Reading Memorial High School - Pioneer Yearbook (Reading, MA)

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4 TJIE PIONEER. in the oven. Such giddy girls as they have now- days I never saw !’ ‘ Don’t throw all the dishes on the floor,’ was her parting remark as I was leaving her to take care of herself. ‘ That is where we keep them,’ I replied as I sla mmed the door behind me. I felt a little provoked, so when Aunt Martha appeared in the kitchen I tried to return some of the compliments I had received. ‘Do you know how to make bread?’ I asked innocently, because if you do not 1 will send down to the bakery and get some. Now there is only one saucier question in the English lan¬ guage that I could have asked her, and that is, ‘Do you know the Ten Commandments?’ I received a very piercing look from her black eyes as she informed me ‘ that children should be seen and not heard.’ As I am nearly eighteen I didn’t particularly relish that remark. With scenes like these the morning passed away, and at dinner time I set the table as usual, but Aunt Martha, with the air of a martyr who was being burned at stake, pulled the table cloth on straight, set the sugar bowl, cream pitcher and spoon stand in a straight line aud exactly so far apart. Then she changed all the dishes so that each plate or knife or fork was at the right angle until each piece of crockery looked as if it had been fastened down with glue. The afternoon was quite uneventful, I have been knitting after the custom of the ancients. Supper was a repetition of dinner. But the crowning act of the day was that just before I came up stairs in the evening she read very impressively two little verses and then gave them to me to learn. They may have been taken from Shakespeare or Milton, but 1 think they sound rather more like Burns. They were as follows : “Come when you’re culled, Do as you’re bid, Shut the door after you, And you’ll never be chid. “Speak when you’re spoken to, Hold up your head, Turn out your toes, And go smiling to bed.” don’t know, but it is nine o’clock and I must go ‘ smiling to bed.’ Yours truly, Carol Martin.” I had just finished reading this when I was summoned to dinner; then, as it cleared off very pleasantly in the afternoon we had the expected picnic, but I think I enjoyed the morning the most. iiow I am going to bear these two weeks I IN MEMORIAM-1891. Sweet Gear, you come with a song and a smile, Line a thought that is yet untold; But strings will tremble and echo awhile That were swept by the hands of the old. We know how yotir newness and tender charm Like a red, red rose may unfold; But oh, for the scent of those petals warm Which drifted away with the old! You will bring true hearts to our door, sweet Year. So think not that ours are cold; But there is no friend like the old, sweet Year, There is no friend like the old! Virginia Woodward Cloud. MY EXPERIENCE IN ARIZONA. Like many other young men, when I became of age, I was seized with a violent attack of “ Western fever.” I must leave home and journey through the great West, to return, as I thought, a wealthy man. What business I was to enter I knew not. I had a vague idea that the “Almighty Dollar” was to be found as plentiful as boulders are in the New Hampshire pastures. Mv friends urged me to go, thinking that, with my usual obstinacy, I would act in opposi¬ tion to their pretended wishes and remain at home. Contrary to their expectations, my resolve to depart was not shaken in the least. On the tenth day of August, 1881, a party of us started for Arizona, where we expected to obtain employment of some kind. No thoughts of possible dangers entered our minds, for we were young, and the fires of hope and ambition burned brightly within us. We reached St. Louis without any serious mis¬ haps, and continued on our way with great rejoicing. The next stopping place of importance was

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THE PIONEER. 3 Pyncheon. Hawthorne leaves us for such a long time in suspense before we know whether the Judge is dead or not. The story of sweet Alice Pyncheon was very sad. Maule was cruel to hold her by his power. Wherever she was, if he said “Alice, dance,” she would immediately dance a jig. It finally killed her and no man was more miserable than Maule on the day of her funeral. He only meant to humble her not to kill her and she was dead. But before we leave them all let us look at the House of Seven Gables on the night of the return of Hepzibah and Clifford. The sun is setting and lights up the old house making it look really beautiful. Holgrave and Phoebe are talking together and very happy, for Phoebe has given him hand and heart. What a different scene in the parlor! The Judge sits in a chair, his stern, hard features even more stern and hard in death. They soon hear a noise as if a door was opening, and before Holgrave can open it Clifford and Hepzibah walk in, “ Thank God, my brother, we are at home,” says Hepzibah and they all truly rejoice in that happy reunion. Now we reluctantly leave them, having much enjoyed their short acquaintance. I see no real harm in reading such a story as this except to a nervous and easily excitable person. Hawthorne excels in his descriptions of persons and scenes. His adjectives are very well chosen and his English of the smoothest and best. I became so much interested that I could hardly leave it. Any one who has not read it ought to, for it is a standard work. I think Hawthorne’s chief idea in writing was to show that the wrong doing of one generation lives in all successive ones. Nowhere else is to be found t such moral power combined with an aitistic finish so perfect. His province was narrow, but wdthin it he was master. Cashier — “Do you know when double entry was first used?” Book-keeper—“Yes; when the animals entered the ark two by two.” Caller—“Doesn’t it worry you to think of your daughter on the ocean ?” Old lady—“Lands sakes, no. She can swim.” A RAINY MORNING IN THE ATTIC. Many days of my summer vacation, spent at my grandmother’s in an old country farm house are remembered with great pleasure, but I recall one which I enjoyed more than all others. A pouring rain prevented a picnic which I had been anticipating with great pleasure, therefore I fear I was rather stormy as well as the day. After w r andering aimlessly through all the rooms of the house seeking comfort, I went to the attic for consolation as was my custom at home. I thought I had come to a very interesting place as I stood on the top stair and looked around me. Such a collection of antique furniture I had never seen before. There was the old spinning wheel which had spun my grandmother’s wedding dress, some beautiful brass andirons which are held sacred because George Washington sat be¬ fore them when he spent the night with my great grandfather during the revolution. I went and sat down in an old fashioned chair having the most beautiful tidy that I ever saw, a perfect cobweb. Opposite me le aning against the great old-fash¬ ioned chimney was a rusty old gun, which, though not the “the sword of Bunker Hill,” was the gun which my great grandfather used so valiantly in that battle. Right beside me was an old chest of drawers, one of which was open a little way showing a package of old letters. I eagerly seized these for I am very fond of read¬ ing such literature. The first I opened was writ¬ ten to my mother by one of her harum-scarum schoolmates. It read as follows :— June 17th, 1827. “Dear Maud,— In my last letter I told you that mother was going away and her maiden aunt was coming to keep house for us. Well, mother left us early this moruing and Aunt Martha soon appeared carrying a great carpet bag and green umbrella. I saw her coming up the street, so went to receive her with due ceremony. She had just reached the gate as I opened the door, and these were her first words of welcome : ‘ Don’t stand there let¬ ting the flies in, I’m not so weak that I can’t open the door ! Probably you have left the milk boiling over on the stove and the bread burning

