Potter Academy - Wreath Yearbook (Sebago Lake, ME)

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About noon she walked to the top of the ledge overlooklng the ocean. She noticed the wlnd was blowing harder than lt dld durlng the mlddle of the day ln good weather and she saw the clouds were dark and were packed close together. Chris knew that lt was golng to storm before nlght and reallzlng lt made her shlver and fear seemed to selze her. She returned to the house and trled to keep her mlnd on her sewing, but she douldn't keep herself away from the window. Each tlme she looked out the sky was darker and the wlnd was blowing harder. At six-o-clock she took the lanterns from a peg on the wall and llt them and started down to the dock. As she stepped outslde a gust of wlnd, raln, and snow struck her ln the face and nearly knocked her off her feet. Chrls pulled her cape closer around her and started down the path toward the boathouse. She hung the lanterns, and stook looking out into the maze of black whlch seemed to enfold her, but she saw nothing and heard only the wlnd. Chrlstlnla returned to the dimly llt kltchen and put the kettle of soup a llttler nearer the flre so lt would be good and hot when her father came back, lf he dld come back. At this thought, she nearly dropped the coffee. She hadn't thought of lt untll just now, but lf he dldn't come back, she would be left entirely alone wlth no one to love her or take care of her. She had often wlshed for a mother and she had dreamed of belng able to talk to and love a mother but she never had one and her father had tried to be both to her. She sat down ln the corner by the ehlmney and crled for a long tlme. Then she remembered what her father had told her a long time ago. He sald that she must be brave and face verythlng with her chin up. She dried her tears and looked at the clock for the mllllonth time. lt was elght o-clock: that meant he was two hours late. She put more wood on the fire and looked out the windows but there was nothlng to be seen. At tea o-clock she was beside herself with worry, and the wind had grown stronger, and lt shook every timber ln the old house. Chrls went agaln to the dock and stood with her back to the hoathouse to keep the wlnd from blowing her away. She kept watching and waltlng for a slgn of llfe and hope to emerge from the lnky darkness. lt seemed to her years before she heard a volce faintly calllng, and she wasn't sure lf lt belonged to her father or someone else lost ln the storm. She only thought of helplng so she took one of the lanterns from the post and swung lt back and forth llke the pendulum on the clock. Chris heard the volce grow stronger as the boat came closer, and she saw the large fog llght shlnlng through the fog and raln. The boat came closer and she saw lt was her father and a wave of joy and rellef swept over her. She helped tle the rope to the dock and then she rushed up to glve hlm a hearty welcome. As she dld, she saw htm put his fingers to hls llps and motioned for her to be stlll. l-le took her hand and led her to the cabln on the boat. When she stepped lnslde, he pointed to the bed. Chrlstlnla held the lantern a llttle hlgher and closer to the hed to get a better look. What she saw was a shock. She would have thought nothlng about looking ln a mlrror and seelng herself, but here she was standlng ln a cahln on a boat looking down lnto the face of a woman who looked exactly like Chris. lt made her wonder lf she was dreaming or something, and she turned to her father wlth a questlonlng look ln her eyes. 43

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A DFCBII1 COITIC True On the sea coast of New England, ln a llttle lnland cove, stood a rambling white cottage, built a number of years ago. lt was the only house within five mlles' distance of the cove. The name of the cove was, 'The Devll's Castle , and lt got thls name because of a wall of a huge ledge which towered into the air for about two hund- red feet. The face of the cliff consisted of a black shiny material, which at nlght looked entirely dlfferent: especially to those who had never seen lt before. When the lights of a ship would shine on the front of the ledge, lt looked as lf there were a large entrance, and lt looked like a passage way which a large shlp could easily go through. lf the sailors on a ship dldn't know about this they would thtnk that lt was a short route to the other slde of the bay and would head for lt without delay. Because of thls, many ships were destroyed in the shores of The Devll's Castle. The people ln the towns near-by often wondered why anyone would want to live ln that little whlte cottage and be so far away from'the rest of the llvely world. What they dldn't know was the people llvlng there were a seventeen year old girl and her foster father, The glrl had llved with the old fisherman who found her ln a llfe boat floating ln his cove one morning after a bad storm, sixteen years a o. 8 The glrl had grown up to love the old man and accepted him as her father. He was very contented to stay and keep his house for htm while he spent long days on the sea flshlng. The old fisherman was known around the flshlhg grounds as Pop, and that's all anyone ever found out about hlm. He was a qulet, humble man, and he never used the harsh language that the other men dld when thlngs went wrong. He was a hard worklng man and was always kind hearted and thoughtful. He often bought ribbons or lace, and few yards of cloth to take home to his little daughter. Charles Woodman, which was the flsherman's real name, was the lonesomest man ln the world until he found the child. This girl had made him very happy, and had glven hlm sornethlng to work and llve lor. g The girl, whom Charles had named Chrlstlnla, was a very slender, shy, and beautiful girl. She made her own clothes and went by the plc- tures ln an old book that she had found ln the attlc to design her dresses, Her balr was a dark brown and lt hung to her walst ln long curls, which she fastened at the back of her neck wlth a rlbbon. Her eyes were a deep blue and the depths seemed to be unknown. She was very quiet and was busy most of the time. Every morning when the old fisherman was ready to leave, Chris would walk down to the dock and watch his boat until lt was lost from sight between the sky and sea. Chrls would then go back and work the rest of the day cooking and cleaning the cottage. In late afternoon after her work was finished she would take her favorite book to a llttle seat at the top of the ledge and read untll lt was time to go back and start the supper cooking. A llttle after dark each night, Chrls would llght two lanterns and hang them on hlgh posts at the end of the dock, so that her father would be guided to the rlght landing. Each day was the same as the day before and it continued that way until one dark morning ln January when Chrlstlnla's father had gone to the clty of Berllngton to get supplies. 42

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He sllpped hls arm around her and whispered close to her ear, 'My chlld, l have searched for many long years, and in many different places and I've finally found her. l felt ln my heart all along that she wasn't dead, and now I know for sure. She'll be eager to see you in the morning after she has rested. Chris said ln a weak voice, 'You mean that this is my mother? My real mothesr' -Her father just nodded hls head. Chrlstlnla looked once more at the lovely woman asleep on the hed and then she knelt down and her lips moved as lf in prayer, and the only words to be heard were, Mother, my mother. Carlene Wight '52 Friends Friends are like the fleeting day, So hrlefly known, so suddenly lost. By change of fate they drift away Llke ships at sea, whose paths we've crossed. Lingering as day fades out To make their last farewell and depart, They go their ways, but not without Leaving their memories in each heart. Roberta Gilliam '54 44