Quincy High School - Goldenrod Yearbook (Quincy, MA)

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THE GOLDEN-ROD. it was though. There’s more than one fellow looking for Van’s melons.” We pulled up side of the fence. “Now see here,” I whispered, “ if we go together we’ll get careless and I don’t want to spend next week picking rock-salt out of me. I’ll hold the stone to see who goes in.” Mort got the stone and slipped through the fence, leaving me lying by the fence by the water’s edge. The moon was silver now, and riding high, and across its face the wind clouds staggered in dizzy haste. It looked as if it was tossing in frothy waves. I looked away across the lake whose dark surface was now spotted with silver patches of scales, where the freshening breeze came down on it. Way across on the other bank the lantern-lighted tent of a camping crowd glowed among the dark trees like an immense firefly. The shouts of the crowd came faintly across the lake. The sound of a distant violin and the quiet lap-lapping of the little waves among the rocks, and the delicious smell of the wet earth lulled me into a half-doze. A shrill, persistent hiss, that stood out distinctly from the common thrilling of the insects, brought me to my feet in a moment. I answered, jumped the ditch and hurried to the fence. Mort stood in the fence corner shaking with voiceless laughter; “ They’re up by the road,” he chuckled “ poor old dopes, George and the hired man—I can see their old pipes glowing. Here take these! ” He shoved five round rough melons through the fence, and swung lightly over. So we had melons for breakfast. K. B. Lewis, 1900. v S HIGH SCHOOL VERSE. “ CHRISTABEL. SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE. Argument. Christabel, the daughter of Sir Leoline, going out at mid- night to pray for her distant lover, suddenly meets, under an oak, a beautiful lady, who relates how she was carried from her noble father’s home by warriors, and left under the tree. Chris- tabel takes to the castle this maiden, Geraldine by name, who seems to be a sorceress, because of a spell which she works upon Christabel while the latter is sleeping. The next day she tells the Baron that she is the daughter of his former dear friend, Roland de Vaux of Tyermaine; where- upon Sir Leoline orders Bracy, the bard, to go tell him of her safety; and leaves the hall in her company, while Christabel swoons on the floor, both because of a terrible snake-like look which Geraldine has given her, and the repulse from her father when she begs him to send the woman away. Conclusion. Corinxe Louise Hayward, ’02. PART III. “Christabel.” As they pace from the hall, Sir Leoline, Enamored of Lady Geraldine, And willing because of the insult fell, Which she had received from Christabel, Yields to her entreaties to be Allowed to go her father to see. Thereupon Bracy back is called, And bidden to guard sweet Geraldine; To conduct her safe to her father’s hall Across bleak hills and through woods of pine. As they go, the wicked Geraldine Places Christabel and Sir Leoline Each beneath her separate spell, Which she knew how to work so terribly well. In passing through the woods of pine, Where Christabel found sweet Geraldine; The latter endeavored to work a spell Upou Bracy which would sound his knell; But the good man sang hymns so constantly That from all her efforts naught could she see. As they came nigh the gnarled oak A certain hymn from Bracy broke Which the mother had sung on her dying bed, And which was ' gainst evil a safe-guard, ’ twas said. When lo! the mother before them did seem, Clad in a robe of snowy sheen, And wholly devoid of any gem Save a golden diadem. “ Evil spirit, begone ! ” she cried, And at these words old Bracy spied A change in the lady beside him — The jewels vanished from her hair. Her feet they were no longer bare, Unsandled though they had been. A simple angel sprite seemed she, As she now stood beneath the tree, Beautiful, exceedingly. She breathed a sigh of deep relief, And from the top of the oak, the leaf Fluttered compassionately. “ Thou mayest have but few minutes to tell You mortal why these things befell,” Said the mother of Christabel And smiled forgivingly. “Oh, holy man ! ” the angel said, “ All mortal beings when they are dead, Must undergo a torment dread From the spirits that dwell below. And so, their ruler and their king, On me, the daughter of Roland de Vaux, Imposed this great and terrible thing At which you all have marvelled so. But the angels’ good and gracious queen, This lady whom you love so well, Did pul at naught this wicked scheme, Which would harm her lovely Christabel. “ And the dream which you dreamt on yesternight Was one she sent to work a spell, To put the evil spirit to flight, And to rescue from her awful plight The holy, beauteous Christabel.

