. Roberta Gilliam '54 34

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suddenly she sohered and said, Why, Moses, you dldn't even have a gun. You never carry one, and you did all that just for me.' And with that she wound her arms around Bashful Moses's neck and kissed him and Moses lmrnedlately falnted. Jean Crawford '52 selfishness This ls a story of selfishness. It concerns an lndlan named Chief Soggy Tea-lag of the Wethead Tribe. The Chief ls very old, and the tribe ls very poor. He trled to make them happy but the ralns dldn't come and many of the tribe died of thlrst. The Chlef lived in a moth- eaten old tepee. He had just enough clothes to cover him. Then a telegram arrlved for hlm. U It was a notice from Catchom 6 Stlckem, Attorneys at Law, to come and collect 81,000,000,000.15, lnherltance tax deducted. The trlbe was overjoyed at the thought of this money. lut the Chief kept it all for hlmsel . Every blt of ltl He was buying everything ln sight and the Indians were dropping like flies. He bought a thirty- flve cylinder Super Percussion X-100 motor car with radlo, television, radar, telegraph and a telephone to call up the drlver. With the money he also built a forty room mansion with tele- vision ln every room. In the llvlng room there was a fish pond with barracudas and South American puranas in lt to keep the Indians from drinking lt. Down under the house was his vault. There was a pond there infested with Crocodiles and water moccaslns. The Chief went down there every day to count his money to see that lt was all there. Soon he lost all of his friends. The trlbe despised him. They cursed the ground that he walked on. He was so stlngy that he charged his servants to work there. The servants were just about starved to death. They wore ragged clothes and no shoes. After he found out about income tax, he softened up a little. He began to give away money. The trlhe soon loved him and were can very prosperous. He paid his servanrs to work there, he got rid of the reptiles ln the ponds, and he won all of his frlends back. Soon all of the Vlethead Tribe was prosperous and they lived happily ever after. Lawrence Nason '54 36