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THE PIONEER. 7 IE BOY STOOD ON THE BURNING DECK. The boy stood on the burning deck Whence all but him had fled; The waters round were seething wild, The wind raged overhead. The last boat had left the side, The boy shrieked loud and wild, His father heard him and replied, “Jump in and swim, my child.” The boy jumped on the bulwarks And then his foot did slip, He sank beneath the roaring waves And with him took the ship. ORIGINAL SONNET. Little grains of wisdom, Little drops of wit; These make up our paper. What do yon think of it? R. H. S. R. S. At the suggestion of Principal Whittemore, the Reading High School Rhetorical Society was organized Sept. 1891. The object of the organi¬ zation is to promote the interests of the students in declamation, composition, and debate ; also to afford instruction and practice in the use of Parliamentary Rules. The present officers of the Society are Frank Wight, President; N. H. Hawes, Vice-President; Jas. Ivillam, Secretary Lind Treasurer; Miss Blanche Copeland, Ralph ftlleason and Herbert Hill, Executive Committee ; ft. E. Marshall, Miss Lillian Wolcott, INIiss Blanche Copeland, Music Committee, ft The Executive Committee acts in conjunction ft ith the Principal in arranging rhetorical work ll ' he programmes rendered are very acceptable and though there have been but two debates, a considerable fluency is already manifested in the discussion of questions brought before the Society. The duty of the Music Committee is to secure the co-operation of pupils interested in musical matters, and to secure their services for the entertainment of the Society. A number of the pupils have united to form a chorus and assist greatly in making the programmes interesting. Miss Marion Prentiss has been appointed as accompanist of the chorus. The Society has been eminently successful ; we believe it has a la ge field of usefulness. R. H. S. A high school was first established in the town of Reading in 1856. Its first principal was Henry A. Littell, who filled this position until 1858. His successor was Mr. Philip C. Porter. Mr. R. I . Clarke came next and taught during the summer and fall terms of 1860, Mr. L. B. Pillsbury being employed to teach during the winter term. Mr. Pillsbury remained in charge until the close of the spring term of 1864, and it was under his supervision that the first class graduated in 1863. Mr. George L. Baxter taught for two terms and was succeeded by Mr. Charles R. Brown, who remained one year. Mr. George W. Adams was employed in December. 1865, and after teaching three weeks, resigned. His successor was Mr. Edward II. Peabody, who remained till the close of the spring term in 1868. It was while Mr. Peabody had charge of the school that it was removed to the building now occupied by it. It had been taught first in the ‘‘Union Hall Building,” whichpvas hired for the purpose, and for a while in “ Cottage Hall.” In 1867 a school house was erected for the use of the high and grammar schools, on the very spot occupied by a school house a hundred years before. The cost of the building was about $12,000. The house was dedicated Dec. 9, 1867, with appropriate ceremonies. Mr. Cyrus Cole followed Mr. Peabody. The membership of the school has steadily increased until there are now enrolled about ninety pupils. At present there are three distinct courses of study, as shown elsewhere in the paper, and the work is so arranged as to fit pupils for college. Mrs. Brickrow (after the annual moving) — “The family who last lived in this house left it in a perfectly horrible condition.” Mr. Brickrow — “The agent told me it had stood empty ever since we lived in it before.” Magistrate (to complainant)—“Your dog was poisoned on the north side, you say?” Complainant—“Why, your honor, I think he was poisoned all over .”—Chicago Inter-Ocean.