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THE GOLDEN-ROD. symbol of the tribe, a crane, do we not speak of it as the Crane Public Library. As the second flock of birds resembled the eagles, “ Kings among Birds,” may we not go farther than Comanche and declare the year 1902 to be a red letter one in the history of the High School? A better financial year for the Athletic Association than ever before, the best basket-ball, foot-ball and base-ball teams of all the schools about here, and altogether the finest year the Quincy High School has ever seen? Mildked F. Rice. V; ALUMNI COLUMN. A MESSAGE FROM '82. Quincy, April 5, 1902. The managers of the Golden-Rod want some messages from the graduates, and they have asked that this particular message be humorous. The combination of words is unfortunate; the graduate of twenty years’ standing is little likely to have a humorous message to send. The writer read over the other day the valedictory address which she gave on the night of her graduation in June, 1S82, and was amazed to find how very much more she knew about everything then than she does now. It is curious how much it is possible to forget! Even the meagre course of study of those days had seemed to prepare her to grapple intelligently and effectively with most of the great problems of life, and but few doubts of the general correctness of her theories seemed to have assailed her. Twenty years have shown that there was not very much the matter with the theories, they were all good ones, only—the world lias never been quite willing to allow them to be carried out. Doubtless the members of the Class of 1902 are just as well fitted to reform the world as were those of 1882, and this is the message your older fellow-student sends you, “ Come and help us, the world is better for every effort, no matter if the effort ends in apparent failure. The world needs reforming, it always will need it, and only when every right-minded person throws in his strength for the work will anything ever be accomplished. But—don’t take your own individual lack of success too hard, and try to see the funny side of things ; there is comedy as well as tragedy in every little wayside drama, and the ability to appreciate the one does not in the least involve a lack of sym- pathy for the other. Mabel Ellery Adams, Q. II. S., ’82. o NOTES. Mr. George Randall Lewis, '98, and Mr. Elijah Swift, ’99, both valedictorians of their High School classes, were elected as members of : V Phi Beta Kappa society of Harvard University, as a res .It of their scholarship for their work at that institution. Mr. Clair Baker, ’98, while at Tufts has bee:» managing the College papers, The Tufts Weekly, and the Tuftsonian. Mr. Oarl A. Lewis, president of “aughty-one” and our last year’s pitcher, is pitchiug for one of the “LeiterCups” scrub nines at Harvard this spring. Miss Fannie Saunders, 01, is president of her class at Bos- ton University. Mr. George Randall Lewis, ’98, ranks second among the “ Fifty strong men ” at Harvard. Eight of the alumni are employed at the Fore River Engine and Shipping Works. j HOW WE GOT OUR BREAKFAST. As the sun set, in splashes of gore, over the roof of the ice house I was sitting on the edge of the piazza with my back against a post removing sand-burrs from my golf-stockings; or rather transposing sand-burrs. I picked them oft the stock- ings with one hand, and then picked off that hand with the other, and at last wiped them off on the golf-stockings and began over again. Out on the lawn the dog was trying to arouse enthusiasm over a three weeks chicken-bone. Mort was some- where in the house, I heard the tinkle of the banjo as he tried to rake out some new and imposing chords for the “ King of the Cannibal Islands.” ‘Clergyman pudding with baby sauce, Little boy pie as a second course. He swallowed them all without any remorse, The King of the Cannibal Islands.' This and other verses floated out, punctuated by adjectives where the chord fell short of his requirements. The dog had left off stalking the chicken bone and was interested in a locust on the driveway. Gradually as the sunset flickered away the bugs began to pipe up and gather in choruses, six or seven shrill “ weep-weep-weeps ” with a dozen steady trillers and a tree toad. Mort had discarded the banjo and played softly on the old guitar. Down toward the river a thin white mist hung over the grass, and curled along towards the road. Then the moon came up quietly and sat, all red and big as a bandbox, on top of a haycock across the road, and I sat and gazed into its face till I was dizzy. A flock of something floated slowly, very slowly across the big moon. They might have been geese far away, or mosquitoes nearer. Later I decided they were mosquitoes. Mort came to the door and stood a long time breathing softly and making no sound, I thought he was admiriug the moon. “Joe,” he murmured at last, “ where’s Ellie? ” “ Over to Cecil’s,” I said, “ why?” Ci Well,” he said dubiously, “if it wasn’t for this moon,” I know where George Van Campen’s musk melons are.” “ Come on,” I said and in a few moments we had crossed the lawn and were waddling down the road in the cool, velvety dust. For half an hour we trotted along silently in the soft moon- light, and I said never a word till we turned into an old wood- road along the lakeside. “ George thought he was doing a smart thing when he ran his coon field back to the lake,” chuckled Mort in answer to my questioning grunt, “ but I spotted ’em yesterday. And the worst of it is, Joe, I guess old Van saw me. He don’t know who

