R J Reynolds High School - Black and Gold Yearbook (Winston Salem, NC)

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THE BLACK AND GOLD 29 for the annual, and getting up the Senior number of the Black and Gold, there was little time left for studying, but in some mysterious way we managed to reach the longed-for goal, grad- uation night and diplomas. VVhy, must you be going? Do come up the next time you have to wait between trains and let us renew our youth again talking over the days that are no more. Emily Griffith. .i-...1.l-i Gllaan Hrnphvrg Q44 lo since that never-to-be-forgotten Commencement Q' , Day when we bade farewell to the old High - School? How little we dreamed on that day, We two, who were so near and dear to each other, that for years the broad Atlantic would separate us, that you, the lassie so de- lightful, would bury yourself in the heart of Africa among the heathen Bakubas, that I, so fitted, as everyone thought, to make some man happy, would spend my days in single blessedness. Y DEAR MAMIE: 'Vi Rf' Can you realize that thirty years have rolled by i I fffv i. But there are compensations in every walk of life. You in your chosen work among the heathen have won the respect and love of thousands of black ones, I, with my turn for homely tasks, have gained a reputation here in Chinquapin Cove for cakes and pies, for jellies of every kind. Indeed, it has been my custom ever since I located here to exhibit at the annual County Fair specimens of my culinary skill that are the wonder and envy of housewives far and near. Owing partly to my success as a winner at the County Fair, and partly to the fact that she wished to make a little extra pin money, Janet McNair-Blumendale-Henderson,-you remember I wrote you that our old friend had buried two husbands and

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.28 THE BLACK AND GOLD grade that our entire class was organized, for you know there were two groups of us, I replied. 'lYes, the commercial students and the Latin students, and oh, how we hated each other, how we Latin students looked down upon the commercial students, and how the commercial students thought they were something because they could use the type- writer. It was in the ninth grade, wasn't it, that we had such a tussle with algebra, and in the conHict, lost many of our com- 73 rades? It most assuredly was, I replied. The next year we lost others in the fight with geometry. 'A straight line is the shortest line between two points.' Do you remember? Yes, and those awful originals. What tears we girls shed over them, Mary answered, smiling. 0ur dread of geometry originals was turned to mortal terror at the thought of physics problems, I said. To every original there is an equal reaction in the opposite direction, Mary gave as answer. 'cDespite all of that we were happy for we were Juniors at last. We had reached the point where we might have class parties. And entertain the Seniors, cried Mary. Oh, that reception to the seniors! What a time we had planning for it, trying to keep everything a secret, working be- fore school and after to make it the best party ever given in our old High School. And it was the best, too,-at least we thought so, when tired and happy we bade each other good night about eleven- thirty that night. This was but the beginning of many such good times, for the next year was marked by parties galore. Between parties and jollifications over base ball victories, planning for our Shakespearan play, having our pictures taken

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30 THE BLACK AND GOLD was about to take unto herself a third,--decided this fall to com- pete with me for the prize in cake making. VVhen I heard of it, I gracefully withdrew from the contest, for you know, dear lVIamie, that I would never compete with a friend when I was sure to win. But I helped Janet all I could with my advice and my recipes, too, so it was no wonder that she took every prize in the cake making department. VVhen I heard the good D-CWS., I fairly Hew to offer janet my congratulations, but would you believe it 3'--that scatter-brain girl-for though Janet is about to take her third husband, she's just like she always was,-that scat- ter-brain girl, I say, was nowhere to be seen. Ilseated myself in the cake booth for I felt for the honor of the contest, some one should be there to look after the blue ribbons. Pretty soon in came janet, her hair all blowsy, her hat on one side. Uh, Evelyn, she cried whom do you think I saw at the Bear Show just now? Robert Ormsby, that quiet boy you know who used to sit on the back seat in school. Well, he had grown so tall that at first I didn't recognize him. When he began tooting his horn, though, I knew it was Robertf, Of course it was interesting to hear of Robert again after all these years, but I tried to explain to janet how imprudent it was of her, even though she was a widow of two husbands, to take in the midway alone, especially one with the reputation this one had. But Janet insisted that in this enlightened day, there was no harm in a woman's going anywhere, and much against my better judgment she persuaded me to accompany her on an- other visit to the midway. So that was how it was I found myself in the midst of the fakirs gazing upon a brightly colored picture of a midget that hung in front of a rusty brown tent. There was something in the picture that attracted me, I knew not why, and when a shrill voice began to cry, H Come in and see little Hammie, the wonder- ful midget, I followed the crowd in. But what a shock I received. The midget proved to be no other than our own Ham Horton! He was standing upon a