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THE GOLDEN-ROD. “ And she did’st hear the castle bell Strike twelve upon this self-same day. So hie thee hence, forthwith to say That this is the looked for wedding day. And the lover will return so gay, To wed the happy Cbristabel. “ And say to the brave Sir Lcoline From me, the sorrowful Geraldine, That never will he on earth again See Roland de Vaux of Tyermaine; Since he, my father had gone to be A spirit in heaven, ahead of me, And he forgave the hasty word Spoken to him by thy lord,— But I can no longer stay with you, So, holy Bracy, Adieu; Adieu!” The angels vanished, and, chilled to the bone, The old mau stood in the wood alone lie stood shaking with chill of dread, While those ghostly words still rang through his head. Then collecting himself and turning 'round, lie hurried away from the fated ground. When nearing the castle there came to him The sound of merrymakc and din lie entered the hall, where in midst of his band, The lover of Christabcl took her hand, Then upon the heads of the kneeling pair, The father placed his bauds so bare, The clock again sounded—tu-whit! tu-whoo! And the father responded, “ My children, bless you! SCHOOL ITEMS. “ If I were a man ’— But she wasn’t. And now he can? Oh! lie musu't. Mr. Alden has been elected to the office of President of the Class of 1902. Mr. Whittemore, Ex-president of 1902, is pursuing his studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We are very sorry to say that Mr. Jones of the class of ’04, our big fulLback and all round athlete, has left school. He is at present employed in the office of his father. Mr. Augustus McDonald, 1903, has been obliged to leave school because of trouble with his eyes. He hopes to return in the fall. Mr. McDonald has the sympathy of the school. The cap and gown are made for the clown, And black is made for the mourner. If the Senior Girl is a mourner or clown, The cap and gown may adorn her. The reception given by the Senior Boys was a great success in every sense of the word. The charades which they presented were well chosen and well acted, showing great originality and talent. Owing to the intrusion of a mouse or some other equally innocent creature, the refreshments were a minus quantity dur- ing the early part of the evening, but thanks to the Graduate boys, who are always ready to mind everybody’s business but their own, more were secured later and no serious trouble resulted. Miss Michaels was granted a leave of absence about the middle of February and took the opportunity to visit her rela- tives in Portland. We were all glad to see her once more at the beginning of this term. The attendance this year has been notably better among the Senior boys, who seem to aspire to outdo the record of the Boys of aughty-one.” The Senior girls have also been im- proving, and the class of 1903 has broken all of its previous records and had perfect attendance for one day ! The social event of last fall was the reception given to the foot-ball team and boys of the two upper classes by the young ladies of 1902 and 1903. An innovation in the form of pro- gressive games was introduced and proved to be a decided suc- cess. Prizes were awarded and the first fell to Mr. Williams’ lot, while the “ booby ” adorns Mr. Baker’s shoes. About twenty of the French students took the opportunity of hearing Mr. Leopold Mabilleau, the celebrated French lecturer, during his visit to Boston at the invitation of the Alliance Francaise. They attended five pf the lectures, chaperoned by Miss Souther, enjoying especially the one on The French Workman.” A petition has been started, addressed to the Executive Committee of the Athletic Association, requesting arrange- ments to be made for a dual athletic meet with Adams Academy this year; if this is not possible it requests that au interclass meet be held. The “ Golden Rod ” heartily endorses the petition. A French tea was given at the residence of Miss Souther last term which the Senior and Post-Graduate French scholars had the pleasure of attending. The afternoon was spent with games, pictures, etc. Tea was poured by Miss Hayward and Miss Smith, 1902. During the visit to Boston of two of the greatest actors of Shakespearean drama, Miss Ellen Terry and Mr. Henry Irving, the Senior English classes took the opportunity of supplement- ing their study by observation, and in a group of about twenty- five, chaperoned by Miss Fish, they attended the Merchant of Venice. Besides the enjoyment of the comedy the audience had the pleasure of being addressed by Mr. Irving who thanked them for their kind appreciation of his efforts to reproduce the plays which Shakespeare wrote. One of the most successful e%-ents of the year both financially and socially was the entertainment given by the members of the Senior Class last March. The two farces into which it was divided were produced in a simple, charming manner which from the first carried the hearts of the audience. The success of the plays showed careful study and great prepar- ation on the part of those connected with them. The honors of the Senior Class has been awarded as follows: Valedictory, Miss Marie C. Bass; Salutatory, Mr. Herbert P. Arnold ; third, Miss Eleanor M. Nelson ; fourth, Mr. Ray Brown; fifth, Miss Mary Patterson; sixth, Miss Helen Cashinan. That the marks of the successful pupils were so near one another shows the diligence with which they have applied themselves to their studies and also proves that “ Application to duty is the road to Success.”